Your face glows in the firelight and the desert air tickles your bare arse cheeks as you dance naked to the sound of tribal drums.

You have arrived at Afrikaburn…

Africa’s answer to Burning Man, it’s a completely self- sufficient society in the middle of the desert, with no currency and its own rules: leave no trace, bring gifts to share and lose your body and mind to art, nature and compassionate interactions. You’re a hippy now.

It’s like a party on Jupiter’s third moon. Every year people dress up, build structures and create events around a theme. This year it’s ‘Choose your own theme’, so just about anything goes…

Dreamers build giant art installations which look over the empty horizon like demon Gods.

At the end of the week they’re burned at the leaving ceremony. Expect chanting, dancing and the odd exorcism.

Everyone gets around by bike, or mutant vehicle of course.

Register your sofa-with-wheels or ‘snail mobile’ with the Department of Mutant Vehicles (DMV) to get a license for the festival. The bar is not very high.

The week long festival (April 28th – May 4th) is held in Tankwa Karoo, just a 4 hour drive from Cape Town.