| ASIA
Cambodia. HOT NEW HIPPIE
DESTINATION!!! Unlike neighboring Laos & Vietnam, Cambodia has
pretty easy to deal with visa formalities. It also seems to attract all
sorts of interesting types, & seems to not attract the typical
tourist types responsible for ruining Thailand for example. Its also a
fairly relaxed place while being a bit crazy at times. They say its a
lot like Thailand used to be. The ruins at Angor are incredible
like nothing else I have ever seen. In addition, although
international pressure is changing a few things, grass is all over the
place. There was over a kilo in a cabinet in my guest house that was
left by people leaving the country, & it is sometimes brought to
your table free of charge in some travelers restaurants, so you will
smoke it of course & buy more food! The civil war is over too
now.
Thailand - A beautiful, friendly, tolerant
country (it is full of Buddhists after all). Unfortunately economic
development and unbridled tourism has deformed this country. Check out
Ko Samui or Ko Phanghan for a real getaway. Stay away from Bangkok,
Pattaya and Phuket. Chaing Mai too has changed for the worse. The hill
tribes of the north are worth a visit though.
Bali, Indonesia-
BOYCOTT BALI! Click The Green Bali Link For
More Details The beauty of this island is
surpassed only by the beauty of the people and their Hindu/animistic
culture. A mecca for hippies! Ubud is a great place to base. Give Kuta
Beach a wide berth unless you like surfing, shopping and getting
hounded.
India - A hundred lifetimes is not enough to
absorb the culture, the land and the people of this amazing country.
Many a seeker has found nirvana here. Goa is one of many places where
hippies congregate. Other groovy places are Kerala State in the south,
full of canals, Rajastan, deserts and forts, Benares if you want to get
holy, the foothills of the Himalayas to get high on the mountains and
charas.
The Himalayas - "There are hippies
everywhere, man! Well, in India anyway. I was there from January to June
and they seem to be most concentrated in the Himalayas. You can find
people high on all sorts of drugs, including the awesome sight of the
mountains covered in snow (it was my first time in the snow, by the way
and my somewhat awkward attempts at walking up and down the slopes
generated a few laughs from the stoned ones). I was told that being in
India is like being stoned without having to smoke anything. It is true!
If you're a real hippy you won't want to go to Goa, find your own piece
of hippy heaven like I did, (unless you really MUST go to Goa!). My
advice for hippies is GO NOW!"
Japan - Shimo-Kitazawa, Tokyo - "This is
a great little hippy part of Tokyo, no cars, lots of nice shops and
restaurants, home of Tokyo's first hemp shop and hemp restaurant, also
did you know that it is legal to sell mushrooms in Japan? Just look
outside the station here! Hokkaido is Japans North Island and is a
nature paradise. It also has lots of wild hemp growing, some of which is
quite smokable apparently. Japan Alps - during the summer it hosts lots
of outdoor festivals and rave parties. These are real hippy
congregations - people you don't see too often in Japan they suddenly
appear. Where do they live?!"
Canada
Vancouver, Victoria and Nelson, Canada -
"(A.K.A. hippytown in the boonies)? Vancouver is the founding city
of Greenpeace, and our mainstream neighbors to the south (of course not
including you marvelous and open-minded brothers + sisters) call us
Columbia of the north! AND WE'VE LEGALIZED HEMP TOO!"
Tofino, British Columbia, Canada - "It's
right on the ocean, and I have never seen so many free spirited,
beautiful people in my life. Everyone was so kind to everyone. Lots of
free flowing clothes and flowers. You're always near a beach for a
picnic, or just lounging. My guitar was quite welcome there. Tofino is
not particularly friendly since the locals are inundated with the mass
influx of tourists every year, so they have become somewhat immune to
outsiders."
Kitchener Ontario Canada - "Hippies roam
the streets of Kitchener and especially Cambridge. We are up there along
with the freaks and jocks, geeks and the boring ones. Hippies are the
best, with our butterfly shirts and bell-bottoms, we have our own twists
to the 60's fashions."
