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Oregon’s Painted Hills – 2TravelDads

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We travel a lot and make a point of visiting truly unique places. And living next to Oregon, we get to explore new and fascinating spots all the time. The Painted Hills are considered one of the Seven Wonders of Oregon. And they totally are. Visiting the Painted Hills really is a treat and it’s perfect for nearly any sort of traveler. We’re going to share with you why we love the area and how you can visit the Painted Hills.

Have you been before? If not by the time you are done reading this article and seeing our photos you are going to want to plan a trip to the Painted Hills ASAP.

Where Are the Painted Hills?

Some might consider it Central Oregon and some might call it Eastern Oregon, but the Painted Hills is located somewhere between the two. One of the three major units of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument the Painted Hills is a combination rolling landscape and jagged canyons. The canyons are what lead to the hills themselves, but half of the splendor and fun of exploring the area is the diversity of the geology and sites.

Full Story at 2TravelDads

Eastern Oregon Gay Travel Resources

Gay Inverness: Bars, Hotels & Things to Do – The Nomadic Boys

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gay Inverness - The Nomadic Boys

“Stefan your crotch is completely showing under your kilt – be careful!”

Oh crap! Well, you try squatting down trying to position the tripod camera correctly, clad in a Scottish kilt worn “authentically”…!

The Scottish Highlands are the stereotypical image of Scotland you imagine, with rolling hills, mountains towering over large glittering lochs and lots of thick lush green woodland. This is the place where the Scottish kilt originated from, haggis is a local speciality and, of course, a famous monster is rumoured to reside down in the deep dark waters of Loch Ness.

We did a road trip to Inverness and the Scottish Highlands surrounding the city. It’s utter bliss. Whether it’s the (sexy!) heavy thick Scottish accent or the lush rolling hills of the Highlands, we guarantee you’ll love gay Inverness as much as we did.

Where exactly are the Scottish Highlands?

The main regions of Scotland are usually referred to as the Highlands and the lowlands. The exact boundaries between the two are not clearly defined, but generally, if you’re heading north of Edinburgh and Glasgow or west from Aberdeen, then you’re going to the Highlands. This is also a very scenic part of Scotland, with lots of tall mountains, deep glens, waterfalls and beautiful forests.

Inverness is the main big city in the Highlands, generally considered to be the capital of the region. It’s also a major transport hub with the main international airport for the area, receiving flights from within the UK as well as from other parts of Europe. There are bus and rail connections to other parts of Scotland too, so it’s a great spot to base yourself for further exploration.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Scottish Highlands Gay Travel Resources

Instagrammable Paris – Once Upon a Journey

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Paris, the city of love, or the city of light, the capital of France and the third most popular destination in the world. It’s no wonder it’s also amongst the most photographed cities in the world and yet, everyone’s obsessed with Paris photography. Everyone searches for the best view of the Eiffel Tower and couples often book a Paris photoshoot to immortalise the romance. Paris pictures are simply magical when done right!

“Paris is always a good idea.” – Audrey Hepburn

Audrey was right, Paris is always a good idea, however, taking Paris pictures can be difficult. The best Instagrammable Paris places to visit are usually insanely crowded, which is why we highly recommend going to the hot spots during sunrise. Yes, it takes courage to wake up early, but trust us: it’s so worth it. We’ve visited a couple of times already and have collected the best places in Paris to take pictures!

Full Story at Once Upon a Journey

Paris Gay Travel Resources

Barcelona Gay Saunas – The Nomadic Boys

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Being one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world, it’s no surprise that there is such a huge variety of gay bathhouses to choose from in Barcelona.

The fascination with hot, steaming rooms dates back to the bathhouses which could be found all around Europe in medieval times. Back then, people would go to saunas to bathe, socialise and unwind. At one stage, they even began to believe saunas held magical powers. With that idea put out into the universe, the Church quickly turned around and said a big hell-no to sauna use, which led to the closure of many bathhouses across Europe.

Over the past century, saunas have grown more popular than ever, particularly within the gay community…what could be sexier than a boiling room, filled with steam and naked guys just hanging out? They’ve become an important staple of the LGBTQ community, a safe haven where you can come for action and to explore your sexuality or simply just to chill.

The gay scene of Barcelona in “Gaixample” (pronounced “gay-shample”) is vast, brimming with many queer hangouts and of course, plenty of gay saunas. Why they are so popular here is mainly a result of the intense recession the country has faced over the past decade. This led to high unemployment rates, particularly among young guys, who as a result of this have had to live with their parents to save money, making it hard to bring back a date (or two!). Hence the rise in demand for gay saunas across the city.

In this guide, we’ve put together the 6 best gay saunas in Barcelona to check out where you can connect with locals, bears, otters, twinks or whatever and whoever takes your fancy!

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Barcelona Gay Travel Resources

Stunning Lakes in the Canadian Rockies – Keep Calm and Wander

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Stunning Lakes in the Canadian Rockies - Keep Calm and Wander

Last week, I visited three turquoise-colored lakes in the Canadian Rockies: Emerald Lake, Lake Louise, and Moraine Lake. The first time I laid my eyes on each of them, I was utterly stunned, swept away by their incredible beauty. These lakes and the mountains surrounding them made me realize how tiny I am as a human compared to their size, power, and magnificence.

To enjoy all of these lakes, I would recommend that you stay in the town of Banff. If you could splurge for a night, book a room at Fairmont Chateau, overlooking Lake Louise. I promise that your stay here would be as unforgettable as any birthday celebration you have somewhere luxurious.

