Category Archives: Places outside US
Rainbow Rampage – The Ultimate Gay Road Rally Party in Europe and United States
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The world’s first gay centric motorsports event is set to launch two events this summer that will highlight the daily destinations rather than the speed of individual participants. The Rainbow Rampage is a fabulous expression of spirit. Welcoming participants of every color and stripe to represent the full spectrum of gay identities, personalities and style for the “Ultimate Gay Party.”
The first rally begins in Brighton, England with parties and a grand official send off before crossing the channel and heading to the first stage destination: Paris. Following a course designed to highlight spectacular non-highway roads, participating in fun challenges that urge participants to take in their surroundings while enjoying a non-stop gay festival of Europe’s greatest cities; Paris, Amsterdam,Hamburg, Berlin, Prague and Vienna.
The Rainbow Rampage is essentially a large group road trip that precedes the gay pride parade in Budapest, where the tour ends. Participants are given free entry to participate in the parade as a grand finale that also includes luxury accommodations at one of Budapest’s famous spa hotels.
EU RAINBOW RAMPAGE US RAINBOW RAMPAGE
June 28th – July 4th, 2008 Sept. 27th – Oct. 3rd, 2008
7 days – 2300 miles 7 days – 2200 miles
The US Rainbow Rampage will follow a route through Seattle, Crater Lake, South Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Las Vegas, Joshua Tree National Park, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Lead Organizer, Guy Zucker, hopes that there will be a growing
“awareness that this event is taking place,” and that organizers are
looking for “local support … especially reaching [out] to the gay
community at each stage along the way.” It may be the first event of
its kind but with GLBT travelers accounting for ever increasing
participation in major cities and luxury vacations known to be gay
friendly destinations, it was only a matter of putting it together.
For ENTRY DEATAILS visit RAINBOW RAMPAGE
New Gay Travel Guide
YOTEL is Invading Airports for Pod People – The Future Has Arrived!
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How about a posh little pod pad for $50 -$100 as opposed to the airport chain hotel for $200 a night?
During at dreaded overnight layover at many airports, you are forced to stay at an over-priced chain hotel on or near the airport property. Or worse yet, have you ever tried to catch a few zzzz’s on an airport hard-as-rock bench? You just want to freshen up and rest your eye’s for a few hours, for Gods sake!
What if you could sleep in comfort in a luxurious pod for a fraction of the price the hotels charge?
The future has arrived! Pay by the hour – not by the night – and get well rested. Everything you would expect from a luxury hotel in a small space. Located uniquely inside the airport terminal buildings at London Heathrow’s Terminal 4 and London Gatwick’s South Terminal. Amsterdam Schipol is coming this summer. YOTEL plans to be in every major airport eventually!
Of course, much smaller than a standard room in a hotel, these little 23-33 square foot pods have a bed, (complete with plush mattresses) television complete with about 60 international channels, 80 radio stations and 5000 music tracks, desk and chair, free Wi-Fi, and a private shower with monsoon showerheads. AND 24-hour room service with snacks and small meals.
Prices start at $35 and go up from there. FABULOUS! Yotel was the idea of Simon Woodroffe, founder of the U.K. chain YO! Sushi restaurants. – “I was lucky enough to get an upgrade to the sleeper bed in British Airways first class. I went to sleep with the conundrum of how to make a Japanese capsule hotel acceptable in the west and woke up realising the solution was around me: all I needed to do was find the designer of the BA first class cabin and ask them to help me design a hotel.” – The rest as they say, is history! In 2003 he partnered with a designer, in 2005 built a prototype, 2007 opened their doors!
BOOK ONLINE or find out more! Coming soon, to an airport near you!
¿Viva La Revolucion? ¡Relajar América! ABSOLUT VODKA AD SCANDAL
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ABSOLUT found themseleves in some hot mess drama this week! Bowing to pressure, Absolut has pulled the ad and is “refocusing” efforts in the Latin American marketplace, specifically in Mexico. The creative, early 19th century map showing chunks of the United States as a part of Mexico, has angered many American and Mexican consumers. CNN even covered it!
