Berlin: A Year of LGBT Events

Credit: © Guenther Steffen
Credit: © Guenther Steffen

We recently covered Berlin Pride (Christopher Street Day) and Folsom (below) but there are a lot more gay reasons to put Berlin on your travel radar this summer from exhibitions and street festivals to a queer night at the zoo.

EXHIBITIONS
 “Homosexuality_ies” on History of Homosexuality
June 26 until December 1, 2015

In cooperation with Berlin’s Gay Museum (Schwules Museum), the German National History Museum is planning interdisciplinary exhibitions in both museums on gay history, politics, culture and art. The culture-historical exhibition aims to contribute to a social recognition which goes beyond tolerance. It will show what political contributions the homosexual emancipation movement has made toward the development of a democratic civil society in which everyone is accorded equal rights and equal opportunities.www.dhm.de/en/ausstellungen/preview/homosexuality-ies.html 

 Gay Museum: New Location and Changing Exhibitions
Reopening June 25

Since its founding in 1985, Berlin’s Schwules Museum (Gay Museum) has grown into one of the world’s  largest and most significant institutions for archiving, researching and communicating the history and culture of LGBTIQ communities. At its new location in a converted former printing house, the museum features four exhibition spaces and a café. Exhibition highlights in 2015 include a look at Berlin’s former – and openly gay – mayor, And that’s a good thing – 13 Years of Klaus Wowereit As Mayor Of Berlin (until  17 May 2015) and Homosexuality_ies, the double exhibition in cooperation with the German Historical Museum. (above and atwww.schwulesmuseum.de/en/exhibitions/view/homosexuality-ies/),www.schwulesmuseum.de/.Continue reading “Berlin: A Year of LGBT Events”

Vienna Street Lights Go Gay For Eurovision & Conchita Wurst

vienna2

We love the gay streetlights in Vienna — two gay gauys holding hands! We recently covered Vienna and the crazy Eurovision event. The grand finale of the competition will be May 23. Click here to subscribe and read our in-depth, expert-sourced coverage.

Here’s a fabulous photo of last year’s winner Conchita Wurst (credit: LifeBall Conchita_Akzeptanz). Click here to read what we wrote about the event on Towleroad. 

Conchita Wurst as seen in ManAboutWorld gay travel magazine
The other lady in gold

 

“6 of 1” — Life, Death and Chicken Dancing With the Ewe Tribe

Matt in Africa
Matt in Africa

Acclaimed gay travel writer Matthew Link  and a charming local named James find themselves at a trio of funerals in Accra, Ghana in the short e-book Offensive Optimism, as Matt learns about life, death and how to perfect the famous chicken dance of the Ewe tribe.

Matt has written and contributed to numerous travel books, including Rainbow Handbook Hawaii and Looking for Love in Faraway Places; Tales of Gay Men’s Romance Overseas. He has written for TIME, Newsweek, MSNBC, Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast, The Los Angeles Times, Men’s Health, and Orbitz, among many others. Matt was also the founding Editor in Chief and Editorial Director of The Out Traveler magazine, the world’s largest gay publication at the time, published by The Advocate and OUT. He’s also contributed to ManAboutWorld.

Buy it here. Click below to read more about “6 of 1″ and Ponies + Horses Publishing.Continue reading ““6 of 1” — Life, Death and Chicken Dancing With the Ewe Tribe”

DDTI*: Time To Start Planning Your Provincetown Summer Visit

Bathing suitThere’s no time like the present to make those plans for Provincetown. Download our guide to:

  • Find the guesthouse that best suits your budget and tastes;
  • Get your restaurants lined up;
  • Figure out transport (reserve ferry tickets for busy weekends)

And note that July 4 is one of the most fun times to go for Independence 2015and a whole lot more, but you have to like what you see in the photos (courtesy Crown & Anchor) here!

*DDTI=Daily dose of travel inspiration.

DSC_1813

 

Cop, Newlywed and Leather Model: Sneak Peak of David Currie Profiled in Next Issue of ManAboutWorld

Aaron Currie and David Currie, newlyweds and leather models
Aaron Currie and David Currie, newlyweds and leather models

Aaron Currie (left) and David Currie (who’s also a Crime Scene Detective with the Broward Sheriff’s Office in Fort Lauderdale), were among the first same-sex couples married in Florida this past January. They’re also newly selected models for LeatherWerks in Ft. Lauderdale. Learn more about David in our next issue of the magazine where he’s profiled.

Five Places You Can’t Miss in Cambodia and Laos

cambodia

Our recent article for Towleroad highlights the best of Cambodia and Laos, two of the least developed countries in Southeast Asia, tucked between Thailand and Vietnam. Tourism is a bright spot in both countries, and based on our short exploration, it is easy to see why. Despite the difficult history and circumstances, people greet visitors with enormous smiles and warmth. Cambodia’s magnificent Angkor Wat complex, rediscovered in the 1850s, is a bucket list draw for world travelers. It has brought about tourism infrastructure development, and some of the same free-wheeling tourist economy trappings — good and bad — seen in more developed tourist economies. By comparison, Laos is most notable for its relative lack of development, but here too, the power of tourist spending is changing the landscape — literally and quickly.

