If you're feeling disillusioned with the human species and feel that life today equals the rat race you need to go to Burning Man. If you love festivals and want to see the ultimate in festival madness you need to go to Burning Man. In short, if you are a traveler, a natural nomad who finds your values at odds with today's world, this is Mecca!

What is Burning Man? A tough question and one I'm not really sure anyone knows the answer to. It's a festival, it takes place in the middle of the Nevada desert and its attendees bring the fun. This is not a passive experience. Everyone brings something in the form of music, art, food, whacky ideas or poetry. Naturally then the quality of your artistic experience will vary but by and large the sheer imigination that is evident here is breath taking.

After a few days in that monument to capitalism that is Las Vegas I set out on a long scorching road trip with some friends, we were stranded in Reno for hours and finally we emerged out of the desert into the surrealist place I have ever seen.

An entire village is assembled in the desert for a few months, though the festival itself only lasts for a few days. All of the 'facilities' of this village are built and imported either by the festival organisers or its participants. Though very few vehicles are allowed into the festival area the ones that are tend to be the wackiest and wildest vehicles under the sun.

Accommodation is in the form of tents, and transport; bikes, walking or whatever strange machine rolls by offering a lift.

What is there to do? The sky is the limit really it depends on what's around. I sold my sins to a modern day confessional telling them what I had done wrong in return for absolution. Next I stopped by a makeshift theatre and helped to write a play. I was sold cigarettes by the world's most evil vending machine (this was in fact a man dressed as a vending machine selling cigarettes, alcohol and many other vices besides), visited the art installations in the middle of the playa and spent some time sitting at my camp chatting about conspiracy theories.

At night the party spills off in every direction and there is no chance of being bored. Dancing in abundance and a general primal wildness you won't find in more conventional cities. The low lighting and omni present glow sticks and ultra violet body paint make the whole place so ethereal and beautiful.

And then on the second to last night The Man (a giant sculpture from which the festival derives its name) who has been standing in the middle of the Playa throughout the festival is symbolically burned. What does it symbolise? Again that depends on who you ask but the running theme seems to be absolution of some sort. This is where the already wild participants of this festival let their hair down and the result is what might have happened if the kids in Lord of the Flies had decided to party instead of hunting each other.

Part of Burning Man's philosophy is to leave no trace behind in the desert so the clean up is extensive and the rules regarding what you can bring are very detailed. However they are not merely being particular about this. Within weeks of the festival there is literally no sign that it ever happened.

Bear in mind that this is the desert and there is an ethos to this festival so do your homework before you go on safety out there and how to participate best. After all, dancing all night and exploring all day can leave you a bit fatigued in an unforgiving climate.

I really can not recommend this enough! And for those of us who do not live in the States it may be a hassle but one that is very worthwhile!

Finally, the night The Man burns, keep an eye out for Megavolt! They won't be hard to find and you'll think me once you have seen it!