(*a note from the Historical Accuracy Department & Wikipedia: the map used is historically accurate up until 1848 when the United States, under President James K. Polk, invaded Mexico and seized Mexico City after the Mexican government refused to acknowledge the United States’ annexation of Texas.)
According to my blogging buddy Ryan Arnold The Ad Guy, – Let’s put this into perspective, people. Absolut Vodka is a Global brand. Hence, they undertake marketing initiatives that are geared toward specific consumers located in various parts of the Globe. In the case of this ad, it was part of an outdoor and print campaign in Mexico City, Cancun, and other larger Mexican cities. This ad was not geared for the US General Market – it was placed in Mexico and targeted Mexican consumers. When media outlets throughout the Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California caught wind, many tried to spin the ad as Absolut weighing in on immigration and citizenship reform. Absolut released this statement on their website:
“In no way was this meant to offend or disparage, nor does it advocate an altering of borders, nor does it lend support to any anti-American sentiment, nor does it reflect immigration issues.”
Recognize this advertisement for what it is: another in the long list of clever advertising we’ve come to know and love from Absolut Vodka. You can view a fine collection of Absolut Vodka ads (some less controversial than others) here. France’s Pernod-Ricard is taking over Absolut Vodka, one of the world’s top-selling spirits, after buying government owned Vin & Spirir earlier this year.
Gay Prostitution and Gay Porn in Gay Prague
I found this interesting article online about prostitution in Prague. – In the quiet and luxurious Vinohrady district, just outside the center of Prague, anyone can walk into certain gay clubs and have their pick of male escorts. Prostitution is not illegal in the Czech Republic as long as the prostitute is at least 18.
(Actually I am told, “There are two bars in Prague where escorts are openly available and these are Escape and Temple. Temple is on the fringes of the gay quarter but is actually in Zizkov, the district that neighbours Vinohrady. Escape is down town.
However these same escorts often go out to the other gay bars, particularly Valentino and Termix, sometimes with the clients that have picked them up in Escape or Temple or sometimes with their mates. But I have heard stories of them then attempting to charge anyone who tries to pick them up in Valentino for example.” – So if you are NOT looking to pay, keep that in mind.)
In March of 2007, local authorities were constitutionally given the right to regulate this profession– consign it to specific areas.
In Prague, male prostitution has been on the rise in recent years, according to Laszlo Sumegh, founder of Project Stace, an organization dedicated to helping male prostitutes lead healthier lifestyles through free monthly testing for sexually transmitted diseases.
Two different categories have arisen — there is the circle of elite escorts like Rocky who only serve a wealthy clientele. And then there are the others at the Main Train Station, a major hub of the Prague male sex tourism industry.
According to a report by Radio Prague, most of the boys at this train station are under 17. They often start at the age of 11, according to the report. Eighty percent are orphans; seven percent are runaways.
Rocky was interviewed by writer Soma Ghoshal and said, “I met the head prostitute a couple of years back at a club. He told me I had great potential, and I had no problem with it, so I started to make contacts and network with the wealthy throughout Europe. CEO’s, politicians, doctors — they’re husbands, have families, but just want to have some fun on the side,” he explained.
I couldn’t believe it. Rocky had started this as a business venture. After seeing his apartment, I realized that he was better off than most residents of Prague, but I wasn’t prepared for what I learned next.
The average monthly salary in Prague is 25,282 Kc ($1,383.87), according to a 2007 report from the Czech Statistical Office.
Rocky, and the boys that are enlisted on the top two websites for male escorts, make around 50,000 Kc a week ($120,000 annually). Statistically, this puts them at the wealthiest five percent of society. Some of the escorts do 3-5 tricks per day – and after a few years retire or are just plain worn out!
Although their careers typically last four or five years, they make enough to last a long time. After their actual sex careers, they may become so-called head prostitutes and network other, younger men with elite clients.
Matthew, a Czech head prostitute, is in charge of 20 or so male escorts. He hangs out in Club Valentino on Vinohradska most nights looking for anyone who may be interested in becoming a prostitute.
