Nomadic Boys

Gay Life in Turkey – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Life in Turkey - The Nomadic Boys

Gay Life in Turkey From a Local

“There was a time when Turkey was way more progressive and Western-facing. It had a high level of freedom of speech and Istanbul even had one of the biggest Pride Marches in the world”.

So said our buddy Saf, an openly gay born-and-bred local from Ankara. In fact, there was a time when this beautiful country was a queer haven – at least it still is for LGBTQ people in the Middle East and in the Arab world which are home to some of the most dangerous places in the world for LGBTQ people.

We fell in love with Turkey when Sertab Erener won Eurovision in 2003 with the banger of a track “Everyway That I Am”, which became a staple in every gay club around the world. Sadly, Turkey withdrew from the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013, and hasn’t participated since! The country we know today went the other way – Pride events are banned each year and LGBTQ laws are almost non-existent.

We got the lowdown on what gay life in Turkey is like now from Saf, who also told us about the scene across the country, and what life was like growing up there.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Turkey Gay Travel Resources

Exploring Gay Rome – The Nomadic Boys

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Exploring Gay Rome - The Nomadic Boys

Come Visit and Explore Gay Rome In All Its Glory

Everywhere you step you stumble over an ancient artifact that dates back millennia… We’ve never been so spellbound and intrigued by a city before. It completely captivated us.

We had such a romantic time together in gay Rome. The rich history is just made for that – I arrived in the city one day earlier than Seby (due to family commitments) so went to meet him at the airport – he arrived on a late flight over. I brought him to our Airbnb in downtown Rome, dropped our bags, and went for our first stroll in the city at around midnight to the famous Trevi Fountain. Even at that time, this world-famous fountain is busy, but the atmosphere around it is truly magical.

When we say Rome is romantic, we really mean it. It’s a great place to explore with a loved one. However, if you’re looking for gay parties and nightlife, this city is rather limited. There are a few places to go out which we highlight below.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Rome Gay Travel Resources

Gay Amman, Jordan – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Amman, Jordan - The Nomadic Boys

“I love A-man” Seby says, wistfully staring out the car window as we cruised away from the city. Before my jealous rage could take hold, I realized he wasn’t talking about falling for another man, but the capital city of Jordan…!

Exploring Gay Amman, Jordan

Having spent days traveling around this treasure trove of a city, we can safely say that Jordan has been one of our favorite gay friendly places in the Middle East. Not only is it one of the few Arab countries that has long discarded its anti-gay laws, but it is filled with charming locals, delicious foods, and ancient sites that set our love for history alight!

As well as being the entry point into a very beautiful country, Amman also offered us plenty to see and do – from venturing down the bustling streets of Rainbow Street to visiting the Roman Theater, where crowds of bygone eras would have collected to be entertained, to exploring archaeological sites filled with artifacts and artworks that date back to the Neolithic period.

There are also a few “gay-friendly” (or perhaps “tolerant” is a better phrase to use!) venues to check out along Rainbow Street. For us, Amman delivered an extraordinary experience, blending the old world with the modern. Read on for our take on gay Amman.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Amman Gay Travel Resources

Gay Athens – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Athens - The Nomadic Boys

Visiting Gay Athens With the Nomadic Boys

Gay Athens. It’s iconic. It’s dirty. It’s spectacular. It’s hectic. It’s dazzling. It’s unforgettable!

This huge sprawling mess of a city shouldn’t impress. It’s dirty, rundown, gritty – particularly if you’re staying in one of the neighborhoods just outside the center like Psiri or Metaxourgeio (and don’t even get us started on Omonia!). But what Athens lacks in clean streets, it sure makes up for in character. Every day in the Greek capital was like a new adventure for us. It got under our skin so much that we return to it time and time again for more.

That’s right, you better call the Acro-polis, ’cause the Nomadic Boys are in town!

Athens oozes culture with ancient monuments and world wonders (hello Parthenon!) whilst at the same time, it has a vibrant gay scene in the Gazi neighborhood, with a party happening every night of the week. Athenians are night owls, and like the Spanish, they like to eat late and then go out partying till the early hours. We also love getting lost in the village-like Plaka area, shopping in the souvenir shops of Monastiraki, and reminiscing over a romantic cocktail at a rooftop bar facing the Acropolis. Not once did we get bored in Athens. And neither will you!

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Athens Gay Travel Resources

Gay St. Petersburg – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay St. Petersburg - The Nomadic Boys

Everything you need to know to plan your vacation to gay St. Petersburg in Florida: gay bars & clubs, queer events, places to stay, travel highlights, and more…

St Pete is the thrilling hub of west Florida. We’ve visited several times and always left with smiley faces wanting to return for more. It offers everything you would want – a super friendly vibrant LGBTQ community, glorious beaches, an exciting gay scene, and home to the largest gay Pride event in all of Florida.

St Petersburg also receives over 360 days of sunshine each year and has rightfully been nicknamed “Florida’s Sunshine City”. And wherever the sun shines is a place the gays want to be, which is why many people from across the United States head to St Pete to make it their new home. 

