Ed Salvato is editor in chief of ManAboutWorld gay travel magazine designed for smartphones and tablets. Get: FREE 3-month subscription! He’s also an author, global gay travel expert & author. Read his bio. Need travel advice? Post a comment below or send an email. Header photo above: Cristian Ricardo Flores.
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One of my favorite ways to get to know a new city is to take a bike tour. You get a lay of the land, are able to cross off some major tourist attractions of your to-do list and are able to justify any and all tasty treats you eat before, during and after, because hey, you’ve been pedaling all day. On a gorgeous spring day in late March, I took the 3 and a half hour, 15-kilometer “Berlin’s Best Bike Tour,” one of several tours offered by the company Berlin on Bike. Annd I’m so glad I did. Story and photo by ManAboutWorld correspondent Dennis Hensley.
The bike tour set off from the Kulturbrauerei, a charming complex of red brick buildings that during the Industrial Era was home to a beer factory but now houses restaurants, beer gardens and theaters. The sites we saw and learned about on the tour included a preserved section of the Berlin Wall complete with watchtower, the Brandenburg Gate, Museum Island, the Spree River, Tiergarten Park, the Victory Column, the hauntingly powerful Holocaust Memorial and the oh-so posh Hotel Adlon where Michael Jackson dangled his baby Blanket out the window. Along the way, we took a rest stop at a currywurst stand where I sampled Berlin’s most popular street foods, the currywurst, and a bottle of Club Mate, a trendy cold tea-like drink that packs quite punch.
The facts our guide Sebastian Becker shared about the city were fascinating and surprising, like that Chancellor Angela Merkel just lives in a regular apartment with neighbors above and below her, not a fancy government building. But what really made the tour special were the personal stories he shared. When he was a child, Sebastian’s parents were taking the family into the GDR (communist East Germany) to visit relatives, which you were allowed to do on special occasions and they snuck in a Monopoly game as a gift. When they got to the checkpoint, the GDR guards searched their car and found the game. Not only was it confiscated, but Sebastian’s parents had to be interrogated and body searched for hours in a private office while the children waited outside. I guess when you consider how Monopoly is all about American-style capitalism, it’s so surprise the GDR authorities didn’t want their citizens exposed to it. But you can bet the enjoyed playing it themselves.
The tour I took costs 21 Euros, 17 with the tourism board’s Welcome Card, which I highly recommend as it allows you to take public transportation and has many discounts for museums and so forth.
After the tour, Sebastian agreed to let me interview him for my Dennis Anyone podcast over lunch at a nearby sidewalk café, Pane e Vino, where you can get a delicious pizza or pasta dish for under 4 Euros.
You can listen to the podcast here. Dennis, Anyone in Berlin
Join @MAWTravel, @TravelGov and @OutRightIntl for an important chat about LGBT Pride travel safety, Tuesday, June 6 at 1pm EST. Just follow #PrideGuide on Twitter.com.
Pride is a season of joy and celebration, and we want you to travel, let your Pride flag fly and come back safe! Please follow along with us during this important LGBT Pride travel safety chat. Ask questions. Answer questions. Just be sure to join in the conversation. Look at some of the amazing participants we have including: The U.S. State Department; Centers for Disease Control; Human Rights Watch; OutRight Action International; NYC & Company; TravelGuard; IGLTA; and many more!
See you on Tuesday, June 6 at 1pm ET!
Download ManAboutWorld, our free digital/mobile-only gay travel magazine app covering destinations, themes and events around the globe including a FREE Guide to Ft. Lauderdale. Find the ManAboutWorldApp on the iTunes App Store or Google Play. We support iPads, Android tablets, iPhones and Android phones. There are a few other free publications in the app. Register here for a FREE three-month subscription.
Yep, you read that right! May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii. But stop thinking what you’re thinking. Not that kind of lay. Sheesh. A lei is a Polynesian garland of flowers but it’s so much more than that. It symbolizes welcome, peace, love and much more (like the multifaceted word aloha).
Every May 1 the 50th state celebrates the lei with contests and events. The haku (a lei for the head) above sported by 
Raymond was created by Elvrine Chow, owner of Heavenly Hakus and the model’s mom. Check out the many varieties of leis she produces on her Facebook page. She’s competing in the upcoming May Day Lei contest on Monday, May 1 at the Kauai Marriott Lihue (if you happen to be around!). If you visit Kauai, you can even book a lei-making lesson with the lovely Elvrine. Check out the Kauai Visitors Bureau for more trip-planning information about Kauai.
TTap here for more information about Lei Day in Kauai. Lei day in the state of colorful history. Each island in Hawaii has a special flower that represents that specific island. The island of Hawaii, more commonly known as The Big Island, has the beautiful red blossom of the ohia tree, called the lehua blossom, for its flower. The island of Maui‘s flower is called the Lokelani and is pink. The island of Oahu‘s flower is called the Ilima. The Ilima’s color is golden and can be seen all across the island. Molokai uses a flower named the Kukui which has a green color to it. A smaller island named Lanai has a grassy flower called Kauna’o which is a yellow color. The island of Kahoolawe and its flower Hinahina has a silver-gray color across the top. The final two islands have unique sets of flowers.The color for Kauai is purple and the unique flower for Kauai is the Mokihana berry which is green. The island of Niihau‘s “flower” is actually a shell called Pupu.
Download ManAboutWorld, our free digital/mobile-only gay travel magazine app covering destinations, themes and events around the globe including a FREE Guide to Ft. Lauderdale. Find the ManAboutWorldApp on the iTunes App Store or Google Play. We support iPads, Android tablets, iPhones and Android phones. There are a few other free publications in the app. Register here for a FREE three-month subscription.
