THEGAYUK

Tag: Gay Travel

All the latest information on travel for the gay community.

  • Travel Guide | Adelboden: A Classier Gay Ski Trip

    When the winter months arrive, and mini-breaks to beaches become an implausible option, then the best gay vacays to be had are hurtling down a mountain. Yes, skiing holidays remain a popular getaway, as snow bunnies head to higher altitudes to bomb down mountains, strapped into wood and wrapped up in Lycra. Sounds ideal.

    But if Courchevel has lost its appeal, and St Moritz is feeling a bit overcrowded, then the idyllic Swiss town of Adelboden may be just what you’re looking for. Not an especially gay travel destination, the core elements of gay travel are there if you look for them: luxurious spas, 4-star hotels, great food, plenty of apres ski indulgence, and incredible scenery that will take your breath away, whether you’re skiing down it or not.

    We travelled to Adelboden from London City Airport, flying with the small yet comfortable Skywork, who operate two flights daily from LCY to Berne-Belp (return flights cost from £190). We stayed at the insanely beautiful and luxurious four star plus Parkhotel Bellevue & Spa in the heart of the resort (room rates start from £115 per person sharing a double room on a half board basis).

    Adelboden-Frutigen

    Photo Courtesy: Adelboden.ch

    Nestled in the heart of the Bernese Oberland, Adelboden-Frutigen captures the true Alpine culture and is host to a wide array of snowsports, as well as plenty of indulgent pampering.The Engstligen Valley was the home of the very first British package ski holiday, dating back to the 1930s. It is now the home of the Ski World Cup, with runs suitable for every level of skier, including the wobbly “get down a mountain without dying” kind such as myself. Coming about as close to traditional Swiss cabins as you can get, the village is built almost entirely in chalet style, and the long main street is lined with shops housed in chalets. Fairly compact, there is some effort required in getting to and from the slopes, but there are buses to the satellite ski areas of Engstligenalp and Elsigen-Metsch.

    Travelling to Adelboden

    The small Swiss-German town’s biggest drawback is also, quite possibly, its biggest strength. Unlike larger ski resorts and busier winter destinations, there are no direct flights or large-scale transfers in place. The closest city you could fly into would be Bern, which is then roughly 45 minutes from the town by car. However, this being Switzerland and all, public transport is impeccable, and the trains run like clockwork (not surprisingly so). You can easily hop on a train to Frutigen and catch a connecting bus that will take you straight into Adelboden; a town which can then be easily navigated on foot.

    Skiing

    Photo Courtesy: Adelboden.ch

    While Adelboden is apparently equally beautiful and popular during its summer months, the main reason most international tourists will be heading there is the skiing. There are seven ski sub-regions accessible from Adelboden, all with really long and very German sounding names. You can now ski in all of these sub-regions with one ski pass and by paying one tariff:

    Adelboden-Lenk is one of the largest snow sports regions in Switzerland, with over 210 km (130 miles) of international-standard pistes, boasting guaranteed snow on 60% of the main areas. Now I’m not much of a skier but the conditions were amazing. And while the different areas were spread out over some distance, each location offered a good variety of runs on beautiful snow-kissed mountains.

    It didn’t hurt that we were insanely lucky with our weather when we went towards the end of January, just before the start of the peak skiing season. The snow was soft and plentiful, and the skies were bright and blue.

    Things to do (other than skiing)

    Skiing isn’t the only thing that makes a great skiing holiday, and this quaint little Swiss village offers plenty of other ways to spend your time if your ski boots start to chafe.

    Sledging

    Ok, it’s pretty close to skiing, but comes without any requirement of skill or self-control. After spending days attempting to perfect my snowplough, a morning spent bombing down a mountain on a cannibalised single-ski with a bicycle seat was just what I need to vent my frustrations. SchlittelPark has 14 km of sledge runs that criss-cross Tschentenalp. And as you pause to catch your breath and clear out the kicked-up snow from your beard, the “Mountain of Views” is true to its name, with some of the most spectacular scenery I’ve ever seen.

    Leisure and Sports Arena

    If the weather lets you down, you can keep active while indoors. The Leisure and Sports Arena Adelboden offers ten-pin bowling, ice skating, ice hockey, curling and climbing/bouldering. A cheesy alternative but still a fun day if skiing isn’t an option.

