Mykonos is the number one gay hot spot in Greece. You could feasibly say that every beach in Mykonos is a gay beach in one way or another!
There are many beaches all around the island however the following beaches are the main gay beaches in Mykonos that we suggest you visit.
We have ordered these Mykonos gay beaches in descending order of ‘gayness’. Enjoy!
Elia Gay Beach, Mykonos
Elia is the most popular gay beach in Mykonos. We had the chance to go during Xlsior festival so it was extra busy and extra gay! (Read more about Xlsior festival here).
Its fairly obvious that this is the main gay beach as you are immediately presented with the pride flag upon entering the beach.
Medellin is Colombia’s second city. What used to be the capital of a billion-dollar cocaine industry has now transformed into an exciting, super modern and buzzing gay friendly metropolis.
The Paisas (the nickname of people from Medellin) often compete with the Rolos (the nickname given to the people from Bogota) as to who is better. A common joke is that Medellin has the best weather (the “City of Eternal Spring”) and unlike Bogota, has managed to build a successful public transport system – honestly, mention that to them and it will spark a whoooole long conversation about it!
In terms of the gay scene, however, Bogota wins for us hands down simply because of the incredible super club, Theatron! The gay scene of Medellin is just as vibrant to explore, of course, particularly around El Poblado, where the majority of the city’s best nightlife can be found.
We spent almost a year living in Medellin and during that period we were fortunate enough to try out various different places to stay. We’ve put together our 6 best gay friendly hotels in Medellin for gay travellers, where you can feel confident you’ll be welcomed as a queer traveller and won’t have any problems getting a double bed.
Where to base yourself in Medellin
The majority of the best gay bars and clubs of Medellin can be found in and around El Poblado. This was definitely one of our favourite parts of Medellin as you’re close to the main gay bars as well as to the city’s best restaurants. The majority of the best luxury hotel brands are in Poblado, but the downside is that it is not cheap: this is one of the most expensive parts of the city!
Tokyo ranks as one of our legit favourite destinations ever! It’s clean, extremely safe, the people just impeccable, foodgasms galore and a fantastic gay scene with over 300 gay bars in Shinjuku’s Ni-Chōme district!
Put it this way, Tokyo is so fabulous, even the gorgeous Queer Eye Fab Five team made it over here (not to mention the 2020 Olympic Games!).
We’ve visited Tokyo several times over the past few years and experienced the best Tokyo’s gay scene has to offer. We’ve put together our LGBTQ travel guide to Tokyo based on our first-hand experience to help you have a fabulous holiday there.
How safe is Tokyo for gay travellers?
Short answer, extremely safe!Whether you’re straight or gay, Japan is one of the safest places on the planet: crime is low, people are extremely respectful, particularly towards foreigners visiting. At no stage did we ever feel unsafe in Tokyo.
As a gay couple travelling in Tokyo, we repeat, we felt just as safe. Whilst Japanese society is very conservative towards LGBTQ rights, they are extremely respectful towards foreigners and Japanese people will do their absolute best to make you feel welcome. Getting a double bed was never an issue in any of the places we stayed in Tokyo, whether a local guesthouse or a hotel.
Mexico is an incredibly popular gay travel destination and it’s easy to see why.
Along the coast you can find the most spectacular turquoise waters and powdery soft white sand beaches. Inland you can explore gay Mexico’s diverse history from Mexico City through to iconic monuments like Chichen Itza before diving into one of Mexico’s many underground pools (cenotes) to cool down.
We first visited in 2015 and to date have travelled to Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, Tulum and Cozumel. We fully intend on seeing more because our experiences to date have been amazing!
Like all the destinations we travel to, we want to explore what gay Mexico has to offer and how safe it is for gay travellers. In short, we have not had any problems at all and if you are planning on visiting the tourist hot spots, you should feel welcome as a gay traveller.
To dig a little deeper, we have put together a short guide on gay Mexico to look into gay rights, where the top gay destinations are, what gay events Mexico has to offer as well as a short interview with Ricardo, a gay guy from Mexico.
“Funny Boy” is a Sri Lankan book by Shyam Selvadurai, which we recommend every LGBTQ traveller visiting Sri Lanka reads. It tells the story of a young Tamil gay boy called Arjy, growing up in 1980s Sri Lanka during the civil war era, struggling to come to grips with his homosexuality in a very religious and traditional family and society.
Fast forward 30 years when we visited Sri Lanka, at a time when the country is thriving; the Civil War long ended and tourism flourishing more than ever, we wondered if much has changed for the country’s LGBTQ community. Be sure to check out our comprehensive gay Sri Lanka travel guide for our perspective as foreigners visiting. But what’s it like for local gay guys?
We met a Sinhalese author in Colombo who has published various books and poetry, some with an LGBTQ theme. He has asked to remain anonymous in this interview for fear of reprisal from family and his work, so we will instead refer to him by his nickname, “Kaluu”:
Hi Kaluu, please introduce yourself:
Good afternoon Stefan and Seby. I am Sri Lankan born, 39 years old, living in Colombo. I’m also a son, a friend, a gay, a Buddhist, a writer, and a poet. Above all, I am a human!
My friends call me “Kaluu”. It means “black” in Sinhalese and has become my nickname because I have darker skin compared to the average Sri Lankan.
Sri Lanka is a little pearl in the Indian Ocean. This paradise-like island has some of the most delicious food we’ve tried in Asia, the best safaris outside of East Africa and our favourite train journeys. Sri Lanka also has beaches, stunning landscapes for trekking and kind, warmhearted people who love welcoming foreigners, straight or gay.
