Arts, Culture and Nature for the LGBTQ Traveler Puerto Vallarta

puerto vallarta arts culture

Puerto Vallarta is well known for its vibrant gay bar and club scene. It is Mexico’s #1 gay bar and club scene. So what about the LGBTQ traveler looking for Arts, Culture and Nature? Puerto Vallarta does not disappoint. From November until April, the every other week Southside Shuffle on the cobblestone streets of Basilio Badillo in the Romantic Zone feature street music, food and drinks, and artists showing their work in the local art galleries. Also the Centro Historic Artwalk draws a large crowd to the center of town every Wednesday to galleries open until 10 pm.

For the rest of the art, culture and nature found in Puerto Vallarta visit this story.

Hoyt House Bed and Breakfast – Gay Friendly Amelia Island B&B

Hoyt House Bed and Breakfast

Welcome to Amelia Island’s 1905 Hoyt House Bed and Breakfast Inn, an exclusive boutique hotel that blends romantic elegance, comfort and great service.

Come spend a weekend (or a week) in our relaxing atmosphere at our beautiful Amelia Island Inn, which is set in Ferdinanda Beach’s Historic District. We’re close to a number of fantastic restaurants, wonderful shopping, and all kinds of antiques. Amelia Island is a great place to get away from your normal life, get refreshed, relaxed, and recharged.

Now’s an ideal time to visit Amelia Island and to stay at the 1905 Hoyt House B&B – we offer elegant guest rooms, and amazing gourmet breakfasts. We’re more than just a Bed & Breakfast – we’re a unique boutique hotel on a very unique island.

Hoyt House is ideal for a romantic weekend, an unforgettable honeymoon, or for celebrating a special occasion with your partner.

Hoyt House offers ten oversized guest rooms, four common area salons with original hand-tiled fireplaces, afternoon snacks, bicycles for guest use, a large video library, and relaxing, rocking porch swings where you can pass a peaceful morning with a cup of coffee and a good book.

The inn also has luxurious leather couches next to the fireplace, perfect for relaxation with a glass of your wine. Or you can listen to a piano serenade played by another guest.

Our lovely gardens include a heated pool with and jacuzzi, as well as lounge chairs, shaded tables, and a beautiful old-fashioned gazebo – the perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon or evening after a day at the beach.

The garden and Gazebo can also be decorated for weddings and other special occasions hosted on the beautifully landscaped grounds of Hoyt House – we welcome weddings for gay and lesbian couples!

Our wrap-around veranda has a view of the historic St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, originally built in 1861, the site of many wonderful celebrations and gatherings.

If you’re looking for total relaxation, comfort and romance, come stay with us at Hoyt House on Amelia Island for your next vacation!

See the Hoyt House Bed and Breakfast Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Amelia Island & Northeastern Florida Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals

 

Lesbian Amsterdam – Once Upon a Journey

Lesbian Amsterdam - Once Upon a Journey

The gay capital of Europe, Amsterdam, is the perfect city to go to as a lesbian traveller. Or well, Amsterdam doesn’t carry that title anymore officially, but the city is still very liberal, tolerant, welcoming and diverse. The city is perfect for your lesbian vacation or short city trip! You can truly be yourselves and enjoy all the beauty it has to offer. It’s a city where our love story began, so Amsterdam has a special place in our hearts. Continue reading for the ultimate travel guide to lesbian Amsterdam. Including our best insider tips and spots!

Amsterdam is the capital city of the Netherlands and it’s most famous for its beautiful canals, gingerbread houses, coffee shops (not for coffee!), the infamous red light district and lots of bicycles. Amsterdam has a lot more to offer; there is something for everyone.

LGBT rights in the Netherlands

First, we will tell you a bit about LGBT rights in the Netherlands. The Netherlands is seen as one of the most LGBT friendly destinations in the world. Therefore it isn’t weird that LGBT rights in the Netherlands have been some of the most progressive in the world. Homosexuality was decriminalised in 1811, and in 2001 the Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. Yes, we are very proud of that! The first gay bar opened in Amsterdam in 1911.

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

Lesbian Amsterdam Travel Resources

Gay Friendly Asia – Nomadic Boys

Gay Friendly Asia - The Nomadic Boys

We spent 2 years travelling around Asia and completely fell in love with the continent. It offers so much in terms of cultural experiences, food and landscapes, with some of the most humble people you’ll ever meet.

But when it comes to LGBTQ rights, Asia has some serious work to do! In quite a lot of countries in Asia, being gay is either illegal or an arrestable offence, like in Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, the Maldives, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. If it’s not illegal, then it’s such a strong taboo that you have to stay in the closet to avoid jeopardising your job prospects and embarrassing your family like in China, Russia and Indonesia.

