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A monthly market (held every first Sunday) which takes place either inside or outside the Milgi bar on City Road (an eclectric bar/bistro with video art, squashy sofas, chandeliers and a good line in cocktails and homemade pop).
It's a bit of a hotchpotch of jumble, young designers, live music, DJs, the odd random performance artist, maybe a BBQ, maybe some nice hot soup...
It's genuinely really great for hand printed tees and pumps, jewellery, second-hand books, vinyl, vintage-rummaging, people-watching, cake-eating, cocktail-drinking... And sometimes it happens at night too, which can be very, very good.
Milgi, 213 City Road, Cardiff, www.myspace.com/northcotelanemarket
This is one of those places where the guests stay longer than they expected, and end up working there. The writing all over the walls and the squat-like attic give it a definite acid house feel, but don't worry, everyone’s friendly, and the hippy vibe is pretty infectious.
The 24-hour bar (essentially a fridge) and adjoining lounge are great to meet people and play some free pool. It’s a party place as well, so expect to have some messy evenings. A little bit of a mission to find, but definitely worth it. AND make sure you do a shot of Unicum at the bar. Medicinal apparently. Can't really remember.
Everyone knows about the big parades on Bastille day, but the secret celebrations go on in district fire stations the night before.
If you’re lucky enough to be in Paris on the 13th July, find the local Sapeurs Pompiers station from about 22:00 hours.
Pay a voluntary entrance fee (that goes to charity) and enjoy. You’ll realise why they get such a huge cheer at the end of the Bastille Day parade.
Well, you've missed it for 2007, but it'll surely be back in early August 2008. It's a gay pride carnival and then some, the outrageous floats quite literally that - decorated boats floating along the Prinsengracht canal and Amstel river all afternoon in a riot of noise, colour and campness.
In fact, Canal Pride is a three-day festival to rival The Netherlands' other big weekends during Karnaval in February and Queensday in April - but with more chance of good weather.
The mardi gras festival in Sydney lasts for 3-4 weeks culminating in a parade on the evening of the 1st Saturday in March.
Go for as long as you can and make the most of the art exhibitions, theatre, film, cabaret, club nights, fair day. Make sure that you arrive early for the parade as estimates put the crowd at between 350,000 and 500,000!
This little town on a beautiful island off the coast of Salvador is a must. No cars. The taxis for luggage only are wheelbarrows.
Connected to Salvador by catamaran service or by small prop plane (max 12Kg weight limit). The beaches are fabulous. The second beach is full of bars, surfers and chilled beach goers who like to party late into the night. I'd recommend taking a pousada on the third beach. The bars along here serve excellent caipirinha at about R$2!
In the centre of town you can find food to suit all tastes and budgets along the sandy main street. Be fluid with onward travel plans - you may just add a few days to your stay here on this lovely island getaway!
Morro de São Paulo
Tinharé Island - Bahia
Info: www.morrodesaopaulo.com.br
Carnival Wednesday (after Shrove Tuesday) in Pipa is a hoot!
Usually all the tourists from nearby Recife have gone home and it's party time for the locals. For the last six years the local men have all dressed up in drag and partied up and down the main street from the early afternoon into the night. It is hilarious and really good fun.
It may not have the glamour of Rio or the music and dance of the carnivals in Recife and Salvador but it is solid good fun.
YH Plakias in the south of Crete is the number one party hostel in Europe. If you are single, eccentric, aged between 21 and 55 and like a chat, a shag and a drink, then this is the place for you.
The cult of YH Plakias has developed over decades as there are many "regulars" who come back year after year. Six marriages and five babies have resulted from relationships formed at the hostel. Chris the manager will make you very welcome. And all this at eight euros a night.
I am expecting a man shortage this year as I am coming back with five of my girlfriends so any eligible guys out there, hope to see you in May!
Mirthios 74060, Rethymno District, Crete, Greece. Tel. +30 28320 32118. The website is at yhplakias.com
nearest airport is Heraklion or Chania
My favourite place in Pipa is the Coffee Shop run by Hudi and her husband Paul. Great for a chat and to find where to go for a good party that night. Cheap grub and the best caipirinhas in Brazil.
Lake in the middle of Frankfurt, well hidden - with great, great parties in the summer and swimming during the day.
www.schwedlersee.de/startseite.html
maps.google.de/maps?f=q&hl=de&q=osthafen+frankfurt&ie=UTF8&t=k&om=1
The best place for a wild party. Open every day all night and very close to my other favourite place the Feuermelder, where you can watch football before starting the party. And on Sunday there is a very beautiful flea market around the corner. It's fantastic and budget-friendly.
