Nomadic Boys

Gay Taiwan – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Taiwan - The Nomadic Boys

When it comes to welcoming queer travelers, gay Taiwan is the only place in Asia that we think tops Thailand. They even have a temple dedicated to a gay god!

Taiwan is super gay – it has the largest gay Pride in Asia, it was the first place in Asia to legalize marriage equality and has a massive LGBTQ+ scene in Taipei. That’s before we’ve even mentioned the delicious food, breathtaking scenery and really friendly charming Taiwanese people – who will make you smile every time you speak to them!

In short, Taiwan gave us everything we wanted from our Asian gaycation. We’d go back in a heartbeat and know you will want to as well. Regardless of whether or not you’re a seasoned traveler or maybe thinking about your first adventure, Taiwan is a place to consider. In this queer country guide to Taiwan, we’ve put together our fabulous discoveries from our adventures together with safety advice, culinary inspiration and the best gay events to seek out.

Rights in Gay Taiwan

The first thing to note is that LGBTQ+ rights there are very progressive. More progressive than some Western countries so we even rate it as one of the most gay friendly places in the world. It’s no wonder that Taiwan is so welcoming to LGBTQ travelers. This was immediately apparent to us from the moment we touched down at Taipei’s airport. We never had any issues whatsoever and we felt so comfortable while we were travelling around.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Traditional Vietnamese Cuisine – The Nomadic Boys

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Traditional Vietnamese Cuisine - The Nomadic Boys

Oh, Vietnam you really blew our minds with all those tasty dishes! Pho, Cao Lau, Mi Quang, Bun Cha – just to name a few… Fellow foodies will be in total paradise in Vietnam. It felt like one big gourmet exploration, discovering a different dish every day, with so many unique flavors and specialties.

We knew quite a bit about Vietnamese cuisine before visiting thanks in part to the large number of Vietnamese restaurants back home in Europe. Most people will no doubt have heard of the ubiquitous Pho, but throw into the mix influences from French colonization and even a few surprises like egg coffee and you’ll really start to appreciate our excitement for this destination!

This is our detailed summary of all our favorites and the tastiest traditional foods of Vietnam that we loved and think you need to discover during your visit.

How did traditional Vietnamese cuisine originate?

Like many Asian countries, Vietnam’s food has been influenced by what naturally grows in the region as well as the history of other cultures coming to a place and then leaving their mark.

Since Vietnam has been invaded/colonized by multiple countries (like China, Japan, France, and America) each one has also influenced the Vietnamese cuisine. With noodles from China and baguettes from France becoming an integral part of Vietnamese cuisine, the Vietnamese have taken these and created their own unique (and super tasty!) dishes.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Vietnam Gay Travel Resources

Top 5 Thailand Gay Islands – The Nomadic Boys

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Top 5 Thailand Gay Islands - The Nomadic Boys

With over 1400 islands to visit in the Land of Smiles, we say the Thai’s the limit when it comes to your Thailand vacation!

Thailand offers everything that us gay boys want when we venture out into the world. There are beaches packed to the brim with speedo-clad hotties, cultural ventures lurking around every corner, a terrific gay scene in Bangkok, and most important of all, genuinely kind citizens who greet every visitor with a warm welcome.

And that’s just the mainland! Believe it or not, the Thailand gay islands are somehow even more perfect because each one is incredibly unique. Whether you’re hoping to find a spot to get back in touch with nature, to explore the party animal within you, or to enjoy a romantic getaway with your sweet, sugar love, there is bound to be at least one island that suits your exact needs. Even if you’re looking to stay within a strictly queer environment, we promise that there’s an island out there for you. This is our comprehensive guide to the best Thailand gay islands so that you can achieve your vacay nirvana. Be sure to also read alongside our detailed gay guide to Thailand.

Side note: ‘koh’ means “island” in Thai, so most islands will have Koh or Ko written before its name.

Thailand Gay Islands: Koh Phuket

Ah, Phabulous Phuket… Where to even begin? There are hardly the words for this vast, beautiful destination. Perhaps the best way to describe it is by declaring it the largest and most famous of the Thailand gay islands!

Unlike other islands, Phuket has an officially designated gay area known as the Paradise Complex where gay businesses flood the streets. Whether you’re hopping into Zag Club, which is an energetic club most renowned for its outstanding dance music, or visiting the Boat Bar, which is our personal favorite for its eclectic crowd and classic pop music, it will be easy to see just how much this neighborhood thrives on its nightlife. Honestly, even without setting foot into a single establishment within the Paradise Complex, the gay scene of Phuket spills outside every evening when exotic dancers strut their stuff up and down the pedestrian roads.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Thailand Gay Travel Resources

Gay China, A Local Perspective – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay China - Nomadic Boys

China has the potential to be the gayest nation on our planet. Think about it: a country with a population of 1.5 billion people. That’s a billion! You do the maths, how many gays does that work out to…?

