Ed Salvato is an LGBTQ travel expert, published author, occasional instructor at NYT Tisch School and Temple and chief content officer of ManAboutWorld gay travel magazine. Read his bio. Need travel advice? Post a comment below or send an email. SCROLL DOWN FOR THE LATEST POSTS, STORIES & PIX.
I have the great honor of advising a talented young group of Master’s degree candidates at the New York University School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism working on a project that involves hotels marketing to the LGBTQ segment.
Please take a moment and make your voice heard. They have asked me to help in their efforts to broaden their reach. They are especially interested in getting greater trans and lesbian representation. Please feel free to share the link.
The survey will take less than 5 minutes and here is a link.
Mingle with LGBTQ travel businesses at the first-ever LGBTQ Travel Pavilion at the Denver Travel & Adventure Show, March 24-25. For FREE tickets, click here and enter code MANVIP18. You’ll meet the ManAboutWorld team (pictured above) along with representatives of the following awesome businesses which offer tours, cruises, experiences or insurance catering to LGBTQ travelers and their family and friends.
All are welcome at the Denver Travel & Adventure Show first-ever LGBTQ travel pavilion! Learn about hot destinations and events as well as tours, cruises and experiences right here in the U.S .and to the farthest corners of all seven continents and on the high seas — for gay, lesbian, transgender and queer travelers and their straight friends and family. All brought to you by ManAboutWorld gay travel magazine
Whether you’re lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or straight, you are welcome here. Find travel information tailored for you and those you love.
If you can’t join us at the LGBTQ Travel Pavilion at the Denver Travel & Adventure Show tune into our Facebook Live Q&A Sunday, Saturday, February 24 at 2 P.M. MDT/4 EDT P.M Meet the travel experts at the booth and ask your travel questions!
Find us under the rainbow in booth number 405.
Has the charming Gay Marais gone? If your last visit to Paris goes back to the mid-’80s or the ’90s, 
chances are you may not recognize the neighborhood. The days of first ever created gay-bars like Le-Village and L’Amnésia seem really far.
Things have changed but to understand what’s really happening now we may need to board the time-machine.
Le-Marais (marsh, swamp in English) goes back to the Middle-Age and was developed right after the Renaissance when the rich and famous started to build elegant mansions also known as “Hôtels-particuliers” to remain rather close to the king’s palace, The Louvre. When the Court moved to Versailles, the area started to lose its wealthy patrons. In the 19th century the rich inhabitants moved further West and the old Marais started to host a new population: the many Jews who had escaped cruel persecutions, frequent in the ancient Russian empire.
After WW2 Le Marais was sentenced to death, in other words: to be demolished. Too old and the bearer of tragic war memories. Thanks to a clever minister of cultural affairs, it survived the bulldozers but wont see its renaissance until the arrival of the gay community in the early 80s following the first solid renovations of historic mansions and inauguration of the Pompidou Center which will bring international light to the older part of the capital city. As often with the gay community, the street started to become prettier, flower pots popped-up in front of design stores and friendly cafés and restaurants.
Le-Marais was back, it was fashionable – luxury brands could not miss this opportunity and over the past 5 years we have seen high-end stores coming-in, replacing traditional and convenient businesses. L’Amnésia closed and so did many other gay
“institutions” often replaced by luxury boutiques. Rue des Archives a whole series of top boutiques have been created by a single investor. The facades all look alike and are truly magnificent but the Givenchy, Prada, Moncler boutiques seem a bit lost and too often quite empty. They are not terribly inviting as a security guy stands right at the door and this is never a way to say “bienvenue!”. Cox, Open-Café, Raid, Free DJ are still here to welcome their gay patrons.
Change everything so nothing changes (The Leopard, Visconti): in reality Le-Marais has never so 
beautiful and charming. All restaurants, cafés, wine-bars, bakeries, boutiques, art galleries – not to forget the legendary department BHV, totally revamped, all are truly gay-friendly and all know what they owe to the Gay Community. We only hope this mind set will remain but further closure would not help and may simply sign the end of Le Gay-Maris!
