Gay Hanoi – Keep Calm and Wander

Gay Hanoi - Keep Calm and Wander

Here are 20 things to do and see in gay Hanoi (Vietnam). If you are into Vietnamese food, this list won’t help you much. I’m not including the names of restaurants because when you are in Hanoi, you can eat everywhere, especially in the Old Quarter. The locals love their food so much that it’s no wonder food stalls and restaurants are ubiquitous in the city. The list below is mostly tourist attractions in the city which you can pretty much read in travel guides.

How to get around Hanoi

You can all do the sightseeing by yourself with no problem. However, Hanoi is huge, and walking from one attraction to another can be tiring. So, you better consult your Google map where to start first and where to end. Also, the fastest and the cheapest way to go around is by hailing a Grab bike/scooter. Another option is to rent a motorbike daily or weekly.

Tourist Attractions in Hanoi

Let’s start from the area where you can walk from one place to another. The first six attractions on this list are within walking distance from each other. 

1. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

This is a heavily-guarded place where tall guards in white uniforms are freakin’ good-looking. Really! Zoom in your camera and you’d know I’m not exaggerating. Unfortunately, the mausoleum is not open to the public. All you can do is walk from the entrance to the main square and to the exit. Just in case you are wondering who Ho Chi Minh is – he was once the president of Vietnam and a well-respected revolutionary leader.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Hanoi, Vietnam Gay Travel Resources

Purple Roofs LGBT Travel Newsletter: March 26th

Purple Roofs Newsletter. Every day, our LGBT Travel Blog brings you featured LGBT travel articles, as well as tons of news and helpful travel tips, which we summarize here for you every few weeks. And you can also join our Facebook Travel Clubs for our daily discussions and your travel questions (it’s free!):

Gay Travel Club | Lesbian Travel Club | Transgender Travel Club | Bi Travel Club | LGBT Families Travel Club


Arbor House in San Antonio, Texas
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Featured Articles: Iceland - DaniICELAND: Dani’s Epic Iceland Road Trip by Dani, Globetrotter Girls After a day filled with waterfalls, geysers and Icelandic horses along Iceland’s Golden Circle, we started day 2 on the actual Ring Road. While we had breakfast, the owner of our lovely Icelandic farmstay came over with a map and showed us a small road just before Vik, a nearby town. It would be worth going in there to see some spectacular rock formations along the coast, she said, and because we were free to do whatever we wanted, we decided to take her up on her advice.

And I am glad I did: The rock formations and cliffs at Dyrholaey were stunning, and seeing the waves furiously hit the shore on this grey and stormy morning turned out to be a memorable start to the day.

(Tip: if you’re planning to drive this part of the ring road yourself and want to stop at Dyrholaey, turn left onto road 218, just before you reach Vik. This is also a popular place to spot puffins, but we weren’t lucky enough to spot any.)



Fethiye boat harbour 2 - AlaturkaTURKEY: Cruising Turkey by Ned at Alaturka Sail the azure waters of the Aegean Sea on a blue cruise in Turkey. Explore the rich history, diverse culture and pristine environment along the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts of the Turkish Riviera.

Istanbul is the capital of the gay community in Turkey, however the seaside is amazing for vacations. For the ultimate holiday experience, whether for relaxation, partying, or exploration, a blue cruise with Alaturka Cruises will ensure you have a breathtaking adventure! Floating along the Turkish coast on your carefully selected gulet-Turkish sailboat- will make you feel like a Greek god and goddess.

Let’s look at just a few of the destinations that are visited during a blue cruise. Although Alaturka Cruises has defined schedules, you are welcome to create your own itinerary.

Bodrum: This vibrant city is the fashionable place to go for Istanbul socialites. Beautiful beaches, spirited nightclubs, and world class cuisine are all found in this former fishing village.