In response another visitor wrote:
"Thought I'd add a note to what our obviously young friend above
has said, the scene here is extremely diversified, there is much to do
see and experience. I have jokingly referred to Kitchener for years as
the Berkley of Canada. For some strange reason this little city is a
drawing card for hippies. But don't show up expecting chaos and
revolution in the air, because for the ten years I've lived here, most
of what I've seen is behind the scenes, although the older hippie and
deadhead community here threw some of the biggest bashes going."
The Gulf Islands B.C. Canada -
"particularly Gabriola, Hornby and Cortes. Enchanted, laid-back,
new-age. Hornby Island does in fact have hippies. However, the island
has become overcrowded and increasingly slick and commercial. Not so
"groovy" now. Cortes Island, which is rather remote and is a
pleasant looking place, was inundated by marine radiation dumps from
government ships about 30 years ago before pollution regulations were
enforced. Many people on this island have developed cancer as a result
of this, including the majority of the local police department who
regularly patrol the area. Under no conditions, would I ever choose to
live there, as a hippy."
Kaslo B.C, Canada - there are so many
free people, Me and a friend took a trip from creston to Kaslo along the
way, kootenay bay , we visited a place ,religious, and the rumour is
that its a hippy hang out with a temple, can't remember the name. this
place was beautifull, right on the lake, we also went to the beach,owned
by the same place they call it POWER LINE BEACH.cause of the power lines
crossing the water. lots of free camping on this beach nice sand and
rocks people playing music and singing , it was a cool place,, I
recomend this place for the out door type hippy,,,.
Joussard, Alberta, Canada, Location of the
NORTH COUNTRY FAIR. "Each summer on June 20-23 (sometimes on the
19th, depending which one falls on Friday) there is a Summer Solstice
Celebration held in this little northern Alberta town. Hippies and free
spirits alike come from all over to enjoy this wonderful enlightening
experience of live music, new age work-shops, dancing and of course the
artisan market. Situated beside the Lesser Slave Lake, there are many
great places to camp on and off the fair site. It's like taking a step
back in time, if only for one memorable weekend a year, to see beautiful
people join together and celebrate the longest day of the year. This
year is the 20th celebration of the North Country Fair and it will
surely be a huge gathering of the free."
Ness Creek, Saskatchewan, Canada - (situated
in the beautiful Boreal forest.) This is a beautiful place where time
means nothing. There is a folk festival there every summer. Basically
you just hang out all day with wonderful people and besides the hippie
generation there is the kids-of-the-hippies-who
are-now-too-old-to-party-properly-so-now-we-have-to-generation. (that
would be me.) There are 3 different places to camp out. One is for the
music people and it is near main stage. The other is for the party
people and it is further along. Finally there there is a "quiet
field" where they hope most people will be considerate enough to
quiet down for the people who don't want too mush noise. IT's perfect
and i love it!
Sherbrooke and Lennoxville, Quebec, Canada -
"the townships are also the most English place in Quebec. Many old
and younger hippies live out in the country here. There's also been a
few sizeable communes, one of them mysteriously gone leaving all their
stuff behind."
Montreal and Quebec, Canada - "also have
huge countercultural activity. If you're looking for cheap drugs you've
come to the right place. Rent is super cheap, but jobs may not be
available."
"Just want to add a note about Montreal. This is a city with a lot
of Spirit. It's a place where freedom and individuality are cherished.
Where people can still get by doing their art & music. Where
hundreds of drummers and dancers meet on the mountain to celebrate
regularly. Where you can always find a good veggie meal, and share a
spliff on the street with a friend. Many Rainbow Family folks here
too."
