Ibiza, The World Keeps Gurning Page 1/3 By Andi

Page 2/3 Page 3/3

Ibiza has long been known as the clubbing capital of the world. However, recent years have seen the development of resorts such as Ayai Nappa in Cyprus and Faliraki in Rhodes. This has lead to a fairly wide-spread belief that Ibiza is dying it's death. This is, in actual fact, nonsense. This summer I visited the island for the fifth year in succession and this is my unofficial guide to Ibiza.

Arriving on Sunday evening, the best way to kick the week off is Judgement Sunday at Eden in San Antonio. The legendary Judge Jules flies in especially to play a four hour set. Judgement Sunday is the best night on the island for lovers of hard trance. We checked into our lodgings, which for the last three years has been The Bahia in San Antonio.

A four star hotel which until recently was an official Ministry Of Sound hotel. The Bahia is situated in a beautiful location and for some reason this year a more funnily oriental atmosphere was noticeable.

Having checked in and spruced up, it was now time to score drugs. This was easy. Upon leaving our hotel, a good friend and long-time dropping partner of mine discovered that we only had to walk a few yards onto the sea front before being confronted by two North African gentleman, from whom we bought six ecstasy tablets at €10 each. Expect to pay anywhere between €5 and €15 a pill, though do haggle. There is an abundance of such dealers on the sea front and they're easy to spot as they usually do a sideline in cheap sunglasses and imitation jewellery.

It is advisable to buy club tickets as early as possible. They are available from hotel reception and club P.R. workers in the street. I would recommend Bar M for tickets, prices are very competitive and it's the perfect venue to begin the evening. Situated on the front of San Antonio town, by day the sea creates a tranquil backdrop and by night it is perhaps San Antonio's best bar for seriously funky beats. continued below

Ibiza, The World Keeps Gurning continued By Andi

Tickets for Judgement Sunday are around €35. It is the perfect start to a weeks clubbing. I had only been on the island for a few hours and I already had sweet MDMA rushing through my blood and found a bunch of strangers to "bond" with but hey, this is Ibiza! Unfortunately, like everywhere in Ibiza the drinks in Eden are extortionately priced, for example a Jack Daniels and coke will set you back the equivalent of around £12. The way to beat this is to get your hand stamped at the door. You can then go in and out as often as you like and all the clubs do this.

A short walk towards San Antonio town and you will find Whips, a 24 hour supermarket used by clubbers to fill up on cheap booze before heading back to Eden. Whips is easy to find as it is situated just opposite the most famous landmark in San Antonio, a huge white egg-shaped sculpture in the middle of a roundabout, which also makes a great place to meet in event of being separated from friends.

Rising in mid-afternoon, it is a good idea to eat. For me this was a case of crawling down to my hotel restaurant, which is adequate. However, if you don't have that luxury you could do far worse than drag yourself to Café Del Mar, on San Antonio's famous Sunset Strip. Del Mar is in the perfect location and serves divine food until late. Also, keep your eyes open as there is always the chance of spotting the odd celebrity. I found myself a couple of tables away from Sister Bliss of Faithless fame.

Mondays mean only one thing in Ibiza: Manumission. Held at the world's largest club, Privilege. Manumission is without doubt Ibizas most famous event. Privilege is situated around ten miles outside of San Antonio.

Taxis are very reasonably priced but on nights such as Manumission very hard to come by. This needn't be a problem though, because if you keep your eyes open and your ear to the ground you will find a number of illegal taxis hanging around the cab ranks. These are usually English lads earning a bit of cash with their hire cars. You are, of course, getting into the cab at your own risk but is a great way to beat the never ending taxi queues.

Privilege nightclub really is something else. A winding driveway takes you to the club. The capacity is 14,000 so you will have to queue but be assured, it is worth the wait. Once through the door and the brief frisking from security, it's best to get as close to the stage as possible to take in the spectacular stage show which kicks off every Manumission night.

This year's theme was "Singin' In The Rain." As soon as the curtains close the resident DJ begins playing everything from classic house to contempary trance.

The best place to chill in Manumission is out in the garden area, as the MDMA that fuelled four hours of dancing begins to wear off, the tropical-like surroundings are a great place to rest the tired feet. And if you stick around long enough you have the best seats on the island to see the sun rise - a perfect end to the evening.

Next Page - Holidays, Ibiza by Andi continued.

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