Lula CellarsUSA, CALIFORNIA: Lesbian Travel – Mendocino on My Mind by Teresa Rodriguez, Tango Diva Go north, across the Golden Gate Bridge, past the sleepy coastal pastures, and over the winding roads that lead to the magical town of Mendocino. There, tucked between the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean and the silent giant redwood forest, you’ll find a small slice of heaven.

Mendocino is a rugged place where time stands still and devices like cell phones and Internet access are rarely used. This is great news for those who want to disconnect from civilization and reconnect with nature. Unlike many remote towns that are perched on the jagged cliffs of Northern California, Mendocino has plenty of options when it comes to dining, sleeping, and adventuring.

Mendocino has an impressive wine region and 25% of its vineyards are Certified Organic. Mendocino wine country leads the country in “green wine” production, which mean less toxins in your glass of vino. The region is best known for its full-bodied Pinot Noirs and light sparkling wines.



Brown Street Inn Bed and Breakfast - Donald and RayUSA, IOWA: TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD: Iowa City, Iowa, Part One by Donalt and Ray, the Gay Travelers Iowa City has often been referred to as the “Athens of the Midwest” because of it’s rich cultural and educational offerings. Two of Iowa’s certified cultural and entertainment districts are positioned in the heart of Iowa City.

The University of Iowa campus, intertwined with Downtown, showcases the Old Capitol Museum, the Pentacrest Museums and other cultural attractions throughout their community. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognized Iowa City as the world’s third City of Literature joining Edinburgh, Scotland and Melbourne, Australia. It is THE only city of Literature in North America!

That designation provides additional international luster to the community and serves to validate the area’s long history of nurturing the literary arts and those who appreciate them. Pound for pound, this area constitutes the most literate community in the world!



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That’s it for this edition of the Purple Roofs Gay Travel Newsletter! –Mark & Scott Purple Roofs – https://www.purpleroofs.com
PO Box 4666, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762 PS: Wanna sponsor this newsletter and reach over 27,000 people? Email us at wheretostay@purpleroofs.com for details. To be removed from this email list, just reply to this email to wheretostay@purpleroofs.com and enter “remove” in the subject line.]]>

Purple Roofs LGBT Travel Newsletter: February 20th

Purple Roofs Newsletter. Every day, our LGBT Travel Blog brings you featured LGBT travel articles, as well as tons of news and helpful travel tips, which we summarize here for you every few weeks. And you can also join our Facebook Travel Clubs for our daily discussions and your travel questions (it’s free!):

