Nomadic Boys

Gay Friendly Philippines – Nomadic Boys

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Gay Friendly Philippines - Nomadic Boys

We absolutely fell in love with the gay friendly Philippines. It was the big surprise from our big trip around Asia. Most travellers backpacking around Asia also told us the same thing – they came to the Philippines with low expectations but ended up leaving completely besotted with the place!

The Philippines has 7,641 islands of which only 2,000 are inhabited. That’s a shed load of tropical beaches to discover. The country also straddles the Coral Triangle, which makes it a paradise for underwater adventurers – we had some of the best snorkelling and scuba diving experiences here, particularly in the waters around Palawan.

And, it’s super gay friendly! We rate the Philippines as one of the most gay friendly countries in Asia. Whilst it has a long way to go with its LGBTQ laws (as does almost every country in Asia), this was one of the rare countries in Asia where we felt super welcome as a gay couple.

We put this down to the Filipinos. They are extremely friendly, warm and fun-loving people – the “Filipino hospitality” is a thing which they highly value.

We were fortunate to make many LGBTQ Filipino friends during our travels, both in the gay friendly Philippines and elsewhere. We reached out to them to give us their opinion on why they think the Philippines is so gay friendly and awesome! We specifically asked each of them to answer these 2 questions and have printed their answers below.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Philippines Gay Travel Resources

Gay Montevideo – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Montevideo - The Nomadic Boys

“Guys it’s true, trust me: 98% of guys in Montevideo are either gay or bisexual!”

…so claimed our Uruguayan friend, Rodrigo, when we were chatting with them in Chains Pub about what gay life is like in Montevideo. Whether or not our friend is right, one thing’s for certain: the guys here are smoking hot!

Montevideo is often described as a “sleepy South America city“ – slow-paced, old fashioned, and nostalgia-tinged. Sleepy or not, we had a ball exploring the gay scene of Montevideo, its cutesy old town and the impressive coastline avenue, the Malecon.

And the bit about 98% of men here allegedly being homosexually inclined in some way? Well whether it’s true or not, this simply speaks volumes about how liberal, open-minded and chilled Montevideo is.

We’ve put together our experiences of Montevideo in this detailed gay guide to inspire your trip to include the best gay hotels, bars, clubs, events, things to do and more.

Is Montevideo safe for gay travellers?

Definitely! Montevideo is frequently rated as one of the most gay friendly cities in the world and based on our personal experience, we certainly rate Uruguay as one of the most gay friendly countries in the world.

To start with, Uruguay has a history of being extremely progressive, lenient and open-minded. It legalised abortions in 2012, established a welfare state all the way back in 1903 and legalised marijuana consumption in 2013. With regards to LGBTQ rights in Uruguay, they have long been secured and respected. For example, homosexuality was decriminalised as far back as 1934, anti-discrimination laws have been in place since 2003, adoption laws since 2009 and gay marriage implemented in 2013.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Uruguay Gay Travel Resources

Tokyo Gay Tours – The Nomadic Boys

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BLOG - Tokyo Gay Tours - The Nomadic Boys

An urban jungle of intense energy, electric colours and lights. Yet it all flows together in an impressive orderly manner, absolutely nothing out of place.

This is Tokyo. It’s absolutely mad, like nothing you’ll ever experience! A frenetic city of almost 15 million people, yet somehow doesn’t ever feel crowded – unless you take the metro at rush hour…try this just once to experience it, but otherwise, to be avoided!

Every time we visit Tokyo it always feels like a culture shock and we love it! It gives us everything we want no matter how many times we visit. And as a bonus, it has a terrific gay scene with over 300 gay bars crammed in the tiny Shinjuku Ni-Chome district. We recommend checking out our detailed gay guide to Tokyo for more about this.

Whether you’ve been to Tokyo before or this is your first time, there are a variety of excellent Tokyo gay tours you can join to explore the best the city has to offer from experiencing the Shinjkuku gay scene with a local LGBTQ guide or learning about the city’s history with an LGBTQ focus. We’ve put together some of the best gay tours in Tokyo for LGBTQ travellers to check out right here.

Gay Night Tour of Tokyo

To experience Tokyo’s gay nightlife through the eyes of gay locals, we recommend joining this excellent tour of the gay scene. Remember above when we said there are over 300 gay bars? We weren’t kidding! The majority of Tokyo’s gay bars are tiny spaces all packed together in the Shinjuku Ni-Chome district. The one downside of this is that a handful of these small gay bars do not welcome foreigners and may even refuse you entry if you’re not local or know someone local to take you. Therefore having a gay local showing you the gay scene of Tokyo is the perfect way to get you into such bars as well as steering you through this wacky minefield of Tokyo queerness!

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Little Known Facts About Vietnam – The Nomadic Boys

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BLOG: Little Known Facts About Vietnam - The Nomadic Boys

“Guys, take my hand, stay together and slowly cross the road. Just don’t stop or go back. Walk with confidence and all the traffic will work around you. Trust me it’s super safe!”