Edmonton, Alberta - The city is not as well
known as a hippie haven as Lotusland (Vancouver, B.C.) because Edmonton
is in Canada's most conservative province. There is a hippy
community in the Whyte Avenue or Old Strathcona area, however. The
"Two Guys With Pipes" store is a popular destination for hemp
enthusiasts. Lots of mellowing out during the Fringe Festival every
summer.
Central America
Mexico - Long an escape for the gringos, still an
interesting country to visit from Baha to the Yucatan, lots of places to
explore and hang out.
Maruata, Mexico - "On the coast of
Michoacan, Maruata has been a mecca for some time now. The big Parties
are Christmas and Easter. No hotels, only camping. Lots of drums and
other music. The locals are Nahuatl Indians, and extremely friendly.
Best beach on the West Coast of Mexico. Good herb for around five
dollars an ounce, plus the occasional peyote surprise. Please bring
sheets of blotter acid, there's always a terrible shortage. Things are a
bit weird since the gathering of '95-'96 but there's always room for a
few more freaks."
Zipolite, Mexico - "I was there maybe 3 years ago and it was the
best most beautiful hippy place ever. Hammocks on the beach $1 a night.
Grass can be ordered and delivered from ones hammock. Food is great too.
Strong waves - watch it! Nice sunsets."
Palenque, Mexico - Where the mushrooms are
grown! Small town full of all kinds of people, about half are hippy
foreigners that come to escape frothe rush and live amongst others who
share their lifestyle.
Costa Rica - "is a way cool place. There
are many kind nature spirits there. Hey, every time someone greets you
they say "Pura Vida" (pure life). Just that line shows you
that the country is totally at peace."
"What can I say except for that this is the ultimate haven for
anyone who has grasped peace and knows how to live life to the
fullest.....Pura Vida (pure life) is not only the universal greeting,
but it's a great substitute for "cool". (My bus driver Rodrigo
used it that way). The people are very hip here. Incredible
atmosphere......and the food is the best I've ever had!"
Quito, Ecuador - i would venture to say that
ecuador is the hippie mecca of south america. lots of heads are drawn
here because of the beautiful ecosystems, environmental opportunities,
it's very, very cheap, and people for the most part embrace gringos.
people might stare at you, but it's not because they dissaprove; most
people outside of cities have never seen a hippie! quito is phat because
there are heads all over, and there are lots of really cool restaurants,
coffee shops,
stores, etc. super cheap, handmade indigenous clothing (like the
brightly colored sweaters you see lots of hippies wearing) and wares are
available in the city, and the massive outdoor market of otavalo is a 40
minute drive. if you're ever in quito, one place you absolutely should
go to is called aladin. this is a middle-eastern hang out run by a few
really nice, english speaking middle-easterners. they import most of
their wares, such as intricately designed ash trays, delicate utensils
and dishes, 3-foot hookahs, and heavy, elaborately made chess sets (you
just might feel like you're in iran or something!). you can have a cup
of tea & snack at one of the couches, play a game of chess at the
tables, or smoke a hookah of many varieties of flavored tobacco out on
their patio. delicious food, incredible ambiance; it's one of the
coolest places i've been!
Guatemala - Lots of hippies live in
communities here. Mayans are very cool people, but check with the State
Department for warnings, as occasionally there is political violence in
certain areas.
Tikal, Guatemala - A very important hippy
ancient Maya site. Stay on the island when in Flores. The town is a bit
rough. Tikal is beautiful, make sure you go out into the jungles where
you can see so many monkeys! The grass is top quality there too. But
sometimes climbing those pyramids can be a bit of a scary experience,
especially when remembering that they were built extra steep just so
when you were thrown down the steps you weren't going to stop till you
hit the bottom!"
Down Under!
Australia - Many communes in the bush, some
small hippie communities. Australians now spend more money on marijuana
than on wine, and almost as much as BEER! How things have changed down
under!