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VENTURE OUT: Find Your Place in the World!
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Featured Articles: Donald and RayTRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD: Amazing Indianapolis Part Two by Donald and Ray As we mentioned in our Part One of our adventures in Indianapolis, we were totally surprised and amazed how absolutely wonderful Indianapolis was and is! The people, the Mayor, the restaurants, the downtown that is full of life!, the live theatre, nightclubs and bars and it is just a very special city in so many ways. The historical aspects of the city go way back to the early 1800’s. It is the largest city in Indiana, second largest city in the American Midwest and the 14th largest in the country The downtown’s main attraction is Monument Circle with shops and restaurants located on the streets around it and the famous Soldiers and Sailors Monument in the center which was built in the late 1890’s. We saw a live production of SKYLIGHT at the Theatre On The Square, www.tots.org starring Sarah McGee, Tyler Ostrander and Bill Simmons. We saw it on Broadway in New York City and this production was performed as perfect as on Broadway.
Nomadic BoysThat Time We Almost Got Arrested in Delhi by the Nomadic Boys Don’t get us wrong, we absolutely fell in love with India. But its government just has major problems accepting its LGBT community. A very old law dating back to 1861 (Article 377 of the Indian Penal Code) criminalises gay sex with up to 10 years in prison. This was invalidated by the Delhi High Court in 2009, but in 2013, the Supreme Court reintroduced Article 377. In January 2016, the Supreme Court announced it would review this decision, but until this is done, being gay in India remains a crime. We couldn’t find any evidence of Article 377 being enforced, but its very existence is a symbolic slap in the face to the LGBT community.
Stef-Seb-9-apps-for-gay-travellers-iphone-and-non-iphone9 Mobile Apps for the Gay Traveller by the Nomadic Boys After our 18 months trip in Asia, we put together our 9 favourite mobile apps for gay travellers. They aren’t all gay, but simply the apps we grew to depend on every day whether it was for booking flights, hotels, planning, networking or socialising. Our pink friendly apps for the gay traveller are all available in the iPhone app store and some for non-iPhones, but you can still use the mobile friendly version of their website. Skyscanner is our #1 resource for researching flights and finding the best deals online. They also have a very user friendly app. We like Skyscanner because of all the flight search engines we’ve used, we’ve found it has the widest variety of flight operators, including budget ones like Air Asia and Easyjet, thereby maximising your options.
[caption id="attachment_40361" align="alignleft" width="250"]Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong[/caption] Things to Do in Nassau Near the Cruise Port by Steven Skelley Nassau, Bahamas is a routine stop on many Caribbean cruises. If you’re not in the mood for another visit to the Atlantis complex, here are a few sights that you can walk to within minutes from the cruise ship pier. When you arrive at Prince George Wharf, go into the cruise terminal and grab one of the FREE tourist maps that are available to have a better idea of the local streets and any other sights you may want to add to your walk. Just minutes from the pier across Parliament Street, you will see Rawson Square with a statue of Sir Milo Butler, local hero who was the first Bahamian governor of the islands. After viewing the statue, turn around and at the rear of Rawson Square you will see West Bay Street and Parliament Square with the Queen Victoria Statue. The pink government buildings surrounding the white statue make a picture perfect setting. The buildings reportedly date back to the 1700’s.
gay history in GreeceGay History in Greece Today by Andrew Lear As I am leading a tour of gay history in Greece this spring, people keep asking me what makes a gay history tour different from another tour of Greece. So….I figured it might be nice to post a few examples. Greece is of course one of the great countries for gay history, because some form or forms of same-sex love were customary in the ancient Greek world. And lots of evidence remains—if you know where to look! This stone is a great example. It’s a chunk of a statue base, in a glass case, in the Agora museum in Athens, and if you didn’t know what it was, you wouldn’t give it a second glance. But in fact, it speaks volumes about gay history in Greece. You can’t probably make it out in my lousy snapshot, but when it’s in front of you, you can clearly make out the upper line, which says (in Greek letters, but in this case, they’re close to the Roman letters we use), ARMODIO—most of the name HARMODIOS.
Dani - IcelandThe Most Epic Iceland Road Trip by Dani – Globetrotter Girls The best way to see Iceland? Without a doubt, on a road trip! And since I love road trips, I didn’t have to think about it too long when it came to deciding how we’d spend our week in Iceland: we were going to drive the Ring Road. The Ring Road, or Highway 1, is an 828 miles (1332 kilometers) long road around the country, basically circling the island. It passes everything that Iceland is famous for: stunning waterfalls, volcanoes, glaciers and glacier lagoons, geysers, lava fields and geothermal fields, and the country’s incredibly diverse scenery. Since we only had six days (plus one day in Reykjavik, which I didn’t want to skip entirely) we opted for a self-guided driving tour, which was an excellent decision. While I was researching Iceland road trip routes I came across Icelandic Farm Holidays, a local tour operator who offers both self-drive and guided tours of the country. There are several self-driving tours available, depending on how much time you have and what you’re most interested in, and the tour that caught my eye was the ‘Highlights of Iceland’ tour. It would bring us around the island in six days, leaving the seventh day to explore Reykjavik. Perfect!
Malaysia Nomadic BoysThe Nomadic Boys’ Malaysia Gay Travel Video by the Nomadic Boys What’s it like travelling in Malaysia? It’s all about the rasa sayang or Feel the Love! And boy did we have plenty of rasa sayang moments in this awesome country. Our video highlights start with the wildlife of Borneo, especially the orang utans, proboscis monkeys and pygmy elephants which we saw in the wild near the Kinabatangan River in Sabbah. You can also see orang utans at the Semenggoh Nature Reserve, proboscis monkeys at the Bako National Park – both near Kuching in Sarawak.
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That’s it for this edition of the Purple Roofs Gay Travel Newsletter! –Mark & Scott Purple Roofs – https://www.purpleroofs.com PO Box 4666, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762 PS: Wanna sponsor this newsletter and reach over 27,000 people? Email us at wheretostay@purpleroofs.com for details. To be removed from this email list, just reply to this email to wheretostay@purpleroofs.com and enter “remove” in the subject line.]]>

