Category Archives: Places outside US
Gay Tokyo
8 Million people! Suffering for more than a decade from Japan’s self-induced economic slump, Tokyo has seen much of its luster worn away by a recession seemingly without end. Art museums and performance spaces, once the crowning jewels of any serious department store, have turned into tired craft supply shops or now exhibit bins filled with last season’s unsold dishware. Once splendid designer boutiques openly hawk second-hand goods and hair scrunchies in sad sign-of-the-times sidewalk sales.
But there are also positive changes resulting from the flatlining economy. Bars are more mixed and friendly for foreign visitors (they need your business). English signage is now in common use, even on drink menus. With falling rental rates, savvy club owners have taken over neighboring venues, doubling or tripling the size of their once tiny establishments.
With prices having barely risen over the last dozen years, no tipping, no added taxes, and the dollar currently soaring against the yen, Tokyo is suddenly more affordable than New York, Paris or even Los Angeles! Taxis, once pure luxury rides — with their lace doilies and white-gloved drivers who open the door for you — have become a suddenly affordable, comfortable alternative to packed trains. Any tourist in their right mind should take advantage of this golden opportunity to discover the world wonders in the heart of this fascinating, and friendlier-than-ever Imperial city. Tokyo may never be this cheap again!
Utopia Asia is a great resource for the traveler heading to Tokya. Bacchus also has aguide to Tokyo, but it’s a little out-dated. And recently, Gay.com did a big spread on Tokyo. – In this cultural mix of underground and obvious, finding Tokyo‘s big, gay party is all about knowing where to look. Don’t lose heart if it doesn’t catch your eye immediately: whether tourist, ex-pat lifer, or native, first-timers to the gay scene here always start out lost.
Nestled in Shinjuku, a youth-saturated neighborhood, the Ni-Chome district is the beating gay heart of Tokyo. Books Rose (2-14-11, Shinjuku;) is almost the only life sign during working hours and perfect for collecting intel on upcoming parties and other LGBT activities. (Note: The address “2-14-11 Shinjuku” means second district of Shinjuku, 14th block, 11th building).
There are more than 200 (mostly very small) gay bars in Shinjuku Ni-Chome alone.
After 8 p.m., Ni-Chome starts pumping neon and queers start letting loose. This micro-neighborhood is packed with cozy watering holes where amiable proprietors make matches and encourage friendships between patrons and newcomers.
Arty Farty (2/F 33 Kyutei Bld; 2-11-7 Shinjuku, 2nd fl; www.Arty-Farty.net) is a popular last stop for late-night youth. The entrance hand stamp confers free admission to the owners’ twin bar nearby, the equally gaijin-friendly Annex (1/F Futami Bld; 2-14-11 Shinjuku).
Most young people speak some English and love to chat, but knowing Japanese helps a lot, especially with older folks, who remain more “understated.”
The heightened privacy standards in Japan make it a rarity for hotels to bar same-sex bed-sharing, which is great since LGBT-specific accommodations are impossible to find.
Two other interesting options are traditional tatami and futon hotels or ultra-modern capsule hotels — temptingly cheap, but eerily like when Bruce Willis slept on that space cruise in “The 5th Element.”
The closest capsule to Ni-Chome is the men-only Shinjuku Kuyakusho-mae Capsule Hotel (1-2-5 Kabuki-cho, Shinjuku-ku; www.Ars-Shinjuku.com) in nearby Kabuki-cho, the straight red-light district. Pods are one per customer.
The Tokyo Pride Parade is the biggest event of its kind in Japan. Last year’s event drew more than 3,800 spectators and participants, and more than 200 volunteers helped to make it a success. The people marching in the parade around Shibuya and Harajuku represented all facets of Japan’s LGBT community and many were in amazingly original costumes.
NEW GAY TRAVEL GUIDE
Your Guide to the best gay travel, events and news from around the world!
Gay Capetown South Africa
CAPE TOWN provides water, culture and beauty!
People call it the San Francisco of South Africa.
The oldest South African city is unarguably the most beautiful with its endless features. Moutains, water, sandy beaches, vineyards and some gorgeous people!
Regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world:- ‘heaven at the tip of Africa’ and voted as one of the top 5 Gay travel destinations, Cape Town is a cosmopolitan city to be seen!
The most popular time of year to visit is December thru February when the temps are 80’s in the day and 60’s at night. March thru May is not quite as busy and cool off a bit but still very nice. DECEMBER is The Mother City Queer Project Festival – Born out of a much smaller event that was held back in 1994, the annual MCQPF is one of biggest gay and lesbian events in the city. As with many pride marches around the world, flamboyant costumes are the order of the day and the bigger, brighter and shinier the better. The festival is hosted at the city’s Ratanga Junction Theme Park which is transformed into a party playground with up to eight different stages and dance arenas. A great celebration of South African sexual diversity, this is a party not to be missed. Attracts about 10,000 people.
There is also a big Pride Festival late February – early March.
OUT IN AFRICA, the GLBT film Festival happens mid-September.
White sand and breath-taking views…There are a few gay popular beachs; Clifton 3 & Graaffs Pool, which is about 15 minutes outside the city. Clifton 3 has lots of muscle boys. Very hot! Right next door is a straight section. Actually many of the straight guys are just as fit as the gay guys! However, you see more gays in lycra and more straights in those awful board shorts that hide everything.
In SeaPoint, Graaffs pool is more of a nude sun bathing, men only, platform; with a gay mens and straight mens section.
Sandy Bay Beach, is about a 40-minute trip from the city. And a little hike when you get there. Known for its natural beauty, it’s very secluded. Nudist beach.
– Take your sunscreen!
Just north of the city center, and west of the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront along a street called De Waterkant is the “gay village.” You’ll find everything from cozy neighborhood bars to big nightclubs (known for a wild nightlife!) to eclectic restaurants.
A hotspot for gay culture, Cape Town boasts a liberal attitude and is very accepting of the Gay community which is large and growing.
Café Manhattan is probably one of the oldest gay venues, it is a relaxed bar and restaurant, also might want to try The Bronx, a popular action bar. For the more theatrically inclined, On Broadway offers regular performances by popular entertainers.
Just over 4 million people make up Cape Town and 11 different languages are spoken here! People are very friendly and have a reputation for hospitality. Whether you want to go shark diving, paragliding, jet ski, absailing or just hang out on the beach and man watch….Cape Town is a fun time!
Discover The Cape GAY DURBAN
CAPETOWN BLOG GAY SOUTH AFRICA GAY JOHANNESBURG
Gay Paris – Don’t Fall For the Brass Ring Scam!
My partner and I just got back from the very beautiful, very unfriendly Paris! We had been warned prior to leaving about pick pockets.
Tourists are targeted by scam and rip-off artists everywhere in Europe. If you know the games (spilling the mustard, bus 64 in Rome, and so on), you’re less likely to be a victim. By sharing the latest scams (and learning from each others’ mistakes) we’ll all travel more safely.
Remember, pickpocketing attempts throughout Europe can be expected unless you wear a moneybelt under your clothing. Smart travelers leave wallets at home and store their credit cards, passport, paper money and rail ticket(s) in a secure moneybelt.
We never had a problem with pick pockets. However, no one warned us about the brass ring scam! On our way walking along the Siene, we met a woman, who was so nice! That should have been our first clue! Because overall, people were not very nice in Paris. She seemed so genuine – a really good actress!
Just as you pass the scammer, they bend down to an empty walkway and the ring suddenly appears in her fingers. – Timing is everything. As my eyes went to the pavement, the ring was already there. She wanted me take it. I must have dropped it she said. I said, no. It was hers to keep! Finders keepers!
She gave me a believable story. In her country she could not possess such a ring. She was not allowed to even talk to men. She said I should keep it. And explained she was looking for work as a cleaning woman – did I know of anywhere she could apply? – I did not need or want a gold band! But the generous heart that I have I gave her $10 Euro and went about my day!
100 feet later, I looked to my partner and said, “You don’t think she has a whole pocketful of those rings do you???” – Sure enough, a few blocks later, we see her daughter scamming somone! Yet, a few blocks further, a young man comes up to us, not nearly as smooth – he must be in training and tried to pull the scam on us. His hand went to the pavement and nothing was there. He clumsily dropped the palmed ring to the pavemtent and picked it up. I show him the ring I had just acquired and told him I already bought one from his mother!