At first, Matthew made no mention of his profession. He seemed very reserved, very shy, but after awhile, he started talking about how he’s guided more than 100 young men get jobs. I asked him what he liked about his job.
“I’m helping so many people,” he said.
Porn, as we know, also thrives in Prague. We did an article here last year about that. Thanks to mastermind George Duroy of Bel Ami, and the countries low wages and willing young men, an empire was launched. William Higgins, who was known for the 1980’s California boys set up shop in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
There are thousands of sex clubs, bordellos, strip bars, prives, erotic night clubs, sex apartments, erotic centers, escort services, red light districts, callgirls and individual sex operators throughout the Czech Republic. From sexy clubs to legalized brothels to single sex flats the Czech Republic has it all.
Not only has Prague become a favorite casting zone for porn film producers worldwide but the whole aspect of ‘Czech Sex’ in the Czech Republic is leberalised and generally viewed as it should be – a fact of life and nothing to be ashamed of. – Why can’t America have a similar view?
If you are thinking of visiting the Czech Republic, please see our friends at PRAGUE SAINTS. They are the leading gay-run travel company providing accommodations and tour services for gay visitors to the Czech Republic. They offer great rates on Prague hotels, beautiful apartments, private tours of Prague and the Czech Republic !
Gay Budapest and Mr. Gay Europe
I think I was lived in Europe in a past life! All my life I have been drawn to the romance of Europe – something about Europe resonates in me. I have only been once, to Germany, but this year plan to go to London, Amersterdam and Prague! While doing my research though, there are so many places I want to see. So we’ll be covering some of the places I have been reading about and being told about!
BUDAPEST! I met a porn star last year who filmed a movie there and he said Budapest has the hottest men! And this summer, MR. GAY EUROPE finals will be held in Budapest in July.
The Mr. Gay Europe Pageant is much more than a beauty contest. The young man selected will be more than just a pretty face and a nice body. While physical beauty will be part of the judges’ considerations, it is a young man’s inner beauty that will make the difference in their selection.
Mr Gay Europe – celebrates the gay European man and pays tribute to the diversity as well as what we have in common as gay men in Europe. The theme for the competition is “brotherhood and uniting gay Europe” and there has already been some interesting conversations going on about the difference of being gay in for instance Bulgaria and Sweden. This is the second time, that this competition takes place.
With all the architectural style of Paris and Prague but without the accompanying expense, Budapest is fast becoming a holiday hot spot. Ever since Hungary’s entrance into the European Union in 2004, the city has been progressing at the rate of knots — but, thankfully, prices have remained low. Located in the city center, you can stay at the Best Western Grand Hungaria for $87 per night, or the equally central Buda Castle Apartment next to Chain Bridge for $48 per night, or the Marco Polo Youth Hostel for a mere $33 per night.
(If you’re going to Budapest or Prague, check out Prague Saints for gay travel packages and accommodations!)
Hungary offers easily affordable restaurants and bars, making this the perfect place to go for a bachelor party or wild weekend away. Expect to pay around $13 for a meal out with drinks and $3.50 or so for a pint of beer. Do look out for restaurants without prices on the menu, however — this is a known tourist trap and should be avoided at all costs. Budapest isn’t only great for night owls; as it also offers a great cultural scene — most of it cheap or free, such as the Danube River, Buda Castle and Fishermen’s Bastion. Before you leave, make sure you pay a visit to the Szechenyi Turkish Baths, which you can get for $4 if you take less than two hours.
According to BudapestGayGuide, “Budapest is the capital of Hungary with appr. 2 million people living here. Best time to visit is from early April to middle of November. During the past few years, an interesting and lively gay scene has emerged in Eastern Europe, especially in Hungary. Budapest (“Paris of the East”) has always been known as a gay metropolis in Eastern Europe. However, you will not find gay bars and dance clubs or cafés for a specific audience (like a leather bar, a rent boy bar, a bar for chubbies, etc.). Everyone goes to the same places (age or preference doesn’t matter). All of the bars (except some baths) are in the center of Budapest’s Pest side, in the 5th, 6th, 7th and 9th district. Buda is hilly and residential, Pest is flat and the lively part of the city.”