About Banff

Banff is a resort town with beautiful mountain ranges. The skyline mainly includes the view of the mountain peaks of Mt. Rundle, Mt Cascade, and the Rocky Mountains (or The Rockies). There are hiking trails everywhere with the spectacular views of natural wonders, including glaciers that stand like Gothic cathedrals in the wild.

By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Alberta Gay Travel Resources

Gayest European Cities – The Nomadic Boys

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From the industrial warehouses in Berlin to the babbling of water stroking the canals of Amsterdam, European gay life spans across the entire spectrum. And we can’t get enough.

We’ve been around the European block quite a few times, and can safely say, it boasts some of the most progressive places in the world. Yet, each gay scene manages to be different from the others. Some are smaller, some are wilder and some have become so intertwined within city life, that the straight community is left feeling like they’re intruding into our special world!

For this list of the top 10 gayest European cities, we look at the gay scene, what gay life is like, what’s it like to live there for a member of the LGBTQ community and from our own first-hand experience travelling there as a gay couple. For more inspiration, be sure to check out our more comprehensive guide to the gayest cities in the world and our top gay destinations in Europe.

Lesbian Budapest – Once Upon a Journey

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Budapest is a magical city in eastern Europe. The Hungarian capital amazes us every time we visit it, it’s so beautiful! Budapest is easily one of our favourite cities in Europe. The architecture is stunning, the thermal baths are the best and the ruin bars are really unique and fun. It’s easy to stay in Budapest for a longer time, but in 2 days in Budapest, you are able to cover a lot of the city! We created an ultimate Budapest itinerary so you can fully enjoy this city. This guide includes our best lesbian Budapest travel tips.

What to Do in Budapest in 2 Days

Good to know before you travel to Budapest, Budapest consists of two parts: Buda and Pest. The two parts are separated by the river Danube. In 1873, the two cities Buda and Pest merged together into the city it is today: Budapest.

Buda is located on the West side of the city and Pest on the eastern side.

Buda and Pest are very different from each other. While Pest is the buzzing side with lots of nightlife opportunities, restaurants and bars etc, Buda is the more quiet and more residential area. Buda is also the more hilly area, therefore it offers stunning views of the city. But at night, you definitely want to be in Pest – that’s where the fun is!

Full Story at Once Upon a Journey

Hungary Gay Travel Resources

Amazon Gay Traveling – The Nomadic Boys

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Seby took one look at the dark green colour of the Amazon River, turned to Stefan and declared:

“I am NOT swimming in there Stefan. I will NOT become piranha fish food!”

Stefan got his way in the end and managed to persuade Seb to jump in, to the joy of the staff on board the Anakonda cruise who found our bickering (and Seb’s irrational fears) highly amusing.

Irrational fears? Contrary to popular belief, swimming in the Amazon River can be quite safe. Our guides knew the spots where tourists like us could swim safely and conquer their Piranha-phobia. Piranhas are not aggressive or territorial, but more like scavengers. They will not go anywhere near you.

Despite this, Sebastien lasted a whole 7 seconds in the Amazon River before he jumped straight back into our boat…

Piranha-phobias aside, there are many options for gay travellers to explore the Amazon jungle in South America, whether as part of a gay group tour, on a luxurious cruise along the Amazon river or staying in a jungle lodge. This is our guide summarising each of these based on our first-hand experience travelling in Ecuador and Peru as a gay couple.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Ecuador Gay Travel Resources

Peru Gay Travel Resources

Gay Medellin – The Nomadic Boys

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Medellin used to be considered the crime capital of Colombia, this is the city where drug lord Pablo Escobar reigned during the 70s and 80s. However, over the past 15 years, it has undergone a huge transition to become one of the safest and most advanced places in the entire country.

Medellin is a very gay-friendly city. The paisas (people of Medellin) are very welcoming and love to meet foreigners. Whilst its gay scene is not as big as Bogota’s, there are still loads of gay hangouts, largely based in Poblado. What impressed us the most was a public sign we spotted in our hotel, which sets out the various police fines you can get: one of them was for homophobic abuse, which carries a fine of 657,000 Colombian pesos ($224). The fact that this is so prominently displayed in a public area speaks volumes about safety here for LGBTQ travellers!

We spent 4 months in Medellin, using it as a home base during our big trip in Latin America, and we loved it. This is our gay guide to Medellin featuring all our favourite gay bars, clubs, gay-friendly hotels to stay at and things to do.

Is Medellin safe for gay travellers?

Medellin is Colombia’s second-largest city. It is very modern and extremely progressive. While Colombia is a majority Catholic country, and quite conservative in some ways, big cities like Medellin are becoming very accepting towards its LGBTQ community. Nowhere is this more evident than during Medellin’s gay Pride festival where the entire community takes part to celebrate and support gay rights in a truly Latin fiesta style!

We never felt unwelcome or experienced any hostility from the locals during our time in Medellin, although be aware that some areas of the city should be avoided, particularly at night time, whether you are gay or straight.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Colombia Gay Travel Resources

Gay Kerala: The Nomadic Boys

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Kerala, popularly known as God’s Own Country, has evolved a way of life that was distinct from the rest of the country – a way of life that expressed a fascinating interplay of nature and humanity across the most diverse terrains one could imagine.

Here, every human act is a way of connecting with everything in nature around them. Everything here feels so momentous, and you are intensely aware of how temporary life is. You learn how to appreciate the beautiful moment while they last, and fall in love with your surroundings.

Everywhere we went in this beautiful region of India, we were met with such compassion, and the locals showed such interest in our lives. With so much to discover, so much to do, this is our experience travelling in gay Kerala as a gay couple.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

India Gay Travel Resources