Despite this, there are a number of countries in Asia that are paving the way forward in relation to LGBTQ rights. We’ve selected the top 10 most gay friendly countries in Asia, which we’ve based on the following criteria:

  • Where are they at with same sex marriage legislation, along with other LGBTQ laws?
  • What is the gay scene like and do they have any notable annual LGBTQ festivals?
  • Our personal experience travelling there as a gay couple, with reference to the most recent Spartacus Gay Travel Index.

We have taken it as a given that homosexuality is legal in the countries we’ve selected, which is why we haven’t included Singapore despite it having quite a vibrant gay scene and a famous LGBTQ PinkDot festival in June/July.

We have also included two “places” (Taiwan and Hong Kong) rather than “countries”, because although they’re not officially recognised “countries”, they can still be regarded as a “country” given they have their own flag, currency, national anthem, set of laws etc.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Asia Gay Travel Resources

Things to Do In Buena Park, California – 2TravelDads

Things to Do In Buena Park, California - 2TravelDads

If I say “Orange County” you most likely think of the beaches or Disneyland, and that makes sense, but did you know there in another really fun destination in Orange County? There are so many things to do in Buena Park, just to the north of Anaheim, that it’s both a great home base for Orange County and a wonderful destination in itself.

Here’s a fun fact: we used to live in Buena Park! When we lived just off Knott in the mid 2000s the neighborhood was nothing exciting. Today, Buena Park has become a bustling, colorful city that’s the entertainment capital of Orange County. We had three days and enjoyed tons of things to do in Buena Park.

Why Choose Buena Park?

Buena Park is located in northern Orange County, bordering Anaheim and Cerritos. A large part of the city is residential, but then the rest is all about the fun. The city has become a hub for really good food in addition to fun and activities.

Buena Park is ideal for both hanging out and being a home base for all things SoCal. If you’re staying in Buena Park, it’s an easy hop onto the 91 to LAX, the 5 to SNA or Beach Blvd down to Huntington Beach. Also super close is Disneyland: just a quick zigzag down into Anaheim. Really, anywhere you may want to go in SoCal is easy to access from Buena Park because it’s situated between so many highways.

By Rob Taylor – Full Story at 2TravelDads

Greater Los Angeles Gay Travel Resources

 

South Africa Gay Tours – The Globetrotter Guys

South Africa Gay Tours - The Globetrotter Guys

South Africa has to be one of our all-time favorite destinations. In fact if you ask Sion, he will probably say it is his favorite place in the world. Why? Quite simply, we have yet to find another place that offers everything South Africa does.

You have modern cities like Cape Town and Johannesburg. There is a multitude of stunning beaches stretching all the way along the coast (Fact: Cape Towns beaches have been named some of the best in the world, AND Cape Town has 2 gay beaches). The scenery is just incredible, with forests, oceans and mountains stretching for miles. Of course, there is the wildlife, with the opportunity of spotting the Big 5, either in a private reserve or a National Park. And to top it all off, the food and wine is some of the best we have ever eaten and drank, at some of the lowest prices too.

With so much to see and do, one of the best ways to make the most of this incredible destination is to join a fully escorted, organised tour, especially if you are short on time. And being in a gay-friendly destination, why not join a gay tour of South Africa, ensuring that you will end up travelling with like minded people.

LGBTQ Vacation: South Africa Gay Tours

During our time in Cape Town, we were fortunate to connect with Jakes Conradie, founder and CEO of Amatungulu Tours. Amatungulu Tours has a specific gay division, LGBTQ Vacation. We partnered with Jakes and were able to experience part of his product and find out more about this gay-owned tour operator.

By Sion & Ben – Full Story at The Globetrotter Guys

South Africa Gay Travel Resources

 

Gay Puerto Vallarta – The Nomadic Boys

Gay Puerto Vallarta - The Nomadic Boys

Puerto Vallarta in Mexico is one of the hottest gay destinations. Over the past few decades it has become a popular draw for gay men, particularly expats from the US and Canada. It has tons of bars, clubs, boutique shops, beach parties and events happening throughout the year.

We came for the exciting gay Puerto Vallarta Pride which takes place every May. It was absolutely awesome and the reason why we regard it as one of the best Pride events in Latin America.

Whether you visit Puerto Vallarta for Pride or at another time of the year, the city always seems to ooze a feeling of acceptance, tolerance and outright fabulousness!

This is our comprehensive gay guide to Puerto Vallarta featuring all the best gay places to hangout, hotels to stay, events, things to do and loads more.

