HEALTHY LIVING RESULTS

The majority of travelers that journey to Iceland each year do so to experience its unique, diverse natural beauty that is unlike anything you will find on gay vacations in other countries. From volcanoes and Europe’s largest glacier, to the Northern Lights and the sparsely populated island of Grimsey on the Arctic Circle, Iceland offers unmatched opportunities to experience the outdoors in a whole new way. Kayaking, hiking, rafting, ice climbing, bird watching, whale watching and ocean fishing are all popular activities throughout the country and are ideal for inclusion in adventurous gay tours.

Visitors who prefer an urban vacation will also find just what they are searching for in Iceland, especially in the capital city, Reykjavik, which is where individual travelers and folks traveling with gay tours will find a variety of historical and cultural attractions, dining and shopping, a beautiful waterfront, museums and an exciting nightlife.

Travelers on gay vacations to Iceland will not want to miss the bird watching opportunities and natural beauty of Grimsey, a small island just 25 miles offshore. Sandvik, Grimsey’s only town, has a population of just 150 and is Iceland’s northernmost settlement. The island is home to numerous bird colonies and is well known for the steep cliffs found along its shores, which have long been a draw for sightseers partaking in gay travel to Iceland. Visitors with a keen eye may also spot polar bears onshore or just offshore on ice drifts coming from Greenland.

While on Grimsey, participants on gay tours, as well as solo voyagers, will not want to miss the opportunity to get their certificate showing they crossed the Arctic Circle. Iceland’s other outdoor attractions include the glaciers that cover more than 10% of the land, particularly Vatnajokull, Europe’s largest glacier and a popular location for ice climbing.

There are also numerous waterfalls and awe-inspiring cliffs throughout the country, offering a wide variety of hiking, outdoor adventure and picture-taking opportunities. Visitors will not want to miss Videy Island, a small island just moments from the shore where travelers will find various sculptural art pieces and Iceland’s oldest stone building.

The time of year chosen for gay vacations to Iceland is an important factor in determining which of the country’s natural phenomena you will experience during your trip: the Polar Nights, Midnight Sun or Northern Lights.

But, regardless of when you choose to plan your gay travel to Iceland, gay travel are not complete without a dip in the world-famous Blue Lagoon, just 45 minutes outside of Reykjavik, where visitors will find a pool of fluorescent blue, geothermal seawater enclosed by black lava rocks.

Howie Holben wrote this commentary about gay tours to Iceland help. He is the the force behind Spirit Journeys, a gay men holidays firm. Spirit Journeys presents spiritual gay travels all over the world.

South Africa was a gay tours place long before it became the first country in the world with a constitution outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation and the fifth country to legalize same-sex marriage. With the fall of apartheid and these two historic gay rights events, the allure of South Africa has increased substantially among both straight and gay travelers. From the glorious beaches of the Western Cape to the fast-paced excitement of Gauteng, South Africa is the gay-friendliest country on the continent and is an ideal location for a gay vacation.

Gay vacations to South Africa often include stops or entire stays in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Pretoria where gay and lesbian travelers will find an array of gay-centered and gay-friendly events, activities and establishments. There are a wide variety of establishments that cater specifically to gay men, including guest houses exclusively for gay men, Camp David in Pretoria, which is a private all-male nude bar, and the bathhouses ” called steam baths or steam saunas ” in Cape Town. As in many areas, gay culture in South Africa centers primarily around activities and establishments for gay men; however, lesbians and families also have many opportunities for fun-filled gay vacations in this culturally- and historically-rich country, including gay-friendly tours organized by companies dedicated to working with the gay and lesbian community.

Gay travelers interested in designing a gay tour around pride celebrations and gay events may want to plan their trip for September, which is South Africa’s gay pride month and offers a full calendar with multiple gay pride events, as well as the Out in Africa South African Gay & Lesbian Film Festival in both Johannesburg and Cape Town, which draws over 16,000 attendees from around the world. Those visiting in December will have the opportunity to experience Cape Towns Mother City Queer Project annual costume party, which draws more than 10,000 visitors. Gay men who enjoy a beach lifestyle will also want to check out Clifton’s Third Beach and Sandy Bay nudist beach, which are very popular spots among gay men in Cape Town. There is also a gay area in Cape Towns Green Point where travelers will find a selection of gay-owned and gay-friendly eateries and establishments, as well as local gay publications like Outright and Exit, which list events and goings on in the area.

Dining options during gay vacations are plentiful with many choices that include options like the gay-owned Lola’s vegetarian caf in Cape Town, dining in an old farmhouse on a 21-acre farm at the Bellgables Country Restaurant in Johannesburg, or fine dining at gay-friendly Emily’s, an award winning Cape Town eatery offering South African cuisine, as well as a beer bar and wine bar.

To ensure a great gay travel experience in South Africa, enlist the assistance of a professional travel agency when planning your trip. Travel agents that regularly organize gay trips to South Africa will have up-to-date information about the best places to stay, eat and play, as well as safety tips for exploring in areas that may not be as accepting.

Exposition written by Howie Holben regarding South Africa and gay travel tours. Spirit Journeys can help with your next gay trip.

Traveling for many is a way of unwinding and recharging their batteries but often at the end of one’s travel there is still a feeling of not feeling satisfied which is when it pays to consider spiritual travel as a means of finding fulfillment. Sometimes, all the Gothic cathedrals in the world and all the lovely Madonna portraits are not enough to lift up your spirits and so it pays to consider traveling to a place where you can find spiritual awakening.

Gay spirituality travel is more than a catch phrase meant to make you seek some far off destination. As a matter of fact, traveling for spiritual reasons is not new because from the very earliest times in our history people have made pilgrimages. Traveling for religious purposes is not a new concept and as far back as in the early 16th century Spanish nationals (Jesuits) used to travel to places such as Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina to build missions where natives would be educated in the Christian religion.

In these modern times, traveling for spiritual reasons has become more popular and there are numerous options to choose from that include going to places other than Yucatan, the Vatican and also Egypt. The best way to lift up your spirits is to travel to places where the surroundings are idyllic and a good example is a Buddhist monastery which is mainly found in Asia though some are also located in Europe and in the United States.

For the real Buddhist spiritual travel experience you ought to consider making Bodhgaya (located in Bihar in India). This is the very place where the revered Lord Buddha sat and obtained enlightenment beneath a huge Bodhi tree. Today, this place has seen a huge Mahabodi Temple complex being constructed here and which is inhabited by Buddhist monks from every part of the world.

This place is exceptional as it provides utmost serenity and it is truly very peaceful. You will come across monks from every corner of the world who too sits beneath a gigantic carved statue of Lord Buddha and who read from the Holy Scriptures and indulge in serious contemplation.

Bodhgaya is really the true home of different Buddhist monasteries that in turn are maintained by some Buddhist monks that have come here from their respective countries. For those people that wish to fly to Bodhgaya there is the close-by airport of Gaya that is just seven miles from here. However, flights arrive here infrequently and whatever flights that do land here are those that are coming from Kolkata.

To get the best out of your visit to Bodhgaya you need to plan your travel during the months November until February. You should also avoid coming here during June up till September which is when the rains lash Bodhgaya and make it hard to do any contemplation.

For those of you who wish to enjoy special gay retreats then a trip to Bodhgaya is certainly a good option and the best time to visit here is after September and before the summer months begin. The best time to come here is however between November and the month of February while months between June and September are the worst times which is when the monsoons hit this part of the world.

Proposals for gay travel penned by Howie Holben. Spirit Journeys provides a gay retreats to remember and a gay adventure travel experience of a lifetime.

Italy is a land of art, history, architecture, romance and Vespas. Italys exceptional scenery, rich history and deeply entrenched culture have made this enticing country a popular destination for both straight and gay travel, as well as a popular setting for books, movies and plays. Singles, couples, families and groups of friends flock to Italy throughout the year for the fashion, the food and some of the most famous art and architecture in the world. Whether your ideal gay travel holiday includes meandering narrow, ancient roads in Rome or Venice, languid drives through the countryside searching for lesser known historical sites and visiting wineries, wiling away an afternoon in a museum in Florence or experiencing Milans enticing nightlife, Italy is an ideal destination for gay vacations.

Folks looking for gay travel experiences in Italy will find the largest selection of gay clubs and bars in Milan and Rome; however, Florence, Venice, Bologna, Geneva and Padua, as well as other cities and towns frequented by tourists, also have gay-friendly and gay-owned bars and businesses that provide a welcoming environment for visitors on an Italian gay vacation. Travelers will find gay-friendly and gay-owned hotels throughout the country, including Tuscanys gay-owned La Quircia Rosa and Villa le Masse, and gay-friendly Hotel Porta Rossa, which is only a short stroll from the Galleria dellAccademia, which houses Michelangelos David and is the one of the oldest hotels in Italy.

There is a large gay and lesbian presence in each of Italys larger urban areas providing many options for your gay vacation to Italy, particularly Rome, Florence, Bologna and Milan, with Milan being generally accepted as the most gay-friendly Italian City and among the most popular destinations for gay vacations. Gay pride events take place throughout the country and there are a few large gay and lesbian film festivals, including the Turin International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, the Festival del Cinema Gay Lesbico e della Cultura Queer in Milan and the Florence Queer Festival.

If one the goals for your gay travel experience in Italy is to experience as much of the history, art and culture as possible during your stay, tours are an absolute necessity. Participating in organized gay vacations or working with a travel agency to schedule tours for your private travel group will help you make the most out of your time in Italy.

Whether you go to Italy for the food, the art, the wine, the history or the legends, there is bound to be a tour related to your interests and this really is the best way to take in all that Italy has to offer. Another tip for utilizing your time in Italy well is to book museum reservations ahead of time whenever possible. Italy is well-known for its remarkable museums and this will save you from standing in some very long lines.

Howie Holben, the author of this article about gay travel adventures to Italy has traveled fro many years. His organzation, Spirit Journeys, operates spiritually oriented gay holidays and retreats all over the the world. Learn more about Howie, his work and Spirit Journeys at www.spiritjourneys.com.