    Fondue-Igloo

    Eating an entire bucket of melted cheese would be frowned upon at home, but when skiing it’s more than acceptable, some would say even a prerequisite of a good trip. With several dining rooms each decorated in a different motif, hand-carved out of the man-made igloo, this is a must-see during your stay. Whether a romantic candlelit dinner for two or a pack of your closest mates, I’d definitely recommend a rendez-vous with some fondue in an igloo.

    Photo Courtesy: Adelboden.ch

    Wellness Spas

    Let’s face it, after skiing, the best reason to go to a mountain resort is the spa. Parkhotel Bellevue & Spa Adelboden is not only a modern and luxurious hotel, they also offer a wide range of spa treatments at not ridiculous prices. If you’re a guest of the hotel, you can enjoy the spa facilities without charge, such as the Turkish spa, the pool, and (most impressively) the incredible outdoor hot tub.

    Photo Courtesy: Parkhotel Bellevue & Spa Adelboden

    Seriously, watching the sun set over the Alps while bubbles massage your butt and snowflakes land on your nose. You couldn’t craft a more fairy-tale setting.

    If you’re not a guest of the hotel, you can obtain a day pass and make full use of the luxurious facilities. Have a swim, a steam, and then soak up the stunning view. You deserve it.

    So for a classier trip to the pistes, consider the perfect little slice of Swissness that is Adelboden. You can find more information about Adelboden on their website, or feel free to tweet me with questions about my trip!

     

  • TRAVEL GUIDE | Gay Berlin: Bring down those walls

    Berlin might not be the first place you think about when you want to have a romantic weekend away; most people head to Germany’s largest city for the history, wild parties, and relaxed sexual liberty. However there is another side to this amazing city, a romantic, softer side that most people miss out on.

    My boyfriend and I visited Berlin over the Valentine’s Day weekend to check out what the city had to offer.
    Berlin was founded in the 1300s and is the capital of Germany. It is also one of the largest metropolitan cities in Europe. With nearly 8 million people residing in its boundaries, there really is something to excite everyone’s tastes. Berlin and its people (and yes, they are ‘Berliners’) are well known for their love of a good party. From weekly romps at the many and varied night clubs, to Pride festival, film festivals, and a myriad of other cultural festivals, it’s almost impossible to come to Berlin and not find anything of interest to do. The hard part can be deciding which of them we should do first.

    After arriving in the city we checked into our simply beautiful room in the Radisson Blu hotel in the Mitte area, a short walk from Alexanderplatz. The hotel itself is quite incredible, with an enormous aquarium tank in the foyer, stretching almost from floor to ceiling commands most of the attention of everyone in the room, whether you’re checking in or enjoying a drink in the foyer bar, or even riding in the glass-lifts to and from your room, it’s hard not to stare into the water watching the fish swim around.

    Once we checked in, we got to our room and found we had an excellent view of the Berliner Dom.

    After my boyfriend prized me away from the window looking at the view, we headed into the city for a little sight-seeing. As we walked down the street towards the Brandenburger Tor (which I am pretty sure seemed closer on the map) the sun started to set behind the Tor, providing for some engaging photos and a great atmosphere.

    After spending a couple of hours wandering around the Tor, Jewish and Gay & Lesbian Memorials, the Tiergarten Park, we headed back to our hotel to begin the search for a place to have dinner. Since we’re pretty lazy, but enjoy something a bit different, we decided to check out 360, the revolving restaurant in the TV Tower. (Fehrnseheturm) This is a well-known Berlin landmark, the giant tower can be seen from anywhere in the city. It’s located in Alexanderplatz, and we paid the €23 fee to ride to the top and guarantee a table at the restaurant. The restaurant revolves once every hour, providing a wonderful view of the entire city as you enjoy your veal roulade and red wine. This is without a doubt the best view of the city, and it is totally worth the entry fee. (Buy your ticket online to save waiting in the sometimes massive queues.)

    Later that night we hit the town and headed over to the world famous Kit Kat Club (yes, like in Cabaret) for the monthly Revolver Party. Easily one of the best parties in Berlin, this monthly event brings in some of the hottest DJ’s, floor shows, and men from around the world. A word to the wise: Don’t follow regular German clubbing tradition here: arrive shortly after 12 for speedy entry, arriving after 1am might see you stranded on the street for a couple of hours waiting to get in. Once you’re inside, the venue has an in ground pool and lounge area, several bars, dance floors, and darkrooms/areas to keep everyone busy until well into the next morning.

