Month: March 2019

2019 Top Gay Friendly Countries – The Nomadic Boys

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Top Gay Friendly Countries

This is our list of the top 10 most gay friendly countries in the world. We based our research on the following 4 studies and combined this with our personal experience of having travelled to over 100 countries as a gay couple:

  • Wikipedia: list of countries that have legalised gay marriage
  • Spartacus: the Spartacus Gay Travel Index 2019 of the most gay friendly countries in the world
  • ILGA Rainbow Europe: their latest survey of the most gay friendly countries in Europe
  • PewGlobal: 2013 study of 37 countries asking “should society accept homosexuality?”

To be clear, we are looking at countries overall, not cities or regions. So for example, whilst the US has some of the gayest destinations in the world (San Francisco, the Keys, Fire Island etc) it also has so much extreme homophobia, which makes it difficult to rank it in our top 10.

In our opinion, gay marriage for us is the first and most important marker to measure how gay friendly a country is because we think that a government making the proactive stance to go from having civil unions to the symbolic step of saying “we’re all equal and we’re going to call it marriage” is a big deal! The only exception we made for this is Thailand – a destination we’ve always felt extremely welcome in as a gay couple, despite it not having equal marriage laws. Here are our top 10 gay friendliest countries in the world.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at The Nomadic Boys

Rome With Kids – 2TravelDads

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Rome With Kids - 2TravelDads

Planning Rome with kids feels like a daunting task. We haven’t taken the kids to Italy yet, but our friends Frank and BJ have taken their son and have written their recommendations for how to plan a trip and the top sights to see with kids in Rome. They share what experiences in Rome are the most engaging for small kids and how they pulled off an epic visit to the Eternal City.

Europe is filled with a rich history, wonderful cultures, stunning architecture, fantastic food, incredible languages… The list can go on and on. When we travel all together as a family, we like to introduce Milo (and ourselves) to different cultures, foods and historical sites. That being said, one of our favorite countries to visit in Europe is Italy. My family is Italian, and this being Milo’s first time in Europe, we had to visit Italy so he can meet all of his cousins there.

When travelling anywhere with kids whether it’s for a long period of time or even just a few days, it’s important to pack light, and smart! When you visit Rome with kids, you really need to be practical and bring along only the essentials.

By BJ Barone – Full Story at 2TravelDads

Rome Gay Travel Resources

 

Lesbian Tel Aviv – Go Girlfriend

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Lesbian Tel Aviv - Go Girlfriend

If Tel Aviv isn’t on your radar as a destination you need to visit, think again. The city is buzzing. It’s vibrant and artsy. It also has great shopping and a growing culinary scene. It’s happens to be Israel’s fastest growing city and its second largest after Jerusalem. Plus, over the past decade, Israel in general has become much safer in terms of security and you can travel without worry.

We consider Tel Aviv to be one of those gateway cities where flights are frequent and plentiful. Like Iceland is a stopover opportunity for many trans-atlantic flights, adding Tel Aviv as a stopover to a Mediterranean vacation can introduce you to a new cultural experience pretty easily.

Tel Aviv may seem far from where you live, but with a bit of planning and foresight, you can plan a trip there quite easily and go for a few days, or even a week, if you have the time. Tel Aviv makes for a great girl’s getaway with your girlfriends or sisters. Or go on a multi-generational trip with one, or both, of your parents and children. While it’s in the Middle East, Tel Aviv is more like New York City than Cairo. It’s modern, with skyscrapers and large buildings, plenty of hotels, and so much to see and do.

By Holly Rosen Fink – Full Story at Go Girlfriend

Lesbian Tel Aviv Travel Resources

 

Low Impact Tourism – 2TravelDads

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Low Impact Tourism

Keeping sustainability in mind with travel has become paramount to ensuring our kids are able to experience the world as we have, or better. Considering climate change, cultural pillaging, and plastic pollutants there are many ways travelers, particularly families, can make small changes for a maximum impact. Low impact tourism needs to become the way of the future and here is how YOU can be a part of the solution.

