Is this Paradise? Yes, it is. We’ve found it. Right here at the northern tip of Palawan Island in the Philippines: El Nido!
We came to gay El Nido during our big trip in the Philippines and ended up staying for a few weeks. It turned into a big underwater adventure – we went one time and wanted more and more. It is an underwater lover’s wet dream. It has many healthy coral reefs, underwater landscapes and an abundance of marine life with over 800 fish species. Almost every time we dipped our head into these turquoise waters it was like we were entering a whole new world – so many colors, fish and even a few turtles and rays passing by!
Snorkeling Gay El Nido
Joining one of the four famous snorkeling tours in El Nido (A, B, C or D) is the most accessible way to get a flavor of this magical underwater world: no diving experience is required, it’s fully guided and very secure.
In this article, we’ve summarised our experience with each of these four snorkeling tours of El Nido to help you pick the best one for you.
Olympic National Park on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula is an adventure that deserves a spot on your travel short list. It’s regularly named among the top national parks in the world by travel writers, explorers, and experts. Travel+Leisure magazine readers voted it one of the Top 15 National Parks in the United States. It’s the perfect place for LGBTQ travelers looking for an escape that’s easy to get to, welcoming, and accessible for people of all abilities, but still feels like a world class passport to a million acres of unspoiled wilderness.
Olympic National Park comprises the bulk the Olympic Peninsula, about 2 hours drive Northwest from SeaTac Airport and the city of Seattle, making it a prime location to visit with easy access. And there’s enough to do here to create an impressive itinerary in and around the park from a single central hub. The Olympic Peninsula includes not only Olympic National Park, but also Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge, Olympic National Forest, and the Olympic National Marine Sanctuary.
Getting Around Olympic National Park
You’ll need a car, as this park is huge, and not easily accessible with public transportation (although there are some options for that). From the airport, the easiest route is driving south along I-5 through Tacoma and heading west on WA-16. If you’re exploring all the wonderful LGBTQ hotspots in Seattle first (like world-famous Capitol Hill and the Broadway Market), then the best way is to take the ferry from downtown Seattle to Bainbridge Island.
Experience the famous Washington ferry system in action. No reservations are needed as the ferry holds 300 cars and leaves about once per hour.
Exploring the Park
Now that you’re out on the Olympic Peninsula, you’ll want to stay about a week to explore everything you can see and do, and take full advantage of the unusual diversity of the Park’s multiple and varied ecosystems. First , unlike most National Parks, Olympic does not have a main gate, and you cannot drive through the Park.
Instead, there are gates dotted around the perimeter of the Park, with access to multiple trailheads at each entry point. The most popular spots are: Hurricane Ridge (alpine mountains), Lake Crescent and Sol Duc Falls (glacial lakes and waterfalls in the rainforest), Hoh Rainforest (location of the quietest square foot in America), and Rialto Beach (wild Pacific Coast). The park is open year-round, but access to some places is limited in winter.
What’s Nearby?
Outside of the National Park, you’ll definitely want to take in the Dungeness Spit (the longest natural sand spit in the Western Hemisphere), Cape Flattery (the northwestern-most point of the contiguous United States), take a day trip by ferry to Victoria B.C., and explore some of the county and state parks that are less visited but no less spectacular.
There are 4 primary towns on the Olympic Peninsula: Port Townsend (a Victorian arts seaport), Sequim (the lavender capital of North America), Forks (of Twilight fame and gateway to the Hoh Rainforest and Rialto Beach), and Port Angeles (the largest town in the area and closest to the most popular places to visit in the area).
Port Angeles is a great location to use as your “home base” during your visit as it’s centrally located to everything the Peninsula and Park have to offer.
Where to Stay
LGBTQ-friendly Maitland Manor is an exceptional boutique B&B in downtown Port Angeles within easy walking distance of the waterfront, and LGBTQ-owned Domaine Madeleine is an intimate luxury inn located on a waterfront bluff just outside the city.
Maitland Manor:
Domaine Madeleine
Both offer comfortable accommodations, easily accessible locations, all the amenities you need to explore the area, and a welcoming environment for LGBTQ travelers, including couples and solo travelers. Domaine Madeleine also welcomes pets.
Each inn provides comprehensive, up-to-date day trip itineraries to ensure you see everything the area has to offer. Depending on the season, you’ll encounter extraordinarily lush green rainforests (March-May and October-November), wildflowers (June-August), wildlife (year-round, but especially September-October), leaf-peeping (late September to early October), solitude and winter sports (November-February), a variety of renowned festivals that vary by season, and romance and adventure year round. Also of note, Port Angeles is home to the longest running and one of the leading annual transgender conferences, Esprit, held in May every year.
Does anybody think of Washington State as a beach destination? Not hardly, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have the most beautiful ones around. True, Olympic National Park is missing the palm trees, but we make up for it in other ways. Of all of the sandy shorelines in the Pacific Northwest, the most beautiful one in Washington is without a doubt Ruby Beach in Olympic National Park.
What makes Ruby Beach so beautiful and dramatic? It’s the sea stacks, the weathered wood, the wildlife, the perfection of it all. We’ve got the scoop for how and when to visit to have an unforgettable time at the most beautiful beach in Washington. And if you’re lucky, maybe you’ll find some of the red rocks and garnets that give Ruby Beach its name.
