Bali’s Kecak Dance – Everything to Sea

Bali's Kecak Dance - Everything to Sea

Bali, often nicknamed “The Island of the Gods” or sometimes “The Island of a Thousand Temples”, is known as a mythical place rich with art and culture, fascinating its visitors.

Experience the Bali’s Kecak Dance

One thing the Balinese still maintain is Bali’s Kecak Dance. Part ritual, part art-performance, part dance, Kecak is carried out by about 100 bare-chested men wearing nothing but black-and-white sarongs. It is meant to illustrate the world’s diversity. For the Balinese, it’s important that each aspect of the world is in balance. The concept is that there are many differences in the cosmos, and they should strive to be in harmony. Kecak is often performed before sunset surrounded by breathtaking views, such as the oft-visited temple in Uluwatu.

“Chak … chak … chak”. This is the repetitive sound of chanting during the dance. All the male performers vocalize it in synchronicity. Some of them drop into trance. Watching it is engaging… mesmerizing… hypnotic… and exciting. There’s really nothing like a Kecak experience.

Full Story at Everything to Sea

Bali Gay Travel Resources

Gay Cambodia With Local Aaron – The Nomadic Boys

Gay Cambodia With Local Aaron - The Nomadic Boys

Cambodia is surprisingly queer friendly by Asia standards – and we loved it! We easily rate it as one of the most LGBTQ+ friendly countries in Asia.

Traveling in Cambodia as a gay couple was a joy for us. We never felt discriminated against anywhere we stayed, and also discovered a pretty big scene in the main cities, particularly in Phnom Penh and in Siem Reap.

Living in Gay Cambodia

Culturally, the LGBTQ community here has a lot of visibility in society, with a small gay pride taking place in Phnom Penh every year since 2003, the Cambodian film Who Am I? in 2009 was the first to depict a lesbian couple and became a huge hit. More recently, in 2015 gay Cambodia got its first LGBT magazine called Q Cambodia and in June 2017, the government announced it would introduce a new course in schools to teach students about LGBTI issues, sexuality, and gender – an amazing feat!

However, that’s from our perspective as foreign tourists. What’s the true reality like? In Phnom Penh, we connected with our local gay friend, Aaron, who spent his childhood living on the streets of Phnom Penh for 8 years until he managed to develop a better life for himself and his family. In this interview with Aaron, he tells us about life in Cambodia and what it’s really like.

Full Story at The Nomadic Boys

Colombia Gay Travel Resources

Gay Koh Adang, Thailand – The Nomadic Boys

Gay Koh Adang, Thailand - The Nomadic Boys

Whilst gay Koh Adang has nothing to do with Alex Garland’s famous novel-turned-film, it sure feels like it when you get here. Adang is totally unspoiled and untouched by mass tourism. Facilities are scarce, so very few people venture here, making it feel secluded and peaceful.

Koh Adang is one of the largest islands of the Adang Archipelago, which forms part of the Koh Tarutao National Marine Park. It sits just opposite the more developed and touristic Koh Lipe – connected by a short 10-minute tail boat ride.

Visiting Gay Koh Adang

Despite the proximity to the crowds on Lipe, Adang remains a quiet slice of paradise, which is what makes it so ideal. We love to head to Koh Lipe for the beach parties, crowds, and good restaurants, then hop over to Adang to get away from it all!

Full Story at The Nomadic Boys

Thailand Gay Travel Resources

Sunrise in Bagan, Myanmar – The Nomadic Boys

Sunrise in Bagan, Myanmar - The Nomadic Boys

The sight of the sun rising and setting in Bagan is a true beauty to behold.

Though for our trip to Bagan, we made it our mission to become morning people just so we could see this amazing sunrise. For those of you who might be thinking, “What’s so good about the Bagan sunrise? Isn’t it the same as anywhere else in the world?” You couldn’t be more wrong my friend! This is an ancient city that is oozing with history and cultural significance. It has over 2,000 temples built across its plains that date back as far as the 11th century!

