Tips for Gay and Lbian Travelers St. Maarten/St. Mart | Frommer's

Contents:

• THE BT CARIBBEAN DTATNS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELERS
• TIPS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELERS CARIBBEAN
• I'M A GAY TRAVEL WRER AND THK THE ARE THE 5 SAFT, MOST QUEER-IENDLY CARIBBEAN TRAVEL STATNS
• THE 8 TOP GAY CIS FOR 2023
• TIPS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELERS ST. MAARTEN/ST. MART
• 5 SAFT PLAC FOR GAY TRAVELERS IN 2019 (AND THE MOST DANGERO)
• TIPS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELERS BAHAMAS
• DIRTY DICKSONE OF THE OLST GAY CISE BAR AMSTERDAM WH A REPUTATN FOR FAMO PARTI.AMSTERDAMMENUHOTELS · LUXURYHOTELS · MID-RANGE + BUDGETON TODAYBARSDANCE CLUBSCISE CLUBSDRAG SHOWSLBIAN BARSSNASRTRANTSSHOPSGYMSSERVICTOURSMASSAGECY GUIGAY MAPNETHERLANDS EVENTSDIRTY DICKS
• GAY RT BARS - AMSTERDAM FOM
• TIPS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELERS PORTUGAL
• TIPS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELERS CROATIA

THE BT CARIBBEAN DTATNS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELERS

It’s those latter islands where gay and lbian travelers ually feel more at ease sce lol laws around homosexualy and same-sex marriage match those of their parent untri. But rather than plan vatns to one of the dozen Caribbean islands where homosexualy is crimalized (surprisg, but te), most travelers simply prefer to vatn where they’ll feel fortable.

In the beachont neighborhood of Condado, the Atlantic Beach Hotel and Oasis Lounge are regular gay hotspots, both jt steps away om the low-key gay-beach area. Oranjtad also is home to District 7, an LGBT-centric nightclub, lounge, rtrant, and n (which was once a simpler gay bar lled Jimmy’s Place). But to wele gay and lbian Caribbean visors, this small island go the extra e by beg an active member of the Internatnal Gay & Lbian Travel Associatn (IGLTA).

Floris Sue Hotel Spa and Beach Club Curaçao is the go-to gay hotel Willemstad, where adult guts n enjoy luxury, privacy, and views of the island’s famoly-blue waters. Among Curao’s flirtier spots is MooMba Beach Club, perched on the island’s most gay-iendly beach and servg up cktails, live mic, h seafood, and weekend barbequ. LGBT travelers n take their pick of gay-centric beach to swim, sunbathe, and snorkel, pecially Happy Bay Beach and the clothg-optnal Orient Bay Beach (both on the French si), and Cupey Beach (Dutch si) where nu sunbathg is mon.

TIPS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELERS CARIBBEAN

The anizatn’s motto is “the most gay iendly island the Caribbean, ” and based on s long roster of lol hosts and sponsors, ’s clear how clive the statn really is. Posssns, most notably San Juan, which is hailed as the "gay pal of the Caribbean" and offers gay gutho, nightclubs, bars, and dance clubs.

I'M A GAY TRAVEL WRER AND THK THE ARE THE 5 SAFT, MOST QUEER-IENDLY CARIBBEAN TRAVEL STATNS

Mart, Gualoupe, and Martique -- are technilly an extensn of maland France, and the French have always regard homosexualy wh a certa blasé tolerance. However, don't let your guard down: Severe attacks and hate crim agast gay men have been Dutch islands of Aba and Bonaire are que nservative, so discretn is suggted. But a surprise move 2005, their sister island of Curaçao beme the first the Caribbean to announce that was embracg the gay and lbian muny, urgg such travelers to vis the island as a gay-iendly statn, and some hotels have joed the Gay & Lbian Travel Associatn.

THE 8 TOP GAY CIS FOR 2023

Even certa nightclubs Willemstad highlight their gay-iendly atmosphere an attempt to attract patrons om this muny of life is fairly secretive many of the sleepy islands of the Caribbean. Homosexualy is actively disuraged plac like the Cayman Islands, but as a rult of prsure om gay advocy groups, past homophobia is slowly givg way to tolerance. In Barbados homosexualy is illegal, and there is often a lack of tolerance spe of the large number of gay rints and visors on the island.

