Nomadic Boys

Bangkok Gay Tours – The Nomadic Boys

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Bangkok Gay Tours - The Nomadic Boys

Aaah, Bangkok… this crazy, chaotic city can certainly overwhelm you with all the traffic and people but we keep on coming back for more! There’s just something so intoxicating about this messy, gritty yet absolutely incredible city…

Thailand is one of the most gay friendly countries in Asia, so it’s not surprising that its capital, Bangkok, has a fabulous gay scene. We’ve spent quite a bit of time exploring the gay bars and clubs in Bangkok, but sometimes you really just want someone in the know to show you around.

Luckily we’ve found these fabulous gay tours with local LGBTQ guides in case you’re feeling a bit nervous about venturing into the maze of streets and venues by yourself. They each offer something different, so whether you’re looking to party with drag queens or relax in the best gay saunas, you’ll find something to love.

Bangkok Gay Tours – Nightlife

This gay nightlife tour takes you on a whirlwind journey through Bangkok’s best gay bars and clubs. You’ll feel like you’ve followed the white rabbit down into the Wonderland that is Bangkok’s gay scene, so it’s appropriate that the first stop of the evening is at the White Rabbit Bar!

This cafe/lounge bar is a lovely spot for dining during the day, but let’s be honest, you’re joining this gay tour for something a bit more exciting than food, right? Luckily the tour includes a shot at each of the venues and of course you’ll be able to purchase more drinks for yourself if you feel like it. We suggest the “rabbit passion” cocktail to keep you going all night long (wink, wink)!

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Bangkok Gay Travel Resources

Bangkok’s Stranger Bar – The Nomadic Boys

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Bangkok's Stranger Bar - The Nomadic Boys

What used to be an unassuming gay bar in Bangkok’s Silom Soi 4 gay scene is now one of the hottest gay hangouts in the city. Every evening from around 9pm Stranger Bar has a hilarious drag show featuring some of the most talented, quirky and hottest queens from all around Asia.

We first came here back in 2012/3 and barely noticed it – the gay scene of Silom Soi 4 dominated by giants Telephone and Balcony bars next door. When we returned a few years later it had started making an impact and had become one of the fixed staples on the scene. Then when we were last here in early 2020, it had become THE hottest drag venue in the entire city, busy every evening!

We caught up with the super charismatic owner of Stranger Bar, Chakgai. In this interview, Chakgai tells us what it’s like owning a bar in Bangkok, what gay life is like in Thailand and what it is about Stranger Bar that has made it become so successful over the years.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Bangkok Gay Travel Resources

Gay Koh Lip – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Koh Lip - The Nomadic Boys

Koh Lipe is the best island in Thailand!

There, we officially declared it. The secret’s out…

We’ve been visiting Thailand for over a decade, trying out many islands along the way, but each time we keep circling back to Koh Lipe.

Why?

Koh Lipe still has those crystal clear tropical waters you associate with Thailand – surrounded by healthy coral. So you can literally wake up, go to the beach, put your head in the water and see Nemo swimming about around you! It was like this when we first visited many years ago and has remained this way on our recent visit.

We used to think the same about Phuket, Koh Tao and Koh Phi Phi, but over time they quickly became built up, super touristy and overcrowded. Not gay Koh Lipe! We put this down to the fact that it’s quite remote and rather complicated to reach: first, you need to fly to Hat Yai airport in South Thailand, then drive over to Pak Bara port (around 2 hours) to then take a 2-hour speedboat to Koh Lipe…Let’s just say this is enough to put off the large crowds of packaged tourists.

Don’t get us wrong. Koh Lipe is developed enough to have plenty of restaurants, hotels, bars and shops, but it’s a controlled growth, helped by the fact that it is part of the group of Tarutao National Marine Park islands. We’ve put together our love for Lipe in this detailed gay guide to include the best gay friendly resorts, bars, practical tips and more.

How Friendly is Gay Koh Lipe?

Koh Lipe is very gay friendly! We met many more other gay travellers here than we did on most of the other Thai islands, plus the Thai locals are super friendly and accepting. Even if they don’t approve, unlike other places in the world, they would never outwardly express this in front of you.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Thailand Gay Travel Resources

Miami Beach Pride’s Biggest Events – The Nomadic Boys

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BLOG - Miami Beach Pride's Biggest Events - The Nomadic Boys

“Miami Beach Pride is one of the biggest and best gay events in South Florida which you will not want to miss!”

While Miami Beach Pride may not be one of the biggest pride events in the world, it’s certainly one of the most exciting and unique…how many Pride events do you know that take place along a beach?

My partner Teraj is a Miami native so, naturally, we have visited this vibrant city many times over the past few years. In particular, we love going to Miami Beach Pride and always attend in full glitter and rainbow paraphernalia! In this guest post, I’ve set out why we love it so much, from all the many special events, social mixers and must-attend parties.