Today, the country is slowly emerging from an oppressive Communist rule under which homosexuality was criminalized and seen as a mental illness. It wasn’t until 1997 when it was legalized and then subsequently declassified as a mental illness in 2001.

Historically it wasn’t always like this. Homosexuality in ancient China appears to have been widely accepted well before the 1800s. For example, Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) literature (like the Bian Er Chai – 弁而釵/弁而钗) portrays homosexual relationships as being positive, and writings from the Liu Song Dynasty (420–479 AD) allege that homosexuality was an everyday common thing!

The fabulous LGBTQ folk we met during our travels as a couple in gay China were confident of progressive change – albeit very slowly. During our trip in Xi’an we met the awesome Cass Chen who sat us down and gave us this interview about his experience growing up gay in China.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Gay China Travel Resources

Finding Gay China – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay China - The Nomadic Boys

Picking out the best vacation destination is a challenge, which is why we’re here to give you a simple word of advice: don’t be sleeping on the Sleeping Giant!

It seems a common misconception that China only represents oppression and a loss of freedom. We definitely understand concerns from the LGBTQ community regarding discrimination, but allow us to assure you that most Chinese citizens are respectful, kind, and almost too eager to receive visitors from all walks of life. Welcome to gay China!

As one of the world’s first civilizations, there has been more than enough time for specific Chinese cultures to steep like an exquisite cup of tea. Seemingly every region of China offers its own distinctive cuisine, architectural wonders, and natural sights. The country provides boundless opportunities for exciting travel from the countless pagodas and temples to the towering mountains and shining bodies of water. And that’s not even mentioning the gay bars, clubs, and saunas that can be found in some of gay China’s more progressive cities.

As daunting a task vacation planning can be, just follow our comprehensive guide to gay travel in China, and you will surely leave the country with a smile on your face.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Gay China Travel Resources

Gay Vancouver – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Vancouver - The Nomadic Boys

Greenpeace, Ryan Reynolds, Hayden Christensen, and Botox – what do they all have in common?
Vancouver!

That’s right, they were all created in this super cool city located right on the far West coast of Canada. Vancouver is the capital of the British Columbia Province, famous for being one of the most diverse regions of Canada. It is also nicknamed “The Hollywood of the North” due to its popularity as a filming location for TVs/movies after LA and NYC. Oh, and did we mention the part about Ryan Reynolds and Hayden Christensen?

We visited Vancouver several times on our trips to Canada and always have a fantastic time. As well as a bustling Gay Village over at Davie Street, Vancouver has tons of fun things to do, with the mountains on its doorstep and the natural paradise of Vancouver Island a short ferry ride away.

Most importantly of all, we found gay Vancouver to be a very tolerant city, accepting of everyone. We frequently saw many gay couples walking the streets hand-in-hand all across town and felt comfortable to do the same. Of course, this comes as no surprise as this is Canada, a country we absolutely adore and rate as the most gay friendly country in the world.

In this detailed gay guide to Vancouver, we summarise our experience discovering the gay scene of Davie Village, as well as some of the best things to do in the city, gay hotels to stay and more practical tips for LGBTQ travellers.

Davie Street: The Gay Vancouver Village

Vancouver’s gay village, also known as the Davie Village, is the heart of the city’s LGBTQ community. It is based mainly along Davie Street between Jervis Street and Burrard Street. This is where the majority of the queer bars and clubs are. Although it’s not as big as the scene of Montreal or Toronto, it’s just as fun.

There is also a more bohemian area popular with the lesbian community of the city at Commercial Drive, called “The Drive” over in East Vancouver, which we did not visit so have not covered in this guide.

Gay Amsterdam – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Amsterdam - The Nomadic Boys

We love visiting gay Amsterdam. Whether it’s for a city break, romantic weekend or a party, we always know we’re going to have a terrific time.

Whilst Amsterdam is most famous for its “coffeeshops” where you can smoke joints legally, it is also culturally rich with world-class museums and has the most distinctive urban landscape. The city is dominated by water, with 165 canals, around 500 bridges, lots of cute narrow cobblestone streets and many many many bicycles! It’s so picturesque that the network of canals in the 17th-century historic old town (called the “Canal Ring“) was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010.

The city is also super gay, which is unsurprising given that it is the capital city of one of the most queer friendly countries in the world. It is one of the few places where we feel comfortable walking the streets holding hands and don’t feel like we first have to look over our shoulders to do that safety check! It also has some fantastic parties, plenty of LGBTQ+ hangouts, lots of events and the most unpronounceable gay village ever! We’ve summarised it all right here in our detailed gay Amsterdam travel guide.

First time in Gay Amsterdam?