Lots of tourists get punk’d every day! You will find a lot of stories at RICK STEVES. Watch out for “lost tourists” needing directions. The ring scam. The bracelet scam. Wallet and moneybelt ideas. Be informed before you travel.
I think we are pretty smart, pretty aware travelers, but just when you let you guard down, watch out!
New Gay Travel Guide
Best Gay Cities
Celebrate Gay Pride in Ottawa Canada August 21-30
Ottawa is an open, friendly and welcoming destination for gay and lesbian travelers. Canada’s Capital has an LGBT pedigree that extends back to the first-ever gay and lesbian public demonstration in Canada (1971), and that in recent years included perhaps the most public gay marriage of all time between two gay stars of the TV program The Amazing Race.
Today, Ottawa is home to a proud and active gay and lesbian community with an ever-expanding variety of clubs, organizations, activities and events – including a very boisterous annual Pride Week celebration – that reflects the diversity of the local community.
The centre of gay and lesbian life is the area around Bank Street and Somerset in the downtown core. The growing gaybourhood has shops and bars and is the home base for local institutions serving the LGBT community.
Explore it by day—or by night. But don’t feel you have to limit yourself to one neighbourhood. There are things happening all over. On Sunday evenings, for example, there’s a lesbian coffee club in suburban Barrhaven. You’ll find gays and lesbians all over the city, doing the active things Ottawans do. Check publications such as Capital Xtra for listings and up-to-date information.
CAPITAL PRIDE, Ottawa’s most colorful event, takes place August 21st – 30th, 2009. More than 50,000 people are expected at the week long celebartion!
Highlights of the 2009 festival include:
· The annual and highly-anticipated Capital Pride Parade on August 30, which is historically well-attended by members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, two-spirited and questioning (GLBTTQ) community and their friends and allies;
· The 2009 Capital Pride festival at Ottawa City Hall immediately following the parade, featuring music, entertainment and an information fair;
· New and expanded events including the Pride Family Street Fair, the Diversity Fun Run, Rainbow Party 10, and youth events hosted by the new Capital Pride Youth group (CPY-A set of “Spy’s”).
Capital Pride has geared up with several community partners to bring the community a more diverse set of events, providing something for all demographics of the GLBTTQ community.
Capital Pride also announced that the 2009 Parade Marshal would be long-time community and trans-rights activist Joanne Law. Capital Pride also officially launched its first issue of its new quarterly Capital Pride newsletter, helping the community stay more connected to their Pride committee.
The theme for the 2009 festival, “Capital Pride on the Map”, recognizes the significant place the festival holds in the Ottawa–Gatineau festival season.
The Capital Pride Festival has made leaps and bound throughout its 20-year history, growing to be Canada’s fourth-largest Pride celebration. Also incorporated into the theme Capital Prides new logo, whose purple star is the symbol marking a capital city on a map.
Ottawa is blessed with a natural setting offering boundless opportunities for outdoor recreation. Paved recreational paths welcome cyclists, inline skaters and joggers across the region and on Sunday mornings from May through September, several streets are closed to cars for Sunday Bikedays. The region’s many waterways are ideal for kayaking, canoeing and boating, and the upper Ottawa River offers some of the best whitewater rafting anywhere. And nearby Gatineau Park offers hiking, rock climbing, camping, exciting zip line aerial experiences and more.
Ottawa is also city of museums, galleries, and theatres showcasing the best in Canadian and world culture. 5-Diamond dining, a vast selection of international cuisines, relaxed, casual fare – Ottawa offers restaurants and culinary experiences to suit every palate, with a thriving local culinary scene and local chefs making names for themselves at home and abroad.
Dining districts include the courtyards and outdoor cafés of the historic ByWard Market, great Asian dining along Somerset Street West, Italian along Preston Street, and a mix of culinary treats along Elgin Street, Bank Street and surrounding neighbourhoods.
Ottawa is just a two-hour drive west of Montreal, just a one-hour flight from Toronto and New York City and a two-hour flight from Chicago. Superb air, rail and road connections make Canada’s capital easily accessible.
CAPITAL PRIDE OTTAWA LGBT TOURISM
ARC THE.HOTEL is proud to sponsor Capital Pride 2009 and is offering a special Capital Pride rate beginning at $119 for a Classic Room with Queen-size bed*. Comfort and luxury are paired with contemporary design in the serene and sophisticated ARC The.Hotel Ottawa. The premier design boutique hotel in Canada’s capital offers luxuriously appointed rooms in an intimate atmosphere to ensure you feel energized and relaxed. Minutes away from Ottawa International Airport and close to all major Ottawa attractions.
Please contact the hotel for details and availability, or visit www.arcthehotel.com.
*Rates quoted are for double occupancy and do not include applicable taxes and fees.
Reserve your room today at 1-800-699-2516 – Be sure to ask for the special RAINBOW RATE.
BEST GAY CITIES New Gay Travel Guide
Amsterdam Gay Pride on the Canal July 31 – August 2
Gay Pride Amsterdam is the yearly highlight for gay Amsterdam. This year the main Amsterdam Pride weekend will be from July 31 – August 2, 2009.
Don’t miss this thrilling weekend, as Amsterdam Pride is one of the biggest and most special gay prides around the globe! With street parties all weekend long, the best club circuit parties and of course the famous Canal Parade on Saturday.
The Amsterdam Gay Pride weekend will be full of events and parties. In the end the complete program will be a mix for anyone’s taste. These are the main outlines of everything to come up. Keep an eye on Amsterdampride.nl to get the latest updates on parties and events.
For the thirteenth time the extravagant Canal Parade will be held during Amsterdam Pride 2008. With 250.000 spectators this event is the third largest in Amsterdam.
If you want to be a spectator of the Canal Parade we suggest you find a spot somewhere along the Prinsengracht or Amstel in the old city of Amsterdam. Also at the Stopera a lot of people are watching the boats come by. Many enjoy the parade standing on a bridge over the Prinsengracht.
The parade happens Saturday August 1st, between 14:00 and 18:00. See the whole Gay Pride schedule online.
A unique aspect this year is that the minister for the emancipation of homosexuals, Mr. Plasterk, will join the Canal Parade.
Last year Amsterdam Gay Pride drew in a record amount of visitors. Some 500,000 people watched the Canal Parade, where a record 75 boats took part.
For the first time there were also boats with heterosexuals, gay youths under 16, city boats and the mentally handicapped.
Gay Brazil – HOMOPHOBIA Must Stop!
Last year, Brazilian chief Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, held the First National Conference of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transvestites and Transsexuals to condemn the biblical belief that homosexuality is wrong!
Brazil Without Homophobia is a national program run by the Lula administration that teaches that homosexual orientation is unchangeable, and seeks to construct a culture in Brazil that is “affirming” towards homosexuality.The president of Brazil says “opposing” homosexuality makes you a sick person, and he believes such thoughts need to be criminalized.
LAST WEEK, during Gay Pride in SAO PAULO – At least 21 people were injured when a homemade bomb exploded at a spot where participants gathered after the gay pride parade in Brazil’s largest city.
A 17-year-old boy who took part in the parade remains in a coma at a Sao Paulo hospital after being attacked by a group of unknown persons who found him alone on an empty street after the nearly eight-hour parade.
Another youth was attacked in Roosevelt Plaza where the march ended, and a third was stabbed in Largo do Arouche Plaza.
Calling for “the criminalization of homophobia,” Lulu said opposition to homosexuality is “perhaps the most perverse disease impregnated in the human head.”
If the bill was to pass, violators will face up to five years in prison!
Brazil is very much a country of contrasts. When someone hears the word Brazil, one thinks of the great Amazon forest, fantastic beaches, great soccer players, Carnival time – and that’s all.
Brazil, the most important country in South America, certainly has MUCH more to offer – warm people, great cities with everything from slums to high technology, a wide range of weather patterns, an awesome mixture of cultures and races – and much more!
A Gay Guide to Pattaya Thailand, Sunee Plaza and Boyztown
Pattaya is located about 2 hours drive South of Bangkok, or about 90 minutes from the new airport. It is well known for its beaches, and the “sun/sea” image, but far more renowned for its reputation as “Sin City”.
