The World's Best Events & Trips to Build Around Them (Pt 2/4)

Not all trips are created equal.

The right WHEN is as important as the right WHERE.

Below, you'll find a detailed breakdown of 3 epic trips, each anchored to a world-class event, so you can do the right trip at the right time.

As always, we'll be scoring our trips using the 3 L's:

• List: How many bucket list items am I checking? Most often this is countries, but it applies to cities, landmarks and iconic events too.

• Local: How much authentic / local / cultural fix can you expect? This is the stuff you'll tell your kids about. It's also where you earn your trip (i.e. hard hikes, lessons in something local, all apply)

• Loco: Spanish for "crazy", this is the hot sauce to your travel burrito. Think nightlife, adrenaline sports, the 'hangover' in Hangoverseas.. Price: Reluctantly, we'll rate this too - though it's not as fun to think about

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Full Moon (and the Thai islands) (every month)

Bangkok ↣ Koh Phangan ↣ Koh Tao ↣ Koh Nang Yuan

Summary

If you made it to this blog you've almost certainly heard of Thailand's Full Moon. This historic beach party is the stuff of dreams for every recent graduate looking to party their face off in a distant, tropical land. Regardless of your age, though, you can use the Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan to build a nice trip to the Thai islands.

📍The Route

Bangkok ↣ Koh Phangan ↣ Koh Tao ↣ Koh Nang Yuan Bangkok

You'll likely land in Bangkok - a city which needs no introduction. For this trip, one night in Bangkok (as the song goes) should do it. Pro Tip: Skip the ping pong show.. it tends to be out of the way, expensive, and not even worth the novelty. After a night of Mike Tyson level debauchery, get yourself to the islands! Hostels: The go-to hostels for a good time are NapPark and Mad Monkey.

Getting to Koh Phangan

The most common route is to fly from Bangkok to Koh Samui, then take the ferry to Koh Phangan. Both the flights and the ferry are affordable.

Full (or Half) Moon Party

On Koh Phangan, you'll find the Moon parties - taking place on the full (and half) moons every month. What's the difference? Full Moon is the big dance, tens of thousands of people taking over the beach from sunset to sunrise.. with every flavour of sin you can imagine. Half Moon is no afterthought either. Held in the middle of the jungle, this party arguably has more infrastructure than Full Moon itself - with an elaborate network of stages and bars creating a bonafide trance festival in the thick of the Thai rainforest. Generally less packed (still wild, just less sardine-like), many people prefer it to it's big brother.

Hostels: Definitely the most established player is Shiralea Backpacker Resort (9.1 on Hostelworld), which is just that, a resort. It has a pool, bar / restaurant, gym and a scattering of cabins across a cool property.

Koh Tao

After that party.. you'll be itching to run away from your mistakes. Luckily the next island over is unquestionably the best in Thailand. Koh Tao is an anomaly.. a gem who's existence hardly makes sense. The food, drink, beaches, diving, and people here are unlike anywhere else in Thailand - you have to go to fully understand it. For a quick and delicious bite, consider Milk & Honey a vibey hidden gem with delicious Israeli-themed eats. We'd tell you where to go at night.. but it wouldn't matter. No matter what you tell yourself, all nights inevitably end at Fishbowl. You'll get it when you get there. That said, don't skip the notorious Koh Tao Pub Crawl - a rite of passage for any KT visitor.

Check out this reel of our week on Koh Tao

Hostels: No question, it has to be Savage Hostel. After Bangkok and Full Moon, you'll want something comfortable, and this is by distance the nicest / most comfortable hostel on KT. It's also in the PRIME location right on the main strip and a short walk to Fishbowl, while also sporting an insane rooftop pool / lounge overlooking the ocean. They don't really host events, but it's so damn easy to meet people on Koh Tao that it doesn't even matter. On the flip side, if you're still KEEN for a proper party, the post-Covid newcomer that's making waves on KT is Revolution Hostel. Not only is it a proper party vibe (9.3 Atmosphere on Hostelworld if you don't believe me), but they also have their own boat party - which is never a bad time (unless you're me circa 2018 in Vietnam after a 3-day bender - rough ride home).

Diving

A trip to Koh Tao would not be complete without some scuba. Whether it's just a one-day fun-dive, getting your license, or sharpening your expert skills, the dive-sites around KT are world renowned. We recommend Big Blue Diving - our favorite school on the island. Also a bunch of beauties..