We visited the three most accessible destinations in the area: Siem Reap andPhnom Penh in Cambodia, and Luang Prabang in Laos. All three are easily reached, with accommodations for luxury travelers, backpackers, and everything in between. Siem Reap’s main draw is its temples, but lots of other cultural, culinary, spa, shopping, entertainment and adventure activities have sprung up. As Cambodia’s capital city, Phnom Penh offers a striking portrait of resilience, having been a jewel of French Colonialism, through the devastation of the Khmer Rouge, to a modern metropolis. Luang Prabang doesn’t have the gay hotels and nightlife of Cambodia, but charms visitors with its quiet yet vibrant temple and village life.

There is so much to see in both countries and if you travel this far you’re probably also going to see Thailand and possibly Vietnam. But as a little teaser of things we love in Cambodia and Laos, read on. To get the full monty on Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, get ManAboutWorld Magazine on iTunes (iOS) or Google Play (Android). There are many tour operators who can help arrange a tour of these beautiful places, including one of our favorites: ManAboutWorld Gay Tour Operator Editor’s Choice Winner Out Adventures. 

  1. Angkor Wat(Siem Reap): Angkor Wat, literally “city temple,” is an architectural wonder that was almost lost to encroaching jungles until it was rediscovered by French explorers in the late 19th century. Today the temple is Cambodia’s most popular attraction, with something close to four million visitors last year. The photo below has been dubbed the Lara Croft or Angelina Jolie Temple by visitors who note it was one of the filming locations of the famous adventure movie she filmed there.Continue reading “Five Places You Can’t Miss in Cambodia and Laos”

DDTI*: Basilica Catedral de la Asuncion – León, Nicaragua

Basilica Catedral de la Asuncion - León, Nicaragua.
Basilica Catedral de la Asuncion – León, Nicaragua

DDTI* from our correspondent Scott Marquardt. (*Daily Dose of Travel Inspiration)

“I’m at work, this is the view ‪#‎tucantravel‬ ‪#‎travel‬ ‪#‎nicaragua‬ — at Basilica Catedral de la Asuncion – León, Nicaragua.”

 

Ibiza’s First Gay Pride And A Huge Summer Giveaway

ibiza

Our friends at Two Bad Tourists have big news on the first-ever Ibiza Pride and a huge summer giveaway!

Are you planning on visiting Ibiza? In case you haven’t heard, Ibiza is hosting its first gay pride this summer from July 8th to 12th and it’s going to be big! We’ve partnered with the Ibiza Gay Pride team to giveaway 2 All Access Passes.

The winner of the giveaway will receive 2 free t-shirts, 2 welcome bags and 2 wristbands providing free access to all 8 parties including the opening party, all nighttime events and daytime pool party. Each pass normally costs 200€ (promo price until May 25th) so the total prize is valued at 400€! You can find out more about the events and parties on the Ibiza Gay Pride website or check out their Facebook page for regularly updates.

What’s the Catch?

There’s no catch – all you have to do is signup with your email address. We’ll add you to our mailing list and you can unsubscribe at anytime. We don’t spam but we do send out a monthly newsletter and occasional new blogs posts by email. This giveaway also helps promote Ibiza Gay Pride, which is important since it’s the first year and they need help spreading the word. Also note that the prize doesn’t include any travel assistance, flights or accommodation so you’re on own for that. But once you arrive, you’ll have access to all the events throughout the week with the wristband.

 

Rhapsody In Blue Skies

rhapsody

The New York Times recently had a great story about the semi-new Rhapsody magazine, available to first-class United Airlines passengers, and the new influx of A-list literary stars that populate the magazine.

“As airlines try to distinguish their high-end service with luxuries like private sleeping chambers, showers, butler service and meals from five-star chefs, United Airlines is offering a loftier, more cerebral amenity to its first-class and business-class passengers: elegant prose by prominent novelists,” the article said.

Passengers will read stories from Pulitzer-winner Anthony Doerr, and award-winners such as Joyce Carol Oates (Black Water, Blonde) and Karen Russell (Swamplandia!)

Photo credit: Sam Hodgson for The New York Times

 

DDTI: The View From Up Here, The Sofitel So Bangkok

ddti


ManAboutWorld Global Correspondent Michael Siebert visited Bangkok and stayed at ManAboutWorld Editor’s Choice award winner the Sofitel So Bangkok. Here’s his report, just in; and above a self portrait he took (using a timer) of him and a friend.

Sofitel So Bangkok is a fantastic, well-located hotel combining together elegant French luxury and warm Thai hospitality and styled by Monsieur Christian Lacroix.
The pool is spectacular along with the view.  If you are a chocolate lover, be sure to visit the “chocolate lab” at ground level, as well as the rooftop bar, Park Society.  An excellent time to visit is during the Thai new year in April each year; lastly, don’t miss out of the water fight in the Silom area during the new year.
*DDTI: Daily dose of travel inspiration.