Nomadic Boys

The Nomadic Boys Hulk Out at Universal Orlando

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Universal Orlando - Stefan and Sebastien

Whether you’re a Harry Potter fan, Simpsons geek, or you love good old fashioned wild rollercoaster rides, Universal Studios in Orlando will completely rock your world.

This was one of our highlights from our trip in Florida, especially the life size recreation of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and all those Marvel fantasies brought to life. Universal is simply overwhelming, exciting and completely magical!

This is our 5 favourite rides at Universal Studios in Orlando, which we loved so much, we went on each of them at least 2/3 times.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

Harry Potter fans will be blown away the moment they step into Diagon Alley at Universal Studios for their first time. The immense detail that has gone into recreating everything is simply astonishing, from the Butterbear stands, the dragon atop Gringotts Wizarding Bank and the many different wizarding shops where you can buy souvenirs, wands and more.

On the other side of the Wizarding World, which is located at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, you can visit Hogwarts school and take the Forbidden Journey. This is a motion-based dark ride through Hogwarts and its impressive grounds with Harry and Ron leading the way. It’s so lifelike that you really feel like you’re flying on a broomstick through a Quidditch match. A must for all Harry Potter fans.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Orlando Gay Travel Resources

Gay Patagonia: Top Ten Highlights – Nomadic Boys

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Gay Patagonia

Planning a trip to gay Patagonia is overwhelming. It’s a massive chunk of land: some 1.043 million km² to be exact. This sparsely populated region lies across Argentina and Chile at the southern end of South America, with a mix of Andes mountain landscapes, desert, grasslands and ocean. We spent a month travelling across Chubut, Santa Cruz in Argentina and Torres del Paine in Chile. To help inspire your trip, we’ve put together our 10 favourite experiences and things to do in Patagonia.

Stay in a yurt in Torres del Paine

Since our travels in the Gobi desert in Mongolia where we got to stay with nomadic families in their yurts, we really wanted to do this again, but in a luxurious way. Staying in a yurt at the Chile Patagonia Camp is a unique and memorable way to experience the Torres del Paine National Park. Located near the entrance of the Torres del Paine National Park by the shores of Lake Toro, the camp is surrounded by spectacular landscapes. The yurts are absolutely lush. They have a private bathroom, comfy king sized beds and even central heating. You can read more about our yurt glamping experience in our 5 gay friendly hotels to stay in Chile.

Have a conversation with a penguin

Punta Tombo on the coast of the Chubut province in Argentina is home to the largest colony of Magellanic penguins in Latin America. They are around half a meter tall and absolutely adorable! Around 1 million Magellanic penguins gather in Punta Tombo between mid September and mid April where they come to nest, mate, breed and molt (shed their feathers). Interestingly, between April-September they migrate to the warmer climates in South Brazil, where they stay in the water the entire time, even when sleeping. When you meet them, they study you in a way where they turn their head from side to side. This is because their eyes are located on the sides of their face so they need to do this to maximise their field of vision.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Chile Gay Travel Resources

Argentina Gay Travel Resources

Gay Bogota – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Bogota

Ever been to a club with 8,000 other gay boys with 13 rooms spread across 5 floors?

Neither had we, until we went to Theatron club in Colombia’s capital city, gay Bogota. The gay scene here is all about this infamous mega club, which is the largest in Latin America. It’s like no other place we’ve ever been to and certainly the largest gay club we’ve visited.

Gay Bogota - StefanThere is of course more to the big city than Theatron club, with many different gay places to hang out. We’ve put together our detailed guide to the best gay bars and clubs in Bogota, the best gay friendly places to stay and our favourite sightseeing things to do.

Gay Bogota Bars

Gay Bogota has a really large gay scene, with many many gay bars. The majority are based around Carrera 9 street between Calles 58 to 60 in the Chapinero neighbourhood. There are far too many to list them all here, so we’ve highlighted the ones we visited and loved:

El Recreo de Adan: one of the coolest gay bars we’ve been to with a seating area where you can play classic boardgames like Connect Four and Uno with your friends. We love the atmosphere here, made sweeter by the super cute charming waiters. As a bonus, there’s not one, but two El Recreo de Adans, one in Chapinero on Carrera 9A #59-85 (open everyday from 5pm), the other in the Zona Rosa neighbourhood on Carrera 12A #79-45 (open Tues-Sun from 5pm).

Estacion: this is a more intimate gay bar in Bogota and ideal to come for a few cocktails before heading to the almighty Theatron! Estacion has a cover charge of 6,000 pesos ($2) and is open everyday till 3am, located at Calle 62 #7-13.

Brokeback Mountain: one of the popular karaoke gay bars of Bogota and a fun place to hang out with friends. Brokeback Mountain is open everyday till late and is located at Calle 60 on the second floor of #9-28.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Colombia Gay Travel Resources

Five Romantic Things to Do in Gay Bogota – Nomadic Boys

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Gay Bogota

Bogota is Colombia’s diverse high altitude capital city, with over 8 million people living at around 2,640m (8,660ft) above sea level. We visited the big city as part of our big trip in Colombia, mainly to party at Theatron – the largest gay club in Latin America. We also discovered a whole array of different activities for couples ranging from adventure sports, romantic restaurants, boat rides and more. This is our 5 favourite romantic things to do in Bogota, following our trip here.