Gay rights in Puerto Vallarta

Mexico has some pretty progressive LGBTQ laws. Homosexuality was decriminalised as early as 1871 during its brief French occupation, and a wide range of anti-discrimination laws were introduced in 2003. It’s also slowly heading towards full gay marriage equality.

In relation to the Jalisco Province, where Puerto Vallarta is based, gay marriage was legalised in March 2016 following an unanimous decision by the Supreme Court of Mexico that the state’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. As a result, the offending law was quickly revoked and as of 20 April 2016, gay weddings were allowed to take place.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at The Nomadic Boys

Gay Puerto Vallarta Travel Resources

 

Lesbian Europe – Once Upon a Journey

Lesbian Europe - Once Upon a Journey

We know, as a couple, that lesbian travel isn’t always as easy as packing your bags and go. There’s much more think about, regarding safety for example. For a holiday it’s important you can truly be yourself, don’t have to worry about safety and simply feel comfortable. Europe has been leading the way for LGBT travellers for the past decades. It has some of the most open and welcoming countries in the world and is, therefore, the perfect continent for your lesbian holidays. It has so much to offer: from stunning beaches to picturesque cities and much more. Europe is diverse, each European country has its charms, and there’s something for everybody. But which destination to pick?! Let’s dive into the best lesbian holiday destinations Europe has to offer.

Greece

For stunning beaches, you need to go to Greece! Greece has 6000 islands so it’s the perfect destination for some island hopping, tropical vibes and relaxing on the beach. The island Lesbos (also known as Lesvos) is, for us lesbians, a special one. More about that later on! Greece is one of the most liberal countries in South East Europe and it’s making great steps forward the past years. Homosexuality has been legal since 1951 and in 2015, civil unions were legalised for same-sex couples. Greece is a friendly destination for LGBT travellers. Mykonos especially is well-known under the male gay travellers as one of the best gay destinations in Europe. And of course, lesbians are also very welcome on the island, though you will find many men there. While Mykonos is great for parties, Santorini is the perfect island for your romantic holiday or a honeymoon.

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

Europe Gay Travel Resources

 

Cape Town’s Gay Beach – Globetrotter Guys

Cape Town's Gay Beach - Globetrotter Guys

Cape Town has so much to offer including some absolutely stunning beaches. In fact, some of the beaches in Cape Town have been ranked among the best in the world!

With so many beaches to choose from, and with Cape Town being a very popular gay travel destination (check out our complete gay guide to Cape Town here), it’s no surprise that there are now a couple of unofficial ‘gay beaches’ in Cape Town!

We say unofficial, because unlike the gay beach in Miami, you won’t find huge pride flags lining the beach. There is nothing too obvious to let you know you have found one of the gay beaches. Here you need to know in advance where the gay beaches are in Cape Town else you would never spot them!

A lot of people ask why have a ‘gay beach’, what’s the point? But for us we view it the same as a gay bar. Because it is labelled as a ‘gay beach’ it’s a place where you can feel reassured and comfortable to be affectionate with your partner, wear those tiny speedos that you might feel self-conscious in elsewhere and just be a little more at ease.

There are two gay beaches in Cape Town, Clifton 3 and Sandy Bay. Here is everything you need to know including how to find these gay beaches!

Full Story at The Globetrotter Guys

Cape Town Gay Travel Resources

 

One Day in Helsinki – Once Upon a Journey

Helsinki - Once Upon a Journey

Surprisingly, Scandinavian capital Helsinki (Finland) is often overlooked. It seems like quite some people visit or pass through the city but then forgets about it. We have no clue why; on our city trip to Helsinki we had a great time! The Finnish capital city has many things to offer but within a day you can already catch the highlights. So it’s perfect to go to Helsinki for a day trip from Tallinn, during a long layover or on a cruise of the Baltic Sea. Enjoy the sauna, one of many museums, some delicious Finnish food and coffee: all during your one day in Helsinki! Of course, you can spend as many days as you want to explore the city, but we will share the best places to visit in Helsinki with you.

Visit Sea Fortress Suomenlinna

When we were telling people about our Helsinki-travel-plans everyone said: go to Suomenlinna island. Every local told us the same thing. But what’s so special about Suomenlinna? It’s the ultimate dream island of the Helsinki locals. When we think about a dream island something tropical comes to mind, but for the Finnish, it’s a different story. Suomenlinna is located only 15 minutes away from Helsinki. It’s surrounded by water and nature and the island isn’t reachable by bridge, only by ferry. So it’s located close to the big city but when you are on the island it doesn’t feel like that at all! 800 ‘lucky’ people live on the island.

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

Helsinki Gay Travel Resources