Purple Roofs LGBT Travel Newsletter: February 7th

Purple Roofs Newsletter. Every day, our LGBT Travel Blog brings you featured LGBT travel articles, as well as tons of news and helpful travel tips, which we summarize here for you every few weeks. And you can also join our Facebook Travel Clubs for our daily discussions and your travel questions (it’s free!):

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Venture Out
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Since 1998 Venture Out has operated small-group tours for LGBT travelers around the world. We specialize in high-end, guided vacations for gay and lesbian travelers (and friends). Wherever possible we emphasize unique accommodations and fine dining. Each year brings a new calendar of tours as we introduce new itineraries as well as bring back popular vacations from our repertoire of 18 years. Be sure to check our website for current destinations! Our group sizes are small – usually a maximum of 15. Additionally, there is a Venture Out tour manager to accompany each group. Try us for your next adventure!

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Featured Articles: Nomadic BoysGENERAL: Traveling as a Gay Couple in Asia by The Nomadic Boys “Why should I spend my tourist dollars in a country that wants to throw me in jail?!” This was our dilemma before setting off for our big travel adventures in Asia – as a gay couple. If it isn’t illegal (like in Sri Lanka, Singapore, the Maldives, Malaysia, India, Myanmar…), then it’s certainly not truly welcomed (think Indonesia, China or Mongolia). A few (like Nepal and Vietnam) have taken proactive steps to start to protect their LGBT community instead of criminalising them. And some have gone further to not only protect their LGBT community, but to embrace, support them and in addition, actively promote gay tourism: Japan, Thailand, Taiwan and the Philippines. So as a gay traveller, does that mean you shouldn’t visit countries like India or Myanmar? Are you really under any practical danger visiting a country like Malaysia or the Maldives?

Dani - Globetrotter GirlsGENERAL: Evolution of a Nomad by Dani, Globetrotter Girls It’s been almost a year since I looked back on five years of full-time travel, and I thought it was time for an update on how my nomadic life has evolved in the past twelve months. It’s been now over 2,000 days since I switched my London apartment for a life on the road, and quite frankly, I’m tired of being on the road constantly. Over 2,000 days of vagabonding – that’s even longer than I had an apartment in London, or anywhere else I’d lived before. When I started traveling in 2010, I thought it would be a one-year trip around the world. I even had a new employment contract ready for me to sign, and a job waiting for me upon return.. which I obviously never started. In the beginning, I thought I could travel forever, never getting tired of exploring new places, meeting new people, trying new foods. I had an insane amount of energy, my body fueled by new experiences and my mind stimulated by the ever changing scenery around me.