Everyone Loves Gay St. Petersburg

Perhaps the stand-out reason why we love St Pete so much is the vibe. Everyone is so friendly and warm here. No one ever seemed to be stressed out and we were only ever met with smiles – from the many (straight) people on the beach offering to take our romantic sunset pic (“awww guys you’re so cute!” – they said to us) to the rows of rainbow flags that proudly line the streets of Downtown during Pride.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

St. Petersburg Gay Travel Resources

Visiting Gay London – The Nomadic Boys

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Visiting Gay London - The Nomadic Boys

Visiting Gay London

Gay London. The greatest city in the world. One of the most exciting places to live in with THE best gay scene you’ll ever come across. FACT! Of course, we’re totally biased! London was our home for decades and the place where we met – back in February 2009 in the bar in Soho…

But setting aside our biases, this is truly a terrific city. It’s so eclectic, home to many different people from everywhere in the world. There is always something to do here at any time of the day. The museums are grand, iconic, and are nearly all free to enter. All of the world’s best musicals feature on the West End and cost a fraction of the price of a show on Broadway.

And then there’s the gay scene. It’s massive! Yes, we see more and more businesses close shop due to gentrification, but the city still retains its pink shine, with an abundance of queer hangouts spread out all over this mega city.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

London Gay Travel Resources

Visiting Gay Jordan – The Nomadic Boys

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Visiting Gay Jordan - The Nomadic Boys

You’ll never run out of things to do whilst visiting gay Jordan – it’s a gorgeous country. Your visit may come to an end, but you’ll never be JorDone!

We loved the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan! It’s such a rewarding place to visit offering a rich mix of experiences – whiz between the sand dunes of Wadi Rum, float along the surface of the Dead Sea, relish in all things pink by visiting Petra, aka The Pink City, and swim through the Red Sea feeling your Little Mermaid fantasy.

We’d go back to gay Jordan in a heartbeat!

The only downside is that this is an Arab country in the Middle East – a place sadly renowned for its awful LGBTQ rights. Thankfully, it

s one of the more gay friendly Arab countries but still a place you need to be careful of as an LGBTQ traveler. We set out for you all our safety tips along with the rest of our firsthand experiences from our travels in here as a gay couple.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Jordan Gay Travel Resources

The Nomadic Boys Do Maspalomas Pride

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Maspalomas Pride - Nomadic Boys

What’s big, wet, and sparkly? Nope, not us after a glitter fight. We’re talking about Maspalomas Pride in Gran Canaria. A cacophony of sound, color, lights, and queer joy! And perhaps an iconic LGBTQ celebrity or two… Conchita Wurst has been known to attend in the past.

Maspalomas Pride is one of the biggest and best gay events in Europe, with over 100,000 attendees flocking to the super gay bars of Gran Canaria each year.

Known as a gay hotspot, Gran Canaria is a Spanish island off the coast of West Africa, full of lavish hotels, epic beaches, dozens of gay clubs and bars, and year-round sunshine. Most of the gay events happen around the water, be it by the pool or on a boat, meaning Maspalomas Pride has more sea men than a bathhouse in gay Berlin!

Venues around the island host drag shows, run cheap drink deals, and themed nights, which only add to the fun. And who can forget the giant parade through the streets, which culminates at the lively Yumbo Centre, full of shops, boutiques, bars, and restaurants? Maspalomas Pride is one of our favorite gay Pride events. It’s always a lot of fun – plenty of sun…and, if you’re lucky, the vitamins mightn’t be the only D you’ll catch…!

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Canary Islands Gay Travel Resources

Gay Iceland – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Iceland - The Nomadic Boys

A trip full of glaciers, waterfalls, spa days, and Iceland puns to drive Seby crazy. What could be better?

“Hey Seb, what do Icelandic dogs say?”
(Bracing himself) “What?”
“Bjork Bjork!”
*Cue evil stare*

“What do you tell the cashier when you have no money?”
“I can’t a-fjord it!”
*Cue him banging me over the head threatening to throw me out of our car rental*

With a population of 360,000, land proximity that equates to the size of Kentucky, and only one major city, we assumed we would see everything there was to see in one trip. Wrong! There is so much to do – and we left wanting to do more, more, more!

Exploring Gay Iceland

We spent 3 weeks touring gay Iceland by car along the famous Ring Road in the deep winter months hoping to get a glimpse of the Northern Lights (spoiler alert: we did!). Along the way, we were rewarded with giant glaciers, explosive geysers, a multitude of geothermal baths, fabulous fjords, whale watching, and the quirkiest people you’ll ever meet (you can’t beat Icelandic humor!).

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

The Ultimate Gay Travel Packing List – The Nomadic Boys

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The Ultimate Gay Travel Packing List - The Nomadic Boys

What can we say, we love a big package!

Though not the kind we have to carry around an airport if ya catch our drift…

Trying to squeeze everything into such a tight space is tough (despite us having plenty of practice). We always struggle with separating the essentials from the vanity items.

The Gay Travel Packing List

Choosing what clothes to bring is always the easiest part. After all, gay men are notorious for their fabulous dress sense. So, when it comes to planning out our outfits (or lack thereof!) for a trip, we have no trouble. But we get so caught up in the excitement of what we’ll wear that we often forget some of the fundamental items – some quite painfully obvious! We made this gay travel packing list of all the vital items that we feel are imperative to remember and we thought we’d share it with you.

Having such a list will not only make your trip run a lot smoother, but it will also prevent any bickering with your travel partner/buddy when one of you forgets something important…

Hit us up if you think there’s anything essential you think we’ve left out!