The Nomadic Boys

Visiting Gay Johannesburg – The Nomadic Boys

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Visiting Gay Johannesburg - The Nomadic Boys

Visiting Gay Johannesburg With the Nomadic Boys

In our guide to gay Johannesburg, we’re sharing the best of the best of the gay scene, safe places to stay and top things to do.

“Guys don’t go to Johannesburg…you’ll get mugged or shot at!”

…so said many of our friends across our social media channels. We touched down at Tambo airport feeling quite tentative about our trip here. But as with many big cities we’ve been to on our travels with big “warning signs” from fellow travelers (Rio, Delhi, Buenos Aires, to name a few), we were absolutely fine.

Jo’burg is like any big major city. Of course, it has its problems, and you should avoid certain areas, lock up your valuables in your hotel room’s safe, and keep your phone in your pocket out of harm’s reach. But with basic common sense, your trip will be worry-free. This was our experience, despite being on our guard from the moment we arrived.

Johannesburg is a fascinating city to explore, and a complete contrast to Cape Town. It’s gritty, edgy, raw, tough, full of green spaces.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Johannesburg 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 Vancouver – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Vancouver - The Nomadic Boys

Greenpeace, Ryan Reynolds, Hayden Christensen, and Botox – what do they all have in common?
Vancouver!

That’s right, they were all created in this super cool city located right on the far West coast of Canada. Vancouver is the capital of the British Columbia Province, famous for being one of the most diverse regions of Canada. It is also nicknamed “The Hollywood of the North” due to its popularity as a filming location for TVs/movies after LA and NYC. Oh, and did we mention the part about Ryan Reynolds and Hayden Christensen?

We visited Vancouver several times on our trips to Canada and always have a fantastic time. As well as a bustling Gay Village over at Davie Street, Vancouver has tons of fun things to do, with the mountains on its doorstep and the natural paradise of Vancouver Island a short ferry ride away.

Most importantly of all, we found gay Vancouver to be a very tolerant city, accepting of everyone. We frequently saw many gay couples walking the streets hand-in-hand all across town and felt comfortable to do the same. Of course, this comes as no surprise as this is Canada, a country we absolutely adore and rate as the most gay friendly country in the world.

In this detailed gay guide to Vancouver, we summarise our experience discovering the gay scene of Davie Village, as well as some of the best things to do in the city, gay hotels to stay and more practical tips for LGBTQ travellers.

Davie Street: The Gay Vancouver Village

Vancouver’s gay village, also known as the Davie Village, is the heart of the city’s LGBTQ community. It is based mainly along Davie Street between Jervis Street and Burrard Street. This is where the majority of the queer bars and clubs are. Although it’s not as big as the scene of Montreal or Toronto, it’s just as fun.

There is also a more bohemian area popular with the lesbian community of the city at Commercial Drive, called “The Drive” over in East Vancouver, which we did not visit so have not covered in this guide.

Gay Miami Beaches – The Nomadic Boys

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Miami Gay Beaches - The Nomadic Boys - 12th Street Beach

You know us, we love being on vacation (I mean, who doesn’t?) but we really get our gay lives on the world’s many stunning beaches. If it’s a gay beach, all the better. If it’s clothing-optional… Well, we couldn’t possibly comment on that in such polite company, could we? wink emoji

Often overlooked in favour of Fort Lauderdale’s and gay friendly Key West, Miami is one of the more underrated gay vacation destinations in the Sunshine State. With a relaxed live-and-let-live attitude and a devilish twinkle in its eye, Miami is a great place to celebrate your queerdom in all its gay glory.

So, slap on the factor 50 and slip into your skimpiest swim trunks to check out our list of Miami gay beaches – last one in the sea is a banana! Oh and while we have you here, be sure to check out our detailed gay guide to Miami for the full low down on the scene!

12th Street Gay Beach

The 12th Street Gay Beach near Ocean Drive is the best gay beach of Miami. Put it this way: you will never see so many beautiful specimens of manhood anywhere else in the world. We almost gave ourselves whiplash checking out the stunning procession of perfect physiques parading across the gorgeous white sands. Don’t worry about packing a load of things, as you can rent chairs and umbrellas for a small fee when you get there. As ever, all you beach babes remember to stay hydrated and top up your sun protection regularly. We’re on vacation – the only place for lobsters is in a cobb salad!

