So, you’re thinking about a vacation and you’re wondering where to go. You want to go to a place that great for gay, a destination that’s tops for trade, or first of fun. As long as there’s a gay life there you’re happy to try it. But where? Where’s the best gay destination in the world?
According to Trip Out Gay Travel you’ve got a few choices. Recently, Logo, a unit of Viacom’s MTV Networks, announced that TripOutGayTravel.com (its comprehensive travel site dedicated to the LGBT traveller and MTV Network’s first stand-alone, travel-focused site), revealed its second annual “TripOut Gay Travel Awards” at London’s World Travel Market – the premier global event for the travel industry.
Top of their list came New York City, it won the award for the ‘best global destination.’ A few other sites and bloggers agreed with NYC as being a top gay destination, but what if you don’t like cities? Well, trawling around looking at what people are saying is hot and what’s not, all the ‘top destinations’ I found were cities. Berlin for example…
Having recently been there I can give a big thumbs up to Berlin as a great destination. It’s clean and the people are friendly, public transport runs on time and you’ve got a great variety of places to go and things to do. From the zoo to the backrooms, you get well looked after in Berlin. And it doesn’t have to be expensive. For eating, you’ve got loads of sausage stalls beside the road, plus a huge range of eateries, and for drinking, I found that with a little planning, I was able to find a ‘happy hour’ happening at a bar somewhere practically every hour of the day.
If you fancy somewhere slightly more exotic, then how about Argentina? Buenos Aires, to be precise. Apart from seeing where some of Evita was filmed, and having the chance to do your best Madonna impersonation on location, you have a wealth of bars and clubs to explore. If you check out thegayguide.com.ar an Argentinean gay guide site, you’ll also find saunas, restaurants, maps and a guide to the city’s pride celebrations, though that information was a little out of date.
And back in Europe there is always London, somewhere else I’ve been recently. One of the best gay bars in the world (as voted for online) can be found there in Vauxhall, but there is more to London than the famous West End and Soho, the gay village. When you’re there you should look in the free magazines and listings to find clubs and bars that are away from the centre of the city. You will find a different atmosphere, guys seem to have more fun in the outlying areas, there is less attitude. And while you’re in England don’t forget Brighton, another ‘gay capital’ by the sea, and Manchester, one of the newer gay hot spots in the country.
Madrid, if you want sun, sea, sangria and sexy Spanish boys with tight butts and tanned skin, is a perfect destination. Get away from it all in a cultural city that’s got more going for it than just its architecture. Gay Madrid websites report that many bars have back rooms, where just about anything goes, and the whole city seems to breathe a raunchy atmosphere.
Over the pond you’ve also got Montreal. There’s a whole strip of places to hang out there, loads of bars and cafes, restaurants and clubs. It’s going to be a question of knowing where to start, so a site like montreal.gaycities.com is a good starting pace. And, when you’re looking around at these gay city sites and choosing your destination, you may find special offers for hotels and travel. I noticed several, all very tempting.
But if you’re not into city vacations but still want to go gay? Well, how about a gay cruise? But that’s another story.
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