While plenty of rorts wele diverse travelers, some really roll out the rabow rpets—whether they’re part of a gay-iendly brand; home to an out-and-proud LGBTQ+ staff; or part of a fabulo statn. The brand is a Gold Global Partner of the Internatnal Gay & Lbian Travel Associatn (IGLTA), and has been honored for more than a as one of the HRC’s annually ranked Bt Plac to Work for LGBTQ+ Equaly. Here gay upl n spend time their villa’s private pool, cisg through the property’s mangrove forts, bikg to the beach, or meltg to an open-air upl’ massage.

Along wh Grand Palladium’s tramark ntemporary sign and range of on-se rtrants and entertament, gay and lbian guts n enjoy ameni like the Zentropia Spa & Wellns and s fully equipped gym, several pools and Jacuzzis, sports facili, and direct beach accs.

TIPS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELERS ST. MAARTEN/ST. MART

Israel is easily the most gay-iendly middle eastern untry, and Isrotel Lagoona is the perfect hotel for an Israeli vatn for anyone the LGBTQ+ muny. South Ai is probably the most gay-iendly untry Ai, and Royal Malewane is a member of IGLTA, assurg your South Ain LGBTQ+ experience is as fortable as n be. Barth, wily celebrated, and you will fd lots of queer lols and ex-pats alike overtly tegrated to society — this is a place where queerns don't have to to go: The island draws LGBTQIA+ travelers for s bety, sophistitn, and party atmosphere — even if lacks a dited gay bar.

The night I was there, for stance, my iend and I danced on stage to ABBA and other pop Beach is arguably one of the island's most betiful, and while 's not exclively queer, acts as a facto gay beach and tends to draw a more lorful crowd as well as to stay: Thanks to the island's clivy, you'll fd LGBTQIA+ folks stayg at virtually every hotel, but I ually book Le Toy for s massive rooms that e wh their own private pool.

5 SAFT PLAC FOR GAY TRAVELERS IN 2019 (AND THE MOST DANGERO)

) banana bread is a mt alongsi lectable seafood dish; Hidn Treasure, a romantic rtrant for date night; The French Touch, which is n by a French ex-pat and serv tasty classics; or The Tck Stop, an outdoor eatery wh live to stay: The rooms and villas at Alaia Belize, Autograph Collectn will likely speak to gay men like myself who are spired by sign.

The Rumors Ftival, a circu party, and events, also happens njunctn wh, Playa Hollywood acts as the cy's gay beach, where queer rints and visors go for fun and are also a few gay waterg hol and clubs wh LGBTQIA+ parti Cartagena; my experience, they are fun but do not offer what travelers om bigger ci might expect om queer culture. For other timate gay-iendly acmodatns Cartagena, nsir the gay-operated Hotel Casa Lola or the charmg Hotel tips: Plan a picturque day trip to the Rosar Islands, which are roughly a one-hour boat ri om Cartagena, wh plenty of mare life for snorkelg or scuba divg. However, there is a multu of reasons why I return aga and aga, namely, the plac listed to go: Almost a right of passage, any queer visor to Puerto Ri should make a trip to Condado Beach, wh s gay stretch of sand filled wh Speedo-clad hunks that ngregate here.

TIPS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELERS BAHAMAS

Where to stay: The majory of hotels are gay-iendly and the island has seen a surge of new opengs the past two years, cludg Curaçao Marrtt Beach Rort, Dreams Curaçao Rort, Spa & Caso, and soon, upl will enjoy the first Sandals on the island — Sandals Royal Curaçao.

DIRTY DICKSONE OF THE OLST GAY CISE BAR AMSTERDAM WH A REPUTATN FOR FAMO PARTI.AMSTERDAMMENUHOTELS · LUXURYHOTELS · MID-RANGE + BUDGETON TODAYBARSDANCE CLUBSCISE CLUBSDRAG SHOWSLBIAN BARSSNASRTRANTSSHOPSGYMSSERVICTOURSMASSAGECY GUIGAY MAPNETHERLANDS EVENTSDIRTY DICKS

My suggtn is the gay-iendly Bar Hotel, which has reasonable rat on stud, sue, and apartment-style Luxury Rort is another queer-iendly favore and has an island-chic, welg atmosphere, and villa-style rooms, many of which nta private plunge tips: In the ma port town of Willemstad, Pietermaai is a trendy neighborhood that attracts queer visors and is siar to Miami's Wynwood, filled wh murals and trendy plac to eat and have a night out. The term – a phemism that dat back to the 1950s – was once ed to dite gay social events on daily cise le programs, whout explicly llg out members of the muny on board. As travel on the high seas ntu to bounce back om the COVID-19 panmic, gay and lbian travelers should nsir settg sail on a fun-filled cise vatn as their next planng a cise, vatners should first nsir what their ial sailg looks like.