In the meantime, it’s never been a better time to visit. So don’t wait!
One fantastic resource for the Marais is ParisMarais.com. Created by Pascal Fonquernie, the site — which is available in seven languages — is among the world’s most visited guides on le Marais, including a large gay community section. Not a gay guide, it’s the best of le Marais, including booking hotels; information about the Jewish quarter; recommended tour guides; restaurants; history; and interviews with famous people. Download a copy of the Marais map here.
Story by ManAboutWorld Global Correspondent, Jean-Pierre Soutric, Paris, 18-March 2018,
Welcome to our newest global correspondent Barry Hoy, also known as Asianmapleleaf, is an Asian-Canadian, born and raised in Toronto and transplanted to New York City. Travel is his passion, so he is always on the road or up in the air. If he’s not travelling, he’s most likely already planning his next trip. Barry fell in love with traveling the first time he flew to Asia with his family as a kid, and since then he has been exploring new destinations and meeting new friends from all around the world.
Barry Hoy is an ambassador of all things travel – he is also a travel, food and lifestyle writer who showcases great destinations, their local experiences, and all of the must see places around the world. Through his Instagram and travel blog, Barry shares these moments and his favorite destinations with his readers and followers. He is also a travel editor-at-large for Swagger Magazine, North America’s premiere men’s luxury lifestyle publication.
Follow along his adventures on Instagram and Twitter at @asianmapleleaf, or at www.asianmapleleaf.com.
Download our very cool digital gay travel magazine for destinations around the globe from our correspondent Barry and our other global correspondents. Find the ManAboutWorldApp on the iTunes App Store or Google Play. We support iPads, Android tablets, iPhones and Android phones. There are a few free publications in all of the apps, and you can click here to register for a FREE three-month subscription. Go on, what are you waiting for!
Traveling Tom travels to KinosakeOnsen, a city known for its soothing and healing hot springs spas. He takes us through the countryside and to this charming town of relaxation, ancient traditions, heartfelt hospitality and delicious food.
Tom Goss is a ManAboutWorld global correspondent and a talented singer. He travels with his husband, Mike, all around the world and sends us these video updates. Click on his video and follow his KinosakeOnsen adventure. Follow Tom’s other video adventures here.
Tom Goss is a singer, songwriter and storyteller based in Los Angeles, CA. Tom has spent the last decade aggressively touring — performing over 1,000 shows in 100+ cities, traversing 40 states and 5 countries. An adventurer at heart, there are few places where Tom can’t find something to climb over or jump off of.
Connect with Tom on the following social media platforms:
Meet all of our Global Correspondents here. Subscribe to ManAboutWorld here and find insights from Tom, our global correspondents and the staff writers at the magazine including gay travel expert Ed Salvato.
When you hear river cruise you probably think, Europe, which is where the vast majority take place. And that the passengers are all much older. And white. And it’s lovely but perhaps a tad too genteel.
Well, think again! That’s not the experience you’ll find on this river cruise. I was invited to experience a three-day journey in Peru’s lush Amazon basin aboard the modern Aqua Expeditions Aria, with floor-to-ceiling glass walls wrapping all three customer decks which virtually blends into the jungle as it smoothly plies the inky river ways. The common areas are casually elegant: understated but sumptuous like Ralph Lauren’s flagship-store on Madison Avenue (minus piles of Polo shirts). But the most dissimilar aspect from other mainstream river cruises we’ve taken: your fellow passengers.
Amazon sunsets. Better than YouTube!
Besides our small group of lesbian and gay media and travel agents, the 26 remaining guests (all couples including two gay men) ranged in age from their late 20s to early 60s, with passengers from Japan, Australia, the U.K., Germany, Italy and American coastal states. What everyone had in common was an interest in the Amazon, one of the world’s last great unexplored regions perched high atop many the bucket list, and an open-mindedness that comes with frequent long-distance travel. No one batted an eye at our big group of homos nor at the quiet but romantic gay couple, warmly welcomed into all groups. Read on to discover a unique and enriching experience that you may not have even thought possible.