[caption id="attachment_40083" align="alignright" width="250"]Resorts World Bimini pool photo by Steven Skelley Resorts World Bimini pool photo by Steven Skelley[/caption]BAHAMAS: Bimini by Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong Ask just about anyone about Bimini and they will probably say they’ve heard of it but have no idea where it is. Some may know it is in the Bahamas but have no details beyond that. We learned quite a lot about Bimini during our recent visit. These two tiny Bahamian islands have a unique culture, bountiful history, visitors both famous and infamous, and a new focus as a casino hotspot for the rich and famous. Bimini consists of the two main islands named North Bimini Island and South Bimini Island as well as numerous cays or keys. Just 50 miles off of Florida’s eastern coast, Bimini is the closest Bahamian island to the United States. Bimini’s history contains an impressive list of both the famous and infamous. The Lucayan natives who inhabited the islands named them Bimini which means two islands. Within just 50 years after the European explorers arrive in the 1490’s, the Lucayans had all been enslaved and relocated to other islands to work as plantation slaves.

[caption id="attachment_40154" align="alignleft" width="250"]Photo by Dennis Dean Photo by Dennis Dean[/caption]CUBA: Gay Havana by Joseph Pedro In old Havana there is a tree that’s said to be older than the city itself. It was here, though it was very young, when the Taino people would worship, venerate, and respect her as Ancient Mother. It was here too, though a little older now, in 1519 when the Spanish first established a settlement. The land was claimed, right beside her growing roots, as San Cristobal de la Habana. She provided shade for the first mass and bestowed a breeze for the first council meeting. And as she reached toward the heavens, so did a city. Becoming resilient and strong, prosperous and wealthy, devout and ideological-she soon had a home overlooking churches and plazas, statues and mansions that rivaled those of Europe. She felt the breeze of independence and briefly felt it taken away from her. As times changed, though, she witnessed the plight of the Cuban people under a dictatorship and felt the mumblings of revolution brush through her leaves. Then, in 1959, as winter drew to an end she was here still to feel the rumbling of a tank shake her roots to usher in spring and a new hope for her land. More than half a century later, the wind again sways her branches and one of her leaves falls in 2014, twirling like a Sky Dancer, landing flatly on my head.

ind welcomes allUSA, INDIANA: TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD: Amazing Indianapolis by Donald and Ray, the Gay Travelers We had not been to Indianapolis, Indiana in over 35 years and when we went a couple of weeks ago we were totally shocked, amazed and pleasantly surprised how Amazing the city is. The Governor of Indiana, and we will not even mention his name, but The Governor is one of the most homophobic Governors in the country. There are “PENCE MUST GO!” signs and billboards all over the city. However the State Capitol and major city, Indianapolis is one of the most GAY FRIENDLY in the country! As you enter the city there are signs that read, INDY WELCOMES ALL” and signs on many business read, THIS BUSINESS SERVES EVERYONE. The newly elected Mayor of Indianapolis, Joe Hogsett who by the way, won with over 63% of the vote last December is extremely intelligent and pro LGBT. He is loved by the entire city! He had us to the Mayor’s Office so that he could officially welcome the “Gay Travelers” to his city.

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That’s it for this edition of the Purple Roofs Gay Travel Newsletter! –Mark & Scott Purple Roofs – https://www.purpleroofs.com
PO Box 4666, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762 PS: Wanna sponsor this newsletter and reach over 27,000 people? Email us at wheretostay@purpleroofs.com for details. To be removed from this email list, just reply to this email to wheretostay@purpleroofs.com and enter “remove” in the subject line.]]>

Purple Roofs LGBT Travel Newsletter: January 23rd

Purple Roofs Newsletter. Every day, our LGBT Travel Blog brings you featured LGBT travel articles, as well as tons of news and helpful travel tips, which we summarize here for you every few weeks. And you can also join our Facebook Travel Clubs for our daily discussions and your travel questions (it’s free!):

Gay Travel Club | Lesbian Travel Club | Transgender Travel Club | Bi Travel Club | LGBT Families Travel Club