Grand, tree-lined boulevards and neoclassical buildings from the 19th century. Neighborhoods with winding, narrow, cobblestone streets from medieval times. Antique-filled flea markets, fascinating book stores, inviting cafés with strong coffee and sweet confections, museums and concerts to delight the eye and ear.
Budapest has had a significant gay and lesbian population all the time. Discrimination started to decrease after 1990. Gay and lesbian Budapest is still preserving its separatism even today. Their annual celebration is the LMBT Festival (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual Festival) which is traditionally held in early July. The Budapest Pride is the biggest and oldest festival of its type in central Europe. – I had hoped to go this year to Prague and then Budapest for their Pride, but there is a conflict with dates for me. So instead, my partner and I will be doing Prague and Amsterdam Pride!~
For more information on Budapest visit BUDAPEST INFO and BUDAPEST GAY VISITOR.
Gay Marriage? Unrestricted Travel? Cubans Speak Out!
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A Cuban minister who accepts gay marriages and traveling permits for Cubans wishing to leave or travel to the island may finally be eliminated, seem to be evidence of a new tolerant environment in the continent’s longest lasting dictatorship.
Public statements were made during a debate sponsored by interim president Raúl Castro, brother of ailing Fidel, to bring to light shortcomings and disappointments with the system and thus help to “deepen communism”.
Culture Minister Abel Prieto, a member of the party’s powerful Politburo, said Tuesday night that he supports gay marriage, and Silvio Rodriguez, an ardent defender of Fidel Castro as well as a leading voice of the Cuban revolution, said he believes all Cubans should be free to travel abroad and stay in hotels currently reserved for foreign tourists.
“I think that marriage between lesbians, between homosexuals can be perfectly approved and that in Cuba that wouldn’t cause an earthquake or anything like that,” Prieto told a small group of reporters following the presentation of a documentary on Rodriguez’s career at Havana’s Museum of Fine Arts.
Cuban lawmakers have received a proposal to allow gay marriages, though its progress in the legislature, which usually only meets twice a year, remains unclear.
Kylie Minogue X TOUR
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Kylie Minogue touring Europe with a brand new show in 2008! Inspired by her latest album ‘X’, Kylie and her creative team have devised a new show that she describes herself as “fresh, exhilarating and innovative”.
The new show will be a totally different concept to previous Minogue spectaculars, which have seen her fuse her remarkable creativity with groundbreaking technology to become one of the most respected live performers of our time.
Kylie’s 2008 tour opens in Paris on May 6 and progresses throughout Europe, reaching the UK on June 26 when she plays at Belfast’s Odyssey. The tour then continues with dates in Glasgow, Manchester and London, concluding at London’s 02 Arena.
May 6th Paris, Bercy
May 7th Antwerp, Sportpaleis
May 9th Stuttgart, Schleyerhalle
May 10th Frankfurt, Festhalle
May 12th Prague, Sazka
(For the PRAGUE show,
PRAGUE SAINTS has put together a special KYLIE PACKAGE!)
May 14th Vienna, Stadthalle
May 15th Budapest, Sports Arena
May 27th Cologne, Arena
May 29th Munich, Olympiahalle
June 7th Hamburg, Colorline Arena
June 8th Copenhagen, Forum
June 10th Oslo, Spektrum
June 11th Stockholm, Globe
June 13th Helsinki, Hartwall Arena
June 22nd Berlin, Velodrom
June 23rd Rotterdam, Ahoy
June 26/27 Belfast, Odyssey Arena
July 5/6 Glasgow, S.E.C.C. (0870 040 4000)
July 14/15 Manchester, M.E.N. Arena (0844 847 8000)
July 26/27 London, 02 Arena (0844 856 0202)
Tickets are from also available from www.kylie.com (0871 230 1087) and (0870 735 5000).