Nightlife dominates this city and the people who come here generally come for this. You can have 24 hour entertainment; from the beach during the day, quiet cafes in the afternoon, early evening drinks, wild evenings in gogo bars or cabaret bars and late night fun in the discos.
It’s all here, and it’s all set up for the gay visitor. What’s more it’s as safe as anywhere in Europe and you pay Asian prices, rather than European ones. Pattaya stands for erotic fun. ANYTHING you want is here and can be found.
The history of Pattaya is interesting. Until the mid 20th century it was a sleepy fishing village. In the time of the Vietnam War, the Americans built a large air force base close to the town and imported troops by the thousand. Towards the end of the war, they started using Pattaya as an area to send the combatants for R&R. The town started to grow. Of course the veterans wanted one thing to compliment the sun and sea – they wanted sex. The local girls were happy to provide this and so Walking Street started to grow up. By the mid 80s it was a shanty town of wooden huts and loose women. At about the same time, but far more discrete, Boyztown had started to develop and the gay market had established itself.
Through the 1990s the straight prostitute market exploded. Cheapening air travel, better accommodation, more available tourist money and general economic prosperity lead to Walking Street becoming what it is today. Sunee Plaza, Pattaya’s second gay area started in the late 1980s and by the mid 90s was firmly established. Sunee is still largely un-troubled by non-gay tourists.
However Boyztown is frequented by coach loads of them. You will frequently see two or three coach parties per night, usually Japanese, mixed sexes and hetero, walking through Boyztown, being guided through. One can imagine the party looking at the gay “exhibits”. They peer in through the open door on the occasional club and wonder at the boys they see.
And that’s what most gay tourists come for. Pattaya itself has a huge market based around this sex industry, and the gay market congregates around two areas. One is Boyztown. Glitsy, glamorous and top-priced, it features gogo bars, host bars and cabaret shows.
Ten minutes away and just down Soi VC, by the VC hotel is Sunee Plaza, smaller, with less sparkle, it has an air of fun, frivolity, spontaneity and eroticism that its big brother often fails to deliver.
Boyztown
Technically this is one short street, although most people lump in the adjacent Pattayaland Soi 1 and 2 to make a large area. It’s older and more established than Sunee Plaza. Here one can find the Cabaret shows such as at the Copa Showbar or at Boyz Boyz Boyz. Copa includes an
amazing “underwater” show and has two later dance shows. The boys in the dance troupe will excite you. Boyz Boyz Boyz has a slightly less well choreographed show, but is still fun and worth going to.
There are also many other Gogo bars, try Star Boys in Pattayaland soi 1 or Cupidol in the same soi. Star boys is a favourite for many a local with its wide range of boy. Cupidol has a nice line up and the boys wear really nice underwear. You might consider the beer bars with their attractive hosts; I’d recommend Panorama in Boyztown which occupies a prime position at the head of the street or Oscars almost next door, owned by David, a large Brit with a personality to match. Then there are restaurants such as the Café Royale with an extensive menu and daily specials and the Ambiance Hotel actually in Boyztown.
Sunee Plaza
Here is an area which advertises itself as the “heart of the extreme city”. It has a feeling of being the smaller brother to Boyztown, but in fact there are more bars and more facilities here. It is also cheaper than its older sibling. I’d recommend Krazy Dragon – the original table top gogo bar in Pattaya. The boys come round and squat down on your table with their over-size baggy shorts and no underwear! A smaller gogo bar well worth a visit is Euroboys where the boys wear the sexiest white satin underwear with lace up sides.
Beer bars abound and each has its own character and charm. Oud’s café bar is fronted by the outrageous and screamingly funny Oud – it’s worth a visit just to meet him. Memories Music bar will play music all night in many styles and this is their theme. You can stop for a drink on the corner of the terrace at Don Plaza’s Terrace bar and watch the world go by. Just round the corner is Duc’s coffee shop with its collection of books and International movies. The Corner Bar serves double shots for the price of one and has the best location in the Soi. Its pool table is often in demand by the local Thai lads. Mike’s Bar La Cage (just outside Sunee Plaza in Soi VC) has regular party nights and offers a Happy hour. The guv’nor – Mike – will do his best to look after you.
For food, one is spoiled for choice. Next door to La Cage is Mike’s All New White Night. This restaurant provides everything from breakfast to a set menu evening meal. The Balkan Express features Barbecue food from Croatia, and very tasty it is too! They have started a Thai menu and the host boys are very attentive. Oud’s bar and Memories (already mentioned) also have snack menus – Memories being open from 2 pm. And of course there are an abundance of Thai food cafes around.
All the attractions of Sunee Plaza can be found online. This site has a good diary and is kept completely up to date so you can see exactly what is happening in the area.
Late night
After the go go bars close (at 1 am), there are still the beer bars to visit. If you want to party on, then there are a number of late night discos to try. These are chaotic affairs, filled with Thai boys, who have just finished work in the beer and gogo bars. They are for the most part not near the two main areas, but can be found by talking to any local bar owner or bar boy. If you take a boy for company, he will show you his favourite. I’d recommend Body Language or XZYTE, but there are another half a dozen to try.
Where to stay
Pattaya has more than its fair share of hotels. A number are worth
mentioning here. For people who would prefer to stay close to Boyztown, there
is the Ambiance, right in the heart of the action. Some people would say it’s
too close. Sunee visitors have a larger range to choose from. Two guys
Guesthouse is extremely comfortable and would suit any traveler on a budget,
with rooms from £11 per night. John, the owner, is a particularly friendly
host. At the other end of the scale there is the Don Plaza Hotel, offering
suites and a 4 star comfort level. There plenty of Pattaya hotels around the city that will
fall into different price brackets so that you don’t have to worry about
spending too much money.
Prices
Originally providing a very cheap holiday, Pattaya is no longer the cheapest place in Asia. However compared to Europe it is still a bargain. Drinks Vary from £3 for a beer in a Boyztown showbar (there is no charge for the show), to under £1 in Sunee. You can get a good breakfast for £2 and a quality evening meal for under £5. The costs of entertaining a boy are very much cheaper than in Europe and if the thought of Asian boys fulfilling your every fantasy appeals to you, this is the place to visit.
Daytime attractionsThe main scene for tourists in the day is the gay beach at Jomtien – just 10 minutes away by baht bus. 10 baht gets you there, merely hail a bus going in the right direction and hop on. When you get to the beach at Jomtien, turn right down beach road. Pass the toilets and look for the concession numbers. The gay section includes concessions 20 to 25. Each has their own brightly coloured deck chairs in their signature colour. Each also has beach umbrellas to shade you. The concessions charge 30 Baht for a chair for the day, and for a small fee will provide food and drink all day for you. While you are there, a bewildering array of vendors will walk past you.
You can buy anything you need (and many things you don’t need from them). The range starts with fresh fruit, peeled and packed on Styrofoam trays, doughnuts, fried fish, and ends with bed spreads, carved elephant heads and hand made cards. Of course there is everything in between.
Also look out for the stream of manicure ladies and massage boys, any of whom will perform their services for seemingly ridiculous rates. A good leg massage for 30 minutes (which should bring a smile to your face) will cost a mere £2.50.
Outside the beach, there are many other attractions. Places to see include Wong Amat, an enormous ornate wood building just North of Pattaya, Big Buddha Hill (there is a clue in the name here), and Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens. You might also like to think about a trip to the elephant village or maybe a day out to Bang Seray, a truly sleepy fishing post about 30 minutes south. If you arrive lunchtime, you can have a nice seafood lunch, and stroll along the fishing pier about 3.30, just as the boat boys are waking up and showering on deck.
One word of caution
Prostitution is technically illegal in Thailand, although the entire city depends on this market. There will be no problems as long as the boy you take home with you is over 18. It is as well to check their ID. Taking boys from recommended host bars or gogo bars is far safer than picking a boy up from the street. A little caution and you will have the holiday of a lifetime.If you’ve never been to Pattaya – check it out! For the gay man, there is everything you could want here.
All set in a tropical setting. If I were designing paradise, I would look little further than Pattaya!