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Gay Miami Beach Travel Resources

Gay San Miguel de Allende – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay San Miguel de Allende - The Nomadic Boys

You heard it here first, guys. gay San Miguel de Allende is not just a delicious beer – it’s also a stunningly beautiful city located in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico, perfect for romantic getaways.

Founded in the early 16th century, San Miguel de Allende is dripping in history and culture. Many landmarks date back to periods of intense conflict, and the fact they’re still standing today is a testament to the will of the people. This is one UNESCO listed gem you need to check out!

San Miguel has also become super popular with gay couples thanks to its draw as a romantic getaway and even as a wedding destination. The people are famous for being super friendly, religious but curious and tolerant of everyone. So much so that gay owned businesses have flourished over the years, from artists, jewelry designers, painters, sculptors and art galleries.

This is why we love San Miguel and rate it as one of our absolute favourite gay cities in Mexico – a sort of cultural alternative to gay party town Puerto Vallarta! Here is our gay travel guide to San Miguel de Allende to inspire you and help you plan your visit to the “Heart of Mexico”.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Gay San Miguel de Allende Travel Resources

Gay Quito Travel Guide – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Quito Travel Guide - The Nomadic Boys

Panting for breath after walking just 5 steps…that was our first memory of Quito as soon as we touched down at the Mariscal Sucre airport. Standing proud at 2,850 metres (9,350ft) high, tucked away in the Andes Mountains, Quito is the second-highest official capital city in the world after La Paz in Bolivia. And bloody hell you certainly feel it!

Other than panting for breath every 5 minutes, Quito packs a punch for gay travellers. It’s not only a cultural gem with a really pretty Old Town to explore, it also has an impressive and vibrant gay scene. The capital city of Ecuador is also located right by the equator line from which it takes its name. Locals nickname Quito as “la mitad del mundo” or the middle of the world.

We spent half a year based in the middle of the world during our big trip to Latin America and fell in love with it. It’s an inexpensive place, extremely pretty, never too hot and never too cold. It’s also a very rewarding destination due to the variety of food to try and the variety of hot guys to meet!

We’ve bundled all our first-hand experiences from Quito into this comprehensive gay guide covering the best gay bars, clubs, hotels to stay, things to do and more.

Is Quito safe for gay travellers?

Quito is the touristic and LGBTQ capital of Ecuador – a country that legalised gay marriage in 2019 and was one of the first in the world to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation back in 1998. The city has a very active LGBTQ community, along with quite a diverse LGBTQ scene and a popular Pride every June that has taken place almost every year since 1998.

As a gay couple, we never had any problems in any of the hotels we stayed in. We always felt welcomed and never faced any issues when asking for a double bed. The only thing we’d say about Quito, which applies to all travellers (straight or gay), there are parts of the city which are a bit dodgy, such as the Old Town in the evening after dark.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Ecuador Gay Travel Resources

Hiking Sri Lanka’s Ella Rock – The Nomadic Boys

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Hiking Sri Lanka's Ella Rock - The Nomadic Boys

Ella Rock is the prettiest desktop background I’ve ever had on my laptop! No joke – the view from up here is absolutely jaw-droppingly stunning!

The trek to Ella Rock is only half a day tops, but it easily ranks as one of the best treks I’ve ever done with Stefan during our travels. And we’ve done some pretty amazing treks together, from the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal to the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru.

Ella is a beautiful small town in the south of Sri Lanka in the Hill country located at an altitude of 1,041 metres (3,415 ft). It’s the ideal base to explore the surrounding hills and take in pretty breathtaking views of the Badulla green valleys. The weather is usually quite humid, with moderate air temperature, sunny mornings, and often rain showers in the afternoon. Ella Rock is a famous cliff, located high above Ella’s village, around 8km (5 miles) from the centre of town – around 4 hours total trekking there and back.

The trek to Ella Rock from Ella town is pretty straightforward if you follow our advice below! Sometimes finding the correct path can be tricky, so we’ve put together this easy-to-follow step-by-step guide to help you on your way.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Sri Lanka Gay Travel Resources

Bangkok’s Gayborhood – The Nomadic Boys

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BLOG - Bangkok's Gayborhood - The Nomadic Boys

Lights… Camera… ACTION!

