Hit the Haad Rin Full Moon Party

This is not just another party on the beach. The Full Moon Party on Haad Rin, on the island of Koh Phangan, attracts between 10,000 to 20,000 revelers every month. The beach is roughly a quarter-mile long, with restaurants, bars, and various party locales spread along its precious real estate. Internationally renowned DJs mix techno, trance, Goa, house, and commercial hits for partygoers to dance the night away under the glare of the night sky's incandescent orb.

If another drink doesn't charge your burners, weary ravers can splay out on beach chairs and tables in open areas illuminated by trance-inducing, glow-in-the-dark banners and fire dancers spinning light sticks in time to the beat. Paint yourself in Day-Glo paint, or go in nothing at all—it's hard to be considered outrageous at these events.

As the name implies, the Full Moon Party is dependent on that month's lunar show, so the date is floating. Most people don't sleep, and if they do, they crash on the beach. However, you might want to get to Haad Rin a couple days prior to the full moon just to make sure you have a place to recover from the festivities. Head to the sunset side of Haad Rin for cheaper accommodations and a break from the hardcore party scene.