SUNEE PLAZA
New Gay Travel Guide and The Best Gay Cities
Gay Peru
WOW!
Someone sent me these pictures from PERU! How beautiful is that? Peru is a spectacular country with much to offer tourists and travellers, I am told. There are the well-known destinations like Cuzco and Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, Arequipa, Colca Canyon, Nazca Lines, Paracas, and the Amazon Rainforest.
Has anyone been there?
How is the gay scene there?
We will have to explore that in a future article. Spirit Journeys is planning a 2 week gay vacation there! It looks amazing!
Gay Ottawa Canada and Capital Pride in August
Ottawa is an open, friendly and welcoming destination for gay and lesbian travelers. Canada’s Capital has an LGBT pedigree that extends back to the first-ever gay and lesbian public demonstration in Canada (1971), and that in recent years included perhaps the most public gay marriage of all time between two gay stars of the TV program The Amazing Race.
Today, Ottawa is home to a proud and active gay and lesbian community with an ever-expanding variety of clubs, organizations, activities and events – including a very boisterous annual Pride Week celebration – that reflects the diversity of the local community.
The centre of gay and lesbian life is the area around Bank Street and Somerset in the downtown core. The growing gaybourhood has shops and bars and is the home base for local institutions serving the LGBT community.
Explore it by day—or by night. But don’t feel you have to limit yourself to one neighbourhood. There are things happening all over. On Sunday evenings, for example, there’s a lesbian coffee club in suburban Barrhaven. You’ll find gays and lesbians all over the city, doing the active things Ottawans do. Check publications such as Capital Xtra for listings and up-to-date information.
CAPITAL PRIDE, Ottawa’s most colorful event, takes place August 21st – 30th, 2009. More than 50,000 people are expected at the week long celebartion!
Highlights of the 2009 festival include:
· The annual and highly-anticipated Capital Pride Parade on August 30, which is historically well-attended by members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, two-spirited and questioning (GLBTTQ) community and their friends and allies;
· The 2009 Capital Pride festival at Ottawa City Hall immediately following the parade, featuring music, entertainment and an information fair;
· New and expanded events including the Pride Family Street Fair, the Diversity Fun Run, Rainbow Party 10, and youth events hosted by the new Capital Pride Youth group (CPY-A set of “Spy’s”).
Capital Pride has geared up with several community partners to bring the community a more diverse set of events, providing something for all demographics of the GLBTTQ community.
Capital Pride also announced that the 2009 Parade Marshal would be long-time community and trans-rights activist Joanne Law. Capital Pride also officially launched its first issue of its new quarterly Capital Pride newsletter, helping the community stay more connected to their Pride committee.
The theme for the 2009 festival, “Capital Pride on the Map”, recognizes the significant place the festival holds in the Ottawa–Gatineau festival season.
The Capital Pride Festival has made leaps and bound throughout its 20-year history, growing to be Canada’s fourth-largest Pride celebration. Also incorporated into the theme Capital Prides new logo, whose purple star is the symbol marking a capital city on a map.
Ottawa is blessed with a natural setting offering boundless opportunities for outdoor recreation. Paved recreational paths welcome cyclists, inline skaters and joggers across the region and on Sunday mornings from May through September, several streets are closed to cars for Sunday Bikedays. The region’s many waterways are ideal for kayaking, canoeing and boating, and the upper Ottawa River offers some of the best whitewater rafting anywhere. And nearby Gatineau Park offers hiking, rock climbing, camping, exciting zip line aerial experiences and more.
Ottawa is also city of museums, galleries, and theatres showcasing the best in Canadian and world culture. 5-Diamond dining, a vast selection of international cuisines, relaxed, casual fare – Ottawa offers restaurants and culinary experiences to suit every palate, with a thriving local culinary scene and local chefs making names for themselves at home and abroad.
Dining districts include the courtyards and outdoor cafés of the historic ByWard Market, great Asian dining along Somerset Street West, Italian along Preston Street, and a mix of culinary treats along Elgin Street, Bank Street and surrounding neighbourhoods.
Ottawa is just a two-hour drive west of Montreal, just a one-hour flight from Toronto and New York City and a two-hour flight from Chicago. Superb air, rail and road connections make Canada’s capital easily accessible.
CAPITAL PRIDE OTTAWA LGBT TOURISM
ARC THE.HOTEL is proud to sponsor Capital Pride 2009 and is offering a special Capital Pride rate beginning at $119 for a Classic Room with Queen-size bed*. Comfort and luxury are paired with contemporary design in the serene and sophisticated ARC The.Hotel Ottawa. The premier design boutique hotel in Canada’s capital offers luxuriously appointed rooms in an intimate atmosphere to ensure you feel energized and relaxed. Minutes away from Ottawa International Airport and close to all major Ottawa attractions.
Please contact the hotel for details and availability, or visit www.arcthehotel.com.
*Rates quoted are for double occupancy and do not include applicable taxes and fees.
Reserve your room today at 1-800-699-2516 – Be sure to ask for the special RAINBOW RATE.
BEST GAY CITIES New Gay Travel Guide
Gay Dubai? David Fisher Brings Rotating Building to Dubai and Russia
While it may not be very gay in Dubai, it certainly has become one of the most visually stunning cities in the world! I SO want to go there, just to see it!
I have had a couple of friends go and say that it is just amazing – and if you look hard, and are discreet, there are a few gay gathering spots.
At any rate, my friend was telling me about the David Fisher Dynamic Tower Buildings.
Dynamic Architecture or Dynamic Tower design was announced by the Italian architect David Fisher last summer. This is the world’s first building in motion. The first of these innovative skyscraper designs are going to constructed in Dubai and Moscow.
The design and floor plans of the rotating building in Dubai (Da Vinci Tower) will have 80 floors and be 420 meters (1,380 feet) tall. Apartments will range in size from 124 square meters (1,334 sq ft), to Villas of 1,200 square meters (12,916 sq ft) complete with a parking space inside the apartment.
Fisher’s Dynamic Tower is the first building in motion that will change its shape and add a fourth dimension to architecture: Time. The shape will be determined by each floor’s direction of rotation, speed, acceleration and the timing; with timing meaning how each floor rotates compared to the other. The rotation speed will be between 60 minutes and 24 hours for one revolution.
David Fisher also announced that the second Dynamic Tower planned for Moscow is now in the advanced design phase, with pre-assembling of the units to start soon and completion scheduled for 2010. The developer is the Mirax Group, headed by leading international developer Sergei Polonsky, The Moscow tower, which will have 70 floors and be 400 meters (1,310 feet) tall, will be located in Moscow City area, the new prestigious part of the Russian capital.
The Rotating Tower of Moscow will be one of the most exclusive world residential buildings and become the new icon of the Russian Federation.
The world’s first building in motion, takes the concept of Green buildings to the next level, generating electricity for itself with a possible surplus for other nearby buildings, making it the first skyscraper designed to be entirely powered by wind and sun.
With wind turbines fitted horizontally between each rotating floor, an 80-story building will have up to 79 wind turbine systems, making it a true Green power plant. While traditional vertical wind turbines have environmental and social effects, including the need for roads to build and maintain them plus their noise and obstruction of views, the Dynamic Tower’s wind turbines are practically invisible and extremely quiet due to their special shape and the carbon fiber material of which they are composed.
The Dynamic Tower offers infinite design possibilities, as each floor rotates completely independently to create a building design that is constantly changing shape, resulting in a unique and ever evolving architectural structure, like no other.
Watch the video presentation of Dynamic Tower!
New Zealand Air – CEO and Staff Go Nude!
Air New Zealand has just come up with an advertisement that features the airline CEO and staff appear in nothing but body paint. The point they’re trying make is that “they’ve got nothing to hide” with their all-in prices, as opposed to budget carriers. The fares Air New Zealand advertises include baggage allowance and refreshments. In an age of rising ala-carte styled pricing, this is indeed refreshing.
The company has a history of fearless innovation – be it the introduction of an in-flight conceirge at a time when other airlines were cutting service levels, or now this advertisement, which is bound to catch people’s attention. And with all the buzz such videos create on social media these days, there’s a very high chance of this going viral too!
Who would mind that? Probably just Air New Zealand’s competitors.
