Fuji Rock Festival in Honshu, Japan

Amid the pine-forest scenery of one of Japan's biggest ski resorts, beside a sparkling river that meanders through the site, thrill to the sounds of international bands and the best of the Japanese scene at the annual Fuji Rock Festival.

A forest boardwalk trail, dotted with hammock sites and quirky sideshows, takes you back and forth between the six main stages, but the literal highlight is the Dragondola cable-car, which whisks festival-goers 5km (3 miles) across the site and up to the Silent Breeze stage on the mountain's summit.

Headline shows in the natural amphitheater of the Green Stage run until around midnight, while dance acts and DJs in the Red Marquee rock the crowds until dawn.

But be sure to explore the more secluded areas of the festival -- you may come across an impromptu gig by a great Japanese band tucked away in the forest, and there's a natural hot spring spa where you can revive your dance-weary limbs.

Faultless organization and cleanliness set this festival apart -- even the toilets are pleasant, while the staff and security are friendly and helpful, and manned recycling bins mean you have to try hard to not put rubbish in the right place. Hungry visitors to the food village are tempted by aromas of noodles, soups, curries and tempura (there's a superb-value one-portion policy) and by specialty wines, cocktails and sake.

When: Three days in late July. Fri 9am-Mon 5am; day-ticket holders 9am-11pm; camping Thur 12pm-Mon 12pm.

About the crowd: Carefree yet respectful Japanese festival-goers, plus a significant international element.

Strange but true: The tail-end of a typhoon blew the festival away when it first took place on the foothills of Mount Fuji in 1997. Since 1999 the event has taken place in the Naeba summer-season ski resort, but the original name remains.

Insider tips: The campsite is on a steep golf course at the foot of the mountain, so arrive early to claim a horizontal patch. Onsite camping means you avoid having to bus in each day from outlying resort hotels and chalets.

Get there: Take the JR Joetsu Shinkansen Bullet Train from Tokyo Station to JR Echigo Yuzawa Station, then a shuttle bus (free for ticket-holders) to the festival site. By car, from Tokyo take the Kanetsu Expressway to the Tsukiyono Interchange or the Yuzawa Interchange, then Route 17 to the festival site. Those traveling by car must purchase a car-park pass.

Price: Expensive.

Tickets and information: email address info AT smash-uk DOT com; www.fujirockfestival.com