“Are you f*g kidding me?” I said to Stefan…

Yet our friend Quan was right. The chaotic and seemingly neverending traffic of Saigon and Hanoi all seem to work together in this sort of messy ‘union’. It’s overwhelming for first-timers. I can tell you I was terrified out of my skin at the prospect of crossing the streets of Saigon when we first touched down Vietnam. But you quickly realise it’s absolutely fine…like our friend Quan told us, start walking slowly, but with purpose, and all the traffic just negotiates its way around you!

Crazy traffic aside, we loved Vietnam. As a gay couple, we loved how welcoming we were made to feel at the hotels we stayed in. There’s even a large LGBTQ community in the large main cities with a handful of queer hangouts to check out. As foodies, we couldn’t be happier. Vietnam is one massive culinary adventure, from the rich “pho” broths of Saigon to the yummy “cao lau” noodle dishes of Hoi An and the delectable tiramisu-like “egg coffees” of Hanoi. We pretty much ate our way from the bottom all the way to the tip of this unique S-shaped country in Southeast Asia. We recommend reading more about this in our blog post about our favourite traditional foods of Vietnam.

The gay scene and tasty prizes aside, Vietnam also has a rich cultural heritage, with its first independent monarchy dating back to 900 AD, a period of French colonialism from 1850-1945 and a subsequent period of division when the North and South became divided into two opposing rival states. Since reunification in 1976, Vietnam has evolved into a crazy, fascinating and above all else, thrilling destination in Asia. We loved it and would zip back in a heartbeat!

Here’s a flavour of precisely why we fell in love with Vietnam set out as our 10 interesting facts which we learnt about it during our big trip.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Vietnam Gay Travel Resources

Gay Xi’an – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Xi’an - The Nomadic Boys

Emperor Qin Shi Huang was one pretty remarkable Diva in Ancient China! Not only did he declare himself as the first Emperor of a unified China back in 221 BC, he also created an entire tomb of terracotta sculptures depicting his massive army who would protect him in his afterlife.

This was no mean feat. Old Qin Shi’s posthumous army consisted of 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses. And it’s pretty damn impressive to behold!

We came to Xi’an expecting to be wowed by Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s famous Terracotta Warrior sculptures – and bloody hell, we sure were! But unbeknownst to us, we were also blown away by the delicious street food in the Muslim Quarter as well as the city’s small, but lively gay scene.

Most will only come to Xi’an expecting to stay for just a few days to see the Terracotta Army then leave. But we recommend hanging around a few days longer. This is a city with an extraordinary history that dates back over 3,000 years, back to when it was called “Chang’an” – one of the four great ancient capitals of China and the starting point of the famous Silk Road trade network. A few days just doesn’t do it justice – trust us, you’ll thank us!

This is our detailed gay guide to Xi’an’s bars, clubs, hotels and some invaluable inspiration for LGBTQ travellers. All the information in this guide is based on our first-hand experience travelling here as a gay couple coupled with notes from gay locals we met during our trip who continue to help us keep our guide up-to-date.

Full Story at The Nomadic Boys

China Gay Travel Resources

Gay Life in Thailand – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Life in Thailand - The Nomadic Boys

“Guys you’ve been to so many countries in the world, you must have a favourite?”

Oh, we sure do! There are of course many places we’d go back to in a heartbeat, but if we had to pick just one – Thailand!

Thailand has it all, amazing beaches, a rich cultural fabric to discover, delicious food and most of all, it is very gay friendly! Bangkok, in particular, has a fantastic gay scene – in our opinion, one of the best in the world. Whilst Thailand has positioned itself to become one of Asia’s leading destinations for LGBTQ travellers, we wanted to learn more about what gay life in Thailand is really like from a local’s perspective.

We met cutie photographer, Saroj, in Bangkok, who gave us his perspective of what gay life in Thailand is really like and what it was like growing up gay there. Read his story right here:

Sawasdee krap Saroj, Please Introduce Yourself:

Hi guys, my name is Saroj Kunatanad. My friends call me “Ark”. I am 33 years old, born and raised in Bangkok. I grew up in Bobea, which is in the old town area of Bangkok, near Chinatown and the infamous Khao San Road.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Thailand Gay Travel Resources

Bangkok Gay Tours – The Nomadic Boys

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Bangkok Gay Tours - The Nomadic Boys

Aaah, Bangkok… this crazy, chaotic city can certainly overwhelm you with all the traffic and people but we keep on coming back for more! There’s just something so intoxicating about this messy, gritty yet absolutely incredible city…

Thailand is one of the most gay friendly countries in Asia, so it’s not surprising that its capital, Bangkok, has a fabulous gay scene. We’ve spent quite a bit of time exploring the gay bars and clubs in Bangkok, but sometimes you really just want someone in the know to show you around.

Luckily we’ve found these fabulous gay tours with local LGBTQ guides in case you’re feeling a bit nervous about venturing into the maze of streets and venues by yourself. They each offer something different, so whether you’re looking to party with drag queens or relax in the best gay saunas, you’ll find something to love.