The carrier says that the aim is to differentiate Air New Zealand from competitors “who levy additional charges if a passenger wants to simply check a bag or have a drink”.
And what better way to do this than to simply, bare all.
Enjoy the advertisement below ON YOU TUBE video.
Sure looks very cold down under to be shooting that advertisement!
Gay Russia! – Not So Much
In the last few weeks GAY RUSSIA
has been in the news.
Nothing much changes under the Kremlin.
Just days away from Moscow’s hosting of Eurovision Song Contest (where contestants are being urged to speak out on GLBT issues), gay pride organizers Nikolay Bayev and Irina Fet were found guilty of “popularizing homosexuality among minors and the court ruled to fine them 1,500 rubles [about USD$50] each,” reports Interfax.
Last month they organized a public demonstration with posters reading “Homosexuality is normal” and “I am proud of my homosexuality”; a judge ordered the posters destroyed, issuing his decision from a court in Ryazan, identified as the only region in Russia where a law that bans discussing homosexuality with minors is enforced. And this is just the lead up to Moscow’s gay pride march on May 16, which will not proceed if Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov has his way. Luzhkov has, year-after-year, refused to grant a marching license to organizers — except Moscow Pride already has “seven cases already pending before the European Court of Human Rights,” notes MosNews. “The latest was filed against President Dmitry Medvedev.
The biggest Greek star and the most handsome singer of the Eurovision Song Contest is ready to thrill all eurofans across the globe with his song “This is our night”, the creative choreography of Mr Eurovision Fokas Evangelinos (two times No1 in ESC!) and his sexy appearance on stage! WATCHTHE SAKIS ROUVAS VIDEO! More on him later….
Authorities in Moscow have said they will deal “firmly” with any attempts to hold gay Pride events during the Eurovision song contest, which takes place in the city this month. According to News agency RIA Novosti, City Hall spokesman Leonid Krutakov said: “There have been no official applications for permission to hold gay parades during the May holidays and all attempts to hold such events will be firmly stopped by the authorities.”
However, according to a report from Canadian site Macleans.ca, Parade organisers have applied for permission, but say they will hold this year’s march either way. “We are not going to surrender our right to freedom of assembly and expression,” said Nikolai Alekseev, head of Moscow Pride.
Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov told gays, “Entertain yourself, no problem, but not on the streets, squares, marches and demonstrations. We do not allow gay parades.” Homosexuality has been legal in Russia since 1993.
WTF?!
Next week…..A lesbian couple will try to defy deep-rooted Russian homophobia next week in the first attempt at a gay marriage even though rights activists say it will be rejected outright.
Public relations worker Irina Fyet, 31, and her partner of the same age will apply for a marriage license at a register office on May 12 in Moscow!
New Gay Travel Guide Best Gay Cities
Gay Andorra – LGBT Summer Glamour Party Week June 14 – 21 – Party in Andorra Pyrenees
Hopefully you read our article last week about how wonderful the country of Andorra is! Nestled between Spain and France, this country has a lot to see and do if you want, or just relax and enjoy it’s beauty. An estimated 10 million tourists visit annually, attracted by Andorra’s duty-free status and by its summer and winter resorts. Anorra is Europes 6th smallest country. Vatican is the big little winner. Then comes Monaco, San Marino, Liechtenstein, Malta.
This week, we explore more in depth what the country has to offer visitors as they prepare for the
LGBT Summer Glamour Party June 14 – 21.
One of the BEST SPA’S we have ever seen! CALDEA SPA. This place is AMAZING! It’s like something out of a Busby Berkeley movie!
Designed by the architect Jean-Michel Ruols – is fruit of the will of the community (town council) of Escaldes-Engordany to make use of the richness of the territory’s thermal water, with a philosophy different to that of traditional health resorts: thermoludism. The concept was entirely innovative and avoids use of the therapeutic properties of thermal water. Thermoludism is the use of the properties and benefits of thermal water to rest, recuperate vitality and well-being. The water at different temperatures procures authentic gymnastic toning for the body, and the thermal water help psychic rebalance.
There is a huge indoor lagoon with several different baths and bubbles to enjoy. Cascading steps take you into a large pool and a “river” which you can follow to even more pools outside! An entire world of aquatic areas, aerobaths and hydromassage. There is an Islandic bath, AquaMassage area, Sirocco hot air bath, Sauna’s, Hammam with vaporisation, Infrared relaxing areas, Grapfruit pool and even swim up bars for refreshments. You pay one fee, which is about 30 euros and you can use all of these areas for about 4 hours.
They also offer many treatments like different kinds of massages, facials, beauty treatments and a Chocotherapy where they massage scrub and cover the body with Germaine de Capuccini products!
I think that would make me hungry…
In the evening they offer some special rates, the lights come on and you are treated to Mondaigua, a multimedia show created by Comediants. Mondaigua is a show that celebrates the union between fire and water, two elements which make Caldea a thermoludic centre designed to improve personal wellbeing. Comediants has thought up and designed much more than a traditional sound and light show: automatisms, magical elements, pyrotechnics, projections, light play, special smoke effects, soap bubbles…it’s really something to see! You must go to the Caldea site gallery and see all of the beautiful photographs of this place. It’s like Disneyland for adults. Honestly, this place is probably the most amazing spa set up I have ever seen.
Tobotronc is the world’s largest, longest and most spectacular toboggan track. Situated on the La Rabassa mountain, the toboggan track not only has the advantage of being high up, yet also provides those who do not need to keep their eyes fixed on the track at all times with the opportunity to enjoy the spectacular La Rabassa forest scenery, which surrounds the mountain.
The track is 5200 meters long and riders are entrusted with braking themselves! It’s about a 6 minute ride and lots of fun, winter or summer!
In the Summer, there are lots of outdoors activities that you can take advantage of. For years the Andorran tourist industry was focused exclusively on winter sports. Now though people have realized in the summer, the hills are alive! And tourists come to enjoy the great outdoors and beauty of the land.
What is so wonderful here is the unspoiled nature of Andorra. There are no overhead planes, no sirens, no billboards blocking your views, no humidity…just a little slice of heaven! All you hear is crickets and birds! Hiking, golfing, mountain biking, horse riding, dune buggy rides (on smugglers route) and more allow you to explore the scenic hills of Andorra. You can even scuba dive in the moutain lakes!
SHOPPING of course is big here like I mentioned, because of the duty free tax status. Andorra’s commercial tradition is famous worldwide thanks to its 2,000 modern boutiques and shops, its quality products, its competitive prices and its flexible hours. Although there are shops in the entire country, most are concentrated in Andorra la Vella, the capital, Escaldes-Engordany, and Pas de la Casa. There are several large shopping centres in Sant Julià de Lòria.
The main fashion and accessories shops, perfumeries and the most prestigious jewellery and watch brands are found on Avenida Meritxell in Andorra la Vella and on the Avenida Carlemany in Escaldes–Engordany.
PYRENEES ANDORRA is a must-see. It is their big “mall”. It is a huge collection of “department stores” located at Avinguda Meritxell, 11, AD500 Andorra
3 floors of fashion and clothes, a huge cosmetic and fragrance floor, technology, sporting goods, books, music, things for the home and a very nice grocery market with everything you could possibly want, from a tube of toothpaste to imported meats and cheeses, plus a wine and liquor depart that spans a city block!
When you are ready to plan a trip here, don’t call your travel agent, and don’t try to do it online. ORIGINAL ANDORRA are the specialists in the area and they know everything, inside and out. They put together an assortment of packages priced right and are happy to custom make a package to whatever you are looking for. They have made plans to host 2 GAY WEEKS each year, one for skiing in the winter (which we just got back from in March) and a summer Gay Week June 14th-21st. They are wonderful to work with and will make sure you have a great trip!
The New Gay Travel Guide and the Best Gay Cities
Gay Pride Maspalomas – The Canary Islands Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria is
an island of the Canary Islands.
One of the Spanish Canary Islands, Gran Canaria sits off the west coast Africa, less than a hundred miles from the Sahara so enjoys summer style sunshine all year round.
Our buddies at GayPedia said, Gran Canaria, the third largest Canary island, maintains an unusual mixture of attractions for the gay tourist.
