The LGBTQ Travel Expert. Educator. Speaker. Author.

Venice, We Love You

Built up around clusters of tiny islands, connected only by an array of bridges, Venice is so cleverly and beautifully crafted, it looks and feels as if it’s floating on water. This illusion of ‘floating’ is part of what makes the city so alluring – the waters of the Adriatic are always in sight, lapping against the walkways and buildings, waiting to encroach.

It’s easy to fall in love with Venice (and possibly even fall in love in Venice). The city’s splendour is beguiling and intoxicating – the moment you spy the gondoliers navigating the Grand Canal, you will be hooked and you won’t want to leave. This Venice update is brought to us by ManAboutWorld correspondent Phil Rake.

But the most thrilling way to experience Venice, is to wander the different sestieri (or neighbourhoods) and allow yourself to get lost amongst the narrow thoroughfares and maze-like alleyways. Secret courtyards decked in marble, hidden gardens that overlook the canal, and secluded passageways that lead to stunning vistas – you’ll be amazed at what you can discover.

But it’s what’s above the surface that will truly enthral you. The city has some of the most grand architectural structures you will ever see, like the Byzantine inspired Basilica di San Marco and the Venetian-Gothic Doge’s Palace – products of its affluence and of a time when Venice was the principle trading hub between Europe and Asia. The city is also renowned for its art and culture, with the legacies of famous Venetians like Vivaldi, Tintoretto, Titian and Andrea Palladio living on in and around, not only Venice, but also the world at large. Whether your a fan of classical music, opera, history, art or cuisine, you won’t be short of things to see or do in Venice.

A handsome gondolier, Venice — A handsome gondolier

Venice is exceptionally pretty, so there is never a bad time to visit. In the Spring and Summer, the sun infuses the city with a warmth and glow, lighting up the buildings like radiant treasures. However, like the French Riviera, Venice in the high season gets unbelievably busy, so prepare yourself for the crowds. If you aren’t put off by the drop in temperature, then you should definitely visit in the colder months, as there is a haunting beauty to Venice at this time of year, especially when it’s misty. There is also a greater chance of experiencing the fabled acqua alta or high tides, which flood parts of the city (thereby creating opportunities for some potentially amazing photos).

View of the Chiesa di San Geremia from the Grand Canal

Regardless of when you visit, Venice is one of those places you can’t help falling in love with. Like a kiss from a handsome Gondolier, this city will take your breath away and you won’t be able to resist its charm.

ManAboutWorld has plenty more info on Venice and many more destinations around the world! Download our very cool digital gay travel magazine for destinations around the globe. Find the ManAboutWorldApp on the iTunes App Store or Google Play. We support iPads, Android tablets, iPhones and Android phones. There are a few free publications in all of the apps, and you can click here to register for a FREE three-month subscription. Go on, what are you waiting for!

Video: Travelin’ Tom Does Park City, Utah

ManAboutWorld’s very own Travelin’ Tom leads us down the mountain in Park City, Utah. His video includes a lot of information from how tourism helped save Park City to the steals and deals you can still find in this cool sort of hippie-ish town. Tom demonstrates us his technique skiing and inner-tubing. Tom Goss is a ManAboutWorld global correspondent and a talented singer

For more of Travelin’ Tom videos, click here. Be sure to subscribe to hisYouTube channel.

ManAboutWorld for free! Download our very cool digital gay travel magazine for destinations around the globe. Find the ManAboutWorldApp on the iTunes App Store or Google Play. We support iPads, Android tablets, iPhones and Android phones. There are a few free publications in all of the apps, and you can click here to register for a FREE three-month subscription. Go on, what are you waiting for!

Gay Travel Update From Around the World

Centro Cultural Kirchner, Buenos Aires, ManAboutWorld gay travel magazine; gay travel update — Centro Cultural Kirchner

ManAboutWorld gay travel magazine keeps you up to date on gay travel options in major global cities. ManAboutWorld’s travelin‘ correspondents stay on top of hip things to do in a score or two of our favorite cities. Here’s their latest gay travel update.