Between the towering Buddhist temples and tiered pagodas, the sight of sunrise in Bagan a true beauty to behold. Watching the stony landscape become bathed in the muted sun oranges is utterly breathing.

Sunset and Sunrise in Bagan

Depending on which temple you are visiting, things can get a bit crowded. So, we’ve made a list of the 5 best spots to watch the sunset and sunrise, including advice on how to avoid the crowns and the best times to arrive.

Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Myanmar Gay Travel Resources

Gay Malaka, Malaysia – Keep Calm and Wander

Gay Malaka, Malaysia - Keep Calm and Wander

I did a self-guided Malaka Walking Tour as soon as I arrived in the UNESCO-World Cultural Heritage city. I had a whole day to spare, so I decided to do it on my own. The blistering sun didn’t really dissuade me from walking. Having a hat and bottled water were enough for me. But, if you can afford, experience being “chauffeured” around with one of the colorful rickshaws. It would be a fun thing to do in gay Malaka.

Where to start? Well, I began at the heart of the postcard-perfect old town. I know that’s where the crowd goes, but you can’t avoid tourists wherever you go. Besides, it’s always good to start a walking tour at the heart of history, right?

The order of these places are based on how I discovered them. You can exactly follow the route in order to save time. You’re welcome.

Gay Malaka – Stadthuys

In Dutch, this building means “City Hall” and it’s been standing there since 1650. There’s a museum inside if you are into that sort of thing. One of the first things you’ll notice is its red structure – and so are the rest of the other old buildings around. Thus, they also call it “Red Square.”

Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Gay Phnom Penh, Cambodia – The Nomadic Boys

Gay Phnom Penh, Cambodia - The Nomadic Boys

“Guys, how many days should I stay in Phnom Penh?” …is a question we get asked a lot by our readers. And the answer is, it really depends on how much time you have on your hands to explore Cambodia. We came here expecting to stay for a few days but ended up staying for a few weeks!

Phnom Penh is the capital city and main transport hub of Cambodia. It’s famous for the Killing Fields – a harrowing memorial dedicated to the victims of the Khmer Rouge regime. Most come to visit this then quickly move on to Siem Reap to visit Angkor Wat. For us, we extended our trip here because we quickly fell in love with the bustling Cambodian capital. It’s a very cool, modern, city, similar to Bangkok but on a much smaller scale.

At the end of the day, it depends on how long you’ve got for your Cambodia trip. We think you could easily spend a week (or two!) in gay Phnom Penh and never be bored. However, for those pushed for time, we think two days is more than enough to get a flavor of the city and learn about the country’s sad history.

When is the best time to visit Gay Phnom Penh?

We think Phnom Penh can be visited at any time of year. There is no “ideal” time to go or months to avoid.

In terms of weather, the dry season takes place between November to April. At this time of year, the sky is usually clear blue. However, this is also the peak tourist season, so hotels are at full price, and tourist attractions are heaving with package tourists.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Vietnam Gay Travel Resources

Melaka Walking Tour – Keep Calm and Wander

Malaka Walking Tour - Keep Calm and Wander

I did a self-guided Melaka Walking Tour as soon as I arrived in the UNESCO-World Cultural Heritage city. I had a whole day to spare, so I decided to do it on my own. The blistering sun didn’t really dissuade me from walking. Having a hat and bottled water were enough for me. But, if you can afford, experience being “chauffeured” around with one of the colorful rickshaws. It would be a fun thing to do in Melaka.

Take a Melaka Walking Tour

Where to start? Well, I began at the heart of the postcard-perfect old town. I know that’s where the crowd goes, but you can’t avoid tourists wherever you go. Besides, it’s always good to start a walking tour at the heart of history, right? 😉

The order of these places are based on how I discovered them. You can exactly follow the route in order to save time. You’re welcome.

Stadythus: In Dutch, this building means “City Hall” and it’s been standing there since 1650. There’s a museum inside if you are into that sort of thing. One of the first things you’ll notice is its red structure – and so are the rest of the other old buildings around. Thus, they also call it “Red Square.”

Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander

Gay Life in Nepal – The Nomadic Boys

Gay Life in Nepal - The Nomadic Boys

Our friend Tilak from Kathmandu tells us about gay life Nepal and how it was growing up here.

Gay Life in Nepal – The Shining Pink Beacon of South Asia.

When it comes to LGBTQ rights, Asia as a whole is notorious for being super conservative, especially across South Asia. Here, most countries have anti-LGBTQ+ laws in place (like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives), and one of them even has state execution on the cards – Afghanistan! Only India, Bhutan, and Nepal have thrown out and repealed their anti-gay laws. However, Nepal is the only one to have gone further and introduced a comprehensive set of anti-discrimination laws to protect its LGBTQ community.

This is why we rate Nepal as one of the most gay friendly countries in Asia. But as we said, this is one very conservative region of the world with much work to be done. Nepali society remains very conservative – many men end up leading double lives, marrying a woman to please the family, keeping their true nature hidden deep in the closet.

The Nepali gay community is evolving and growing more confident every year thanks in part to the amazing work of LGBTQ organisations like the Blue Diamond Society. In Kathmandu, we met local boy Tilak, who showed us the small gay scene in Thamel and told us more about gay life in Nepal. Whilst the country is very progressive on paper, and to foreigners, for the local LGBTQ community, Nepal is still very conservative, and for this reason, Tilak asked that we keep his identity anonymous.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Nepal Gay Travel Resources

Gay Kathmandu, Nepal – The Nomadic Boys

Gay Kathmandu, Nepal - The Nomadic Boys

Here’s our travel guide to gay Kathmandu, with all the best gay friendly hotels, bars, restaurants and things to do.

Chaotic, messy, loud, colorful, captivating, and completely disorganized!

That was our first impression of Kathmandu as we drove into the city from the airport to our hotel in Thamel. The traffic was all over the place, with people, motorbikes, two-wheelers, taxis, and buses all negotiating tight narrow roads… yet somehow it all works seamlessly!

We completely fell in love with this city. Yes, it’s messy and slightly disorderly, but there’s something magical about it that just gets in your skin and makes you quickly fall in love with it.

Visiting Gay Kathmandu

Kathmandu was our base to start our Himalayan trekking adventures around Nepal. In fact, most gay travelers heading to the city are here for the same reason. The tourism industry here is all geared towards treks to Annapurna, Everest Base Camp, Langtang, Poon Hill, etc. The center of the city is a labyrinth of businesses geared towards trekkers including agencies, trekking clothes shops, hostels, bars, restaurants, and more.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Kathmandu Gay Travel Resources

Travel Guide to Gay Mongolia – The Nomadic Boys

Gay Mongolia

When asked which is our favorite place in the world we’ve been to, Mongolia is one place we both agree is truly remarkable!

We visited gay Mongolia after our Trans Siberian railway adventure and ended up staying for a month. We didn’t expect to, but the landscapes in the Gobi Desert and the nomadic life along the Mongolian steppe just blew our minds. We loved it! Yes, it’s roughing it slightly as luxuries are scarce out here, but this is one cultural adventure you won’t forget in a hurry.

When it comes to gay travel, it’s fair to say that Mongolia is not the #1 place that comes to mind! This is a far cry from the Circuit parties of Barcelona or the wild scene of Fort Lauderdale. This country is more of a place to come to be awed by nature; a photographer’s paradise!

However, we still think it’s a place other gay travelers should experience. In this gay guide to Mongolia, we’ve sumarised our travels through the lands of Genghis Khan, which we hope inspires you to also pay this magnificent country a visit.

Rights in Gay Mongolia

LGBTQ+ rights in the country are, well, more advanced than you’d expect. When compared to the rest of the continent, Mongolia is one of the more advanced queer friendly nations in Asia. The government repealed its anti-gay law back in 1993, introduced the right to change legal gender in 2009, and also passed hate crime laws to protect its LGBTQ community in 2017.

Full Story at The Nomadic Boys

Mongolia Gay Travel Resources