Whilst the island offers standard package holidays, with highly-developed beachfront resorts, there is also the greenery of the north, the rugged mountains of the centre, and the desert-like southern region. So, whatever you are looking for in a holiday or short break, the island could have something for you.
Miles of golden-sand beaches (and famous Maspalomas sand dunes), scorching summer heat with beach weather all through the winter, gay bars, restaurants, shops and clubs most situated side-by-side in one large commercial centers in Playa del Ingles & the Mediterranean men are perhaps the main attractions here but the island has so much more to offer as well.
This island is called a “Miniature Continent” due to the different climates and variety of landscapes found, with its long golden beaches and endless dunes of white sand, its green ravines and picturesque villages. Many researchers on climatology say you find the best climate in the world here!
Maspalomas is the oldest touristic town in the south coast of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands.
There is a 68 m tall lighthouse El Faro de Maspalomas at the southern point from where the 12 km long beach and dunes, a nature reserve since 1897, lead to Playa del Inglés. Maspalomas is known throughout the world for its lighthouse, lagoon and magnificent beach.
Playa del Inglés is a popular destination for European gay tourists with bars, restaurants and businesses centered primarily in the Yumbo Centrum shopping center. Over 50 gay bars and clubs!
One of the biggest draws in Gran Canaria is its booming gay scene centred around Playa Del Ingles and Maspalomas, and their Gay Pride celebration kicks off this week! May 4th – 10th, MASPALOMAS GAY PRIDE takes over the island with excitement! Pool parties, Lesbian boat rides, drag shows, cabaret, huge pride parade, something for everyone!
GAY GRAN CANARIA MASPALOMAS GAY PRIDE
New Gay Travel Guide
Gay Andorra! Skiing, Mountains, Spas, Shopping and More in the Pyrenees Mountains!
the mother witch from Bewitched!
That’s Endorra!
Although I seem to remember Dr. Bombay up in the snowy mountains in one episode…that could have been Andorra.
If you have never heard of Andorra it is an old, small, beautiful landlocked country in western Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. Just a 2 hour drive from Barcelona airport, or slightly less if you drive in from the Toulouse airport in France.
It is currently a prosperous country mainly because of tourism (nearly 10 million people annually)and its status as a duty-free tax haven. The people of Andorra are currently listed as having the highest human life expectancy in the world, living to an average of 85 years! And Andorra is the sixth smallest nation in Europe.
Andorra truly has some breathtaking mountains! We stood in awe at the Grand Valira ski resort/station, from the base of the mountains, looking towards the top, which must have stretched 2+ miles…skiers looked like ants moving down the hills! Equally as beautiful, but much smaller was the Vallnord resort/station.
Due to its location in the eastern Pyrenees mountain range, Andorra consists predominantly of rugged mountains of an average height of 1,996 metres (6,549 ft) with the highest being the Coma Pedrosa at 2,946 metres (9,665 ft). These are dissected by three narrow valleys in a Y shape that combine into one as the main stream, the Valira river, leaves the country for Spain (at Andorra’s lowest point of 870 m/2,854 ft). Andorra’s total surface area is only 468 square kilometres (181 sq mi).
Andorra’s climate is similar to that of its neighbours’ temperate climates, but its higher altitude means there is, on average, more snow in winter and it is slightly cooler in summer. Lots to see and do in either season!
We just got back from a wonderful Gay Ski Week there, organized by ORIGINAL ANDORRA, and they are now planning a Summer Gay Glamour Party Week for June 14 – 21. It’s VERY reasonable in Andorra. And the shopping is big there, due to the tax situation.
Skiing is very big there, as you can imagine, surrounded by all the amazing mountains. I am NOT a skier, and there was lots to do and see in Andorra…both in the snow and out of the snow. They have things like ski bikes, snow mobiles and Husky sleigh rides/dog sleds for non-skiers. And being up in the mountains surrounded by all the majestic beauty, was breathtaking!
This past ski season Andorra really raised the bar to compete in the skiing market. In addition to the inclusion of an ice hotel, Andorra hotels and resorts have made more than 20 million euros worth of upgrades to existing ski areas. Improvements and additions include low-cost helicopter sight-seeing flights, tubing slopes, new ice rinks and a snowmobile circuit.
An Ice Hotel is really something to see! The Grand Valira resort unveiled its first icy accommodation for tourists this winter, when the Iglu-Dorf chain – which already runs igloo developments in five Swiss ski resorts – opened a snow palace to cater for up to 26 guests – complete with fur-covered beds and an après-ski bar.
All of the skiing pretty much wraps up this week in Andorra….until the next season begins. But it’s also a great summer vacation spot with hiking, dune buggies, golf, shopping, museums, barbeques and of course, the world famous CALDEA WELLNESS SPA! Next week we will cover all of this in a follow up article.
While this isn’t a “gay city”, it’s super laid back and welcoming and people like Original Andorra plan these great “gay weeks’ there, with the next one being June 14 – 21st!
“Homosexual acts” are legal in Andorra. The age of consent is 16 for all. In 2005, they legalized civil unions including having the right to adopt.
The official and historic language is Catalan. Because of immigration and close geographic proximity, other languages such as French, Portuguese and Spanish are also commonly spoken. Many people speak English, so it easy to communicate.
I say it’s a little bit of Spain, a little bit of France, a little bit of magic!
Discover Andorra Soon! And watch for our follow up article next week, with more in depth coverage and specifics!
Gay Tourism in Andorra Gay Andorra Online
New Gay Travel Guide and Best Gay Cities
AXEL Gay Hotels – Now in Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Berlin and Expanding!
Inaugurated on 1 July 2003, Axel Hotel Barcelona was the first hotel in the Axel Hotels chain and the first city designer hotel aimed at the gay community. Axel Hotel Barcelona is a trend-setter and has become an international reference for gay accommodations.
From the outset, the team has paid attention to even the slightest detail; first of all, its location in theGayxample, heart of Barcelona’s gay scene, only 10 minutes from the fashion centres of the city, the district el Borne and the old city centre. Without forgetting its architecture and design: Axel Hotel Barcelona has been built in a renovated building of the late 19th century, maintaining its façade and spectacular tinted windows from the early days of modernism. Its interiors, fully refurbished, have been conceived to offer design and comfort in a warm atmosphere. Furniture from Vitra, Kartell and Swan, the Axel mosaic and photography light boxes of Emilio Lekuona configure the exclusive Axel universe.
Its 60+ rooms include 10 Premium rooms and the Axel Suite, each with its own character and exquisite design. All rooms are soundproof, air-conditioned, luminous and extremely comfortable: with a king size bed, plasma TV with Internet, Wi-Fi connection for laptops and room service. Also features restaurant, bar, gym, saunas, pool.
And most important, the Axel team, carefully selected to offer personalized, genuine and professional service catering to all our guests requirements and anticipating their needs.
For all of the above reasons, Axel Hotel Barcelona has been chosen the “best gay hotel in the world” by the readers of prestigious travel magazine The Out Traveler (USA). Through the annual survey Reader’s Choice Awards, hundreds of readers voted for the Axel Hotel Barcelona to put it in the ranking’s top position.
Marketed as the first five-star gay hotel in Latin America (but also “heterofriendly”), the second AxelHotel Buenos Aires confirmed what many gay travelers already knew: the Argentine capital is becoming South America’s next party capital. Situated in the bohemian-chic neighborhood of San Telmo.
In San Telmo, you can let yourself go and be captivated by the Axel Hotel Buenos Aires – a cosmopolitan and enticing space that stimulates the senses. With tango in the air, design and comfort, Axel Hotel Buenos Aires seduces everyone with its play of lights and transparency, the sound of water, the Axel mosaic and furniture by Charles & Ray Eames, Mies van der Rohe and Eileen Gray.
48 designer rooms with captivating details. All guestrooms are air-conditioned, cosy and extremely comfortable, conceived and equipped for maximum enjoyment: king size bed, plasma TV, iPod On Stage speakers, Wi-Fi connection, hydro-massage bath or shower in a glass prism, safe and room service.
The hotel also offers a restaurant, cocktail bar, chillout zone, spa with a spectacular swimming pool on the top floor with a translucent floor visible from the main area of the hotel, a 5 floor atrium in the lobby, jacuzzi and sauna, a garden with an outdoor swimming pool and solarium, an outdoor bar & bistro, meeting room and Wi-Fi connection throughout the hotel.