Koh Nang Yuan

You want to add another island to your list? And get an instagram banger in the process? Then take a quick water-taxi to KNY and do the short climb to the viewpoint - you'll recognize the view from every travel influencer you've ever seen.

While here, you can also grab a snorkel and try your luck at seeing the turtles that frequent the island.

🏅 The Rating

List: 7.4 - This trip is only 1 country - but does include both the iconic city of Bangkok, a world-famous event in Full Moon, and a HOS-favorite in Koh Tao. So, it scores decently well for bucket list damage. Local: 6.2 - In truth, both Bangkok and the islands are not particularly "local" or authentic - they're all tourist hotspots. That said, Koh Tao's coral reefs are a local treasure. So, as long as you venture below you can still get an acceptable Local score.

Loco: 9.3 - I mean.. the city of Bangkok has a song and a Hangover movie about it. The place is no joke when it comes to Loco. Then you have Full Moon which, after Carnaval in Rio, might be the world's biggest beach party. Throw in Koh Tao and the iconic Fishbowl and you have yourself one of the most Loco trips you can imagine. Price: $ - Prices vary in Thailand, along with the offering. You can grab a chicken and rice lunch or beers at the convenience store for next to nothing. You can also ball out in one of Bangkoks insane rooftop lounges. Either way, if you're coming from AUS, EU or North America, the exchange will be your friend and you'll still come out way cheaper than at home.

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Día de los Muertos (& Formula 1 Grand Prix) (end of October)

Mexico City

If I told you that in one week you could;

• live the movie "Coco" (and that '007: Spectre' scene) in real life

• watch a Formula 1 race

• hot air balloon over pyramids

• boat party with mariachi bands on ancient Aztec canals

• watch a real-life lucha libre (for $5)

• eat the best street tacos in the world

...how quick would you book the flight?

Summary

This is just a small highlight pack of what you'd get on Mexico City's most legendary week of the year. Usually taking place on November 1st or 2nd, Día de los Muertos (or Day of the Dead), is a longstanding tradition that sees the whole city celebrate their ancestors with a weekend of parties, parades and shockingly good street-food. If you want to get really local, you can do a night visit to a cemetery and watch locals share food, tequila, and music with their loved ones. It really is the movie Coco.

Often in the same week, the F1 circuit is also in town, racing at the iconic Autodromo Hernandez Rodriguez. If you're curious what cars flying 200km/h through a baseball stadium looks like, this is definitely a bucket list experience.

📍 The Route:

As mentioned, there is absolutely no need to leave Mexico City to make this an epic trip. Between the boat parties of Xochimilco, the pyramids (and balloon rides) at Teotihuacan and the insane collection of patios and speakeasies - Mexico City will keep you entertained all day and night. Frankly, you'll run out of gas long before she does. Pro-Tip: Don't miss Supra Roma Rooftop for a good night out with epic views of the city; as well as Hanky Panky (which you didn't hear about from us.. ).

Hostels: The leader of the pack is Casa Pepe, with it's great rooftop patio, events and social vibe. A good alternative (and fair bit cheaper) is the Viajero CDMX hostel which also has a big courtyard and lots of planned activities / events, and comes in at a little less than half the price.

🏅 The Rating:

List: 6.2 - One city, one country, one festival. If you're into F1, you can check that off the list as well. This trip won't raise your tally much, but you won't care. Local: 9.3 - Mexico City is one of the most culturally-rich cities you'll find. Unlike Tulum and Cancun, everything here is authentic. You'll have every opportunity to experience that authenticity - especially during Día de los Muertos.

Loco: 8.8 - Mexico City isn't huge on big ugly nightclubs, but its bars, rooftop patios and speak-easies are world class. Do your research, meet some locals, follow @Hang.over.seas, and you'll find yourself a hell of a time. Price: $ - For what you're getting, Mexico City is very affordable. The balloon ride and F1 race will set you back, but everything else in CDMX is refreshingly cheap relative to its coastal counterparts.

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Edinburgh Fringe (and the UK, Highlands Roadie) (August)

Birmingham ↣ Nottingham ↣ Scottish Highlands ↣ Edinburgh Fringe

Summary

This short-and-sweet UK tour is anchored around one of our favorite festivals, The Edinburgh Fringe, while mixing in some serious pop culture lore (Peaky Blinders, Robin Hood, Loch Ness Monster, Harry Potter), two countries, three cities off the beaten path, and one hell of a road trip.

