In our guides to some of the world’s biggest and best music festivals we’ve written about metal cruises, music conferences, the Glastonburys and our own homegrown gems.
However we’ve never come across an event as unique as this. In fact the music here isn’t even that integral to the event. It’s just a brilliant sideshow to this yoga gathering.
But hold up! From the mention of the word “yoga” your might have jumped to the ‘it’s probably not my thing as I’m not a spirit earth warrior’ mentality. Dig beneath the surface though and we’re sure you can be convinced otherwise.
Because while yoga is the headline act there are a multitude of extra curricular activities provided to entertain you.
Whether that be tasting the culinary delights of some of world’s top chefs, indulging in a glass or two from expert winemakers or exploring Hawaii’s Turtle Bay through a series of outdoor activities there’s little here that travellers shouldn’t find appealing.
While Wanderlust runs in different cities across the world, the Oahu event is our chosen destination, not only because it has the best music lineup to offer, but also because exploring the serene surroundings of Hawaii away from the typical tourist crowds is an opportunity too good to miss.
Held at the Turtle Bay Resort the festival grounds are easy to navigate and only tickets are required for individual events not entry.
You can expect that the atmosphere will be easy going regardless of whether you’re witnessing the headline act, undertaking one of the many yoga sessions or surfing up on one of the world’s most famous beaches.
Possibly the best thing about Wanderlust though is that it doesn’t force its ideals upon you. If you just want to learn to surf or if you just want to see the music you can pay for those individual events and skip the yoga.
Its flexible motto on participation means it doesn’t lock you down like most festival will. You can explore other parts of Hawaii without being trapped in a festival site for a full week.
However the only way to capitalize on the full experience that Wanderlust has to offer is to involve yourself in either the spiritual or physical journey that the activities on offer provide.
If that sounds too hippy for you than just show up for Moby. The beauty is nobody here cares enough about what events you’ve purchased tickets for to judge you.
Lineup
Headlining the 0ahu Wanderlust will be electronic extraordinaire Moby with the producer providing a DJ set. You can expect to hear songs from his eleven album discography and that’s not to mention the multitude of remixes he’s undertaken throughout his plus thirty year career. Although with the release of latest LP, Innocents, in 2013, you should expect some newer material to appear as well.
Joining the world famous vegan will be local singer-songwriter Donovan Frankenreiter, Californina rapper MC Yogi, nomadic and yoga event regular DJ Hyfi, reggae musician Mike Love and folk traveller Kevin Paris amongst many other performers.
Check the full lineup out here.
Where And When
Wanderlust Oahu is located at Turtle Bay Resort just 55 minutes outside of Honolulu, Hawaii. This event will run from February 27th to March 2nd.
How To Get There
Flights to Honolulu can be booked through Fiji Airways, Jet Star, Virgin Australia, Qantas, China Airlines and Korean Air amongst others.
The following are price estimates for return airfares that were available at the time of writing.
Adelaide: One-stop flights with a stopover in Sydney start from $1400, while two-stop flights which include a stopover in Nadi are valued upwards of $1700.
Brisbane: One-stop flights with the in-transit destination as Nadi or Sydney start from $1200, while two-stop flights are valued upwards of $1000.
Melbourne: One-stop flights with the in-transit destination as Sydney start from $1400, while two-stop journeys are valued upwards of $1700.
Perth: One-stop flights via Sydney start from $1600, while two-stop journeys are valued upwards of $1700.
Sydney: Direct flights start from as little as $800, while one-stop flights via Nadi are valued upwards of $1400.
From Honolulu ticket holders have a few options for their approximate 55-minute drive to Turtle Bay Resort.
The first is to hire a car and follow these directions provided by the festival’s official website:
- Take H1 Freeway, Westbound.
- Stay on the HI Freeway for approximately six miles.
- Look for signs for the H2 Freeway, Northbound (North Shore/Wahiawa).
- Merge right onto the H2 Freeway.
- Continue on the H2 Freeway North to Wahiawa. Exit at Wahiawa (Exit 8) on to 80 (Kamehameha Hwy) through Wahiawa.