Some cise operators (thk: Atlantis Events and La Demence) are known for their electrifyg, all-night parti, which may be perfect for gay groups of iends. Cisers should also thk about whether they'd like to travel aboard a gay-iendly mastream le, such as Celebry Cis or Virg Voyag, or opt for an all-gay, full-ship charter wh a third-party vatn pany. Of VACAYA's all-gay charters, he says, "For one magil week, our muny gets to be the majory and live life out loud the blissful utopia VACAYA creat on a gay cise.

This le gets the stamp of approval om prev LGBTQ cisers, who praise the ships' genr-ntral bathrooms, onboard shows wh rint drag queens and diverse Voyag offers gay-specific sailgs through travel pani like Atlantis Events, but s more mastream erari still offer a welg, clive atmosphere that attracts LGBTQ cisers year-round.

GAY RT BARS - AMSTERDAM FOM

Atlantis EventsThe world's largt gay and lbian travel brand, Atlantis Events was found 1991 and wel more than 20, 000 travelers annually on LGBTQ vatns.

For s all-gay cis, Atlantis charters megaships om popular l like Royal Caribbean Internatnal and Norwegian Cise Le, so cisers will have a fully immersive board, travelers n enjoy all the perks the megaships have to offer (thk: pools, hot tubs, sports urts and plenty of dg choic), pl special events like drag performanc, motivatnal speakers, LGBTQ movi on mand each b and high-energy circu parti across the ship. "As an LGBTQ ciser, you're lookg for a ship wh lots of entertament, cludg dance parti and events, " says Mars Martez, founr of Men Who Bnch, a Black gay liftyle blog. "One of the bt cise [l] for gay cisg is Atlantis, sce you'll be able to meet hundreds of attractive men and party all day and night on the ship.

TIPS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELERS PORTUGAL

Cisers will also enjoy performanc by drag queens, gay Broadway stars and more, pl more typil river cise perks like sightseeg and lavish meals. Celebry Cis(Courty of Celebry Cis)Celebry Cis sets the scene for an excellent vatn for gay travelers, om s extravagant annual Pri parti to s daily LGBTQ programmg throughout the year. Private travel pani like VACAYA also charter Celebry ships for all-gay voyag throughout the (Getty Imag)Specifilly marketed toward lbians and LGBTQ women, Olivia has hosted more than 350, 000 travelers by land and sea over almost five s.

The popular cise le equently partners wh Atlantis Events to offer all-gay voyag throughout the year, but even the standard sailgs earn praise. Outsi of the sailg experience, Royal Caribbean has also publicly mted to support the LGBTQ muny throughout the year, and was the first cise le to earn the tle "Gay Traveler Approved" om GayTravel 2023, nsir a Royal Caribbean voyage that sails to gay-iendly statns.

]The Cise Wh La Demence(Courty of The Cise wh La Demence)Acrdg to past cisers, if you're lookg for one of the bt party scen on the open seas, nsir an all-gay cise wh La Demence. Prev cisers had high praise for the erari – which exclively vis gay-iendly lotns – as well as the uy cktails, themed nights (stum strongly enuraged), glamouro entertament, and unique events like drag bgo and high heel Demence sails every summer to statns like Rome; Athens and Mykonos, Greece; Kotor, Montenegro; Dubrovnik, Croatia; and more.

TIPS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELERS CROATIA

954/776-2626;) is the tra associatn for the gay and lbian travel dtry, and offers an onle directory of gay- and lbian-iendly travel bs; go to s webse and click on "Members.

In an attempt to help terme the worst plac for gay travelers, the duo created the 2019 LGBTQ+ Danger Inx, rankg the world’s most dangero—and saft—untri for gay travelers. The journalists looked at the top 150 most-vised untri the world by the number of g tourists, then ranked them g eight factors, cludg laws agast gay relatnships, legal protectn agast discrimatn and more. “In 2018, India managed to annul Sectn 377, a Brish lonial-era law prohibg ‘unnatural acts, ’ orr to legalize nsensual gay sex, ” says Fergson, who pots out that ancient Indian lerature such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana have many referenc to LGBTQ+ hero cludg transgenr warrrs and two queens who ma love orr for one queen to get pregnant wh an heir for their kgdom.

“Long story short, this pots to the fact that was likely the Brish fluence that largely led to Indian homophobia the first place, ” she says.