How to Get to Ruby Beach in Olympic National Park
One of the things that makes the most beautiful in Washington is its remote location. Located just over three hours from Seattle and a little more than 2 hours from Olympia, it’s not exactly an impromptu day trip, which keeps the crowds down. If you’re making the trek that far you should plan on spending a few days both on the sand and in the Hoh Rainforest nearby.
Manuel Antonio is one of the most popular LGBTQ+ destinations in Costa Rica so it should come as no surprise that there are a fair number of Manuel Antonio gay beaches.
In fact, this stretch of the Pacific coast has been said to have some of the best beaches in the world boasting clear warm waters and long stretches of sand.
In this mini guide we will share 3 gay beaches in the area, including (of course) a nude beach. So grab you best speedos and let’s take a look!
Best Manuel Antonio Gay Beaches
The main and most popular beach is Playa Espadilla. The south end of the beach meets the edge of the most visited national park in Costa Rica, the beautiful national park. At this end of the beach, you with find plenty of shops, restaurants and many other tourists.
Athens is one of our top hotspots in Greece and like many gay friendly capital cities around Europe, attracts many LGBTQ+ travelers. As a result, if you head to the nearest coast you can find some unofficial Athens gay beaches, which are especially popular in summer. Read on to find out how to get there…
Athens Gay Beaches – Limanakia B
Limanakia B nudist beach (in Vouliagmeni) is the most popular beach near Athens for gay locals and travelers alike. Like most of the nearby coast, the beach is relatively rocky but as a result you are granted beautiful clear waters to swim in which may be welcome after spending time in the hot city itself!
Liminakia gay beach is a 30-minute drive from the city centre or you get public transport or an Uber. It known for being hot, busy and naughty during the summer.
If you are going to take public transport, you need to get the local metro (M2) to Elliniko station (red line) and upon exiting the station take a 30 minute bus (bus number 122) – keep an eye on your route using google maps to be sure where to get off the bus – the stop you want is stop ‘B Limanakia’. from here follow the road directly to the beach.
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.
The Broken Beach in Nusa Penida is one of the most-visited tourist attractions on the small island, next to Bali. But is it really broken? When I saw it personally, I couldn’t figure out why they call it as such. Nothing there is broken.
Broken Beach Views
As you can see in these photos, there is a natural bridge with a natural arched tunnel under it. The water passes through the tunnel and smashes to the small beach below.
Of course, there’s no way going down to the beach, except taking a boat tour – as we were told. You see, the area is circular, and the hole in the middle forms a 50-200 meters high cliff. It is a unique rock formation and truly one of the island’s natural wonders.
The Philippines have occasionally been called the treasure islands of the Pacific, but if you were to ask us, we’d say that the largest gem of all can be found within gay Palawan!
As adventurers, we’re always on the lookout for the most exciting destinations to share with the LGBTQ world. So, what if we told you that Palawan is a top-of-the-line oasis where you can find the softest and whitest sand? The deepest and most mysterious caves? Mountains, covered by vast and verdant jungles? Well… It’s true! Palawan has everything that explorers could ever want from a thrilling vacation.
And while there is no primary hotspot for gay activity amongst the various islands and municipalities throughout Palawan, there are still several LGBTQ-owned businesses to be found. Also, just based on our own personal experiences from traveling across the seas to the Philippines, we have met a lot of queer folk flooding into these gorgeous islands. Filipinos are incredibly welcoming and gay friendly, many of our friends have even weighed in on why the Philippines is so gay friendly.
From our perspective, Palawan is not only a safe place for both local and foreign travelers, but it is also a must-stop, bucket list-worthy location. We want to help you plan the best possible island holiday, which is why we’ve created this all-inclusive, gay travel guide!
Yes, Kelingking Beach in Nusa Penida is your ultimate hiking trail down to the white seashore. That is, I assume, if you are into a treacherous hike and reward yourself by frolicking in the white sandy beach and the turquoise salty water.
Perhaps you’ve seen this area on many tourism promotions for Bali and Indonesia.
Pantai Kelingking in Nusa Penida, according to the Traveler’s Choice Awards in 2019, grabbed the 19th spot of the best beaches in the world.
We’ve been to Cabo San Lucas with our kids load of times, like, we’ve spent the equivalent of three months there as a family. You could say it’s our favorite family destination in Mexico. Since we’ve done it so much, we’ve decided it’s time we share our best tips for visiting this beachside resort town with kids.
I’ll say this right away, Cabo with kids is mostly about relaxation and swimming vs digging into Mexican culture and nature. There are lots of opportunities for that, but Cabo for gay families is more about a luxury destination than adventure.
How to Get to Cabo San Lucas
For those traveling from the west coast, getting there is pretty easy. There are direct flights from Seattle, San Francisco, Sacramento, Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Diego. Denver and Dallas also offer direct flights, so know that even east coasters should be able to find a good flight. When flying in, the airport is SJD (San Jose del Cabo), Los Cabos International Airport.
The airport is actually quite nice now (thanks Hurricane O’dele) and as long as you arrive early in the day or in the early evening, customs is pretty fast and smooth.
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