- Continue Northbound, 80 connects with 99.
- Stay on 99 to Haleiwa.
- The road now bypasses Haleiwa and becomes route 83.
- Continue on 83 approximately 20 minutes toward Kahuku.
- Turtle Bay Resort will be on the left hand side.
Alternatively you can hire a shuttle bus from the airport in Honolulu that will take you to the resort. Check out Island Transporters or SpeediShuttle for further pricing details and packages.
If you’re worried about money or just want to make some new pals the festival are setting up a ride share service which should be available over at their website closer to the event’s date.
Where To Stay
With Wanderlust conveniently located at Turtle Bay Resort all accommodation hassles can be taken care of pretty easily depending on how much money you’re willing to fork out.
With the resort recently undergoing a $40 million revamp Wanderlust attendees are given special prices for the duration of the event. The cheapest rooms available, which include ocean views, cost around US $240 a night.
If that sounds a bit steep to you don’t give up your yoga music dreams yet. You can camp at the Wanderlands grounds for five nights for $150. Camping amenities are short however with only portable toilets, cold water and cold showers included. The camping grounds is just a stones throw away from the beach, so those showers may not end up being necessary.
If you’re worried about leaving your small belongings (i.e. phones, wallets, passport) at the campsite you can leave them with a porter at the resort.
How To Get Tickets
As mentioned above you do not need to purchase tickets to get entry into the festival just the events and sessions that are organised within.
The current prices (available at the time of writing) for four day and three passes to all events are US $450 and $350 respectively with the price likely to jump if this allocation of tickets sells out.
One day tickets are currently valued between $90 and $130 with the price also looking to increase if this allocation sells out.
You can however buy passes into individual sessions and events if the entire offering doesn’t suit your needs.
We won’t go into detail about the multitude of events on offer and their respective prices, but what we will tell you is that the two music nights are valued as little as $25.
If seeing Moby this cheap isn’t a bargain then you’re free to push us off our Hawaiian surfboards.
You can see individual event pricings and book tickets here.
Insider Tips & Tricks/Things You Shouldn’t Miss
As a music lover placing the bands at the forefront of your mind is forgiveable, however a large component of this festival is the yoga and meditation practices that headliner Moby so passionately endorses. Since you’ve come all this way you might as well try something new – if you haven’t done it before – or just try it again.
If you’re super keen there are a few pre-festival yoga and meditation workshops that might interest you. Check out all the details here.
If you love the beach and are keen to surf the festival offers workshops classes for both beginner and advanced levels of surfers. If you’re looking for something a little more mellow you might like to try the stand-up paddleboard yoga class or the intermediate stand-up variety. You can also learn about the Turtle Bay Surf History, which is located on one of the most famous beaches on the planet.
Far from just being a total yoga submersion there are other festival activities such as eco-kayaking, horseback riding, a helicopter tour, Segway tour, biking tour and fishing excursion for punters to choose from and all which provide a great way to see different parts of Hawaii.
Another way to explore the incredible surroundings of this island is to undertake hikes and nature walks with guided help from locals and “charismatic yogis”.
Lastly Wanderlust also provides its own lecture series, labeled “Speakeasy”, which offer engaging talks on mindful living.
Food wise the exceptional outdoor Kuilima Market is open to the public and sells artisanal foods with a few local craft vendors also showcasing their talents.
Wanderlust in partnership with Nalu Kinetic Spa also offers massages and facials through organic spa treatment. Check out further details here.
Can’t afford the trip to Hawaii yet still want a yoga experience similar to the one we’ve written about here? As we mentioned above Wanderlust has several locations across the world. Closer to home the Sydney event runs on the 20th of March, while the Melbourne festival is set to be held on the 10th of March. Both Australian Wanderlusts are headlined by The Bamboos.
If you still want to head overseas for the Wanderlust festivities other locations include Chile, Auckland, Vermont, Colorado, California, Whistler, Tremblant and Austin.
For more details head to Wanderlust’s official website.