10s! 10s! 10s! across the board, as you sashay your way down Bangkok’s Silom Soi 4 street, the beating heart and soul of the city’s incredible gay scene.

We love it here. It’s one of our favourite gay scenes in the world. Regardless which day of the week you come, there’s always life and action. Whenever we visit Bangkok, the first thing we do is head straight to Balcony and have our obligatory “welcome to Bangkok” Pad Thai in their outdoor terrace.

Balcony is one of the many gay bars in Silom Soi 4 – an area with lots of gay hotels, massage parlours, clubs, saunas and restaurants. You can read our full gay guide to the city of Bangkok, but in this article, we take you on a magical journey through the gay area of Bangkok!

Where is Bangkok’s Gayborhood?

The majority of Bangkok’s gay bars and clubs are located in Silom, which is a sub-district of Bang Rak. There are two main gay streets in Silom, known as Silom Soi 4 and Silom Soi 2. Both of these smaller pedestrian-only streets lead off from the main Silom Road, which you can reach via the BTS Skytrain (get off at the Sala Daeng station) or the Silom MRT Station.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Bangkok Gay Travel Resources

India Gay Life – The Nomadic Boys

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India Gay Life - The Nomadic Boys

After a decade of backflipping in and out the closet with its anti-gay laws (the Delhi High Court repealed them in 2009 but in 2013 the Supreme Court reintroduced them), in September 2018, the Supreme Court finally repealed them once and for all in a landmark decision.

This was huge! Remember, this is a country with a population of almost 1.5 billion people. That’s a vast proportion of the world’s LGBTQ population – and these guys are super active!

Day by day the Indian LGBTQ population is growing more and more confident. All the main Indian cities have a gay scene, particularly in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore, which have their own gay pride parades, weekly gay parties and even LGBTQ film festivals. It’s for this reason we rate India as one of the most gay friendly countries in Asia.

However, Indian society remains very conservative. Indian men are expected to marry a woman and have lots of children to please their family so as to avoid being ostracised by their local community. Because of this, we found that a large part of India gay life is still underground. We suggest using gay dating apps like Grindr to tap into the local LGBTQ community, as we found out in our gay night out in Delhi. This is where we met up with our buddy Raj from Delhi to find out more about what it’s like growing up gay in India

Raj requested his identity be kept anonymous, so we have used the name “Raj” as his alias. Raj also has a lifestyle blog about his relationship with his boyfriend and their life in Delhi, which we recommend checking out.

Hi Raj, where are you from and what do you do?

Namaste Nomadic Boys – welcome to India and to Delhi! I am Raj, a 28 years old trainee doctor, born and raised in Delhi. I live in Delhi with my boyfriend, Rhys (also an alias name), who I met at university. We’ve been together for over a decade.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

India Gay Travel Resources

Best Caribbean Gay Cruises for 2020 – The Nomadic Boys

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“Aruba, Jamaica, oh I want to take ya
Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama…”

While there might not be a real “Kokomo” in the Caribbean (or at least there wasn’t until that Beach Boys’ song came out!) there are still so many incredibly beautiful islands to explore. From the colourful and lively San Juan to the lush and mountainous Grenada, the Caribbean has a great deal to offer.

Give us a Caribbean beach or two any day. Or better still, hop aboard a Caribbean gay cruise and you get to visit a whole bunch of them. With over 700 islands, islets and reefs to explore, island hopping this lush area of the world with a fabulous group of gay guys is definitely the way forward!

When it comes to gay cruises in the Caribbean, there are many options. Each one is unique in its own way. We’ve put together our list of some of the best ones you need to check out. Note that we have divided our guide up into two parts: the first featuring gay only cruises, the second, a gay group mixed with a larger group.

RSVP 35TH ANNIVERSARY CARIBBEAN CRUISE

RSVP is well known in the gay cruise industry, and they’ve been around! This cruise celebrates their 35th anniversary.

The RSVP Caribbean Cruise takes place aboard the Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam, which oozes style, sophistication and sass! With an innovative entertainment centre, a theatre stage, dance club, and live music bar, the days spent at sea will feel just as exciting as the days spent exploring ashore.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Caribbean Gay Travel Resources