Minimizing carbon footprint in travel

Nobody likes to talk about the amount of pollution travel generates, from the carbon emissions of airplanes to grey water from cruise ships. Researching your transportation or tour company before booking is the first step to minimizing your own carbon footprint on the world.

Things to look for when booking travel

Transparency from the company re: waste disposal and exceeding regulations – have there been sensational stories that the company has had to honestly respond to or fix? How did they handle things? See our Blogging Ethics article for how we encountered this.

By Rob Taylor – Full Story at 2TravelDads

Lake Mead and the Valley of Fire – Go Girlfriend

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Lake Mead, Valley of Fire - Pixabay

We’re a big fan of the craziness of Las Vegas – both in exploring the everything-is-so-big Las Vegas Strip and the freaky sights and sounds of Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas. But there comes a point of overload and a need to get outside the city and enjoy the natural beauty within a day’s easy drive.

Day trip possibilities can take you in any direction – north, south, east or west. Spend your time within Vegas but rent a convertible and explore the bigger “wild west” of Nevada.

If you’re from the north, trees, grasses, lakes and rivers are in vibrant abundance. Not so much in the desertscape of the Mojave Desert – home to Las Vegas, Nevada. Yet even the desertscape can hold amazing beauty in its starkness and harsh environment.

From the mountains framing the Las Vegas Valley basin to the mesa’s, washes, canyons, valleys and sand … lots of sand and scrub … sits some epic sightlines and vistas. And did you know not 30 miles from Las Vegas sits the largest water reservoir in the United States that offers over 800 miles of shoreline for swimming and water recreation activities?

By Stacy Rosien – Full Story at Go Girlfriend

Nevada Gay Travel Resources

 

Gay Sitges – The Globetrotter Guys

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Gay Sitges - The Globetrotter Guys

When it comes to gay travel, Spain is one of the best and most exciting destinations you can visit.

We have experienced many of Spain’s popular gay destinations such as Barcelona , Madrid , Torremolinos and Gran Canaria, but we have to say, Sitges is our favourite gay hotspot in Spain!

Sitges is well-known for its Mediterranean beaches, pretty narrow streets, stunning marina and especially for its gay scene. The gay scene is so prominent here in Sitges, it takes centre stage in the main part of town. In fact, if you Google ‘Sitges’, it specifically mentions that it is filled with gay bars. This is not just a town or city with a gay scene; in our opinion it is a gay town!

What a lot of people do not realise is that they can easily visit from Barcelona (which is very popular). Sitges is just 30 minutes southwest from Barcelona by train – see below for instructions.

Let’s take a look at all that gay Sitges has to offer in our ‘Sitges Gay Guide’ and find out why we can’t wait to return!

Full Story at The Globetrotter Guys

Catalunya Gay Travel Resources

 

St. Petersburg’s LGBTQ Center – Traveling in Our Fabulous Gay World

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St. Petersburg LGBTQ Center

In our travels from coast to coast in the USA we usually stop by the LGBTQ Center when we arrive in a city. So far in the past 18 years we have found two outstanding ones. In the past we have written about the one in Denver. On our way down to Florida last month we visited the St. Petersburg LGBTQ Center. Jim Nixon is the Director and Liaison and is one of the most professional and friendliest Directors that we have met. The LGBTQ liaison serves as an accessible and friendly ear to city’s LGBTQ community and elevates LGBTQ related concerns to the city executive and other city offices. Serving as both a spokesman for the Mayor’s Office to a local LGBTQ demographic as well as a representative of LGBTQ interests in the leaders of St. Petersburg Government. He plays an advisory role within the government branches.

The LGBTQ Welcome Center in June 2014 in St. Petersburg’s Grand Central District. Only the third in the nation. As a function of Metro Inclusive Health, serves the area as an LGBTQ visitors’ resource, coffee house, youth center (safe space) and provides a wide range of business resources, education activities and entertainment events.

