Destinations

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

Lesbian Salem, Massachusetts – Go Girlfriend

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What is it about Salem that captures our imagination? Is it the witch trials and the execution of 20 innocent people, is it the magical mysticism of witchcraft that seems to permeate the area, or is it that it’s a nearly 400 year old historic seaside town in early American colonial history that was one of the most influential seaports on the eastern seaboard?

No matter which of these are your draw to Salem, it’s a wonderful community that weaves these stories together with it’s central historic district, it’s waterfront restaurants and marketplace, and it’s historic markers linking back to the witch trials and it’s centuries old roots.

And no matter your purpose of visiting Salem – the 1692 Witchcraft Trials, modern witchcraft, Salem as a colonial commercial seaport, its ghost tours, or as a Halloween enthusiast – we recommend taking a tour to hear the stories to help bring the history of this seaside community alive. We had a fantastic 2-hour Salem History Walking Tour with Kenneth that we highly recommend, but Salem.org offers all manner of tours to help you better understand Salem.

Full Story at Go Girlfriend

Massachusetts 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

Queer Ashland and Southern Oregon

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Central Point Sunset

In September, we drove up to Southern Oregon to visit some dear friends who live in Central Point – a little town just north of Medford. We spent a few days up there, and visited their town, a little bit of Medford, and the towns of Jacksonville and Ashland.

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