The Buenos Aires property is situated in one of the oldest districts in Buenos Aires. The cradle of tango, San Telmo has a concentration of antiques businesses, bars and restaurants in its renovated 19th century buildings. A few blocks away are the Avenida 9 de Julio and the Casa Rosada, and every weekend the antique market fills the picturesque Plaza Dorrego with movement, people and colour.
Axel Hotel Buenos Aires was recommended by The New York Times “as one of the 53 places to go in 2008”.
Axel Hotel Berlin is the third and newest hotel in the chain. Opened last month, after a year and a half in construction, the new hotel relies on an investment of 13 million euros.
The Berlin hotel is situated at 13-15 Lietzenburger Street, in the neighbourhood of Schöneberg, heart of the city’s gay scene. Bars, restaurants, bookshops, discos, cinemas, and clothes shops with style and glamour make up an extensive hedonistic universe steeped in history. In the twenties Schöneberg was already the epicentre of the Berlin movement, becoming the inspiration for the mythical Cabaret. Axel Hotel Berlin is just one block from the mythical KaDeWe department stores and very close to Ku’damm, the famous shopping avenue which houses the main international fashion brands.
The new hotel has 86 designer guest rooms, equipped to provide guests with maximum comfort. According to Íñigo Hernández Tofé, Spanish architect, collaborator of Axel Hotels and creator of the architectural project of Axel Hotel Berlin, “the hotel plays with the colours black and gold representing simplicity and elegance. A distinctive touch is added by the transparencies of colour, inspired by the Axel Mosaic along with the optical effects which reflect the façade in various areas within the hotel”.
The building consists of 6 floors and a roof terrace. The restaurant with its terrace, the cocktail bar and the open air lounge-bar are its most representative spaces. Moreover, the hotel has a spa with an open air Jacuzzi with spectacular views over the city, sauna, Turkish bath, gym, relaxation area and massage cubicles; and business centers, comfortable and cosy reading areas with PC access and free high speed internet connection.
The International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) are holding their International Conference in Toronto in a couple weeks. At the event, Juan P. Juliá, president of Axel Hotels , will be honored for outstanding professional accomplishments.
“These awards recognize our friends and colleagues in the travel industry who are not only setting the bar, but making the world more accessible and enjoyable for gay and lesbian travelers in the process,” IGLTA Executive Director John Tanzella said.
Named the International Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce’s “Businessman of the Year” in 2008, Juliá will receive IGLTA’s Chairman’s Award, which recognizes individuals who blaze new and inspiring paths in their work to promote inclusiveness within the tourism industry. Known as the world’s first gay hotel chain, Juliá’s Axel Hotels has been recognized for its cosmopolitan atmosphere and focus on diversity by such leading publications as Out Traveler and The New York Times.
“Juan Juliá has made a significant commitment to developing quality accommodations that serve and appeal to the gay and lesbian community,” IGLTA Board Chairman Bryan Herb said. “ Axel Hotels are absolutely in line with where I see the gay travel industry heading. The properties have a gay sensibility with amenities and features that are important to gay and lesbian travelers, yet they are focused on being, as they say, ‘hetero-friendly.’ There’s a great vibe about it because these are places where gay and lesbian people can simply be themselves.”
According to Juliá, IGLTA’s recognition of his company and its unique culture could not have come at a better time. “2009 has been the year we opened our third hotel, and the start of a new stage in the group to export the Axel concept to the major cities of the five continents,” Juliá said. “This award is a great boost to keep forging ahead in this very special project.”
AXEL HOTELS
The New Gay Travel Guide and Best Gay Cities
Gays in Iraq – Baghdad Crackdown on LGBT
I think we often take for granted how good most of us really have it. Imagine living in a country who does not tolerate gay people?
This week, Chris Johnson reported in Southern Voice, Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) is taking U.S. officials to task over alleged human rights abuses against LGBT people in Iraq.
Polis, who is gay, told the Blade that he urged action from the U.S. after looking into “a round of crackdowns on the gay population in Baghdad” during a congressional fact-finding trip to the country last week.
During his investigation, Polis said he learned that Iraqi officials in the Ministry of Interior were allegedly involved in human rights violations against LGBT people. He sent a letter to Patricia Butenis, the acting U.S. ambassador to Iraq, requesting “that the State Department follow-up on these allegations and urge the Iraqi government to respect all human rights.”
He said a café frequented by gay Iraqis was destroyed, leaving six Iraqis dead. Polis said it was unclear who was behind the destruction, but noted that the Iraqi government “failed to protect them.”
Polis also said he heard several gay Iraqis were jailed because of their sexual orientation and that one or more of them might have been executed by the Iraqi government. The lawmaker said he received a letter allegedly written by a jailed man who was beaten into confessing that he was involved with an LGBT rights group in Iraq.
The New York Times said, that in the past two months, the bodies of as many as 25 boys and men suspected of being gay have been discovered in Sadr City.
“Most have been shot, some multiple times,” the article says. “Several have been found with the word ‘pervert’ in Arabic on notes attached to their bodies, the police said.”
Read the full article at Southern Voice.
China River Cruises – Shanghai, Beijing, Xian and the Yangtze River
CHINA RIVER CRUISES-
China is a fascinating land of contrasts: mountains, plateaus, deserts, lakes and rivers…small villages and huge modern metropolises…ancient history and futuristic technology.
China’s geography is widely varied, with terrain ranging from rainforests to deserts and beaches to snow-capped peaks. The Chinese landscape boasts the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest, as well as the world’s third longest river, the Yangtze.
We did a story a few months back about River Cruises in Europe. A close friend of mine who is fascinated by Asian culture, just got back from a River Cruise in China, and he absolutely loved it! River cruising is an intimate, up-close way to explore your destination. It’s a very boutique, hotel-style experience.
China is one of the world’s largest countries, and with more than 1.3 billion people it is also the most populous. It has not always been possible for visitors to explore China’s wonders, but today, as the country becomes increasingly open and free, dreams of travel to China can finally come true. Today you can see the highlights of Beijing, Shanghai and Xian (including the Terra Cotta Warriors) and enjoy an unforgettable China River Cruise along the Yangtze River through the spectacular Three Gorges region.
The Yangtze’s Three Gorges is the river’s most famed stretch, long known for its treacherous and rocky passage. Once boats could only travel here by means of trackers—men who pulled the ships by ropes as they walked along the slippery rapids. Now, with the creation of the Three Gorges Dam, the scenic gorges are accessible, and travelers can delight in the misty beauty of lush greenery, towering cliffs and the vestiges of traditional life along the river’s banks. VIKING RIVER CRUISESis the worlds leading river cruise line. And on Viking’s deluxe China river cruise, every cruise stateroom has a river view and balcony. This is a breath-taking way to see China!
Exploring China by River
A cruise along the Yangtze River is one of the highlights of any journey to China. Viking cruise program directors and cruise ships make it easy and enjoyable to see the heartland of a nation that can otherwise be a challenging destination to navigate. Guests enjoy the comfort and convenience of being escorted by their deeply experienced staff from the moment of arrival in China through departure.
Viking River Cruises offers several exciting itineraries in China, all of which show guests the highlights of China and include a Yangtze River cruise. The river cruise portion of the journey travels through the spectacular Three Gorges region on a sumptuous cruise ship with all balcony staterooms; one of our itineraries takes you farther along the river to see the birthplaces of Chinese silk and porcelain and much more. All cruise travelers also have the chance to visit a school near the Yangtze River and meet the children—a highlight for many people. A Viking cruise takes visitors on fascinating excursions off the river as well, with fully escorted land tours of major attractions in China including the Forbidden City, Summer Palace and the Great Wall.
Cultural activities, such as a dramatic performance of selected Peking Opera highlights, a Tang Dynasty dinner show and a breathtaking Chinese acrobatic show, are unique opportunities to experience the true heart of China. Choose the cruise tour itinerary that most interests you: see China’s cultural delights on a longer Yangtze cruise, or take three days at the “roof of the world,” Lhasa, Tibet.