The three skiffs — each filled with 8 passengers, a pilot in the back and a guide up front — motored quickly away from the Aria as the sun began its punctual descent in a blaze of glory. Sunset and sunrise times don’t vary much near the Equator. Our skiff found a remote location; the pilot cut the engine so nothing manmade drowned out the ever-present jungle sounds. Unseen birds cawed while a Black-collared Hawk swooped to the river to pluck out an unlucky fish; a troop of barely seen Titi monkeys rustled through the trees in streaks of red; the eyes of an alligator-like caiman silently broke the surface to investigate this bulky intruder.
“Ok, if anyone wants to jump in the river, now’s the time.” Crickets. Not the insects but the lack of response from my skiff-mates. We are told this is a deep part of the river, and our guide ensures us there aren’t any piranhas. Right?… right?! Ok, no one is going in. What the heck! It’s been on my life list since, well, forever. Without allowing myself more time to think, I strip down to my shorts and jump in. After a few minutes two others join me. We swim around for about a half hour. Was that a little nibble at my foot? Hmmm, maybe the piranhas were curious but realized I was just too big to eat. We get back into the skiff — an ice cold local beer as reward.
Each day the staff of th Aqua Expeditions Aria organized excursions, included in the price, which are mostly waterborne experiences when the rivers are at their highest levels (generally November through May) but with many land-based excursions during the drier season (generally June through October). This morning we are going to fish for … wait for it … piranhas! We’d watched local villagers grilling them for dinner, dinner-plate-size specimens with razor-sharp teeth jutting out in menacing (and obviously this time anyway futile) defense. But wouldn’t they just bite through the line? We skiff to a likely section of the river — not too deep where this carnivorous fish likes to cavort. The fishing gear is comprised of a strip of bamboo, a nylon string, hook and a little piece of chicken gristle. Very Huck Finn. Agitate the water with the tip of the pole then let the baited hook sink into the water a couple of feet. Feel a little tug? Pull sharply up and behold a piranha! Of course it’s catch and release, and we’re assured the fish feels no pain.
The onboard cuisine never included piranha but everything was as fresh as possible, all locally sourced from villages we visited during our journey or the farthest shipped in from Lima, a couple hours by plane and boat. The TripAdvisor reviews and magazine coverage all rave about the incredible cuisine on the Aria but how could that be true on this small boat with one chef and two assistants working in a galley kitchen no bigger than what you’d find in most New York City apartments? Well, after three sit-down dinners and our buffet-style breakfasts and lunches, I can verify, that yes, this is some of the best cruise cuisine I’ve ever eaten, all prepared by a team that came from the nearby jungle villages with a passion for cooking and a lot of training at schools in Lima.
Ok, I was hoping for and expecting all the incredibly fresh and exotic fruit several of which I had never heard of but everything else was a revelation. Some of the best Italian style fresh pasta I’ve ever tried. A variety of vegan options, including colors of quinoa I had never seen. Delicate sauces. Homemade bonbons. Espresso. Fresh-baked croissants. In the Amazon! Delicious. One day the manager asked if we wanted anything else. I half-jokingly said French toast and maple syrup. The next morning: voila, my breakfast choice along with syrup they prepared overnight from a local fruit.
In the drier season, the Aria team leads overland excursions. Just as on an African safari, our guides, all from local villages, are highly trained naturalists, making jaunts up and down the diluvian trails highly informative. Their eagle eyes spotted creatures who otherwise blended into their surroundings, including poisonous frogs, elusive macaws, ever-smiling sloths, countless birds and a variety of plants including rubber trees (which was the source of incalculable wealth in this part of the world for a brief period a century ago). At one point our guide’s lightning-fast reflexes allowed him to snatch a baby caiman from the shallows at the river’s edge.