A Basque country foodie road trip is not the first think people think of when planning a trip to Spain. This autonomous region in the north of Spain contains a dramatic scenery of rugged coastlines, interior mountains and rolling vineyards, with strong culinary and cultural traditions existing alongside avant-garde art and architecture, all of which is well-worth a visit.
But let’s get right to heart of the matter: the food. We’ve sampled tapas, or pintxos as they are called here, in many parts of Spain, but nothing compares to what you find in Basque Country. The attention to eating well is part of the culture, from the simplest of snack bars to the more formal restaurants. It is said that the revolution in Spanish cuisine witnessed over the past few decades originated here and then spread to the rest of the country and beyond.
So if you don’t like great food and wine, then the essence of Basque Country will escape you. If you do
, then dive in with us! Story and photos by Paul Bachant.
After landing in Bilbao, we immediately noticed that we were in what is called the “Green Belt” of Spain. As the car whisked us to Vitoria-Gasteiz, the regional capital just one hour away, we were welcomed by the lushness of the green, forested hills. And while the rest of Spain was baking, we enjoyed the mild temperatures and a refreshing breeze.
Our first lunch in Vitoria-Gasteiz was at the intimate Taberna Tximiso where we were treated to an exquisite assembly of pintxos, each one more toothsome than the last, washed down with a crisp, local white wine. The owner explained each one with passion and even treated us to an off-menu item. The bill? A mere 23 euros for two. The evening meal consisted of a sampling of the many pintxo bars lining the streets of the medieval quarter, where the strolling and chatting and eating and drinking crowds contributed to a festive atmosphere. Read the rest of this entry »
The Palace of Versailles is an hour away and yet very far from the streets of Paris. Once the massive gilded gates come into view it’s like Oh, that’s why there was a revolution.
We walked and walked and walked. The “Palace” of Versailleis really several huge buildings and many gardens across many acres, so it just goes on and on. From one opulent room to another intricate hedge. But my favorite example of decadence and whimsy of the ridiculously rich was the Queen’s Hamlet.
Bored from all the other palaces and gardens she could go to, Marie-Antoinette decided she wanted something quainter, rustic even. So, like you do pre-revolution, she had a village built in Norman style around a big lake. Before there was Real Housewives to join or being able to buy an island, I guess you just built your own theme park.
And I loved it. There’s a windmill and farm and fields full of animals. It does give the sense of stumbling into a lovely village from far from all the grandeur. Which of course was completely manufactured for that effect. But if you make it to Versailles and want a break from all the gold and marble (and your feet haven’t fallen off yet), walk on over and try out the Hamlet. It is a lovely little getaway from the getaway.
Story and photo by ManAboutWorld correspondents Jason Paul.
Come meet the ManAboutWorld team at the Dallas Travel & Adventure Show April 1-2 at the Dallas Market Hall.
ManAboutWorld’s Ed Salvato will moderate a fun, information-packed LGBT travel panel at the Show on Sunday, April 2 11:45 AM-12:30 PM.
Register here for a free ticket but hurry we only have a limited supply.
All are welcome! Our booth provides information (and free guides) for all travelers (gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual and our straight ally friends). The panel is designed for LGBT travelers as well as travel professionals interested in learning about trends, destinations, tours, cruises and events. All you need is an open mind and the passion to travel. Join this interactive and informative panel with leading experts in gay, lesbian and LGBT family travel.
Our moderator, ManAboutWorld’s Ed Salvato leads a very well-traveled group in a lively discussion touching on new cruises and tours, not-to-miss events and up-and-coming hot spots around the world. Come with your travel questions. This is a session you won’t want to miss!
We’ll be covering the world of LGBT travel, which is big! But among the many takeaways, here are three:
Travel experts include:
ManAboutWorld correspondent Simon Vasiliadis tell us this is a great time to visit his hometown Athens, Greece. Here’s his report.
Here is my look at the self-styled Greek city of sex appeal and what you can expect from your time here. If you enjoy Prides, let Athens take you in for 2017. Held the second Saturday of June in Klafthmonos Square Athens Pride is just a couple of month away. It’s a fun time to see the more typically restrained and closeted Greeks flying their rainbow freak flags.
The classics still stand tall in Athens, but there are modern touches that will make you see the city in a whole new light. There are two places in the city I enjoy the sunset most. The Acropolis site & Acropolis Museum, and the Galaxy Bar & Restaurant at the Hilton Athens.
The best way to see the Acropolis is in tandem with the stunning new Acropolis Museum. The museum is beautifully designed and curated. The footprint of the interior reproduction of the Parthenon mirrors the actual Parthenon which you can see through the floor-to-ceiling glass walls.
Having stood at the foot of this breath-taking wonder of the world it’s not difficult to see why one could never have enough selfies with the great cradle of Democracy in the background.
Alternatively, the sunset from Galaxy Bar & Restaurant is gobsmacking. You get a 180o degree view of the city skyline, including the Acropolis. This legendary bar lies on the iconic 13th floor of Hilton Athens and serves signature cocktails – Giannis’ favourite is the Galaxy Negroni.
Make it to one of the two for the sunset and you will fall so hard for Athens that I promise you won’t want to leave .
Before you start pounding the streets of modern Athens, sample the city as it used to be. Stroll through Anafiotika toward Agia Eirini Square where you can enjoy your late-morning iced coffee. Rooster is a popular gay venue on the square with a groove there that you can’t get enough of. Sit out, sip a coffee, enjoy a cocktail, chat with friends, see, be seen and enjoy all of those handsome locals walking by.
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