    It was just after leaving Revolver that I was very happy to have booked the breakfast buffet at the hotel. After a long night of clubbing, one thing I didn’t look forward to was searching the streets of Berlin for breakfast. Luckily, with the wide variety of food available from the hotel’s buffet, we didn’t have to worry about that at all. The breakfast was a welcome way to start the day, and (to my boyfriend’s delight) included an egg chef to prepare your eggs exactly as you like them, while you wait.

    After a short nap it was time to discover some more of fun Berlin. Since the weather was playing ball, we headed into the Kreuzberg area to wander around the markets and stores that line the streets. Since it’s very un-German to give things a name that describes a specific thing, without that thing being there, you may be unsurprised to find that there is, in fact, a Kreuzberg, in Kreuzberg (crossing mountain). It’s pretty generous to call this a mountain, but considering how flat everything else in Berlin is, it’s pretty high. From the summit you can look out over almost all of Berlin.

    While in the area we took a little stroll through the market hall in Kreuzberg, and grab a little bit of Spanish tapas from a stand there. I also found this very cool little store that sold various household items and gift ideas

    A quick subway trip back to the hotel to rest and refresh was well deserved. We had thought about heading down to the basement level and having a couple’s massage or a dip in the pool, but the overly comfortable bed got the better of us. As the night rolled in we enjoyed a couple of glasses of Champagne before heading out to dinner and a show. Berlin has, unsurprisingly, a plethora of cultural events to see. From live theatre, musicals, classical music at the Philharmonie, there’s so much to choose from. We decided on a personal favourite: The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Check out the English Theatre for an excellent program of events this year.

    If you head over to Potsdammer Platz, where you can find the Philharmonie, Mall of Berlin and the Sony Centre, which has an awesome indoor ceiling design and a lot of touristy restaurants, you can catch a tuk-tuk style trip around the city from one of the many riders waiting on the corner. The very best of these is the rolling bed. Basically a guy on a bike pulling a double bed. You hop in, snuggle up under the blankets and enjoy a tour of the city while warm and cozy in the bed. A great idea for a coldish winter night. Prices vary depending on how far or how long you want a ride, but if you’re keen to try something different, this is certainly that.

    The following morning saw us getting up a little earlier to grab another buffet breakfast. The hotel’s team are awesome about late checkouts, with the regular checkout being at 12, and you can of course leave your bags in the hotel so you can spend your day doing something more interesting than waiting around for your taxi to the airport. Next time you’re planning a romantic getaway, give Berlin a try, you’re sure to fall in love.

    The reporter stayed as a guest of Radisson Blu Berlin.

    REVIEW AND PHOTOS BY: Aaron Holloway
    Rainbow Pride Watch by Be Pride – www.bepride.it

  • LGBT tourism to reach $200 BILLION in 2014

    Tourism is on the rebound according to experts, who expect the LGBT spend on travel and tourism to rebound to a staggering $200 BILLION in 2014.

    BIG SPENDERS

    The outlook is good especially for those who are gearing their marketing and products towards the LGBT community, as the collective spend is believed to be in excess of $200 billion (£120 billion).

    The latest findings from the Out Now market research group suggest that the top markets for tourism were: Europe (USD$66.1 billion) USA (USD$56.5 billion) and Brazil (USD$25.3 billion).

    In terms of most sort after destinations France led the way by more than 6%, the LGBT2020 Research found.

    ALL SIGNS POINT TO FRANCE

    Founder of the The Villages Group Rainbow in France, Danny Silver said:

    “France is the ultimate destination for the LGBT community. Having lived here for many yearsnow I have seen the progress which has been made in transforming the nation into a LGBT-friendly destination; the legalization of gay marriage last year was a significant step in the right direction and with Paris hosting the Gay Games in 2018, I can only see LGBT tourism to France going one way – up!

    “Indeed for older members of the LGBT community, often more concerned with cultural and safety issues in other destinations, France offers a truly welcoming atmosphere with numerous gay-friendly restaurants, bars, beaches and accommodation choices such as our project, The Villages Group Rainbow located in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of SW France.’

    France was highly rated in last year’s ILGA Rainbow Map, which measures how LGBT friendly each country is in Europe. It was given a rating of 65%, which is shared with Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Spain and Portugal.