Bon Voyage!

Three more sleeps to go and I’ll be up in the sky, merrily departing Sydney for Thailand and India to celebrate Smirnoff’s international Nightlife Exchange Project.

As previously outlined, Smirnoff’s world-first event involves 14 countries pairing up to share the best elements of their after-dark culture for one night on Saturday November 27th. Every city’s trends - from iconic drinks and hairstyles to street art and music - are ready to be exchanged with its joint city so locals can get a taste of a culturally-diverse and otherwise unknown party scene.

Here’s the pairing schedule:
Sydney, Australia  <<–>> Brazil, São Paulo
Buenos Aires, Argentina <<–>> Dublin, Ireland
Torronto, Canada <<–>> Bangalore, India
London, Great Britain <<–>> Miami, USA
Berlin, Germany <<–>> Cape Town, South Africa
Beirut, Lebanon <<–>> Thailand, BANGKOK
Warsaw, Poland <<–>> Venezuala, Caracas

Essentially, the US will send N*E*R*D frontman/one-half of The Neptunes, Mr Pharrell Williams to headline London’s party; since those two cities are paired. Germany’s finest techno producer Monika Kruse will add European flavour to Cape Town, while Brazil’s eletro-pop outfit Bonde do Role will grace Australian shores with funk. Other artists on board the exchange include: Sydney’s Boyz Noise and Caracas’ Los Amgios Invisibles, to name a few.

In the space of ten days, I’m set to explore the vibrant nightlife cultures of Thailand and India; ultimately discovering the unique joys Bangkok, Mumbai and Bangalore have to offer. I’m really intrigued by Eastern philosophy and paradigms, so it’s going to be interesting to see what cultural components make up these cities, what makes it tick and how the natives actually party at Bangalore’s official party on the 27th. I’ve had all my jabs and Cholera/Delhi Belly tummy preventions, so I will definitely be trying as many native dishes, spices and cocktails as I can.

Watch this space, as I’ll be documenting my trip with a plethora of treasures I come across. Think fine bars, floating markets, shopping haunts, native cuisine, street art, as well as a few interviews with some of the best local artists and DJs in Thailand and India.

Phir milenge. Laa koon, laaeo phohp gan mai. Or, as I would say: tootles x.