VENICE, ITALY
In the past several years, the very gay-friendly Caffe Centrale has benefited from significant upgrades. The eccentric and modern space feels more elegant and sexy. The service is friendlier and the food, which was wonderful to begin with, is even more scrumptious. Be sure to try the beef tenderloin in Amarone wine sauce or maybe the Catalana of crustaceans (salad of grilled shellfish), but definitely order their mojito in the pot, for dessert. It’s Venice, so you can even have a gondola drop you off, or pick you up, from their canal-side dock. Now how romantic is that? — Arthur Wooten

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
If you’re in BA, check out the fabulous new Kirchner Cultural Centerwhich has already been welcoming approximately 10,000 patrons a day who walk around an ornate, turn-of-the-last-century building that has been converted into what promoters claim is the fourth-largest cultural center in the world. Best of all, everything in it is free, from video installations to comedy acts to symphony concerts and contemporary musical acts. — Pablo DeLuca (see above)

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
The Godfrey Hotel Boston is scheduled to open early January 2016 in Boston’s much improved Downtown Crossing district, which was the primary retail area of Boston a century ago then went into a decline towards the end of the 20th century. With its central location between Boston Common and the financial district, Downtown Crossing is re-emerging with trendy new residential and commercial buildings. The hotel, situated in a gorgeously renovated building, will offer luxurious accommodations in the center of the city as well as complimentary high-speed WiFi and other perks. — Kenny Porpora

BANGKOK, THAILAND
The Accor-managed Pullman Bangkok Hotel G provides a nice option for gay travelers thanks in part to its location at Silom 188, just a few blocks away from all the action. The hotel was recently remodeled and includes an excellent breakfast. The gym could use an update, but it is sufficient. The hotel may remind you of Delano in Miami: very white, clean and modern. If you want an amazing facial treatment, make a left out of the hotel and bring that tired mug into Dahra Beauty and Spa at Silom 154 for some pampering. — City Seen correspondent, Michael Siebert (photo below)

Pullman Hotel G, Bangkok, in gay travel update in ManAboutWorld gay travel magazine — Pullman Hotel G, Bangkok

NEW YORK, NY
You’ll find the Natural Gourmet Institute,a hidden gem, on the second floor of a non-descript Chelsea officebuilding, where every Friday night they set the communal tables and light the candles for a three-course vegetarian (often vegan and/or gluten-free) BYOB dinner. Prepared by the student chefs and chef instructors of NGI’s Chef Training Program, it’s a unique local experience — and very affordable at $45.—Billy Kolber

TORONTO, CANADA
Rapper Drake and Restaurateur Sursur Lee opened Fring’s Restaurant, a posh, celeb-laden Asian fusion hot-spot, in September, drawing heaps of headlines and a glitzy grand opening. The clubby downtown hangout is inside the old Crush Wine Bar and is expected to be the new see-and-be-seen dinner spot, with celebrity DJs, a full bar, and menu by the renowned Lee. — Robert Sharp

For even more gay travel inspiration and trip-planning information and suggestions for destinations, tours and events download ManAboutWorld’s latest issue. Start planning your next trip now!

This was originally published in ManAboutWorld’s December issue and re-posted in Towleroad on December 18. Photos: Top: courtesy Kirchner Cultural Center; Bottom: courtesy Pullman Hotel G, Bangkok.

Dennis Hensley’s Los Angeles

The times I most often find myself thinking, ‘This could only happen in LA,’ are the special film screenings that happen all year-round all over town. I’ve seen Flashdance in the company of Jennifer Beals; Saturday Night Fever with John Travolta; Singing in the Rain with Debbie Reynolds; and earlier this year, Showgirls with Nomi Malone herself. That’s right, kids; freaking Elizabeth Berkley was in the house — well, the cemetery — and touchingly thanked the gay community for embracing the movie when the rest of the world turned against it. What a moment! It was like my Stonewall.

A well-traveled friend of mine once remarked, “Truly great cities don’t have to constantly tell you how great they are.” That observation comes to mind when I think about Los Angeles, the city I’ve called home for the last 29 years. L.A. is fine if you show up thinking we’re all about shallowness and smog and silicone because then we get to blow you away with our ever-evolving array of sights, smells, tastes, sounds and yes, guy candy.