Bangkok Gay Tours – Nightlife

This gay nightlife tour takes you on a whirlwind journey through Bangkok’s best gay bars and clubs. You’ll feel like you’ve followed the white rabbit down into the Wonderland that is Bangkok’s gay scene, so it’s appropriate that the first stop of the evening is at the White Rabbit Bar!

This cafe/lounge bar is a lovely spot for dining during the day, but let’s be honest, you’re joining this gay tour for something a bit more exciting than food, right? Luckily the tour includes a shot at each of the venues and of course you’ll be able to purchase more drinks for yourself if you feel like it. We suggest the “rabbit passion” cocktail to keep you going all night long (wink, wink)!

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Bangkok Gay Travel Resources

Gay Koh Lip – The Nomadic Boys

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Gay Koh Lip - The Nomadic Boys

Koh Lipe is the best island in Thailand!

There, we officially declared it. The secret’s out…

We’ve been visiting Thailand for over a decade, trying out many islands along the way, but each time we keep circling back to Koh Lipe.

Why?

Koh Lipe still has those crystal clear tropical waters you associate with Thailand – surrounded by healthy coral. So you can literally wake up, go to the beach, put your head in the water and see Nemo swimming about around you! It was like this when we first visited many years ago and has remained this way on our recent visit.

We used to think the same about Phuket, Koh Tao and Koh Phi Phi, but over time they quickly became built up, super touristy and overcrowded. Not gay Koh Lipe! We put this down to the fact that it’s quite remote and rather complicated to reach: first, you need to fly to Hat Yai airport in South Thailand, then drive over to Pak Bara port (around 2 hours) to then take a 2-hour speedboat to Koh Lipe…Let’s just say this is enough to put off the large crowds of packaged tourists.

Don’t get us wrong. Koh Lipe is developed enough to have plenty of restaurants, hotels, bars and shops, but it’s a controlled growth, helped by the fact that it is part of the group of Tarutao National Marine Park islands. We’ve put together our love for Lipe in this detailed gay guide to include the best gay friendly resorts, bars, practical tips and more.

How Friendly is Gay Koh Lipe?

Koh Lipe is very gay friendly! We met many more other gay travellers here than we did on most of the other Thai islands, plus the Thai locals are super friendly and accepting. Even if they don’t approve, unlike other places in the world, they would never outwardly express this in front of you.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Thailand Gay Travel Resources

Miami Beach Pride’s Biggest Events – The Nomadic Boys

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BLOG - Miami Beach Pride's Biggest Events - The Nomadic Boys

“Miami Beach Pride is one of the biggest and best gay events in South Florida which you will not want to miss!”

While Miami Beach Pride may not be one of the biggest pride events in the world, it’s certainly one of the most exciting and unique…how many Pride events do you know that take place along a beach?

My partner Teraj is a Miami native so, naturally, we have visited this vibrant city many times over the past few years. In particular, we love going to Miami Beach Pride and always attend in full glitter and rainbow paraphernalia! In this guest post, I’ve set out why we love it so much, from all the many special events, social mixers and must-attend parties.

Here’s my rundown of the most anticipated parties during Miami Beach Gay Pride.

Official Miami Beach Pride Pool Party

Nothing says “Miami” quite like a pool, a few cocktails and of course, lots of hot guys! Miami Beach Pride gets this spot on with the official Pride Pool Party. What I love about it the most is that they always feature amazing international DJs every year, like DJ Ralphi Rosario, Dan Slater and Dani Brasil. This is where you want to see and be seen (especially if you enjoy watching hotties in skimpy bathing suits)!

General admission is usually only around $40. For a bit more, you can also get a VIP access, which includes an open bar with a private terrace. 

You will naturally find us in the VIP area getting our dose of Vitamin D and soaking up all those yummy cocktails!

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Miami Beach Gay Travel Resources

Pocket WiFi in Taiwan – The Nomadic Boys

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Pocket WiFi in Taiwan - The Nomadic Boys

We love Instagramming during our trips, especially Stefan, especially in Taiwan…look, I’ll be honest, it does start to grate on me when trying to enjoy a romantic cocktail together with a beautiful sunset backdrop, yet he’s on his phone posting about it on social media…

…but you gotta do what you gotta do to keep your man happy right?

So, when arriving in a new place, the first thing we HAVE to do (to prevent the infamous Stefan tantrums breaking out)is to make sure he has a way of staying online at all times. We normally buy a new local SIM card, but recently, whilst travelling through Taiwan, we’ve found that investing in pocket WiFi devices is much better.

For starters, it means your phone can still be locked to your home contract, whereas SIM cards require you to have an unlocked phone. It can also work out cheaper as data is unlimited (compared to SIM card data packages), and it means you can connect all your devices to it, so if you’re travelling as a group, everyone can stay connected.

We used a pocket WiFi device during our trip to Taiwan and it was a godsend! Prior to ordering it, we researched all the many different pocket WiFi options, which we summarise in this article so it can help you figure out which one is best for you.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys