25 Gay Hot Spots From camping to luxury, our pick of gay destinations and tours in the next 12 months by Kim Gustavsson

The world of gay and lesbian travel has exploded over the past decade. Today there are not just the traditional party weekends or classic destinations. New and exciting destinations keep developing as well as ways to travel to those destinations. Whether you are seeking a cheap weekend getaway or a luxury tour, it’s easy to make your next vacation a gay vacation.

•• CRUISES AND TOURS

The big gay tour operators are RSVP, Atlantis, and Olivia. With cruises offered year-round, these companies charter ships or resorts for a week or more and turn them gay. RSVP and Atlantis are predominantly male, but both welcome female travelers. (Usually the mix is about one to 10.) RSVP has a reputation for being friendlier, while Atlantis is more circuit-y. Of the top three, Olivia is the only all-women tour operator–although they do tend to charge more for similar packages. (Example: Club Med Cancun Olivia in November is over $500 more per person than RSVP for the same resort three weeks earlier.) Atlantis and Olivia can be booked either through travel agents or directly, while RSVP is only available through agents. The RSVP cruises often sell out eight months to a year in advance, so early bookings are recommended. RSVP is offering early-booking discounts of up to $350 per person for their February 2003 sailing through the end of May.

RSVP–www.rsvp.net

Olivia–www.olivia.com

Atlantis–www.atlantisevents.com

# 1 RSVP’s Mediterranean Cruise. The best cruise deal this summer is probably the RSVP sailings of the Mediterranean on the Royal Clipper leaving July 27 to August 17 with various itineraries from France and Italy through the Greek Islands to Istanbul and back. $400 discounts are available through some agencies for new bookings. The ship is one of the most spectacular in the world, and boasts 55,000 square feet of sails; with only 228 passengers on board, the ship has a very intimate feeling and each cabin has a marble bathroom. The dining room’s elegant octagonal skylight is formed by the bottom of a swimming pool (one of three). The marble steam room is built like a combination of a Turkish hamman and Roman bath. Watching the blue water of the Mediterranean while working out or getting a facial or massage before dinner is the ultimate way of unwinding after a day full of adventures.

#2 Texas Lesbian Conference Anniversary Cruise To celebrate their 15th year of being the only lesbian conference in the country, the Texas Lesbian Conference has decided to take their gathering "What Lesbians Really Want" to the waters and make it a cruise. What an idea! And it’s not as expensive as it sounds. Starting at only $439 (double occupancy) for the four days includes the cruise, meals, entertainment, and conference fees. Leaving from Galveston on the Carnival "Celebration," the Oct. 17—21 cruise will spend a day in Cozumel. www.texaslesbianconference.org

•• ESCORTED LUXURY TOURS

For the more exclusive GLBT traveler, consider a small escorted tour. Usually conducted for only six to eight passengers, many of these tours are of offbeat places such as the Amazon, the Easter Islands, as well as historical tours to places like the Nile and Mount Athos in Greece. The surroundings are not 100-percent gay like some of the cruises or resorts, but these tours mostly stay at gay-friendly hotels and resorts. Two of the most respectable high-end tour companies are Hanns Ebensten Travel (considered by all to be the originator of "gay travel") and DavidTours, which has gained an enormous respect in the industry for level of service and excellence. For the first time this year, Hanns Ebensten is opening some of their tours to women. DavidTours usually have a slightly lower age in its clientele than Hanns Ebensten. Other destinations these two offer are Scandinavia, India, Kenya, Tanzania, Tahiti, Morocco, as well as cruises.

Hanns Ebensten–www.hetravel.com

DavidTours–www.davidtours.com

#3 Copenhagen/Stockholm Tour. DavidTours offers two nine-day tours per year of these two capitol cities of Scandinavia. Both Denmark and Sweden were among the first countries to offer domestic-partnership registration and recognition for gay and lesbian couples. The tour stays at the Grand Hotel in Stockholm–one of the leading hotels of the world (and where the Noble Prize winners are put up). In Copenhagen, the hotel is 250-year-old Hotel D’Angletterre. With everything that is going on in the world, the Scandinavian destinations are some of the safest in the world.

•• THE CIRCUIT

For the boys and girls who love to dance and party, there is the Circuit. Although Jungle Lust, Houston’s own circuit party is growing, it is still not one of the BIG events of the year. More established and popular are such things as Hotlanta, Halloween New Orleans, Black and Blue Montreal, the White Parties in Miami and Palm Springs. The list is long and some are better then others. Close to us are the Splash parties in Austin on Memorial Day and Labor Day as well as Halloween New Orleans. Southern Decadence is another popular gay weekend in the Big Easy. It is by many considered the gay version of Mardi Gras and takes place over Labor Day weekend. Most popular for Memorial Day is Pensacola. Following right after that weekend is Gay Disney. This is the week for "our" family to experience the wonders of the Magic Kingdom. The complete calendar for the circuit can be found at www.circuitnoize.com. Among all-women circuit parties, the biggest and brightest of them is the Dinah Shore weekend in Palm Springs, scheduled for March 27—30 next year. www.clubskirts.com/dinahshore/dinah.html

#4 Last Splash in Austin. Held over the Labor Day weekend, this GREAT party has grown rapidly in the past few years with now a full weekend of dance parties and fun in the sun. Dance in the city at night, and during the day the place to go and be seen is Hippy Hollow on Lake Travis. Be prepared to walk to get to the ‘"gay" cove–or, even better, bring a boat if you have one. www.partyaustin.com

#5 Halloween, New Orleans Now in its 19th year, what started out as a group of friends getting together for a costume party is now a four-day fundraising event that brings in about 7,000 people for the Saturday costume party. 100 percent of the money from entry tickets goes to Project Lazarus, an AIDS hospice. Starting with a Thursday Black Tie cocktail party at the Ritz Carlton, costumes are REQUIRED at the dance event and costume party Saturday night. The final official part is the Sunday Gospel Brunch. For those who want to continue after that, one of the hottest spots for Friday night for the past two years has been 735, which has boasted DJ Susan Morbito for the Sunday afternoon tea dance. This year’s theme is Mythos and the parties are October 24—27. www.halloweenneworleans.com

#6 Gay Days at Disney. This event is the week and weekend directly following Memorial Day weekend. With Pensacola as the main party for the Memorial Day Weekend, Orlando and Walt Disney World are just a short drive away for the avid party boy or girl who can take 10 days or more off in a row. The combination of events at places such as Typhoon Lagoon, the Magic Kingdom itself, and 125,000 lesbians and gay men–how could you go wrong? www.gaydays.com Plus, for Gay Days or any trip to Disney World, check out the just-released: A Walt Disney World Resort Outing: The Only Vacation Planning Guide Exclusively for Gay and Lesbian Travelers.

•• ADVENTURE TOURS AND TRAVEL

"A decade ago, ‘gay adventure travel’ was an unknown concept…," according to Alyson Adventures, the leader in the field. "A typical ‘adventure travel’ group attracted many engaging, friendly people who enjoyed the outdoors, but it also drew macho types who just wanted to boast about their ‘extreme sports’ prowess. Gay travelers weren't always welcome in these settings."

We’ve come a long way, baby.

Whether you like to bike, hike, climb, raft, or dive, there are exclusive gay and lesbian trips for your interest. Adventure travel today includes such trips as Whitewater Rafting in the Grand Canyon; hiking Tuscany, the Swiss Alps, and Spain; biking through the Netherlands or France; diving in the Caribbean and the Great Barrier Reef. There is even an all-female surf vacation.

Alyson Adventures is the leader in the field of gay adventure travel. Footprints is another good company, and Global Impact is a new addition to the field. Also, some of the adventure companies that are not specifically gay–such as Windjammer and Backroads–have started offering a good selection of gay trips.

#7 Cycles and Castles. The Valley of the Kings Biking Tour with Alyson Adventure takes you through the valleys where the French kings built many of their castles. It is a seven-day bike tour that starts in Blois and ends in Chino, exploring some of the most wonderful castles of the world. Some of the highlights are: Picnic with the black swans of Chenonceau chateau; view Usse, the storybook castle that inspired the legend of Sleeping Beauty; roam the historic ruins of Chinon, once a Roman stronghold, later the chateau-fort where Joan of Arc changed the course of French history. June departure for men and September departure for women. Alyson Adventure Tours offer vacations such as biking in France, Italy, or Iceland. www.alysonadventures.com

#8 Diving in Grenada Windjammer Barefoot Cruises offer select sailings on board their ships that are both clothing optional, as well as all gay and geared toward divers. On sailing ships of 60 to 160 people, these vessels are not the luxury liners of today but more closely resemble ships of a bygone era with bunk beds. These smaller ships can offer destinations that larger ships cannot access. An excellent pick for the summer would be the June 2 to 8 sailing out of Grenada. www.windjammer.com

#9 Whitewater Rafting in Costa Rica. If you are traveling by yourself or with a group of friends and you want a specially-designed adventure tour, Footprints Travel will design a trip for you–or you can choose from one of their packaged gay/lesbian adventure tours. These tours include such things as whitewater rafting in Costa Rica, the Inca Trail in Pacchu Picchu in Peru, and the high altitude lake of Titikaka. They also do tours of Jordan and Syria where you will go desert camping and see such sites as the lost city of Petra. For the Eco Gay Tourist, their tours of Costa Rica are a combination of wonderful nature whitewater rafting, volcanoes, and national parks. www.footprintstravel.com

#10 "Altitude" Week in Whistler, Canada. For the avid skier, Aspen Gay Ski Week (www.gayskiweek.com) has a competitor that is growing fast and is now in its 11th season: the "Altitude" week in Whistler, Canada. A full-blown gay ski week with all the parties that go along, it can be a good alternative to Aspen–both in price and fun, particularly with the strong U.S. dollar. www.outontheslopes.com

#11 Texas Trail of Independence Bike Tour, with Global Impact Tours Taking off from Houston, this Oct. 24—27 bike tour winds through Brenham, Chappell Hill, and Round Top, with stops at historic landmarks, sumptuous dinners, and nights in scenic B&Bs–all to benefit Houston’s Center for AIDS. (A similar tour in April raised over $10,000 that went directly to the center.) Part AIDS Ride, part eco-tour, Global Impact Tours was founded to give participants an active behind-the-scenes vacation, while raising money for a local charity. Participants are required to raise funds–100 percent of which goes to the designated nonprofit, with the tour expenses being paid by the cost of the tour. Founded by a former employee of Pallotta TeamWorks, this year-old gay-owned travel company offers other feel-good tours ranging from a Smoky Mountain multi-sport tour to hiking in Honduras and a South African safari. www.globalimpacttours.com

•• GAY RESORTS

It is hard to imagine, but there are resorts that are exclusively gay and lesbian all year around. These properties range from full-scale resorts with private beaches, restaurants, and pools to hotels with private pools on the beaches of some of the most popular tourist destinations.

# 12 Blue Chairs Beach Resort, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico For an easy long weekend from Houston, one of the top gay resorts is Blue Chairs Beach Resort in Puerto Vallarta. It is a short 2.5-hour flight from here and makes for a great long weekend. Although it is called a resort, it is more a hotel that is all gay. Blue Chairs is nice and clean and close to the beach. In front is a restaurant, and on the beach there are chairs set up with vendors selling anything and everything. The restaurants also have waiters serving cocktails and food right on the beach. The best way to book a trip is through one of your local IGLTA travel agents. They can get your discounted airfares and packages that otherwise are not available. www.bluechairs.com

# 13 Highlands Inn Women’s Resort Calling itself a lesbian paradise, the Highlands Inn is located on 100 acres in the heart of New Hampshire's White Mountains, with 15 miles of hiking/skiing trails, where minimal effort will take you to a waterfall or gorgeous view. Celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2003, they’ve received the Out & About Editor's Choice Award every year since the award’s inception. They offer a spring concert series with women singer-songwriters, and there are two Donald Ross golf courses nearby. Their phone number says it all: 1-877-LES-B-INN (537-2466), www.highlandsinn-nh.com.

# 14 Turtle Cove Resort, Australia Located outside of Cairns in Australia, Turtle Cove is one of the top 10 gay resorts in the world. A full-service resort, they offer themed weeks and are close to both the rain forest of northeastern Australia and the Great Barrier Reef. (But don’t even think about trying to book for November of this year. With the Gay Games VI in Sydney, they have been sold out for about a year.) www.turtlecove.com.au

#15 Cormorant Beach Club in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands The Cormorant Beach Club resort in St. Croix is gay-owned and -operated but not gay exclusive. Cormorant is an upscale resort with a large private beach, tennis, sailing, and snorkeling on site. The U.S. Virgin Islands is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and a wonderful place to escape the stress of everyday living. The climate is almost always perfect. Well, almost ... there are a few hurricanes. www.cormorantbeachclub.com

•• INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS

What would gay travel be without both the classic gay destinations such as Mykonos in Greece; Ibiza, Barcelona, and Sitges in Spain; or Amsterdam in the Netherlands?

# 16 Amsterdam. Known as the gayest city in Europe, Amsterdam is a hot destination for the next year with Continental Airlines’ new non-stop service right from Houston (it is 9 hours 40 minutes going and 10 hours 50 minutes coming back), and prices for a summer flight are quite low. There are fares in the months of June, July, and August that normally are available only during low season in January—March. The Netherlands is the only country where gay marriages are completely legal. Amsterdam has an upscale all-leather hotel, the Black Tulip (www.blacktulip.nl), but also regular one-to-four-star gay hotels. Among the best of the all-gay lodgings is ITC Hotel (www.itc-hotel.com). However, given the acceptance and tolerance that exists in the country, many gay travelers do not feel it necessary to stay at an all-gay hotel, since all-gay hotels tend to be pricier than the same-rating hotels that are open to the general public. Some of the best times to visit are Queens Day (April 30, the birthday of the Queen Mother, Juliana), Gay Pride (August 1—4), and the weekend of Amsterdam’s Leather Party (Nov. 2—3).

# 17 Berlin. Berlin is experiencing a new revival in gay life since the reunification of Germany. This is not a surprise given the first homosexual organization was founded here in the 1800s. Germans are not shy people. If you visit in the summertime and you take a stroll through the Tiergarten–Berlin’s largest park in the city center–do not be surprised if you see naked Germans catching some sun.

# 18 Prague A city of many wonders and the new home of Catalina Videos, Prague has a reputation of life as it was in Paris during the time of Hemingway. There is plenty of history and old architecture here. A very welcoming and warm place to stay is Ron’s Rainbow Guest House. Ron Livaccari is an ex-patriot that went to Prague a few years back and fell in love with it. "Sexual hang-ups among the Czechs don’t seem to exist," Ron reports. "They don't necessarily put labels on sex as homosexual or heterosexual. It is just sex. And as an American, at times, this really boggles my mind, but I love it. This is the way it should be." Ron can be reached at www.gay-prague.com. A GREAT way to see and experience this city is with a personal guide. Karel is a native Czech who started his own agency in 1996. Today he takes gay men and women for private tours of the city. There is probably no better way to experience this city than with a handsome Czech at your side. www.rainbowtravel.cz

# 19 Gay Games VI This year’s top destination and event in the gay and lesbian community. Gay Games VI, Under New Skies, in Sydney, November 2—9, is promising to be an unforgettable experience. Registration for participating in the games is well under way and ticket sales for the competitions and opening and closing ceremonies are going on sale this month. As of the beginning of March, over 8,100 people had registered to compete in the games and several sports were already closed. The official site for the games is www.sydney2002.org.au/frameset.asp. Packages to the games from Houston start as low as $1,995. One of the largest tour operators for the games is INTA-Aussie South Pacific that has a whole department named G’Day dedicated to Gay Travel in Australia and the South Pacific (www.inta-gday.com). Mardi Gras is of course another time to visit down under. Boasting the largest Gay Party year after year, Mardi Gras in Sydney is a sure bet of fun, parties, and socializing.

#20 Consider Canada A trip to Canada is the fastest way around to feel like you’re in Europe–without the hassle and expense of a 10-hour flight. Start with Montreal: The largest bilingual city in North America works, rests, and plays in a multitude of languages and cultures, infused with, and influenced by, a distinct French heritage. On to Toronto, one of the cleanest, safest, and most gay-friendly cities in the world, with more than 80 cultures evident everywhere. The majority of gay bars and clubs are on Church Street and Yonge Street … an area alive with fun and festivities year-round. Finally there’s Vancouver, with a wealth of arts, entertainment, cuisine, and shopping. The gay bars, clubs, and restaurants on Davie and Denman streets offer a kaleidoscope of music, cuisine, and culture. Robson Street is alive day and night with shops, street performers, and the many sounds of foreign languages. Stanley Park is an incredible rain forest amazingly located in the city center. Both Continental and American Airlines offer nonstop and direct service to Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver.

•• FESTIVALS, CAMPING, AND NUDE SUN-WORSHIPPING

"Gay and lesbian campgrounds" may sound like an oxymoron. It is not. There are several, and some even have themed parties and weeks. Rainbow Ranch in Texas has a good listing of other gay campgrounds on their website: www.rainbowranch.net/links.htm.

#21 Women’s Festivals There are women’s music festivals, comedy festivals, spiritual, sports-oriented, as well as theater. Some use campgrounds, others resorts and hotels. For a thorough listing, go to www.womensfestival.com. These festivals are not necessarily all lesbian women; however, a large percentage of the women belong to our community. Some notable ones are: WIMINFEST 2002, on Memorial Day weekend, May 24—26, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, www.wiminfest.org–"celebration of women's arts and performance and of lesbian culture, it's a chance for hundreds of women to gather and celebrate who they are." WIMINFEST strives to present the works of women of all cultural, ethnic, socio-economic, and artistic backgrounds. Or FWF2K Funny Women Fest 2000, an all-women improvisational and comedy festival in Chicago, July 19—22, www.funnywomenfest.com. And then, of course, there’s the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, Aug. 13—18. Spread over 650 private acres (and surrounded by a quarter million acres of national forest available for camping), this experiment in womyn-centered alternative culture is a powerful experience. www.michfest.com

#22 Jones Pond Campground, New York is a joint American/Canadian gay-owned/operated adult male (21 years plus), clothing-optional, membership-only campground located in the Genesee Valley in New York State. It is open from April through October. Whether you have your own mobile home or you simply want to camp out in real tents, Jones Pond has the setup for you. www.jonespond.com

#23 Rainbow Ranch, near Waco Peggy Thomas started her Rainbow Ranch to offer a haven in Central Texas where GLBT campers can go and be themselves. Located a little over halfway to Dallas, the ranch’s 151 acres include a lake, nature trails, and plenty of holiday-themed cookouts and parties. www.rainbowranch.net

# 24 Toronto Pride. The last weekend of June, Toronto Pride is the second-largest pride celebration in North America, with a theme this year "uncensored." Those who choose to visit our Canadian neighbors for pride need to book early. The city claims attendance around one million for the festival. Besides the dance parties and parade (in which the mayor has participated for years), Church Street and its gay venues is a must visit. To most gay tourists, Church Streets will look very familiar. Picture Babylon and Woody’s in Queer as Folk . . . it was filmed here! This is also a good destination from the point of view of finances; the U.S. dollar goes a long way in Canada. www.pridetoronto.com

#25 Rio De Janeiro for New Year’s The first thing to know about Rio as an up-and-coming gay destination is that their seasons are the opposite of ours, so our winters are Rio summers. With Continental Airlines’ daily service into Rio, you leave Houston in the evening and arrive in Rio by midday, ready for a day in the sun. The overnight flight back leaves Rio in the evening and arrives in Houston the next morning–allowing for two nights less of hotel costs when planning a trip and almost two full days to see the sights. Brazilian men are overt when it comes to cruising. It is not unusual to see a beautiful man in Speedos hand in hand with a gorgeous woman cruising another man. The world-famous beaches of Ipanema and Copacobana are here. New Year’s is an extraordinary event. New Year’s Eve on Copacobana usually gathers more than one million people, most dressed in white with flowers in their hands. The flowers are sacrifices that get tossed in the ocean after the firework display. This last New Year’s at the beach and at the parties saw a gathering of men from England, Switzerland, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, New York, and Australia. The second important thing to know about Rio is that crime rates are very high. It is not the place to exhibit your latest Gucci, Armani, gold or diamond, and the like. The best way to travel is in groups and with nothing but plastic watches on. It is even a good idea to not wear your wedding band here. www.gaymart.com/5persorg/6city/briodeja.html

Kim Gustavsson is the manager of Concierge Travel "Houston's largest gay travel agency," and a business consultant with Carolyn Fine and Associates. He lives in Houston with his partner Charles Caliva and their dog Nica. A native of Sweden, Gustavsson has traveled all over Europe, North and South America, Africa and the Caribbean. In November he and Charles will be taking a group of gay men and women to the Gay Games VI in Sydney. You can reach him at www.conciergetravel.cc and www.carolynfine.com.

If you have any comments about this article, please email them to letters@outsmartmagazine.com.