Gärtnerstraße/ Friedrichshain. S-Bahn-Station Warschauerstraße or Ostkreuz
Without doubt THE hub of Beirut’s nightlife. This part of town is absolutely jumping all week. You’re spoilt for choice with the number of bars and clubs vying for your custom on this famous stretch. The locals really dress up when they go out, especially Lebanese women who look intimidatingly beautiful so make sure you look the part. Many of the bars on Rue Monot are seriously glam but worth making the effort for. To say the Lebanese like to party would be an understatement…
Rue Monot, downtown Beirut
It is easy to fall in love with Goa. What makes it such a pleasant place to be is the extremely laid-back atmosphere, which combines with long days of sunshine, nice beaches, fascinating 70s-like hippy vibes, and some truly tasty – and cheap – sticky stuff to spice up your otherwise unrewarding cigarette tobacco!
Psychedelic trance parties are very much part of the Goan legend, but in true fact, they’re no longer a pivotal element of the sublimely chilled Goan lifestyle. Surely, during the most popular months, full-moon, half-moon or quarter-moon parties can be found almost every day (the moon is just an excuse, hey), but more and more visitors seem to be there for the quietness – and they’re not disappointed.
Believe me when I say – Goa is the ultimate place where having nothing to do feels sweet. Whichever area you choose to settle down in – Anjuna for the party-loving, Arambol or others for the calm-seeking – rent a 50cc scooter for two or three pounds a day, and you’re free to roam the many attractive little spots the area has to offer.
For the best ski or snowboard holiday look no further. I spent last season there and
the staff at Marmotte Mountain made the whole trip. Great skiing and snowboarding is guaranteed and the hospitality was the best I've ever come across.
Without doubt book and go - you will have the time of your life in the most serene environment with a nightlife to get the most party-hungry excited. I can't recommend it highly enough. It is God's back garden.
Marmotte Mountain Retreat, Argentiere.
Tel : +33 (0) 6 82 89 15 23.
www.marmottemountain.com
This small bar will be anything other than football-focused. It attracts a very arty crowd looking to have fun: Germans, as well as English, Irish and Scottish expats, and a straight/gay mixed crowd. Theme parties are the best. Think Christmas in August
Kleine rittergasse 13, Sachsenhausen;
tel: 017620544411
Very famous nightclub that wouldn't be out of place in New York or Ibiza.
This underground bunker of a club, with a mean sound system, is located on the industrial outskirts of the city.
Formerly the site of a refugee camp stormed by militia during the civil war. Local taxi drivers know where it is and are probably your best bet for getting there since it is a trek from downtown Beirut.
It is however, absolutely awesome. Get there early and it has a hip, lounge bar feel to it, with eerie iconic images of dead musicians and coffin-like folding banquette's that more-than-conveniently double as podiums later on when things really kick off!
Architecturally and design wise, this place is really remarkable. The big crowds start arriving post-midnight due to the hedonistic club's reputation as the after-hours venue of choice. When the sun comes up, the roof retracts, flooding daylight into the open arms and bleary eyes of the most hardened house and techno enthusiasts as the fierce beats keep their feet stomping.
Lot# 317, la Quarantine, Medawar, Beyrouth
Head out of the city and its just off the Dora highway near the Forum de Beyrouth...
A little gay/lesbian/local bar in Chamonix open all night. When all other pubs, bars, clubs have shut their doors, and chucked you out onto the street; there is always the toff. Once you walk through the door there is no going back; the atmosphere hits you like thunderbirds on your first ever night out.
In the pedestrian area of Chamsud with the rainbow above the door.
The beer can be expensive in this town, so if you're short of cash and aching for a pint, work your way down the East Oslo street Grønland (all tube lines to Grønland station or tramway to Brugata). Here you'll find the cheapest beer in town, but beware of the less congenial clientele...
Grønland station (All tube lines)
Brugata tram stop
Some people are going to groan at the name, but bear with it. If you are young at heart and looking for a variety of fun things to do in Rio, you could do worse than pick up the "Rio for Partiers" guide. It's a little bit like this site - crammed full of tips, and just the thing to turn to if you are wondering "what to do next" in Rio.
It's not the "club 18-30"-ish guide that it seems from the title. I'd recommend at least having a look at it in a bookshop - many of the places in it were things which Cariocas recommended to me anyway.
www.rioforpartiers.com/ (I've got no affilition, in case you're wondering)
Someone recommended the street party in Lapa on a Friday night. I would agree with this as it's an amazing night out, but I would warn people to keep their wits about them. I've been twice now on separate trips a year apart and the second time (August 2005) it seemed a lot more crowded and definitely more shifty.
This maybe something to do with the fact that it's now in the trusty Lonely Planet as a 'Rio essential' so there are far more tourists now, which inevitably attracts more unsavory characters. I'm not saying this to be a travel snob - when we were there guns were fired at the top of the famous steps which resulted in a stampede and a nasty crush at the bottom. It's still a great night - just stay away from the top of the steps (the farther up you go the more shady it gets) and go in a big group if possible. Oh, and stay away from the brightly coloured shots in the plastic tubes - they're lethal and taste revolting - have a caipirinha!
Lapa - near Cinelandia metro.
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