📍The Route:

Birmingham ↣ Nottingham ↣ Scottish Highlands ↣ Edinburgh Fringe

Land in the UK

To start the trip, we started in Birmingham (for a few reasons - see below), but you do have the option to land in Manchester as well, if the flight works better for you. If you go that way, don't miss a tour of the "theatre of dreams" (Old Trafford).

Birmingham & Nottingham

If you're a fan of Peaky Blinders, or gin, or (bare with us) Robin Hood - you'll love it here. First, get your "Peaky" fix by hitting the Peaky Blinders Pub. PRO TIP: Find the right bookshelf and sneak your way into the Peaky Blinders Speakeasy. If you want a more traditional speakeasy, try 40 St. Paul's or Bacchus Bar. Don't forget to try gin and gin cocktails in Birmingham - Thomas Shelby chose gin for a reason.

Hostels: Not much going on here hostel-wise, but you do have a Selina as a default. We grabbed a hotel room. Then, take a short train to the nearby Nottingham, to see the home (and statue) of Robin Hood before doing as the locals do; and heading to the pub. There's both a local and university crowd here which makes for a great time and authentic British vibe. We had a cracker of a day at Canalhouse, a pub and patio overlooking the canal, but you really can't go wrong with any high-ranking pub in the area.

At this point, you're ready to make the journey up to Edinburgh! The transport here is a dealer's choice. Busses, trains, and flights from Birmingham are all in the cards.

The Highlands Roadie

Once you're in Edinburgh, we recommend renting a car for the Highlands Roadie. If you're not from the UK, driving on the other side of the road should be on your bucket list anyway, but it's also the only real way to see the Scottish highlands in their full glory.

From there, plan your route north, aiming for Inverness. Every hostel, hotel and tourist centre will have maps and tips for you - pick your favorite and hit the road! We drove alongside Loch Ness for as long as we could, with hopes of spotting the monster. No one will ever believe us but we're convinced we saw her.. This roadie is chalked full of stunning scenery, forest, mountains, rivers and authentic Scottish towns filled with the nicest of people. Enjoy!

Edinburgh (The Edinburgh Fringe Festival)

Ok, you've done your roadtrip, your nature, now it's the big dance.

First of all, Edinburgh itself is an absolute stunner. Every single building is a castle.. yes even the Starbucks... and with varying elevations you get beautiful sight-lines across the city.

Then, during The Fringe, it all gets even better. The streets fill with semi-inebriated, always-friendly locals and foreigners alike. Not to mention hundreds of the world's best street performers. Inside, every pub, restaurant, cafe and bowling alley are turned into makeshift comedy clubs - each more unique than the next. Ranging from rooms of 1000+ down to 3-4 seats around a dinner table with a comedian. The range and creativity - not to mention the intimacy of some venues - makes for one of the best comedy experiences out there.

BONUS: While in town, pay a visit to the Elephant House, where JK Rowling wrote the Harry Potter books, as well as the nearby cemetery where you can find the grave-stones that inspired the names of Professor McGonagall and Tom Riddle.

Hostels: There are three heavy-hitters here: Edinburgh Backpackers have a pristine location (but they did kick a mate out for shagging in the Netflix room.. fair enough I guess), then a&o Edinburgh have their awesome rooftop patio which is a rarity around here, and lastly there's CoDE Pod who has amenities that are head and shoulders better than the others - with modern bathrooms, rooms and pod-style beds for extra comfort and privacy.

🏅 The Rating:

List: 7.4 - Two countries (ok, we know it's all UK, but England and Scotland feel different, are different - don't fight us on this), 3 cities, one world-famous festival and some childhood pop-culture milestones, this trip definitely has some bucket list impact. Local: 8.5 - This route is somewhat off the beaten path, and makes for awesome local vibes. The Highland Roadie itself will find you in Scottish towns as authentic as can be. Max out your Local score by trying haggis, drinking copious pints with locals and trying your hand at driving on the left side of the road.

Loco: 8.1 - The Fringe is a cracker of a time - no doubt about it. You will find yourself stumbling from one random hole-in-the-wall to another, on account of the cobblestones at your feet, your sore abs from laughing, and sure a few too many UK-sized pints. But, this is no Ibiza, you can enjoy this whole session without too much crazy - it's entirely up to you. Price: $ - For most foreigners, the UK tends to be pricey on account of the currency exchange. This trip is no exception. That said, many of the shows at The Fringe are completely free. For such an iconic event with such talented entertainers - that in and of itself is a steal.

Still haven't seen the perfect trip? Try: World's Best Events & Trips to Build Around Them: Part 1

World's Best Events & Trips to Build Around Them: Part 3

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