Williams River House - Chester, Vermont
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Featured Articles: pet travel oneTRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD: Traveling With Pets by Donald and Ray – The Gay Travelers When making travel decisions, choose what is safest and most comfortable to you pet. For instance, unless you’ll be able to spend a lot of time with your dog, he’ll probably be happier at home than tagging along on your trip. As a rule, cats are almost always better off in their own home. But if you have decided it’s best to bring your pet along, follow our tips for a safe and low-stress trip. The safest way for your dog to travel in the car is in a crate that has been anchored to the vehicle using a seatbelt or other secure means. Dog restraints or seat belts are useful for preventing your dog from roaming around the car and being a distraction to the driver, but they haven’t been reliably shown to protect dogs during a crash. Most cats aren’t comfortable traveling in cars, so for their safety as well as yours, keep them in a carrier. It’s important to restrain these carriers in the car so that they don’t bounce around and hurt your cat. Do this by securing a seat belt around the front of the carrier.

Yanchep kangaroosAUSTRALIA: Wandering Wives – Kangaroo Spotting by the Wandering Wives Driving north on a day trip from Perth, there are two outstanding national parks well worth a visit. Both of the naturally beautiful parks are great places to relax and visitors should easily manage to spot a Kangaroo or two. If you set off early enough, you could see them both in one day. Nambung national park is around two hours’ drive from Perth and Yanchep national park is less than hour from the city. It is hard to believe the equally stunning parks are so close to each other as they are set in very different environments. Yanchep feels like a Victorian country park with historic buildings, gardens and a boating lake. We spent a day strolling around the lush green lawns and enjoying the beauty of the park. To us, it felt a lot like the parks in England, except of course for the Koala board-walk and the kangaroos.

Cartenega - Dani, Globetrotter GirlsCOLOMBIA: Cartenega by Dani – Globetrotter Girls I made it to Colombia! I can’t believe that after all these years, I’m finally here. To give you a bit more background: when I (we) started traveling in 2010, I started in the U.S. and made my way south through Mexico and Central America. The goal was to go all the way down to Tierra del Fuego, taking a catamaran from Panama to Colombia via the San Blas Islands, which is supposed to be a beautiful trip (proven by the photos I’ve linked to!). However, by the time we made it to Panama, we had been traveling through Latin America for 9 months and were ready for a change of scenery & culture. So we hopped on a plane to Europe instead of a catamaran. When we returned to South America, we timed it so that we’d be in Argentina and Chile for their summer and flew into Buenos Aires. And never made it further north than Peru.

Nomadic BoysINDONESIA: Gay Life in Indonesia by Stefan Arestis – Nomadic Boys “OMG careful you don’t get caned for being gay over there you two!” We did of course point out to our concerned friends and family back home that Sharia Law is only in place in one small part of Indonesia in the Northern Aceh province. If the rainbow flag gets out of control in Aceh, you risk being convicted by the Sharia police to 10-150 lashes in public for being gay. And yes, this now applies to foreigners too! But we don’t go around waving rainbow flags. Nor do we have any interest in getting publicly canned in Aceh (our caning adventures at the Komodo National Park were more then enough).

Femmineillo PrideITALY: Femminiello Pride by Danielle Oteri Irpinia contradicts everything you expect about Southern Italy. The rainy climate and green mountains have more in common with the Pacific Northwest than the Amalfi Coast, just 40 miles away. Instead of Roman ruins like those at Pompeii, stones remain from the Osci, the native Campanian tribe known for their salacious festivals. The spiritual center of the region is the famously hard-to-reach church at Montevergine. Pilgrims arrive after long bus rides over highways that span seemingly bottomless gorges. Irpinia’s landscape is foreboding, which is why the Montevergine pilgrimage has always required strong and focused devotion. The thin air is hard to breathe. The damp stone from the mountain’s peaks perfume the air with ancient minerals.

