Planning a vacation this year? Want to go somewhere different? What’s top of the list for gay destinations around the world? When considering the Top gay destinations for 2010 you should definitely take a look at the meat in Brazil.
Rio De Janeiro. Well, it was in 2009 according to Trip Out Gay Travel. Their 2009 awards are a good guide to what’s currently top of the polls for gay travellers. Rio De Janeiro, ‘Brazil’s sexiest city’ is a bit of a mix. Yes there is the huge Pride celebration and Mardi Gras, yes there are the beaches and the clubs, the party atmosphere and of course those oh so sexy Latin men, but it is not without its drawbacks. It’s not as cheap as it used to be, global currency rates are constantly changing though, and it is not without its dangers. Go, party, but be safe, is the advice.
The Trip Out Gay Travel awards last year also had Buenos Aires as a nominated top destination, another Latin country, Argentina, and another one that is easier to get to if you are in the States, than if you are in Europe. But not to worry, voters put Barcelona in their top list too, along with London. You may note a recurring theme in these destinations, the Pride celebrations. Which is why Sidney was also up there towards the top in the nominations. But there is more to a vacation than a Pride march and party.
Greece may not strike you as the place to go, at the moment at any rate. But don’t believe all you see on the news. There was a riot recently, the country is struggling with debt and so on, but then many other countries in Europe are facing the same things. Meanwhile, small and idyllic islands sit in the cool Aegean Sea, their people welcoming and friendly, and their prices still reasonable – again depending on your currency exchange. A tiny island called Tilos made the headlines a while back for hosting the first gay civil partnership marriage in the country, controversy and publicity followed. Mykonos is still a popular island for visitors after a lively
time, and the recent news from the island of Rhodes is that Faliraki, long thought to provide British lout hell, has cleaned up its act and is now a more tranquil place to be, as it once was. Nearby you have the neo-classical island of Symi, for peace and calm and quiet, and this island is typical of many that appeal to the more discerning gay traveller.
How does Curaçao sound to you? ‘One of the Caribbean’s best kept secrets’ won the award for the best ‘breakout’ destination last year. It is a Dutch island not far from the coast of Venezuela, maybe tricky to get to, but worth the visit we’re told. And if you want the sexiest city? Then it has to be Paris, again as voted for in the 2009 awards. It’s busy, it’s beautiful especially at night when lit up, and it’s crowded. I have to say it’s also not that cheap, but you can’t beat a romantic cruise on the river, at night, a walk along the tree lined boulevards, and the wealth of museums and galleries. Sit with your coffee at a café on the sidewalk and drink in the views, the people and the atmosphere. You can find tranquillity inside the city and just outside, it or you can party the night away. It does have a lot to see and do.
Of course these destinations are only one set of suggestions, based on what the users of one top website had to say about things. Everyone has their own favourite place to go, just as everyone has their own wish-list of destinations. But if you want something really special: Machu Picchu in Peru, a night at an eco-hotel, sunrise over the ancient Inca city and a night-time blessing by a shaman (of your gay relationship is fine), is my personal top of the poll recommendation. (See Amro Holidays for more.)
Photo: Courtesy of OUT Magazine cover of a hot, hot Brazilian boy.