Here’s my rundown of the most anticipated parties during Miami Beach Gay Pride.

Official Miami Beach Pride Pool Party

Nothing says “Miami” quite like a pool, a few cocktails and of course, lots of hot guys! Miami Beach Pride gets this spot on with the official Pride Pool Party. What I love about it the most is that they always feature amazing international DJs every year, like DJ Ralphi Rosario, Dan Slater and Dani Brasil. This is where you want to see and be seen (especially if you enjoy watching hotties in skimpy bathing suits)!

General admission is usually only around $40. For a bit more, you can also get a VIP access, which includes an open bar with a private terrace. 

You will naturally find us in the VIP area getting our dose of Vitamin D and soaking up all those yummy cocktails!

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Miami Beach Gay Travel Resources

Pocket WiFi in Taiwan – The Nomadic Boys

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Pocket WiFi in Taiwan - The Nomadic Boys

We love Instagramming during our trips, especially Stefan, especially in Taiwan…look, I’ll be honest, it does start to grate on me when trying to enjoy a romantic cocktail together with a beautiful sunset backdrop, yet he’s on his phone posting about it on social media…

…but you gotta do what you gotta do to keep your man happy right?

So, when arriving in a new place, the first thing we HAVE to do (to prevent the infamous Stefan tantrums breaking out)is to make sure he has a way of staying online at all times. We normally buy a new local SIM card, but recently, whilst travelling through Taiwan, we’ve found that investing in pocket WiFi devices is much better.

For starters, it means your phone can still be locked to your home contract, whereas SIM cards require you to have an unlocked phone. It can also work out cheaper as data is unlimited (compared to SIM card data packages), and it means you can connect all your devices to it, so if you’re travelling as a group, everyone can stay connected.

We used a pocket WiFi device during our trip to Taiwan and it was a godsend! Prior to ordering it, we researched all the many different pocket WiFi options, which we summarise in this article so it can help you figure out which one is best for you.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Gay Romania – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Romania - The Nomadic Boys

Romania, the homeland for the goths at heart.

After all, the central region of Transylvania is the inspiration for the legendary novel “Dracula”. Hands up, who didn’t have a vampire phase? What gay teenager didn’t pine after Robert Pattinson in “Twilight”? But despite its cryptic and haunting backdrop, Romania as a whole is delightfully pleasant. 

With cities that reflect the medieval villages we see in the history books, locals that are passionate about life, streets that are bursting with character and natural scenery, Romania took our breath away and completely surprised us! Not to mention all the many charming old churches, the range of delicious food and the friendly locals. For us, Romania embodies all that is magical about Eastern Europe. 

From the outset, we knew Romania wasn’t the most gay-friendly country that we’ve been to. Yet despite this, we found several queer hangouts in the main big cities, especially in Bucharest. Plus, when we did find these spaces, we found them to be just as erratic, wild and party-centric as they would be in London, Barcelona or New York. If not more so!

We’ve put together this LGBTQ country guide for Romania based on our personal experience to help inspire gay travellers wanting to see just what Romania has to offer.

How welcoming is Gay Romania?

Romania generally is not the most gay friendly country in Europe. Homophobia is rife and we certainly felt it as a gay couple travelling around the country. The most obvious example was when we contacted several hotels prior to visiting, asking them whether they’re ok to host a gay couple.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Gaixmple Gay Hostels in Barcelona – The Nomadic Boys

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Gaixmple Gay Hostels in Barcelona - The Nomadic Boys

For a lively city like Barcelona, it can be easy to get tangled up with all the different options for hostels to stay. Should you go cheap and single? Splurge and treat yourself? Go central? Find a remote hideout on the fringes? Do you want to be close to clubs? Or maybe by one of the fabulous gay beaches…

We’re no strangers to the city. After all, it is one of the friendliest gay cities in the world, so we feel we know it as well as we know our hometowns. Whenever we visit we like to base ourselves near the Gaixample area – a fabulous neighbourhood in the Eixample district. There are so many gay clubs, shops, LGBTQ-themed and owned businesses to explore that you feel super comfortable engaging in PDA. It even rivals the likes of Greenwich Village in New York City, Soho in London, and well, all of Amsterdam!

The busiest months tend to be the summer. Not only do you have the sun, beach parties and bars staying open later in the evenings, but you also have a little thing called… Pride! Plus, Barcelona doesn’t just have regular Pride, but a beach Pride party in Sitges as well. These factors mean that bookings can be filled months in advance. So we strongly recommend booking your hostels ahead of time to avoid any disappointment!