Dennis Hensley is a writer and host of the podcast Dennis Anyone? with Dennis Hensley, available on iTunes and at

http://www.dennisanyone.net. He’s also a ManAboutWorld global correspondent. This piece was originally published in the December 2016 issue ofManAboutWorld.

Brunch: Hedley’s
Though this intimate charmer is right in the heart of West Hollywood, it’s rarely crowded, the food is delicious (I alternate between the salmon scramble and the breakfast quesadilla) and the star-spotting ain’t bad either. There are only like 10 tables in the whole place, and there’s usually a famous face like Drew Barrymore, Jason Gould or Greg Berlanti at one of them.

Cocktails: Casita Del Campo
Delicious Mexican food, strong drinks and a sexy Silver Lake crowd make Casita Del Campo my pick for the spot tourists don’t know and locals love. After dinner, venture downstairs to the Cavern Club Theater, where irreverent gay favorites like Jackie Beat, Nadya Ginsburg, the Nellie Olesons and Chico’s Angels have been delighting crowds since the ‘90s.

Workout: GROOV3
For me, this deejay-accompanied, hip-hop workout is a cross between a dance party and church because I always leave sweaty, spent and totally uplifted. Whether you’re an experienced dancer or a beginner, you’ll feel right at home thanks to the no-attitude crowd and infectious spirit of GROOV3 founder Benjamin Allen whose motto is Dance Sweat Live.

Outdoors: Runyon Canyon
For a challenging hike and breathtaking photo ops of the Hollywood sign, downtown and on a clear day, the ocean, it’s hard to beat Runyon Canyon. It’s right in the middle of the city but you feel like you’re in the boonies and the shirtless hottie parade will have you repeatedly asking the time-honored L.A. question, ‘Is that dude a gay guy, soap star or both?’

Hidden gem: NOHO Arts District
I’m thrilled to report that North Hollywood, my neighborhood since 1989, has gone from ‘How can you live there?’ to ‘How fabulous!’ in the last few years. Casual coffee hangouts like Tea Pop and the Republic of Pie have popped up alongside hip eateries like the barrel-shaped Idle Hour, which was restored to its 1940’s splendor earlier this year after decades of disrepair and endangerment.

Hotel: The Redbury
Conveniently located near the Pantages Theater and the Red Line subway, this 57-room, Boho-styled boutique hotel houses my favorite restaurant in the city, the Middle-Eastern shared-plate paradise Cleo (order the brussels sprouts and thank me later). The Redbury also happens to be where they shot several scenes for the award-winning 2012 gay film “I Do.” (See photo below.)

The Redbury in Los Angeles — The Redbury

NY Times Travel Show: LGBT Panel (FREE TICKET!)

Prague Gay Pride Happy New Year! Start planning on your 2016 (and beyond) travel this coming weekend. Get your free ticket to the NY Times Travel Show (both days!). All you have to do is: Register here (and save $20!). Use code LGBT.

The panel takes place on Saturday, January 9, 2016 at 12:15pm at the Jacob Javits Center in New York. It’s super easy to reach via the 7 subway line, bus, Citi Bike, taxi etc. The show normally costs $20 but this pass will get you in to the NY Times Travel Show for free both days. See, it pays to be gay!

Click here for more information about the panel here.

FROM THE NY TIMES TRAVEL SHOW: All are welcome! This session is designed for L.G.B.T. travelers as well as their travel professionals interested in learning about trends, destinations, tours, cruises and events. All you need is an open mind and the passion to travel.

Join this interactive and informative panel with leading experts in gay, lesbian and L.G.B.T. family travel. Our moderator, ManAboutWorld’s Ed Salvato leads a very well-traveled group in a lively discussion touching on new cruises and tours, not-to-miss events and up-and-coming hot spots around the world. The panel has collectively been on all seven continents and visited over 100 countries as out gay and lesbian travelers. Come with your travel questions. This is a session you won’t want to miss! NY Times Travel Show.