One of our favourite ways to get a feel of Amsterdam is on a gay tour, in particular the ones offered by Gaily. They do a series of different tours in Amsterdam which we’ve tried, love and highly recommend, especially to first-timers. A local will take your hand and guide you through the touristic highlights of the city by day and will also show you around the Reguliersdwarsstraat scene by night.

Full Story at The Nomadic Boys

Gay Amsterdam Travel Resources

Gay Arequipa – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Arequipa - The Nomadic Boys

We came to Arequipa as the base for our trek to the Colca Canyon, one of the deepest canyons in the world. We ended up staying a week because we fell in love with the cutesy old town and the chilled vibe of the “White City”.

On that note, the ‘White City’ nickname has nothing to do with coca(!) play or Miami-style White Parties…it is simply because the city is almost completely built out of “sillar” – a white volcanic stone.

Put simply, this is a place to come to be WOWed by nature over and above everything else. Travel + Leisure Magazine even named it as the #2 on its annual list of the top 50 best places to travel to. Whilst there is a small gay scene to explore (more on this below), we suggest saving up your partying groove in gay Lima.

In this guide to gay Arequipa, we set out the best hotels to check out, along with the queer-friendly spaces, events, our favourite places to eat and best things to do.

Is Gay Arequipa safe?

Overall we found the city to be safe for gay travelers. Tourism is a major source of income for the local economy, so businesses are used to dealing with foreigners and are accustomed to dealing with LGBTQ travelers.

That being said, remember Peru is still very conservative with a strong affinity to the Catholic Church. We took this on board and were careful not to flaunt our love in people’s faces. At the same time, we never felt unsafe anywhere in gay Arequipa. In the worst-case scenario, people just asked us if we’re brothers. All the hotels we stayed at were gay friendly and welcomed us – no one batted an eyelid that two men wanted to share a double bed.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Arequipa Gay Travel Resources

Miami Gay Bars – The Nomadic Boys

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Miami Gay Bars - The Nomadic Boys

Most people call Miami the Magic City on account of its rapid growth and expansion throughout the mid-’90s. Me? I call it the Magic City because it’s the place where all the Miami gay bars make my gay party dreams come true!

The city has been home to queer nightlife as early as the 1930s. Cut to present day and the city now prides itself on having one of the largest LGBTQ communities in the world as well as being a major tourist location for over one million gay visitors every year. To prove their commitment to serving the community, they have gone as far as founding an LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce to help the locals safely and comfortably navigate life in their city.

Whether you call Miami your home or your favorite vacation spot in the US, you likely understand the extent to which diversity is an essential pillar that upholds the success of Miami gay bars and nightlife. The bars and clubs throughout the entire city echo their patrons, each one more wild and eclectic than the last!

With so many unique Miami gay bars scattered across the map, we want to walk you through the scene and show you exactly which businesses deserve your attention, which is why we have compiled our list of the best queer bars and clubs in the city.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Miami Gay Travel Resources

Gay Osaka – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Osaka - The Nomadic Boys

Do you want to know why they really call Osaka the Kitchen of Japan? It’s because once you see all of those scrumptious boys wandering about the city, you will be left hungry for more!

Of course… We’re sure the delicious cuisine helps to bring the point home! As the foodie capital of the entire country, you will find the best of the best in terms of classic Japanese dishes such as takoyaki and okonomiyaki. But, among the bustling food stalls and restaurants, you will also be introduced to stunning, modern architecture and a gay nightlife culture supported by kindhearted, welcoming locals.

Since it is located alongside the ports of Honshu, Osaka essentially functions as the primary commercial center for Japan. However, the city is still a close neighbor of Kyoto and Tokyo, which means that it tends to fly under the radar of travelers seeking a grand Asian adventure. But today, we’re here to plead on behalf of Osaka. We want to highlight exactly why gay travelers should be calling this fantastic destination their next hot vacation spot.

With the second-largest LGBTQ+ scene in Japan and a friendly atmosphere that promotes total self-expression, gay Osaka will surely provide you with enough pleasant memories to last a lifetime. With the help of our comprehensive guide, we can ensure you an Osaka trip packed full of only the-can’t-miss stops for LGBTQ travelers. Prepare to be enveloped in a city that offers the comforts of both a metropolitan area and a natural, historical getaway!

Is Gay Osaka Safe for Travelers?

We found Japan to be very safe for gay travelers, including Osaka. Whilst LGBTQ rights still have far to go in Japan, by Asian standards the country easily ranks as one of the most gay friendly Asian countries.

The Japanese are very conservative people and even straight couples limit public displays of affection, so it would pay to respect this. Having said that, the Japanese are extremely respectful people, particularly to foreigners. As an openly gay couple, we found people in gay Osaka to be super sweet. At no stage did we ever have any problems checking into a hotel or requesting a double bed in any of the places we stayed at. Osaka is even home to the first government district in the country to officially support LGBT human rights.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Gay Osaka Travel Resources