Trekking, Rafting and Rappelling Together

Bogota is nestled within the Colombian Andes, surrounded by canyons, waterfalls and pretty stunning vistas, making it ideal for couples who love adventure. We did a full day trekking, rappelling and rafting tour with GoBe, which we highly recommend. This included trekking through the Tiger Creek mountain range, rappelling down the Barandillas waterfall and rafting on the Rio Negro.

Rappelling was our most memorable experience from our trip to Bogota. As first timers, it was initially quite daunting, especially when you look down at the drop beneath you. But as the adrenaline kicks in, your confidence quickly grows and you push on ahead, just like Spiderman. It’s absolutely awesome! The tour we did with GoBe included all transportation from our hotel in Bogota as well as all equipment, lunch and an English speaking guide.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Colombia Gay Travel Resources

Gay Patagonia Hotels – Nomadic Boys

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Gay Patagonia Hotels

Gay Patagonia is the place to come if you love adventure and are passionate about wildlife.

We spent 1 month travelling across Patagonia on both the Argentinian and Chilean side in Esquel, Puerto Madryn, El Calafate, El Chalten and Torres del Paine. Along the way, we stayed in some pretty unique places, which most importantly of all, welcomed us as a gay couple.

This is our top 8 favourite gay Patagonia hotels, which we tried, loved and recommend to all LGBT travellers.

#1 Dazzler Hotel in Puerto Madryn (Argentina)

We are one of the many who’ve been dazzled by the Dazzler. It’s a classy and modern hotel located by Las Ramblas, the fun sea front promenade of Puerto Madryn, which is always buzzing with life. When you see the eye candy waiting for you at reception, you appreciate just how gay friendly this place is!

It’s worth spending a couple dollars extra to get the ocean facing rooms so you can enjoy some killer sunrise views. Dazzler is also minutes walking distance from some of the best restaurants in Puerto Madryn, such as Nautico Bistro de Mar and En Mis Fuegos. For more information, check out our gay guide to Puerto Madryn.

Rooms at the Dazzler Hotel start from $65/£52 a night. You can check availability and read more about it on Tripadvisor.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Gay Patagonia – Chile Gay Travel Resources

Gay Patagonia – Argentina Gay Travel Resources

A Pirate Inspired Birthday in the Rosario islands – Nomadic Boys

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Rosario islands boat trip - Nomadic Boys

Our greedy Frenchman turned 35 last May. An important milestone in one’s life. Now’s the time to stop pretending you’re still 25 and accept the natural ageing process of life: you’re a thirtysomething!

Stefan wanted to organise a fun and unique celebration in Cartagena for his French beau, which would make this milestone truly memorable.

Cartagena is Colombia’s most visited city, famous for its UNESCO listed old town. Back in the 1500s, it was a major trading port and the main gateway into South America for the Spanish, who used it as the base to ship their gold back home. As such, it became a tempting target for pirates in the Caribbean. Sir Francis Drake was one particular British pirate who led a huge siege in 1586 against the Spaniards. The Spanish responded by building the fort to guard the town which you can still see today.

A few miles from the coast are a group of beautiful islands – the Rosario islands – where just a few centuries ago, you could imagine Captain Jack Sparrow-type pirates fighting those dashing handsome Spaniards right on these shores. There’s even an island called Pirate Island.

Today, the Rosario islands are popular for beach partying and for relaxing in one of the many secluded white sandy beaches. The islands are located within 1-2 hours from Cartagena and can be visited on a day trip by boat. As we absolutely love cruising the seas and relaxing on secluded white sandy beaches as much as we love fantasising about Pirates of the Caribbean, this made for the perfect present for our birthday boy.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Colombia Gay Travel Resources

Gay Puerto Vallarta Pride – Nomadic Boys

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Nomadic Boys - Gay Puerto Vallarta

Mama Tits was one of the drag queens we met at Puerto Vallarta pride in May 2017, who you may recognise from her extremely bold and highly entertaining put down of the anti-gay protesters at Seattle Pride 2014.

She was also was one of the many inspiring and thought-provoking celebrities who attended this year’s gay pride in Puerto Vallarta, an event which as well as being a whole lot of fun, also reminded us of the importance of pride.

To put Mama Tits into perspective, watch her video at Seattle Pride 2014…you just don’t piss off a 6’3 drag queen!

Puerto Vallarta: the gayest place in Latin America!

Puerto Vallarta is a beach resort city in Mexico’s Jalisco state, situated on the Pacific Ocean. It has a large LGBT community, with the majority of the city’s gay bars, nightclubs and hotels based in the charming cobblestone streets of the Zona Romántica neighbourhood.

And bloody hell, it’s super gay! In fact, it’s so gay that many rate it as one of the most popular destinations for LGBTQ travellers. For example, in a 2016 survey jointly commissioned by the New York Times and Scruff, Puerto Vallarta was rated as the #1 off-the-beaten-path LGBT Travel Destinations and Expedia recently reported PV as one of the 15 exciting LGBTQ-friendly cities around the world.

