Magic Mushrooms have entered mainstream global culture in a big way as of late, fueled by topline data from over 130 clinical trials in the last twenty years and primetime press touting their potential to alleviate a host of mental and physical health conditions.
But though this institutional recognition has boosted the profile of the humble mushroom to a wider audience than ever before, the vast majority of modern humans experience magic mushrooms outside of a clinic and in a non-medicalized context.
In the absence of sufficiently available legal “psilocybin services” to meet mushrooming demand in the Global North, many aspiring trippers have sought out mushroom retreats overseas in places like Jamaica and the Netherlands. A regulated psilocybin mushroom and truffle industry respectively in place in these two jurisdictions have spawned a boom around retreats focused on deep ‘inner work’, while other places like Mexico and Costa Rica have similar offerings albeit largely in a ‘Grey Area’ of sorts.
Mushroom retreats offer sobering and focused programming that often emphasizes the importance of preparation, ceremony, and integration among other aspects of the new age spiritual movement, mirroring the medicalized approach in many ways.
But what about mushrooms and partying? Where in the great book of life is there any clause that suggests one shouldn’t simply drink some mushroom tea or chomp an infused chocolate bar and hit the dance floor for a few hours with dear friends while howling at the moon?
Mushrooms and traveling go together like spore and substrate for some of us; the same goes for mushrooms and partying. It stands to reason that those who find value in hopping on a long-haul flight to an unfamiliar corner of the world for no other reason than to experience life through a different lens would also have a penchant for altered states, as well as the mental constitution to thrive in such a set and setting.
Wild Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms grow in abundance across virtually every region of the world, From rice paddies in Indonesia to mountain forests in Mexico, cow patties in Cuba to rhinoceros dung in Nepal, bumper crops of magic mushrooms appear following the rains.Photo credit: Alan Rockefeller, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Wild Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms grow in abundance across virtually every region of the world, particularly so in the tropics and biodiverse ecosystems that have yet to be converted into high density housing and mining concessions by multinational corporations.
From rice paddies in Indonesia to mountain forests in Mexico, cow patties in Cuba to rhinoceros dung in Nepal, bumper crops of magic mushrooms appear following the rains.
Enterprising locals in many parts of the world have found that these mushrooms are more than just a spontaneous oddity appearing from dewey earth; they’re also a hot ticket with the hoards of backpackers and adventure seekers passing through their communities.
As such, a number of famous parties around the world have sprung up around the magic mushroom trade, sprouting a form of ‘Myco-Tourism’ that is increasingly in demand as the profile of magic mushrooms continues to expand into global mainstream consciousness.
Here are 4 of the most famous mushroom parties around the world:
1.The Full Moon Party in Tortola, BVI at Bomba’s Surfside Shack
One of the world’s most famous and longstanding magic mushroom parties happens every full moon on the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. Psilocybin mushrooms are technically legal in the BVI through a loophole of sorts; the prevailing rumor around why the psychoactive fungi endemic to the island chain escaped prohibition while use and possession of cannabis and other traditionally regulated ‘narcotics’ remains criminalized is that the legislators were ignorant of the distinction between psilocybin mushrooms and another variety which contains no psychoactive alkaloids, and in the confusion the latter mushroom ended up being outlawed.
Bomba’s Beach Shack, Tortola,BVI /Photo Credit: Bgabel at wikivoyage shared, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Bomba’s Surfside Shack has been hosting a legendary full moon party since 1989 – coincidentally, the year I was born. Though I haven’t personally made it to this legendary party yet, I have friends who have been and it’s very high on my list and the odds are good I’ll end up marooned in the area someday.
The beachfront bar is built out of driftwood and sheet metal and decorated with hanging bras, panties, and various accoutrements that have washed ashore over the years. In other words, it’s the perfect setting for the mushroom tea and mushroom punch that they serve during the full moon party. The mushroom tea is made with locally foraged fungi, but there’s no word on whether or not the house recipe incorporates TTBVI mushrooms – a strain that was first found under a tamarind tree in the BBVI (Tamarind Tree British Virgin Islands = TTBVI) has the claim to fame of being the most potent psychoactive mushroom in the world.
Full Moon Party, February 23, 2016. view from The Rocks up Haad Rin Sunrise Beach, Koh Phangan, Thailand./Photo Credit: Per Meistrup, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
What is it with full moon parties and mushrooms? Beats me, but I’ll have another cup of shroom tea anyways since we’re all out here. The full moon party on the enchanted island of Koh Phan Ngan in the Gulf of Thailand is a rite of passage for backpackers and luxury travelers alike in the region.