If you want to explore the gay side of China, Shanghai probably has the most to offer. Andrew Collins from ABOUT.com reports,
As China in general, and Beijing in particular, shifted into crazy-high gear with massive growth as both a business and a leisure destination, the capital city’s once non-existent gay nightclub scene is slowly but surely developing legs.
Keep in mind that Shanghai has quite a lot more happening in terms of gay nightlife – take a look at my article on the gay Shanghai bar scene for details.
A 2008 survey showed public attitudes towards gays and lesbians in China. 91% of respondents said they agreed with homosexuals having equal employment rights, while over 80% of respondents agreed that heterosexuals and homosexuals were “equal individuals”. Gay-bashing is rare in modern China.
The authorities still refuse to promote either gay issues or gay rights in China. Although there is no explicit law against homosexuality or same-sex acts between consenting adults, neither are there laws protecting gays from discrimination, nor are there any gay rights organizations in China. It is believed that the Chinese policy towards the gay issue remains the “Three nos”: no approval, no disapproval, and no promotion.
Utopia – Asia is a great source for gay listings in China.
A river cruise is very different from an ocean cruise. For a start, you are in almost constant sight
of land and stops are far more frequent than they are at sea. The vessels are like small, friendly, floating inns, whereas ocean-going ships tend to be bigger, flashier, busier and livelier, the crew practised in the art of moving up to 4,000 people from one port to another and getting them on and off the ship. In contrast, when your river cruise vessel docks you simply walk up the gangway and into the town or city—in many cases the dock is located right at the heart of things.
The bottom line is a Viking River Cruise can give you an intimate view and atmosphere as well as comfort which spacious staterooms and breathtaking views! Enjoy the scenery from just about everywhere on the ship—in the bar, restaurant or lounge (all with panoramic views), on the sun deck with fresh air or from the privacy of your stateroom. And, river cruise vessels keep moving, so you see new vistas and explore new destinations throughout the day, every day.
Whether you are cruising Berlin to Prague, Switzerland to Belgium, Austria, Germany and even Shanghai or Beijing, THIS IS THE WAY TO TRAVEL AND SEE THE WORLD!
Call your travel agent or request more information directly
from Viking River Cruises at 1-800-304-9616.
London is Now Cheaper than New York City
London offers some of the world’s best theatre and musicals. And there is no better time to go! It was announced recently that London is officially cheaper than New York to inhabit and visit for the first time since 2002. Ken Kelling, Director of Communications for Visit London said: “There has never been a better time to visit London. It is now 25 per cent cheaper for an American to come to London than it would have been last year.”
Of gay interest, what’s considered to be the first great play by the great and notorious English gay playwright Joe Orton has recently returned to London’s theatreland. Entertaining Mr Sloane, showing at Trafalgar Studios now to 13 April, was first performed in 1964 and later made into a film.
The eponymous Mr Sloane is a young, beautiful, psychopath and con man who is persuaded to become the lodger of Kath, a lonely middle-aged landlady with designs on him. Further trouble comes his way when Kath’s elderly father Kemp recognises him as a man wanted by the police for murder, and with the appearance of Ed, Kath’s powerful but conflicted brother, who is also attracted to him. The manipulative brother and sister eventually agree on a deal….
Joe Orton’s extraordinary artistic and private life (he was 34 when he was bludgeoned to death with a hammer by Kenneth Halliwell, his lover of sixteen years, in 1967) was the subject of Prick Up Your Ears, a biography by acclaimed American author John Lahr, later adapted into the film starring Gary Oldman. In a short but prolific career lasting from 1964 until his death, he shocked, outraged and amused audiences with his scandalous black comedies.
PLAGUE OVER ENGLAND is another show getting some great reviews! On 21 October 1953, John Gielgud — the dream-voiced Shakespearean star of his generation, and knight of the realm — walked into a public lavatory off the Fulham Road. There, he exchanged a few nods and prods with a young man who winked at him — and triggered Britain’s highest profile prosecution for homosexuality since Oscar Wilde.
In Plague Over England, the entrapment of Gielgud by a “pretty policeman” is the centre of gravity for a play that swoops across the gay underworld of Fifties London — from the bushes of St James’s Park strewn with guardsmen to the Whitehall clubs where the crackdown on this “filth” is planned.
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Finborough Theatre – now thru May 16th
BEST GAY CITES and NEW GAY TRAVEL GUIDE
GAY VIENNA and the LIFE BALL May 16th
The four Elements of Life Ball: 2009 – Let Love flow!
The 17th Life Ball on 16th May 2009 is the start of a four-year cycle: the elements water, earth, air and fire metaphorically stand for the central symbols of life in their artistic implementation.
In the previous years each Life Ball presented itself thematically very different. This year though the team surrounding Gery Keszler decided to develop a concept valid for the next four years – starting with the 17th Life Ball an 16th May 2009 and concluding with the 20th edition, the jubilee ball in 2012. In the centre of the artistic implementation are the elements water, earth, air and fire. Powerful archaic symbols but still enormously progressive in their value.
It is still these four elements that feed the world, back the ecological balance, take a vital role for health and serve the economic development – for a start simply make life possible. Water – the element of 2009 – is the start of all life and the evolution. The Earth feeds us. Air lets us breath and carries us over the continents. And the discovery of fire even was the start of civilisation.
The element water marks the start of this cycle on 16th May 2009 – as a central symbol of life. Clean water is the base for all human existence. It regulates the circle of nature is the central need of economical progressing. The scarcity of water brings hunger, illness and misery. Especially in countries most affected by HIV/AIDS, in countries where the Life Ball acts within international projects, severe scarcity of water prevails.
However when water is available in abundance it can even bring deserts to life. The Life Ball 2009 especially focuses its attention to this distinctive allegory of extremes in our world.
Musically as well as theatrically the Life Ball theme 2009 is largely along the line of the baroque, which in its inconsistency picked up the visual language of the mythological history of the ancient world and converted it in a new way.
But in its staging it is obliged to the here and now. The audience can expect a vast number of opulent surprises – a grand part of the opening ceremony production of the coming Life Ball will happen on, by and in water. This way the show in front of Vienna’s City Hall strongly emphasises the elemental force of water and its central value for life itself.
Life Ball is Europe’s largest and most spectacular annual charity event dedicated to raising support for the worldwide fight against HIV and AIDS. Celebrating the beauty of life and the diversity of world cultures, Life Ball reinvents the great Viennese Ball tradition with glamorous, outlandish performances and inspirational speeches. It attracts huge interest in the media and is broadcast live on Austrian National TV prime time, with delayed airing in Germany.
Since 1993, world famous personalities and artists have lent their voices and support to Life Ball, giving their time and effort to make the charitable event successful every year. With their appearances, personal impulses and involvement, Sharon Stone, Sir Elton John, Kylie Minogue, Catherine Deneuve, Liza Minnelli, Kim Cattrall, Linda Evangelista, Heidi Klum, Dennis Rodman, Naomi Campbell and Randy Crawford and many more have inspired courage and promoted the joyful aspects of life and given a clear sign against discrimination and ignorance.
For more on GAY VIENNA visit our other story!
SIDENOTE FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS –
For the first time in history, Life Ball, the most glamorous and over-the-top AIDS/HIV benefit in the world, is offering a very small number of tickets to International travelers, and they’ve selected Steele Luxury Travel as the exclusive tour operator for the US and Canada. Steele Luxury Travel has put together an all inclusive, affordable travel package for those hoping to experience the glamour and spectacle that is Life Ball. Life Ball has also authorized Steele to book seats on the Life Ball “Party Plane”, which carries all US celebrities and VIP’s to Vienna in true style… The entire jet, sponsored by Red Bull, is configured to allow additional space and all business-class service. The party begins at the Austrian Airlines lounge in JFK, and continues throughout the weekend.
The best way to grasp the scale of this extravaganza is to see it:
http://tinyurl.com/cq68wm AND http://tinyurl.com/ck4bp2
Steele travelers will receive full VIP treatment from the moment they depart JFK… They’ll walk the paparazzi filled red-carpet when they arrive in Vienna (with celebs and VIP’s) where they’ll be whisked away to their deluxe accommodations at Vienna’s Ring Hotel They’ll stay the weekend and attend the most buzzed about soirees and special events. They’ll mix and mingle with the stars and enjoy the opening ceremonies and fashion show !