Byron Bay, Australia - The "Hippie
Capital" of Australia is a place called Byron Bay (look it up!)
which is situated at the top of New South Wales, near Brisbane. Byron
Bay and surrounding towns like Nimbin, Mullumbimby, and Lismore are
absolute havens for the alternative, new-age folk.
Another Opinion: Byron Bay is not the Hippie Capital of
Australia. It's actually Nimbin. Nimbin is 100% hippie. You hardly have
to be there 1 minute and someone offers you some pot. The standard
vehicle in Nimbin is the Combie Van. Some other hippie inhabited places
in the area are Woodenbong and Humpybong (I think they speak for
themselves).
New Zealand - Reports of hippies here and
there. Kiwis are known for their friendliness and hospitality. Hippies
can be found in the Coromandel, which is a peninsula just kind of across
from Auckland. In Nelson at the top of the south island there are little
communities of hippies scattered about.
Waiheke Island, New Zealand - a 35 minute
ferry ride from the nations largest city of Auckland. (1.1 million
people). With a population of about 5000, Waiheke Island is very popular
with those who want to live closer to nature.
Europe
Amsterdam,
Holland - THE hippy center of Europe. Marijuana sold
legally in more than 400 coffeeshops, a long history of tolerance,
beautiful old city, great vibes everywhere, and yes the friendly Dutch
speak English. Hippie Heaven! Lots of headshops, smartshops, rave
venues, hip fashions, museums and concerts. The Vondelpark has been a
gathering place for hippies since the 60s. Please see our Hip Guide to
Amsterdam at http://www.hipplanet.com/amsterdam/amsterdam.htm for lots
more info.
Belgium - "I moved from Brussels to the
little town of Mesnil Eglise (yes, Belgium) and see from the 75
habitants half of them are old and new tekno-hippies. From the solar
energy professor to artists and bio food producers all invite friends to
spend the summer in the woods of the Ardennes. This makes a lot of
people smokin' and roamin' the 3 streets of the village... The melting
pot with the original farmers worked well out during the last 25
years."
Prague, Czech Republic - "The capital of
Czech republic is also a capital of hippie life-forms here in Czech and
also for a quite a lot of them from other countries. Mary Jane is not
legal, but there are a lot of small clubs, organizing the festivals,
concerts, theatre and a lot of other actions, where the MJ smoke is
tolerated. It has a kind of legality as by our law you can smoke it, but
can not grow it, trade it etc."
The Greek Islands - European hippies flock to
dozens of islands in the summer. Hot spots are Ios, Santorini, and
Crete. "Other really hot places in the Greek Islands are Paros and
AntiParos. The two islands are half an hour from one another. I live in
Greece so I know the really cool places. There you can find a lot of
Hippies, ( French, English and Greek usually...)."
Christiania, Copenhagen, Denmark - "is a
free-city and the ultimate hippie haven in Europe, after Amsterdam, of
course. In Kristiania you can smoke dope as much as you please and the
city is very beautiful with many attractions and a lot of young
people... among the hippies most popular rock band Gasolin. For more
info, check out www.christiania.org "
Glastonbury, England - It's such a groovy
place. Awesome stores, groovy little restaurants, cool attractions like
the Torr and Chalice Well, great places to experience a trip! the people
in glastonbury are totally cool... they're all about free speech and
love and they're all real friendly. Lot's of activists and Pagans there
too. A really hip place in general
Helsinki, Finland - "There is a small
hippie-community here too... Not a big one, but a GREAT one... As said
here before, there's a lot going on in Kaisaniemi Park, but also in Koff
Park, where at night you can hear the congas and really get (high) into
the spirit of Helsinki. Just in the neighbourhood where I live, Kallio,
there are loads of hippie parties, smoky living rooms and little
peaceful parks. Of course, because of the cold winters, there's really
no life after summer... but I highly recommend Finland from May to
September…"
"If you want to have really psychedelic vibrations in Finland,
please visit in Kaisaniemi´s Park in Helsinki. Lots of nice people,
well, only in summertime, sadly. Bring your own shaman drum and enjoy...