For such a small place, Sri Lanka offers so much that many come here for their honeymoon. Yet the sting in the tail comes when you quickly realise that the country still clings on to its anti-gay laws introduced by the British during the colonial years in the 1880s. Even though the courts have declared these laws to be unenforceable, the fact that the Sri Lankan government refuses to get rid of them is a sad sign that Sri Lanka is still very much a conservative society where you do need to tread cautiously as an LGBTQ traveller.
We explore the anti-gay laws along with other general advice for LGBTQ travellers in this comprehensive gay country guide to Sri Lanka.
LGBTQ rights in Sri Lanka
On the face of it, it’s illegal to be gay in Sri Lanka. Section 365 of the Sri Lankan Penal Code dating back to 1886 criminalises “carnal intercourse” with up to 10 years in prison and a fine.
This law dates back to the British Colonial days. Ask a local and they will enthusiastically tell you “but it no longer applies!”, which is both technically right and wrong.
On the one hand, the Sri Lankan government refuses to repeal the anti-gay laws and often makes openly homophobic statements. They have even embellished the anti-gay laws. For example, in 1995, the Sri Lankan judiciary amended Section 363 to add “gross indecency” as a crime punishable with a fine and up to 2 years in prison (section 365A) without giving any guidance as to what constitutes “gross indecency”. As such, the LGBTQ community can either be arrested for “carnal intercourse” (if caught in the act), or for the more loosely defined “gross indecency”.
The Peace Bridge in Calgary looks like a bullet train – at least from afar. It also looks like a web, a cocoon, or something futuristic which a machine could come out of it swiftly. Or does it look like a puzzle, too? Oh yeah, it does look like that of a finger trap puzzle that we played when we were young.
The Peace Bridge came into existence, tagging along a lot of controversies. Though its name is a tribute to the military, it is, perhaps, an attempt to calm down two opposing sides.
Whatever their differences were, judging from the beauty of this bridge, it’s not hard for them to love it and claim it their own.
Whilst Bogota in Colombia is home to the largest gay club in South America, Medellin is notorious for having the most beautiful guys…the famous hot singer, Maluma, is a Paisa boy…just sayin’…
The people from Medellin and the area around it are nicknamed “Paisas”.
Mmm mmm! Gimme some of that sweet Maluma sugar any day of the week
They are a proud and fun bunch who live in a city notorious for having an “eternal spring” weather throughout the year. As such, it makes it a popular base for digital nomads and startups. We based ourselves in Medellin for almost a year because of this.
Medellin also has a fun gay scene to explore. Whilst it’s not as big as the Chapinero gay scene of Bogota, there are still plenty of awesome Medellin gay bars to check out, which we’ve summarised in this article. For more, be sure to check out our comprehensive gay guide to Medellin.
Where are the Medellin Gay Bars?
The majority of the gay bars of Medellin are located in the “El Poblado” area. This is the touristic beating heart of Medellin, where the city’s best hotels, restaurants and nightlife can be found. It’s a lot of fun here. There’s always an electric and young vibe, particularly at weekends. The Paisas love to party and will quickly embrace you.
Outside of El Poblado, there are gay bars dotted around in other neighbourhoods of Medellin, particularly in the downtown “Candelaria” area and the more residential “Laureles”, which is where we based ourselves.
Amsterdam is a place full of diversity and sexual acceptance, one of the main reasons we love visiting so much. Some people may think that travelling around the Red Light District and all it has to offer is as naughty as it gets. But there are plenty of hidden treasures dotted around the capital just waiting to be enjoyed!
We have only had pleasurable experiences when choosing Amsterdam hotels to stay in, but these hotels are slightly different. Below is our list of five of the best and most outrageous (in a good way) kinky, sex hotels in Amsterdam for pure pleasure-seekers.
THE KINKY SUITE AMSTERDAM
We thought we’d start strong! The Suite is an incredible 3-floor rental apartment slap bang in the middle of the Red Light District.
Before we get into more detail of the vast sexual instruments and equipment The Suite has available to guests, it also seems important to highlight how beautiful the décor actually is inside the apartment.
Recently, a 99-year-old Scottish man proved to the world he can still tango, stunning crowds at the World Championship. It just goes to show how timeless this UNESCO listed dance is. From its seductive roots to its resonance in pop culture, tango has proved time and time again that it is a dance for the ages.
Cut to Seb and I nervously walking into the dance studio for our first queer tango lesson. We’d managed to find time in the middle of sightseeing around Buenos Aires, dead excited to learn queer Tango and honour the Latin culture. Well, what we expected to be an easy-going afternoon, filled with laughter and cheer, turned out to be exhausting! But it certainly was the most romantic, sensual and intimate dance we’ve ever experienced in our 10 years together. With the tango, you have to give passion. You have to tell a story. It’s emotional. Powerful. And it certainly isn’t for the faint-hearted…
The Origins of Gay Tango
Initially, in the 1880s, tango was originally danced between 2 men in the back alleys of Buenos Aires. This is because there was a shortage of women at the time amongst the immigrant population. Therefore, the only way for men to get with a woman was either via prostitution or to impress her with some sultry dance moves. Therefore, the men practised with each other!
Sadly, since the late 1800s, same-sex tango dancing got lost in Buenos Aires… until the 2000s, when queer tango milongas (tango clubs) started to pop up, offering classes for the LGBTQ community.
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