Dolly TravelsMEXICO: ¡Hola, De Puerto Vallarta by Dolly Goolsby Now I must switch to English. I have exhausted my Spanish vocabulary. Frank and I decided we needed another vacation; therefore, we flew down to Puerto Vallarta on Friday. We arrived at our hotel around 6:00 p.m., after spending almost 2 hours going through Immigration and Customs. The lines were long, but progressed smoothly. No one seemed to be upset or angry. Eventually, we retrieved our bags, ran the gauntlet through time share salesmen and found our taxi. We arrived here, at Club Regina, in time for Happy Hour. Our timing is impeccable. The hotel sits among lush green gardens, palm trees and swimming pools. At the western edge of the property is the Pacific Ocean. The setting is so peaceful and relaxing, although the buildings are painted white with bubble-gum pink accents, interspersed with bright yellow accents. I think that design is to keep the guests from getting too bored.

Stockholm - Curve MagSWEDEN: Affordable Stockholm – Lesbian Travel by Andre Landeros Michel It is a well-known fact that Stockholm is an open-minded and progressive city but some say that Stockholm is also expensive. What is lesser known is that the city offers an abundance of gems that provide great value for your money. With the strong US dollar and with the low-cost carrier Norwegian adding Las Vegas to their growing repertoire of gateways, there has never been a better time to visit the Swedish capital. That is why a number of American travel agents and journalists set out to discover the hidden treasures of tolerant Stockholm. Over the course of four days, the travelers got to experience many sides of Sweden – from the traditional to the new and modern. Between hotel inspections and museum visits, there was plenty of time to shop innovative Swedish design and experience a traditional Lucia celebration.

Palm BeachUSA, FLORIDA: What’s New in Palm Beach by Jimmy Im In Palm Beach, Florida, there is a relatively new adage that’s defined the destination for more than a decade: “Palm Beach is like the gay 90s: all the women are 90 and all the men are gay.” It’s not entirely untrue considering more than half the residents are over 65 years old, many businesses are gay owned, gossip among locals is better than a season of Real Housewives, and a typical night out is a fabulous dinner party in a million-dollar home. Sprawling a short 17 miles, Palm Beach (about an hour north of Miami) has always served as a rather exclusive stomping ground for old-money tycoons and wealthy entrepreneurs who only dabble with the finer things in life. The skyscraper-free town is chockablock with fancy restaurants where dinner jackets are still often required, luxury name-brand retailers like Gucci and Neiman Marcus are ubiquitous, and members-only country clubs are decades strong. It’s not unusual to see locals dressed to the nines for a trip to the bank or parking lots packed with only Bentleys and Porsches. There’s an air of sophistication, and a touch of harmless elitism, you’re hard-pressed to find in other parts of Florida–the local Publix even has valet parking.

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That’s it for this edition of the Purple Roofs Gay Travel Newsletter! –Mark & Scott Purple Roofs – https://www.purpleroofs.com
PO Box 4666, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762 PS: Wanna sponsor this newsletter and reach over 27,000 people? Email us at wheretostay@purpleroofs.com for details. To be removed from this email list, just reply to this email to wheretostay@purpleroofs.com and enter “remove” in the subject line.]]>

Purple Roofs LGBT Travel Newsletter: January 10th

Purple Roofs Newsletter. Every day, our LGBT Travel Blog brings you featured LGBT travel articles, as well as tons of news and helpful travel tips, which we summarize here for you every few weeks. And you can also join our Facebook Travel Clubs for our daily discussions and your travel questions (it’s free!):

Gay Travel Club | Lesbian Travel Club | Transgender Travel Club | Bi Travel Club | LGBT Families Travel Club


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Featured Articles: travel autoTRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD: Planes, Trains, Automobiles and Buses by Donald and Ray, the Gay Travelers In the United States, there are basically only four ways to travel and that is by plane, train, automobile and buses. They all have their advantages as well as disadvantages. We prefer traveling by automobile since we have the luxury of time. Living in the center of the country, it only takes a couple of days or at the most 3 days to travel to either coast. Plus we enjoy seeing the sights and sounds and meeting new and interesting people along the way. If you fly, you usually need to rent an automobile anyway. Plus when driving you can take more clothing with you and purchase more items to bring back home with you. Our theory is ‘getting to a destination can be half the fun’. However we fully understand if you do live on either coast or do not have a lot of time, you have no choice than to fly.