But be careful, the cops are not very friendly here."
"There is a huge hippy movement here started about 2 years ago.
There are only 5 million people in Finland and 18% of the youth are on
drugs, mostly ganja. I am very proud of the hippy movement here. You can
spot the hippies here. If you dress like them they more than likely will
offer you a joint!!"
Geneva, Switzerland - "It's a real hip
city... Pot is almost legal here now, the town's full of
somehow-illegal-but-tolerated places where you can sit, listen to some
really cool music while rolling a nice one and have a beer for a couple
of coins... Hey, it's a great place! And it ain't THAT expensive. Less
than Paris! The best is in summer, at the end of July. There's a huge
open air festival which really looks like a small Woodstock...Same
spirit (almost) and lots and lots of friendly people who are just there
for the music, the spirit and the party... It lasts for a week. It's the
PALEO festival and I think you guys should get to know it!"
Spain - Spain is the European country that is
closest to Morocco, with more than 1500 years of cannabis and hash
smoking history. "Here are a couple of places in Spain that you
NEED to visit:
Altea (in the province of Alicante)- Paradise! A beautiful little
Mediterranean town where everyone's as free as he wants to get.... Don't
miss "Franky`s Place", in Benidorm (just 5 miles away), a
little 20 year old semi-underground bar where you can find the
"relax" and good music, having a peaceful smoke.
Ibiza (Mediterranean Island, 75 N. miles out
of Spanish Coast) This is THE place. Ibiza is the big party scene. Lots
of young beautiful people, music, beaches, etc."
Galicia, Spain - Situated in the North of
Spain. Just above Portugal. Met a Celtic road travellar/ Shaman from
this part. This is one of the rare places left in Spain where Shamanism
is still manifesting with a strong Celtic glow. He told me of beautiful
mountains where, when the moon is full, the energy flows from the call
of Angels above. A purity. A personal touch to anyone looking for the
goodness in magic.
Tenerife, Canary Islands. A magical blend of
starlight nights, mountains, and sea. Trust me, lying under the stars
will make no other starry sky seem quite as black and as speckled with
stars as this vision. White washed houses trail the mountainous paths
where the winding roads travel high on cliff edges. The vegetation here
is so green.apparently anything grows on this land, after all, it's
known for it's Spring climate all year round ( Gotta taste the warm rain
and smell the moist ground.delight! )There's an upcoming mix of African
and Spanish culture due to its geographical location. Whether you're in
the North ( the place to be for natural beauty ), down South ( where the
parties kick off hard ), or up in the mountains of the Teide (
watch out for those scorpions! ).I guarantee immense energy to align
even the most stressed of people. The beaches stretch with volcanic
black sand that soak up the sun for the ultimate tan. The clouds linger
around the villages on mountain tops.a mist like in heaven.Don't forget
to catch "Rastro" market in Santa Cruz for good deals on
Shaman drums, guitars.etc. Quite a good number of camping sites. A
friendly environment where people feel a freedom to talk. It's great
feeling the vibes of some of the travellars who so often come
back-packing in search for this peaceful vibration. A must.
Portugal - during the summer this place is the
bomb, you have music festivals all over the place from july to september
or you can go down to the south part of the country, algarve, where you
can find beautiful beachs, mountains and a lot of really cool people
from all over europe especially in lagos or in the little island of
tafira. Anyway it´s a dam good place to any hippie to came and visit
were you can drink a beer for $1 or $2, and you can roll a nice joint
without no one saying anything, just don´t do it in front of the cops.
OTHER PLACES
The Caribbean - The laidback island lifestyle
attracts many hippies. Warm weather, beaches and life in the slow lane
finds hippies in the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, St. Martin, the
Grenadines, Jamaica and other tropical ports.