Kylie said today: “I am putting together a show that is going to be a new and exciting experience for both the audience and myself. The eclectic mix of sounds on ‘X’ is affording me an opportunity to explore and develop a new live show that will be fresh, exhilarating and innovative. After two celebratory tours, ‘X’ will be a look to the future but will definitely include favourites alongside the new. I can’t wait to share it with you next year! See you soon!”
Gay Barcelona and the very gay Matinee Group
Coming soon – Once again, Matinée Group is pushing musical trends forward in presenting Matinée Group Compilation Winter 2008 Edition, a double CD mixed by two of the hottest DJs on the current house music scene: DJ J.Louis and DJ Iordee, nominated for the X National Music Awards for Dance Music in the category of best DJs of the year and best DJs in Ibiza.
10 Years strong! Barcelona’s MATINEE GROUP is bigger than ever overseas! The group now hosts some of the biggest parties in the world! Everywhere from Spain to London to Italy. They ended 2007 with a MATINEE DECADA TOUR And they have a sizzling 2008 calendar available!
If you don’t know who these guys are, check out their MySpace page and watch the video.
The double compilation, which includes new tunes like Tocadisco “Morumbi”, Deux “The time is now” and Mastiksoul “Pungo”, is without a doubt a force to be reckoned with in the chart of best songs around at the moment and which will be played everywhere in 2008.
NEW YEARS AROUND THE WORLD
For 100 years, TIMES SQUARE in NEW YORK has drawn huge crowds for their annual New Years Eve celebration! More than 1 million people crowded the streets last night.
Elsewhere around the world, JAPAN (top left) inundate their postal system with New Years Greeting cards to one another. The post office starts accpeting the greeting cards around mid-December, but do not deliver them until New Years Day. – an you imagine our post office delivering cards on Christmas day?!
In Mexico (top right), several superstitions are noted. Family and friends gather and each eat 12 grapes, one for each stroke of midnight, and make a wish for each grape consumed. (Can’t you just drink some champagne and make wishes….) Also it is believed that if you wear red underwear on December 31st, you will have good luck with love in the new year. If you wear yellow underwear, you will have good luck in financial matters in the new year. And if you take your luggage out and walk around the block, travel will come to you in the new year!
In Ecuador ( left), they celebrate New Years Eve with the “anos viejos”, or old years, which are stuffed dummies made with paper and sawdust and fireworks – which are then burned. The dummies represent various local and international personalities that represent the passing year. Children and women – and even some men dressed as women – wear black and play the role of the old years widow and ask for money and candy in the street for the dummies funeral!
And in Brazil (below ) the Saint Silvester Road Race is the oldest and most prestigious street race in Brazil. For 80 years now, on December 31st, this marathon runs about 9 miles, but with the harsh weather conditions frequently leave runners with heat stroke and dehydration! – Oh yeah, sign me up, that’s how I want to spend my New Years Eve!
New Year’s Eve is marked by festive Fiesta de Iemanjá held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Crowds head to the beaches to offer flowers and gifts to Iemanjá, the Goddess of the Water in the Brazilian Umbanda religion. The Copacabana beach is flocked with millions of people who come to visualize the colorful candles floating on sea.
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Gay Travel in Ireland and the 2008 Bingham Cup
If Rugby is your game, the Emerald Warriors are a gay rugby club in Dublin who will be happy to welcome visitors. JUNE 13-15th 2008, Dublin will host the BINGHAM CUP. According toIGRAB, “All of the bids reflected the great spirit that characterizes our organization,” said IGRAB chairman Raimundo Martinez. “After careful consideration by the IGRAB selection committee, it is my pleasure to announce that we will be drinking Guinness in 2008 in Dublin!” – The Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Rugby Tournament is the largest amateur 15s rugby event in the world.
For the past decade, Dublin has been coming into its own. The economic renaissance that began in the mid – 1900s and made Ireland a powerhouse among European economies, has transformed the city into a commercial and tourist showcase.