LGBT FAMILY CRUISE UPDATE: PORT (AND LIFE) LESSONS IN JAMAICA

Gay blended family in Jamaica and in ManAboutWorld gay travel magazine — Gay blended family in Jamaica

From Jamaica: Our Go, Daddy writer, gay-dad Paul J. Heney, his partner and kids are on their first-ever family cruise on Carnival Cruise Line. Here’s an update from their first port of call. Our first port of call on this Carnival cruise was Falmouth, Jamaica. I was a little conflicted about this stop.

Jamaica is one of the most stridently anti-gay countries on the planet, and so I felt somewhat opposed to giving any of my tourist dollars to the local economy. In the end, I decided to not make any sort of crusade out of it, and instead tried to use it as a teaching moment for our kids. While I’ve told them in the past about areas of the country or the world where LGBT people aren’t liked or tolerated, this was more real to them. They seemed shocked that such an innocuous looking place–and somewhere that we actually were–was such a “bad” part of the world, at least in one respect.

We devised a back story that Lance was my brother-in-law–married to my fictional sister Maureen. (They do have an Aunt Maureen, so that made it easier for them to remember.) I told them the chances of us getting in trouble for being gay was about zero, but that locals might treat us poorly or give us dirty looks if they found out.

As we had an excursion booked through the cruise line the next day in Grand Cayman, I suggested we try a different route in Jamaica. We merely walked off the ship with no firm plans and wandered into the tiny port town. Locals selling all sorts of brightly colored clothing lined the narrow streets. The kids, Matthew in particular, seemed a little taken aback at the poverty. After walking down a few streets, one of the locals named Dennis approached me with an offer to take us to Montego Bay and back, tell us about the island, take us to a good beach and a city overlook, etc. He described himself as “a family man” like me and a Christian. We listened to his story about charging us $100 instead of the normal $120, but kept walking and showed only minimal interest. Eventually he came down to $80 and I said it was Lance’s decision because he had the wallet. Lance then got him down to $70–a pretty good deal for the 4 of us!

We spent 90 minutes at the Doctors Cave Beach Club beach, a gorgeous crescent of sand with light blue green water. A huge inflatable trampoline about 100 feet offshore was all that Josh needed to make his day. It cost us $21 (cash) to access the beach and $12 for an umbrella and a chair. Matthew quickly made friends with a little Jamaican boy and they had a splendid time playing in the waves. Lance and I enjoyed people watching and goofing in the water a bit. There were some downright amazing bodies walking about, and I could see how Stella could get her groove back on a place like this!

Afterwards, Lance showed the boys his incredible bargaining skills in a few of the local shops in Montego Bay and then Dennis drove us to a lovely overlook before heading back to the ship. He did start up a conversation about where mom was today—Matthew started to answer that she lived at home and I interrupted and said something to the effect that, “The ladies wanted a spa day on the ship.”

Friends will vouch that I’m pretty militant and am usually the first one to fight the good fight. So it was hard to bite my lip even for a few hours, but I suppose I need to pick my battles—while keeping the kids’ eyes wide open about the bigger battles we still have to face.

Best of 2015: Gay Travel Photos

Here’s a look back on 2015 from ManAboutWorld: a year in photos and gay travel stories that got us out there traveling around. Here are a few that we enjoyed. Happy holidays to our subscribers, blog visitors, friends and followers. We hope you come back and visit our blog frequently and consider becoming a subscriber if you aren’t already. iPhone/iPad users tap here. Android users here.

THAWING OF RELATIONS BETWEEN CUBA AND THE UNITED STATES

The thawing of relations between Cuba and the USA — Cuba is closer than ever

MARRIAGE BUSTED OUT ALL OVER

This was before the legalization of same-sex marriage across the U.S. but it was a taste of thing to come and one of the top gay travel stories

GAY CRUISES ARE HOTTER THAN EVER

This is from an Atlantis cruise

A hot couple on an Atlantis cruise as seen in ManAboutWorld gay travel magazine — A very hot couple on an Atlantis Caribbean cruise.