For us, it definitely ranks as one of the gayest places we’ve ever been to, kind of like the Gran Canaria of the Americas: just as gay Europeans flock to Gran Canaria in Spain, Puerto Vallarta is popular with gay travellers from the USA and Canada.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Puerto Vallarta Gay Travel Resources

Gay Santiago: The Best Bars, Clubs and Hotels – Nomadic Boys

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Gay Santiago

Chile is well known as being one of the most economically developed countries in Latin America, but its society is still very conservative.

However, gay Santiago, the capital city has a huge gay scene, mainly around the Bellavista neighbourhood, with many gay bars, clubs and parties happening almost every day of the week.

After spending several months in Santiago and using it as a home base, it became one of our favourite places in South America. From our experience in Chile’s big capital city, we’ve put together this gay guide to Santiago, featuring our favourite gay bars, clubs, hotels and things to do in the city.

Gay Santiago Bars

Bombero Nuñez is the street in the Bellavista neighbourhood where you’ll find the majority of the gay bars and clubs of Santiago. Although most gay bars don’t get busy until after 10/11pm, there are a few gay restobars you can visit if you want to go somewhere beforehand.

Station Bar: Station restobar is one of the largest gay hangouts in Santiago, which gets busy after 6pm. We love coming here for early evening cocktails. Due to the licensing laws, you’re required to order food with your drinks, so it maybe worth having your dinner here as well. Station is open everyday except Sundays and is located at Antonia Lopez de Bello 064 in Bella Vista.

Bar 105: popular gay bar in Santiago and despite being quite small, always attracts a large crowd. For us Bar 105 was our favourite gay bar to warm up the evening with a few pisco sours before heading out to the nearby clubs. Bar 105 is open from Thursday to Sunday from 10pm till late and is located at Bombero Nuñez 105.

Burdel: this place gets busy because of its 2 for 1 drinks promotions and occasional drag shows. Burdel is open from Monday to Saturday from 10pm till late and is located at Ernesto pinto Lagarrigue 282.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Chile Gay Travel Resources

5 Romantic Things To Do in Gay Cartagena – Nomadic Boys

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Gay Cartagena

Cartagena will always be a special place for us. It’s the place where we got engaged: the moment when Stefan (finally!) asked Sebastien to marry him.

If you’re looking for romantic experiences, there’s no better place for it than this fairy-tale-like Colombian coastal city. It has the sunsets, beaches, beautiful UNESCO ancient old town and more. Here’s our favourite 5 romantic things to do in Gay Cartagena.

#1 Horse & carriage ride in the old town

The historical centre of Cartagena is full of Instagrammable images everywhere you look. The main draw is the inner walled town, which is lined with cobblestone streets, plazas, palaces and some pretty cool street art.

We loved walking around these quaint little streets, but when we saw the horse & carriages making their way around the Old Town, we knew we had to do try it as well. The old town dates back to the 1500s, so exploring it on horse & carriage adds to its ancient colonial atmosphere.

We booked our horse & carriage tour with GoBe, which concluded with a romantic meal at La Vitrola restaurant in the Old Town. We highly recommend this experience to all couples looking for something special to do together in gay Cartagena.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Colombia Gay Travel Resources

Gay Cartagena – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Cartagena - Nomadic Boys

Lonely Planet calls Cartagena the undisputed queen of the Caribbean coast…well that was before these two greedy queens sashayed their way into Colombia’s most touristic city.

Cartagena’s old town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, a maze of pretty cobblestone alleys and colourful colonial style buildings. There’s also a small gay scene worth checking out and even a large gay event called Rumours every July. We put all our discoveries into this gay guide to Cartagena, featuring the best gay hangouts, places to stay and things to do.

#1 Gay bars and clubs in Cartagena

The gay scene of Cartagena changes quite frequently, but these are the two main gay bars and clubs in Cartagena, both based in the Old Town:

  • Le Petit: fun small gay bar in Cartagena with very sexy waiters. It’s a restaurant during the day and then transforms into a gay venue in the evening, blasting out classics by Shakira, Maluma and more. If you’re brave enough, you have to try their gigantic pitchers of beer mixed with rum. Le Petit is open everyday from 11pm and is located at Calle del Candilejo 32-34 in the Centro neighbourhood of Old Town.
  • Club D8: D8 is the main gay club in Cartagena. It’s split over 2 floors and attracts a mix of locals and foreigners. We love the Latino pop music they play here and it’s always a guaranteed fun night out. Club D8 is open Thursday to Sunday from 9pm till late, but it doesn’t get busy until after midnight. It is located in the Getsemani neighbourhood of the Old Town at Calle 24/Calle del Arsenal #8b-155.
  • Rumours Festival: if you’re visiting in July, make sure you coincide your visit with Cartagena’s gay pride festival called Rumours. This is a week long event with pool parties, boat parties, white parties and more. There’s usually a Facebook event created for each year’s event where you can find out more information.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Colombia Gay Travel Resources