The classic picture of Ireland as a very religious and generally quite conservative country does not bode well for the gay traveller. Despite the high esteem for the poet Oscar Wilde, the actor Mícheál Mac Liammóir or the nationalist Roger Casement, homosexuals and especially gay men were not really Ireland’s favorite daughters and sons. Ireland today prides itself in being an inclusive, non-discriminatory society.
Ireland has a lively “gay scene”, especially in Dublin and Belfast. Some favorite hang-outs like the “George” in Dublin are clearly identifiable by their use of the “rainbow flag”, others are far more discreet. The best bet for visitors who want to meet other gay people is to obtain a copy of GCN, the Gay Community News, a monthly magazine with comprehensive listings. GO IRELAND, Dochara and GAY IRELANDare also good resources.
Dublin is a very gay friendly city, in fact so integrated has the gay community become in the capital that there is little need to seek out fringe events or clubs, though there are plenty of gay bars and nightclubs to chose from. A good site to check in with before visiting Ireland is Dining Out which organises evening dinners for gay men about twice a month and is a very friendly group.
While Cork and Galway also have thriving gay scenes though with much less choice than Dublin, while Waterford is catching up. In other towns and cities you may not find exclusively or predominently gay venues but many are gay friendly.
World’s First Gay Island …Sort Of
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Heading out on a gay cruise was already a bit yesterday when Aussie company AllGayCruises started up earlier this year, but now they’ve taken things to the next level. The company’s now creating Australia’s first gay island.
Strictly speaking, the island already exists–it’s Lindeman Island off the Queensland coast–and it will only be gay for a week. But it sounds like it’ll be a particularly colorful event. For six days immediately following the Sydney Mardi Gras in March 2008 (post Mardi Gras March 4- 9), AllGayCruises has basically rented out the whole of Lindeman Island for a massive gay party. – 690 hectares of World Heritage National Parkland, off the Great Barrier Reef!
Seven big dance parties, a swimwear model contest, comedy nights and even the Gaylimpics will make sure that the fun really doesn’t stop on Lindeman. You can already book accommodation, meal and party packages starting at A$1,299 per person ($1,150). Btw, the whole event is called Shipwrecked!, which we hope is not a bad sign of things to come.
“This special week of an All Gay, all inclusive Tropical Island resort for 6 days & 5 nights is designed to create the perfect tropical Island holiday in a welcoming gay & lesbian environment. Get ready for a week filled with world-class sports, endless activities, and exciting entertainment. Whether it’s water sports, bushwalking, or sipping cocktails by the pool, we’ve got it all!”
World’s First Condo-Hotel for the Gay Community Opens in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Excited crowds turned out Saturday for the inauguration of The Private Residences at Casa Cupula, the world’s first fractional condo-hotel developed exclusively for the gay community. As noted last weekend by the New York Times Travel section: Puerto Vallarta is “becoming gayer by the year and [taking over] as Mexico’s leading gay beach.” Dozens of new and innovative gay-owned businesses in the Romantic Zone are being enjoyed by tourists of all stripes. Now this innovative new project plants the seeds for a new form of vacation home ownership, which resonates with many gay professionals.
Casa Cupula has employed a successful formula combining the services and amenities of a fine boutique hotel resort with the ambience and warmth of a gay guesthouse. Named as one of the world’s “Top 5 Most Luxurious” gay guesthouses by Gay.com, “over 97% of our guests tell us they would return to Casa Cupula.”
High end hotels such as The Four Seasons and The Ritz Carlton are creating luxury fractional ownership projects worldwide, and now Casa Cupula is doing the same for gay vacationers. Having established a reputation as one of the leading luxury gay resorts in the world since its inception in 2002, Casa Cupula is responding to a real need from guests: “We have many guests who have purchased homes and condos in Puerto Vallarta after staying with us,” said developer Don Pickens, founder, Milagro Properties, “but they regretted having to trade off Casa Cupula’s ambience and services because they wanted to buy real estate. Now we can offer the best of both worlds.”