The highlight of our exploration was meeting local villagers whose tiny communities dot the banks of the Amazon and its many tributaries. The main river branches are pretty busy with passenger and cargo boats and you can see puffs of smoke from villages along the banks and further inland. Some have electricity but most don’t. Their homes and community buildings (schools, clinics, administrative buildings) are perched on stilts, a hint of just how high the river gets in rainy season. A number of villages are truly remote, and there remain uncontacted peoples in the deepest most inaccessible parts of the jungle. Most villagers speak the local dialect as well as Spanish though many only speak the dialect. We didn’t meet any openly LGBT locals however our guides told us that in the jungle bisexuality especially among men is common.
Super cute school children in an Amazon village
The Aqua Expeditions Aria randomize visits to local communities so none become dependent on the gifts that passengers are encouraged to bring (mostly basic medical and school supplies). Each visit had a feeling of mutual, respectful curiosity. A highlight was our visit to a “large” community with a half dozen homes for extended families and a schoolhouse, where the children prepared several songs. Family life remains traditional with the men leaving early in the morning to hunt or fish and the women mostly remaining at home to cook and look after children. There is some agricultural cultivation by villagers who tend small plots of land. The community lives in the jungle so it was no surprise to see many animals traipsing through town, including a 10-foot long anaconda, a pair of adorable three-toed sloths, and a furry Spectacled Owl.
Sloth
Aqua Expeditions, which operates in Amazonia and the Mekong Delta, takes sustainability seriously. You can 
read the details of their various programs here, but we appreciated several efforts in particular. Aqua Expeditions participates in Pack with a Purpose, a global initiative, encouraging all passengers to leave some space in their luggage to bring recommended supplies (from an online list) for area schools or medical clinics in need. Aqua Expedition supports local environmental conservation and wildlife protection including work in Peru restoring the taricaya turtle population. Finally, we felt the positive impact of the emphasis Aqua places on training and hiring locals from nearby Amazonian towns and villages: from cabin stewards right on up to the captain himself. Our guides, all locals, spoke multiple languages fluently including local dialects, Spanish and English. Several of them were also studying French at the Alliance Française in the Amazonian gateway city of Iquitos. Without companies like Aqua Expeditions, there would be very few such well-paid opportunities in the region.
Ok, you’re in the Amazon jungle, one of the most remote parts of the world. While the local villagers are known to practice bisexuality, it’s not really possible to meet them one on one. And of course not recommendable. If you follow our advice and spend a good two to three days in Lima (see our What’s Hot: Lima piece in this issue), you’ll have plenty of opportunity to meet gay locals.
Francesco Galli Zugaro
Yep, that’s your bedroom. And view
Grilled piranha.
The article above is editorial based on a press trip. ManAboutWorld highlights tours and cruises we’ve personally participated in, and is editorial, not advertorial. Like virtually all travel publications, we sometimes accept discounted and sponsored travel, but ManAboutWorld is beholden to no one but you. Our recommendations are based solely on the experience and opinions of our editorial team and trusted network, putting our readers’ interests above all. If you ever have an issue with anything we recommend, please let us know. We always have your back, and your travel satisfaction in mind. Read our full disclosure here.
Mingle with LGBTQ travel businesses at the first-ever LGBTQ Travel Pavilion at the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show February 24-25. Get FREE tickets here. You’ll meet the ManAboutWorld team (pictured above) along with the following awesome businesses all of which offer tours, cruises, experiences or insurance catering to LGBTQ travelers and their family and friends.
All are welcome at the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show first-ever LGBTQ travel pavilion! Learn about hot destinations and events as well as tours, cruises and experiences right here in the U.S .and to the farthest corners of all seven continents and on the high seas — for gay, lesbian, transgender and queer travelers and their straight friends and family. All brought to you by ManAboutWorld gay travel magazine
Ask questions. Gather information. Book travel.
Whether you’re lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or straight, you are welcome here. Find travel information tailored for you and those you love.
If you can’t join us at the LGBTQ Travel Pavilion at the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show tune into our Facebook Live Q&A Sunday, Saturday, February 24 at 2 P.M. PST/5 P.M Meet the travel experts at the booth and ask your travel questions!
Find us under the rainbow in booth number 250.
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