The larger than life celebration takes place on Hat Rin beach and draws upwards of 30,000 people each time it pops off. Though mushrooms not always explicitly advertised in the same way it is in other jurisdictions where psilocybin possession is lawfully permitted, many vendors will have them on hand to ladle out in shakes, tea, or infused into food to keep the party in full swing.
Full Moon Party /Visions of Domino, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
I experienced this full moon party in a bemushroomed manner while backpacking across Southeast Asia in 2012. It’s remarkably how quickly the vibe shifts into high gear after you consume a mushroom shake (or two in my case); one minute you’re sitting in a bamboo loft slurping down the remnants of the fresh psilocybe slush muddled into a fruit smoothie while sucking on a hookah hose and the next you’re sucked into a vortex of 150 BMP electronic music while covered in neon body paint and doing fireball shots with a group of shapeshifters that you picked up somewhere along the way. I do not recommend having your first trip in this scenario, but if you can keep your wits about you, go for it.
If you haven’t yet encountered a fire breather juggling bowling pins and riding a unicycle while under the influence of mushrooms, this is your sign to head to Thailand for this party.
Mushroom Shakes on Gili Island/ Photo by Dennis Walker
The Gili Islands are a trifecta of white sand tropical jewels located in the Lombok Strait between Bali and Lombok in Indonesia. These islands have become a highly sought after travel destination due to their laid back attitude and tropical splendor. The islands have also become synonymous with magic mushrooms thanks to the widespread availability of the famous Gili Islands mushroom shakes that every beachfront bar seems to offer. There are few set and settings more perfect than a tropical paradise with fresh coconuts, warm sand and beautiful people dancing at the crystalline water’s edge as the sun sinks into the horizon.
I spent my 33rd birthday in this fashion and found it to be the perfect mix of excitement and down tempo chilled out bliss. There are plenty of people who are on the wavelength in the area, and bobbing around in the sapphire blue water while listening to subaqueous interpretations of the music playing back on the beach is a trip in and of itself. If you need to lay out for a while, there are plenty of cabanas and hammocks to do so.
Hand painted signs offering ‘Magic Mushrooms’ are the telltale sign that you’ve found the right place; take a stroll around the perimeter of any of the islands and you can’t miss them. Gili Trawangan – affectionately called ‘Gili T’ by those in the know – ranks highest on the party meter of the three islands, as it predominantly caters to backpackers and the young at heart. You can also find mushroom shakes on the other two Gili islands, but you’re more likely to be slipping the viscous brew alongside honeymooning couples and parrotheads rather than gap year students on a bender.
New Year’s Eve celebrations at Anjuna Beach, Goa, India./Photo credit: © Vyacheslav Argenberg / http://www.vascoplanet.com/, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Goa is legendary for its PsyTrance scene and rave culture, and the tropical humidity of the surrounding environs are a breeding ground for psilocybin mushrooms. On any given night there is a party somewhere in Goa, and you can be sure that a coterie of dreadlocked hippies for whom the 60’s never ended are dancing with a little help from their fungal friends.
While not explicitly legal in any true sense, it’s not hard to find the mushroom party if you set out in search of one; a guesthouse called ‘Mushrooms Goa’ that bills itself as an ‘Amazing hostel for the free spirited traveler’ is one sign that you’re on the right path.
Trance Party in Vagator, Goa, India Photo Credit:© Vyacheslav Argenberg / http://www.vascoplanet.com/, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
While there has been much spirited debate about the necessity of intention setting, supervision by a qualified medical professional, and other such factors in the psychedelic space as of late – the fact is that mushrooms have a robust, if not necessarily fully mainstream proclivity for amplifying the value of a good party. What if feeling really good and enjoying the company of friends, music, and great vibes is itself a powerful medicine?
And if that’s wrong – myself and many others definitely don’t want to be right.
Dennis Walker is a global mushroom industry consultant and avid traveler. He is the founder of Mycopreneur, a platform dedicated to advancing the mushroom entrepreneurial ecosystem. His work has been featured in Rolling Stone. Forbes, Wired, Vice, High Times, and many other outlets. He is also the founder of Mycoday mushroom chocolate, an adaptogenic mushroom chocolate brand.