The Private Residences at Casa Cupula has also found success with an unexpected audience: younger gay professionals. Many gay people in the US live in or near major cities, where the cost of buying a first home has grown out of reach for many young buyers. Twenty-seven year old San Francisco resident and financial planner Mike Gregg, an early buyer, recounted, “Buying into real estate in the Bay Area is out of reach for me, even on a professional salary. So I chose to make my first investment at Casa Cupula. I know I’ll use the vacation time, and when I can’t, they’ll manage it and rent it out for me. With rental income offsetting the costs, it can work out to a free vacation each year. And I still get the chance for capital appreciation.”
Often confused with timeshares, which are usually time-limited usage contracts, fractional interests offer fully deeded ownership in perpetuity in four-week periods. With a minimal capital investment buyers still own part of a luxury home of the highest quality.
Puerto Vallarta Mexico Latin Fever and Vallarta Fever
Club Manana (the hottest gay club in Puerto Vallarta) launched Vallarta Fever in association with Naked Sword. It was a great week of parties with lots of great entertainment, porn stars, and hot men!
Diana’s Gay Cruise. WHAT A GREAT TIME! Now in her 8th year she offers cruises 10am-5pm one or two days a week, depending on the season. $75, continental breakfast, snacks, unlimited beer and open bar (national brands), lunch on shore with a beer or beverage and snorkeling at several different stops throughout the day. It was a great day, a Thanksgiving Day to remember for sure, a beautiful tour of PV’s waterfront and Diana and her staff were awesome! – She just started a Monday night sunset cruise as well. Well worth checking out.
Cafe’ des Artistes. This renowned cafe claims to be “one of the best restaurants in the world” and has the reviews to support that notion. Chef Thierry Blouet was recently named a Maitre Cuisenaire de France. The menu changes seasonally; a recent offering included grilled lamb chops cooked with local spices and balsamic vinegar, served with a garlic creme brulee. The desserts are also extraordinary. The self-described dress code is “dressy to casual,” but you may wish to dress up a bit. The patio is gorgeous and romantic – if you can get a seat out there!
While in Vallarta, someone had told us about this restaurant called EL ARRAYAN. They have been voted Best Mexican In Vallarta three years in a row by Frommers Guide. And they serve RAICILLA. Raicilla, pronounced “rye-see-ya”, is the local moon shine. It is distilled in crude, primitive stills from a fermented mash made from the roots ( raicilla means “little root” ) of the maguey plant and usually more than 100 proof. Since it is produced without government license, and sold without government tax, it is illegal in the same sense that moonshine is illegal in the United States. Its production is one of the traditional local arts, and it is found only in this area.
Luxury Gay Hotel in Buenos Aires Opens
Reuturs/UK, – In a country better known for machismo, Buenos Aires is building a reputation as a Latin American gay destination. It was the first city in the region to legalize gay unions and the city government proudly touts the capital as “South America’s most important destination for gay travelers” on its Web site.
Don’t Cry For Me Argentina…Gay Buenos Aires
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Andrew Collins author or several gay guides and Foddors Gay Guide, sustains in an online article published in OutUK: “This isn’t a let-it-all-hang-out party place like Rio. Rather, in Buenos Aires, lesbians and gay men socialize on a fairly low-keyed level, often in the city’s many trendy outdoor cafes and stylish restaurants – plus a decent number of gay bars. While you won’t necessarily encounter a Castro- or Chelsea-like gay playground where same-sex couples stroll hand-in-hand, you will find that residents of Buenos Aires accept gays and lesbians as a natural component of the urban fabric.”
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The GAY WORLD CUP recently played Buenos Aires and hosted 500 footballers from 28 countries. This was the first time the gay World Cup has been played in Latin America and it is enjoying the support of the Argentine Football Association – something that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. But Buenos Aires is fast earning a reputation as a gay-friendly city and its love for football is second to none.
Gay Weekend Latin Fever in Puerto Vallarta
DJ Oscar Velazquez from Mexico City, DJ Ramses from PV and featuring drag icon Lady Bunny from New York City and international club diva Sofonda Cox from Toronto Canada!
