ALL THE GALLIVANTER’S

THE GAY TRAVELER, "A RAINBOW ADVENTURE"

BY CLAY LARROY

Leisure travel is a wonderful experience that everyone should have in their lifetime. Even business travel can be made enjoyable. There are some aspects of travel that can detract from your enjoyment.  When planning to fly for a trip, don't forget any frequent flier miles you might have racked up. It does you no good to hang onto those once you've already gone on your big vacation. Even if you don't have enough miles to cover the whole trip, many airlines will allow you to discount your rate using your miles. When you want to plan a vacation contact me!

If you want to experience the culture and sights of another country, your travel consultant can give you a good idea of the local attitudes toward gay travelers. If, however, the trip is a "sun and beach" vacation, attitudes can often be more open and relaxed - in the right location.

Did you know?

• If you’ve always wanted to visit the pyramids of Egypt, definitely seek specific advice and help with planning your vacation; Egypt, like many mostly Islamic countries, is an amazing destination but has strict social norms regarding affection in public
• The quiet and tranquil beaches of the Bahamas may not be as easy to navigate with a gay companion as you might think - be sure to choose the right island and accommodations that market to gay travelers

In case you are wondering, the same TIA survey mentioned revealed the following United States cities as the most gay-friendly:

• San Francisco, CA
• Key West, FL.
• New York City; New York
• Provincetown, Mass.
• Los Angeles, CA
• Miami-South Beach, FL
• Las Vegas, NV
• New Orleans, LA
• Palm Springs-Palm Desert, CA.

Good travel agents also know other less popular or commercial destinations that welcome gay travelers, including small mountain towns like Asheville, NC. Don’t feel that you must limit yourself to major destinations.

You also have the choice to travel independently or with an all-gay group. It’s up to you, of course: some people are more comfortable surrounded by other gay travelers and the opportunity to be more open and expressive. If the purpose of your trip is sightseeing and cultural exploration, then independent travel may be a better choice, as it allows the most freedom to go at your own pace, and as long as you abide by local customs, you can travel almost anywhere. On the other hand, if you are taking a trip for relaxation or romance, you will almost certainly experience more of both when surrounded by like-minded people. Speaking of being able to relax, openly discuss what you want from your vacation with your travel consultant early in the planning process - then you’ll know you can go where you want to go and do what you want to do.

Surveys have indicated that a gay or lesbian traveler typically seeks originality, excitement, dining, local culture and affordability in their travel options. Which brings us back to our original point, doesn’t it? Travel is travel, and our small differences shadow our likenesses. All in all, a bit of expert planning will make travel for gays and lesbians every bit as comfortable and fulfilling as they want it to be - just as it should be.

REFERENCE SITES:

http://www.travelresearchonline.com/

Soul travel can be a general expansion of awareness and knowingness or conscious experience of the heavenly worlds.

Bob Hayes

Enjoy life and travel often, the more you travel, the more memories you create!