THE NOMADICBOYS SERVED UP A YEAR OF AMAZING (AND FUN) GAY TRAVEL STORIES

If you don’t know these bloggers, go follow them now. They traveled throughout Asia and shared many memorable experiences.

GRACIOUS SEXUALLY FLUID WINNER

Conchita even helped put Vienna back on the gay travel map.

Conchita Wurst as seen in ManAboutWorld gay travel magazine and in top gay travel stories — The other lady in gold

It was fun reviewing our photos. We only reposted a handful here. Please feel free to go back in our post.

Daily Dose of Travel Inspiration: Bali

While traveling around Indonesia, ManAboutWorld Global Correspondent Michael Siebert took this picture of a pemangku priest in Bali. According to Michael:

While sipping a cofee at Capil Bar and Grill, in Bali, Indonesia, I took this image of a pemangku priest. This is the cleric who overseas the needs of a temple and its congregation. He was exiting the cafe with his morning meal.

Also check out ManAboutWorld’s magazine: You can check out our cool, digital gay travel magazine for savvy gay travelers by downloading the ManAboutWorldApp on the iTunes App Store or Google Play. We support iPads, Android tablets, iPhones and Android phones. There are a few free guides in all of the apps, and you can click here to register for a FREE three-month subscription. Go on, what are you waiting for!

ManAboutWorld is “Top Gay Travel App”: TwoBadTourists

Praha, 16. 8. 2014, Prague Pride, sexualita, lesbička, lesba, homosexuál, homosexualita, pochod, gay, LGBT Foto: HN - Lukáš Bíba — Photo: HN – Lukáš Bíba

Always nice to receive an award like this from a trusted resources. ManAboutWorld has been named a “top gay travel app” by TwoBadTourists, an informative travel planning and information blog. (They’re ‘bad tourists’ but they are great travelers.)

Here’s what they said about us:

This is one of the more established apps and is actually a gay travel magazine available on iOS and Android. It’s a digital-only publication that offers a subscription but also several free downloadable resources like their guides to West Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale, New York City, Greece and more. We love the concept of the magazine and its interactive ability to explore the stories, media, city guides and personal accounts from both the writers as well as readers. We use the magazine to help plan trips to popular destinations across the world since they’ve covered more than 100 places over the past two years.

Tap or click here to read the entire article (and the other 4 gay travel app winners).

Also, download ManAboutWorld!
You can check out our cool, digital gay travel magazine for savvy gay travelers by downloading the ManAboutWorldApp on the iTunes App Store or Google Play. We support iPads, Android tablets, iPhones and Android phones. There are a few free guides in all of the apps, and you can click here to register for a FREE three-month subscription. Go on, what are you waiting for!

Photo: courtesy Wimbify.

Over 50 Years and 50 Feet of Gay Travel Guides

David Jarrett, collector of gay travel guides — David Jarrett

ManAboutWorld subscriber and friend David Jarrett, above, is a passionate traveler, photographer and collector of stamps, fine art and gay travel guides. He describes his collection of gay travel guides as the “world’s largest.” We aren’t 100% sure of this but it is definitely the largest we’ve ever seen and at 50 feet of shelf space, it’s undeniably huge.

His collection includes complete collections of:

OUT & ABOUT, the premier gay travel newsletter first published in 1992;
Passport Magazine;
Out Traveler; and
Gay guides you’ve heard about and those you haven’t from countries all over the globe going back over half a century.

It’s a gay traveler’s fantasy library. We found Damron, Spartacus and Fodor’s gay travel guides and many more. This collection is not yet available for public viewing though Jarrett says he will eventually donate them to an archive, museum or library.

The earliest guide in his collection dates from 1958. Below is an image of the Guild Guide from 1968.

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THAWING OF RELATIONS BETWEEN CUBA AND THE UNITED STATES

MARRIAGE BUSTED OUT ALL OVER

GAY CRUISES ARE HOTTER THAN EVER

THE NOMADICBOYS SERVED UP A YEAR OF AMAZING (AND FUN) GAY TRAVEL STORIES

GRACIOUS SEXUALLY FLUID WINNER

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