The Green BookBefore Purple Roofs, There Was The Green Book by Ana Swanson For African American travelers, much of the U.S. could be a hateful and dangerous place, even into the 1960’s. Jim Crow laws across the South mandated that restaurants, hotels, pool halls and parks strictly separate whites and blacks. Lynchings kept blacks in fear of mob violence. And there were thousands of so-called “sundown towns,” including in northern states like Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan, which barred blacks after dark, an unofficial rule reinforced by the threat of violence. So in 1936, a postal worker named Victor Green began publishing a guide to help African American travelers find friendly restaurants, auto shops and accommodations in far-off places. Green dubbed the guide after himself – the “Green Book” – and published it for decades. Green says he was inspired by the Jewish press, which had long published information on restricted places.

Kalbarri coastAUSTRALIA: Kalbarri & Geraldton by the Wandering Wives Breath taking coastal vistas and vibrant rock formations are the main stay of Kalbarri National Park in Western Australia. In land, the Murchinson River has carved out an 80 km gorge through striped ochre sandstone as it snakes its way to the ocean. Hikers and paddlers flock to the gorge to enjoy the wilderness. Coastal cliffs offer bracing walks high above the crashing waves below, with eagles soaring overhead. At least that’s what it says in the guide book. Google offers amazing pictures of the striking banded rocks and orange cliffs set against perfect blue skies. Having visited so many of the national parks in Australia, we were excited to find an adventure in Kalbarri. The day we visited the park the weather was not in our favour. The sky was grey, the wind was howling and the park did not quite measure up to our expectations.

Janet BeinMEXICO: Salt and Fresh Water Adventure in Yelapa by Janet Bein My third time visiting Yelapa was still a charm. This remote fishing village is located in the southernmost cove of the world’s seventh largest bay, Bahia de Banderas, in Jalisco, Mexico. You can stay overnight in a small hotel or rent a room or a house. You can also come here for a yoga retreat, which I bet would be wonderful. But so far, I’ve only come for one-day excursions while staying in Puerto Vallarta or Nuevo Vallarta. Yelapa is not an island, but for most practical purposes, it’s accessible only by boat. The first time that I went, I took a small water taxi from the Puerto Vallarta harbor. The other times, I chose to take excursions on more comfortable catamarans with Vallarta Adventures, which runs day trips starting in either Puerto Vallarta or Nuevo Vallarta. These trips include snorkeling and kayaking, a buffet lunch, and unlimited drinks, plus an optional hike through the village of Yelapa to a refreshing waterfall, and time to relax, swim, or eat some more at the Yelapa beach.

MarlboroughNEW ZEALAND: Marlborough is All About the Wine, Right? by Helen Redshaw Wrong! Marlborough is certainly famous for its sauvignon blanc. Yes we are by far the largest wine producing region in NZ and Marlborough sauvignon blanc in all its wonderful forms is lauded throughout the world. At Na Clachan we think Marlborough sauvignon blanc is so good we wrote a song and video extolling its virtues. It’s a tongue in cheek celebration of Marlborough’s best known export. But despite the dominance of vineyards in the Wairau and Awatere valleys let’s put the winemaking into perspective. We have about 25,000 hectares (62,500 acres) of grapes which is 250km2. Marlborough comes in at a whopping 12,484 km2 so only about 2% of Marlborough’s total land area is used for grapes. So we have plenty of space to fit in a range of activities and attractions. Take a few days in Marlborough and enjoy the wide variety of activities and attractions it has to offer.

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That’s it for this edition of the Purple Roofs Gay Travel Newsletter! –Mark & Scott Purple Roofs – https://www.purpleroofs.com
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