Among the many things that they offer are:

  • Visitor Information with our partnership with Visit St Petersburg/Clearwater
  • Relocation information with our partnership with the St Petersburg Chamber of Commerce
  • Supportive Membership Program for referrals of LGBTQ Businesses
  • Local LGBTQ Artist and Maker Boutique
  • Coffee and Scooped Ice Cream Parlor
  • HIV Testing and Social Program from LGBTQ Youth and Seniors

Website: https://www.lgbtqwelcomecenter.org/

They are located at 2227 Central Avenue St. Their hours are Monday thru Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM and Sunday, noon to 5 PM. Their phone number is 727.201. 4925.

Here is a link to the city website where they are very proud of their LGBTQ community. Just scroll down to read about the LGBTQ part: http://www.stpete.org/mayor_s_office/index.php

A VERY SPECIAL THANKS goes to Jim Nixon and what he is doing in the LGBTQ community in St. Petersburg. More people in other cities needs to be as kind and considerate and professional as he is.

Jim Nixon

Don and RayAlways remember to have fun when traveling, meet new people and talk to everyone!

TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD is written by Donald Pile and Ray Williams, Award-winning, Celebrity travel columnists who write for gay publications from coast to coast (And now legally married).

Proud members of the IGLTA. You can email them at gaytravelers@aol.com and visit their website at http://gaytravelersataol.blogspot.com/

Las Vegas Gay Travel Resources

Black Walnut Point Inn – Gay Owned Tilghman Island B&B

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Black Walnut Point Inn

By any measure, Tilghman Island’s Black Walnut Point is unique. A private gate secures the half-mile drive through fifty seven acres of bird sanctuary before it emerges at our six-acre island of lawn. When the sun rises over the broad mouth of the Choptank River and sets over the length of Chesapeake Bay, guests enjoy wind, waves and endless water views.

We even have a pair of nesting eagles, osprey and black ducks, as well as migrating butterflies, water fowl and song birds. You might even see bay dolphins, skates and schools of bluefish, and the back dock overlooking the cove is an ideal location for watching the herons fish.

At night the sky is full of stars, another surprise of nature, making Black Walnut Point a quiet, secret, peaceful place – just an hour’s drive from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

See the Black Walnut Point Inn Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Maryland Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals

 

Kaiserdom Views – Keep Calm and Wander

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Kaiserdom Views - Keep Calm and Wander

The Kaiserdom views (aka Frankfurt Cathedral) show every visitor a highly-contrasting skyline of the city. The juxtaposition of the Romerberg Old Town and the city ‘s modern skyscrapers seem to complement each other’s skyline beauty.

However, getting up there can be challenging – even for the tough ones! Its swirling 328 steps to the top are so steep that you’d be dizzy if you climb without stopping. Yep, there’s no elevator to make your life easy!

The Gothic Kaiserdom stands at 95 meters tall and can be seen anywhere in the city. It dominates Frankfurt’s Old City and you’d never miss it. If you’re not good at reading maps while sightseeing, the tower is your point of reference.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Germany Gay Travel Resources

 

Bangkok by Bicycle – Once Upon a Journey

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Bangkok by Bicycle - Once Upon a Journey

Bangkok is one of our favourite places in Asia. There’s so much to see and do in the city! And one of the best ways to explore Bangkok is by bike and boat. This way you can explore off the beaten path and get to know the different faces of the city. From busy markets in China Town to green palm plantations in the outskirts to the fresh breeze on one of the canals. Sounds amazing right? Ready to hop on that bicycle and explore? We will tell you all about our adventures during our bicycle tour through Bangkok.

Bangkok Bicycle Tour

It’s no secret us Dutchies like to bike! We don’t just bike in the Netherlands, we bike all over the world. So no surprise, 30 years ago a Dutchman named Co van Kessel started to show tourists around Bangkok by bicycle. His company never stopped doing just that! It’s a unique way to see a city.

At Co van Kessel, there are multiple bicycle tours you can do, varying from 3 to 9 hours. We hop on the bicycle for 5 hours, or well, we also go on the water by boat. With our bicycles, how fun! Make sure to book a tour in the morning for better temperatures.

By Roxanne and Maartje – Full Story at Once Upon a Journey

Thailand Gay Travel Resources