When operating an equipment or a power system at the high voltage, problems associated with partial discharge (PD) can be tracked down to electromagnetic emission, acoustic emission or chemical reactions such as the formation of ozone and nitrous oxide gases. The high voltage equipment and high voltage installation owners have come to terms with the need for conditions monitoring the process of PD in the equipments such as power transformers, gas insulated substations (GIS), and cable installations. This paper reviews the available PD detection methods (involving high voltage equipment) such as electrical detection, chemical detection, acoustic detection, and optical detection. Advantages and disadvantages of each method have been explored and compared. The review suggests that optical detection techniques provide many advantages in the consideration of accuracy and suitability for the applications when compared to other techniques.