Bulls Bay, Jamaica..... "love--guavajelly
"
Dahab, Egypt - "Dahab is a small Bedouin
village located at the East Coast of the Sinai desert. Since the 70's,
it's full of hippie and vagabond types. The atmosphere of the place is
really nice and laidback with great music like ambient techno, reggae,
60s rock playing every where. There are several campgrounds where you
can stay at rates around 1$ per night. In most restaurants you lay or
sit on the floor on carpets and pillows, outdoors or indoors just by the
Red Sea. There are great coral reefs a couple of meters from the shore,
so many people come here for the diving. Other activities are desert
excursions to oases or Mt. Sinai, wind surfing, cheap grass, desert
parties, backgammon etc. Definitely a place to visit. Dahab is a very,
very special place. Those who like Amsterdam should go to Dahab in
winter (Christmas, New Year). Many Divers, Surfers, Trampers. Most of
them smoke, even the policeman, Bedouin people and taxi drivers are
stoned. The desert is great. Imagine riding on a camel and smoking good
stuff. Then go in the water and enjoy the fish!"
Nile River, Egypt - "Felucca (type of
boat) on the river Nile can be a most pleasant experience. They fit up
to 8, so make sure you are in with the right sort. The captain rolls the
joints as its tough with Egyptian papers having no gum. He cooks good
chow too. And you have never EVER seen a sunset like the one from a
small little boat peacefully going up the Nile. We ordered our boat from
the Bob Marley Hotel run by Mohammed Bob, he's a bit of a schemer but
he's got plenty of ganja."
Israel - "Many hippies live here in the
Holy Land. The only westernized country where communes are part of the
system."
Morocco - Once part of the hippy trail from
Marrakech to the Rif Mountains, Morocco is still an interesting place to
visit. Hip, laid back, places are Chefchaouen and Essaouira. Morocco is
cheap and the hashish is excellent. Be aware of the local customs and
act appropriately. See the Hip
Guide to Morocco, for some first hand experiences and great
photos!
Turkey - Perhaps the hottest destination for
Europeans these days (it's cheap!). This friendly country has much to
offer, including great beaches, culture, and shopping. Again, toe the
line - remember the movie "Midnight Express"!
South Africa - "If you're looking for
hippies South Africa has got them. Cape Town especially hosts a large
hippy community, here we have the famous Green Market Square where
hippies sell their creation from clothes to paintings. Every year from
late June into early July thousands of people make their way to
Grahmstown, a small town in the middle of nowhere, for the Grahmstown
festival. Every hippy in the country winds up there sometime time during
the 2-week festival. The festival is actually an arts festival where
plays of all kinds (from miming to Shakespeare) can be seen, but along
with the abundant actors come the hippies, hoping to make a profit off
the large crowds of tourists and catch a few laughs at one of the many
comedy plays. The entire town consists of two main streets and several
theatre houses, what space is not being used for makeshift stages is a
hippy market the size of a football field. All those who have been to
one of the annual Grahmstown festivals agree on one thing; it gets
better every year. As more and more people come and the hordes of
hippies become uncountable the atmosphere seems to grow in a unique
feeling of appreciation for the newfound peace in this unstable country.
As I returned home to Cape Town after the latest festival I realized
that I met more humane people from all over South Africa than I had in
years of travel. It's an experience of a lifetime not to be
missed."
Rustlers Valley, South Africa - "This is
a place where people come together in peace and celebrate life, arts and
music. There is also a permanent community there. They have recently had
a disaster. A fire destroyed most of their infrastructure, but they are
rebuilding. To find out more info about this magical place visit their
website www.rustlers.co.za."
Almaty, Kazakstan - The former capital -
very beautiful city-garden,lots of nice heaven-like places, mountains,
and good people. I can't promise they're true hippy, but they look like
hippy, behave like hippy and call themselves hippy, so if that's what
you're looking for you're welcome (well, you're welcome anyway of
course). Often you can see them singing in the streets or hiking.
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