Parties include the legendary WHITE PARTY on Friday November 23rd at Oscars on the Rio Cuale, SQUIRT Party on the Rooftop of the Blue Chairs Resort, and the SUNSET POOL PARTY on the rooftop of Brisas Del Mar Hotel! PLUS, many more surprises!
More on GAY PUERTO VALLARTA!
Discover Vallarta! – a great gay travel guide!)
Nightlife is hotter than ever in PV.
The upscale Mañana club has an indoor disco but its centerpiece is its open-air pool surrounded by a dance floor and seating areas. It’s open until 6 a.m. during the week and until 8 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
The owner of the Gay Guide Vallarta explained that a big part of Mañana’s runaway success was that it was able to obtain a late-night operating permit. That attracts locals who work in the restaurants and hotels and need someplace to go after the night shift. Buses don’t start operating until around 5 a.m., so it’s critical to have a place where they can stay late. Tourists, in turn, want to go where there are a lot of locals.
Gay Italy
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Italy is a popular destination for gay and lesbian travellers. In fact, Italy has recently won top place among all the world’s travel destinations in the outTraveler reader’s choice awards. Information on travel specifically targeted toward gay and lesbian travel to Italy./images/39531-36457/florence.jpg”>
Italy is a land of “don’t ask, don’t tell”. Even in small towns, gay travelers will encounter almost universal acceptance and hospitality, a s long as they don’t excessively articulate their sexual proclivities. In the larger cities, gay women and men feel freer to express themselves, although such expression still tends to be limited to bars, clubs, and cruisy parks. That said, lots of straight friends walk arm-in-arm in public, so gay tourists will feel comfortable doing the same.
Socially, Italy is a dinner culture, not a bar culture, and the tight-knit social circles are reinforced nightly by those everlasting meals. Gay bars are not the after-dinner community centers that they are in America. However, gay travelers will find a limited but interesting choice of nightlife spots, particularly in the big cities.
GAY THAILAND
Trey Ratcliff
Thailand has long been one of my favourite travel destinations.
There is something special about the place, and there is much to recommend a visit to Thailand.
From its sandy beaches, to its beautiful tribal cultures in the mountains to the north,
Thailand is a unique country to visit.
Now comes travel market news that in 2008, the gay travel market segment is one that
will be a key focus for the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
That makes a great deal of sense.
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Thailand has long been of interest to travel markets from many different target groups.
It has also been a destination that has a long cultural history of respect for gay and lesbian people.
Straight or gay — the distinction isn’t made in Thailand as it is in the U.S. In this largely Buddhist country,
sex and sexuality come without the guilt and other baggage that accompany them here. Many Thais engage in
sex with both men and women, without worrying about how to label themselves.
Thailand does have a gay culture, but much of it has been created by westerners. As a visitor, looking for nightlife, for gay sex, or for gay friends, this is largely the culture you’ll most readily find. Here you’ll meet outgoing and friendly Asian men who are interested in meeting westerners.
This can give the impression that most Thai men who we’d think of as gay are looking for westerners.
That’s not the case. But those you meet will often be interested in meeting Americans.
Thai culture does not place a premium on youth in the way that western societies do. If you’re over 35, you probably
feel over the hill in the U.S. You can still be quite desirable in Thailand. This comes as a pleasant surprise to
middle-aged and older gay Americans!
Until quite recently, the visible, public gay establishments in Thailand were virtually all commercial: bars,
go-go clubs, saunas, and massage parlors. These still account for the majority of gay spots, and you won’t
really have seen gay Thailand until you visit a go-go boy bar. But the largest cities now have a few discos, bars, or coffeehouses that lend themselves to non-commercial encounters, as well. The largest cities have gay karaoke
bars and other establishments just for local gays. The best way to find them is to ask some locals.Tourism Authority of Thailand has recognized the immense potential
of the lesbian and gay travel market and look forward to watching their market progress as 2008
unfolds.
For help with targeting the gay travel market most effectively, and for information on
gay travel tourism expert advice, contact Out Now. Also see the Gay Thailand site.