Gaixmple Gay Hostels

In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the best Gaixmple gay hostels in Barcelona for all travel group sizes. Each one has a unique style and offers a completely different experience. So if you’re travelling to Barcelona on a budget, or you simply enjoy the camaraderie a hostel provides, then keep on reading! And if you prefer the comforts of a hotel, make sure you also check out our guide to the best gay hotels in Barcelona.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

LOCATION Gay Travel Resources

Gay Nice – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Nice - The Nomadic Boys

With sunshine all year round, you can’t go wrong with choosing a trip to Nice. This is one of France’s top french cities. Its seaside location is a massive pull for tourists, and its sprawling, albeit surprisingly modern city, is truly breathtaking!

We always feel drawn towards Nice. Sure, Paris is nice, but there’s something particularly magical about Nice. Perhaps it’s the beach location? Or the clash of Mediterranean and Italian influences that intertwine with its culture? Or the winding streets that lead you by old buildings, bespoke restaurants and fascinating landmarks. Maybe also ’cause it’s so surprisingly gay? Whatever it is, we just can’t get enough! As far back as the 1700s, rich folk from all over Europe came here for their holiday. It was their relaxing getaway…and now, we’re also claiming it for us!!

The food, in particular, is noteworthy. We know the French love their food, but Nice is on a whole other level. They have the whole southern hospitality thing down. Seb and I could literally sense that the chefs in each restaurant pored over every aching detail of the dishes they prepared for us. The hard work really shows!

This is our gay travel guide to Nice including the best gay bars, clubs, events, hotels and more.

Pro tip: news for 2020 travel to Nice…

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Nice Gay Travel Resources

Gay Singapore – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Singapore - The Nomadic Boys

We found Singapore to be an oddity when it comes to LGBTQ rights. On the one hand, there is a large thriving LGBTQ community here, with lots of gay bars, clubs and events taking place throughout the year. On the other hand, homosexuality is illegal (for men only!), punishable with up to 2 years imprisonment!

In reality, the anti-gay law of Singapore is rarely enforced and strong efforts have been (and continue to be) made to get rid of it. We found Singapore to be super gay. Put it this way, when we were hanging out in Kuala Lumpur’s gay scene, the drag queens we met told us that Singapore is one of the places in Asia they aspire to perform in, citing it as one of the continent’s gay meccas…kinda like Dubai is for the Arab world.

We put this down to the country being so affluent, with many big companies having their Asian headquarters here, like Google, Bloomberg, Barclays, and many more. In addition, the Singaporeans are very well educated and affluent (have you SEEN some of the prices in this country?). They’re also a very internationally minded bunch, with English as the official language: it’s estimated that every 2 out of 5 people in Singapore are foreigners.

In this guide to gay Singapore, we explore the LBGTQ rights in more detail, write about our experience travelling here as a gay couple and also set out some of the best gay hotels, bars, clubs, events, and more.

Gay rights in Singapore

Homosexuality is legal for women, illegal for men in Singapore. This is because section 377A of the Penal Code punishes male homosexuality with up to 2 years imprisonment but is silent about female homosexuality.

Attempts have been made to repeal Section 377A, but the government has insisted on keeping it. In June 2019, at the Smart Nation Summit, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong reiterated that Singapore would keep Section 377A “for some time”, arguing that:

“Whatever your sexual orientation is, you’re welcome to come and work in Singapore…You know our rules in Singapore. It is the way this society is: we are not like San Francisco, neither are we like some countries in the Middle East. We are something in between, it is the way the society is”!

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Favorite Gay Travel Apps – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Travel Apps - The Nomadic Boys

Which are your favourite apps for travelling boys?

We get asked this a lot.

Since we began travelling in our more (ahem!) junior years, smartphones didn’t even exist…Cue our elder Millenniallecture about the good old days…

Back then, the Internet was limited to email, ICQ and Windows Live Messenger. When it came to travelling, we simply had a Lonely Planet guide, a compass (for the geeks amongst us), an alarm clock on our wristwatch, a walkman with a few spare cassette tapes, those old-style cameras and a few spare negatives… (and naturally, plenty of spare condoms/lube, let’s not leave out the essentials!)

In this day and age, our iPhones have pretty much become our main go-to-item for almost everything, with apps to cover all the things above, and more. Whilst we appreciate this has made us lazier (that conversion of Indian rupees to dollars, forget doing it in your head, just whip out the smartphone and voila!), it’s also made us more efficient with both time and how we spend our money.

Gay Travel Apps

After many years of travelling all around the world, we’ve put together our top favourite gay travel apps we love using and have become so dependant on. A few points to bear in mind:

  • we’ve included the non-gay-specific apps that have become such an important part of our travels that without them, this list feels incomplete!
  • we’ve left out obvious ones like the Calculator, Camera, Contacts, Torch, Alarm clock apps.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys