Bali, Indonesia: Photo gallery

Photos and captions by correspondent Sydney Pfaff.

Above: On the western side of the Bukit Peninsula, Balangan Beach sits quietly surrounded by cliffs with just a few bungalows, a couple of small restaurants, and a handful of warungs.

Loud and crowded with tourists (specifically loads of Aussies), Kuta Beach is a very active surf spot. One of the most famous spots in Bali, this alley separates some of the most dense streets in Kuta, not far from the popular gay clubs and nightlife haunts of Seminyak.  

Away from the coast and surrounded by rice paddies, Ubud is a peaceful area of Bali once you leave the town center. There are a handful of bungalows situated right in the middle of some of the paddies, just like this one here. 

With some of the most gorgeous (and green) pathways in Bali, Ubud is known for its traditional Balinese culture -- and known to many as "the real Bali" due to the strong presence of ancient arts and religious temples.

On the southern most tip of the Bukit, between the cliffs of Uluwatu, surfers flawk here for one of the most popular surfbreaks in Bali. Home to the one of the most spectacular temples in Bali, Uluwatu is home to many high-end villas and beautiful cliffside views (and sneaky monkey thieves ready to pick your pockets).

Ed Salvato on Sirius/XM Radio

 

Photo: courtesy Derek and Romaine, Sirius/XM OutQ

Our editor, Ed Salvato (below right), was a guest of Derek and Romaine on their eponymous show on Sirius OutQ (Sirius 109; XM 98).

It was a lively 45 minutes with lots of calls from listeners. They discussed a wide range of travel topics from an assortment of Sirius OutQ listeners: gay men, lesbians, singles and couples  Here are a few topics they touched upon:

• Travel to India and Sri Lanka
• Washington, D.C. hotels
• San Juan, Puerto Rico gay scene
• Gay-friendly Istanbul
• Punta del Este, Uruguay for an older lesbian
• Best getaway for New Year's, where to go for Thanksgiving and much more!

Click here to listen to the show. (It's in four parts)

Download 01 Track 01

Download 02 Track 02

Download 03 Track 03

Download 04 Track 04

Aman, amen! India made easy

Story by Ed Salvato; photos by Ed Salvato except bottom courtesy of Aman.

India is a country renowned for its sights, sounds, colors and aromas. It's also known to be challenging and difficult -- a chaotic environment with snarled traffic jams, endless noise, dust and smog, impossibly crowded trains, cows wondering the roads and many more obstacles to an easy vacation.

But these difficulties shouldn't prevent you from exploring this amazing country, where almost all visitors come away a different, more aware person than when they arrived. It's worth pausing and considering this phenomenon. How many vacations actually help you become more self aware? How many trips have you taken that challenge or reaffirm your innermost beliefs?

It's a special place that can accomplish that. India should be a must on your list of dream trips. Here's one way to discover the best of India in a way that minimizes the stresses of journeying here. First, book your air on Jet Airways, which offers an economical business class option Called Premiere Class, with private sleeping pods at surprisingly low prices. This class of service includes delicious meals (frequently with both Indian and Western-style options) and, when available, an attendant who meets you at the plane door, whisks you through customs and immigration and onto your transfer or awaiting transportation. Jet Airways works with Jet Lite for domestic connections. Jet Lite is incredibly inexpensive.

Aman Resorts, which boasts three stunning hotel properties in varied locales in India, offers a specially  priced deal which is a perfect way to discover India in pampered style with all transfers included. Dubbed, Aman India Journey, the special ($3,650 double occupancy through April 30, 2010; $3,840 Oct 1, 2010 through April 30, 2011) includes a minimum of two nights in each of the following properties. Also included is breakfast and transfers between the properties and one activity per stay. And let's not forget the addictive lemon-scented cold towel compress that meets you at every juncture both cooling and sweetening your stay.

Aman New Delhi is Aman's newest property. It's also it's first true urban hotel and the largest in terms of number of rooms. The sleek, modern lines, masculine subdued palette and abundant green spots are a truly welcome oasis of peace in the heart of India's bustling capital city. Each spacious unit comes with its own butler and a plunge pool. The gym is gigantic and modern and is maintained by fitness trainers who are happy to help you burn off the calories you'll acquire at the hotel's fine restaurants.

Amanbagh is one of Aman's true jewels. Located in a remote valley in Rajasthan surrounded by palm trees and lost-in-time villages and monumental ruins, the property is almost entirely self sufficient with its own water treatment facility, organic garden, restaurant and bakery. It also boasts a 150-foot long pool as its dramatic centerpiece. Surrounding it are the accommodations which are huge and private and elegantly appointed with locally-quarried marble as well as a small but serviceable gym and a spa.

Aman-i-Khas is Aman's tented resort, also located in the state of Rajasthan but in an even more remote location along side the Ranthambore National Park. This is where you'll enjoy open-top vehicle safaris in search of India's elusive tigers and other wildlife by day and luxurious tented accommodations at night.

Golly! Cliff Divers of Galle, Sri Lanke

Photos and video by Ed Salvato

Just a quick update from the road. Sri Lanka's an amazingly beautiful tropical island paradise, shaped like a tear drop, located to the south of India. Very close to the equator it has a tropical climate with palm trees, dramatic beaches and vivid sunsets most everyday. It's primarily a Buddhist nation so though it feels like a Caribbean island it really is different from any other island I've been to.

More later but for now enjoy the image above, which is of three members of a four-member team of cliff divers who jump off the cliff where they are posing here into the water at least 30 feet below. You get three jumps for 500 Sri Lankan rupees, which is just over $4.00.

The video below shows one of the cliff divers running and jumping into the water.

New Yorker loves his Delhis, old and new

Story and photos by Ed Salvato, seen here at Humayan Tomb

Only recently arrived in India via the fabulous Jet Airways (more below), I've been instantly confronted with the (in)famous sights, sounds, of smells of the nation's capital city. There are two parts to Delhi: New Delhi is a bustling metropolis with skyscrapers, traffic jams, construction sites everywhere (the Commonwealth Games will be here in 2010; there's an extension being created for the Delhi Metro) and an expanding airport. Old Delhi is a labyrinthine series of alleys, dilapidated-looking storefronts, and a upturned-bowl-of-spaghetti system of electrical wires with an extraordinary hustle and bustle of pedestrians, rickshaws (really pedicabs), stray dogs, goats, taxis and small trucks all competing for a few feet of turf at a time. At the very bottom of this post, I've included a brief video from an exhilarating pedi-cab tour of Old Delhi.

This city of 14 million souls isn't necessarily high up on the tourist to-do lists of most Americans but it should be. Both old and new, there's a lot to keep visitors occupied. The conquest by the Moguls left many impressive monuments to discover. And slowly but surely Delhi's beginning to emerge as an important world city. India, which I will be exploring over the next week, is a fascinating, absorbing, and -- so far anyway -- a demanding destination to experience. Like most things requiring an effort, the rewards will also surely be great.

For those who may have some reluctance to jump into the Indian fray with all its cacophony and movement, my suggestion is to do it in style and comfort. There's nothing quite like a welcome dose of pampering at the end of a day exploring dusty monuments, haggling over purchases and interacting with a few persistent locals.

My method included a trip on Jet Airways, a relatively new (approximately 16 years old in India and operating two years internationally) private Indian airlines. With two classes of service, Jet offers a very modern fleet of aircraft, a young, attractive and attentive staff of flight attendants, a fairly extensive network of flights considering how new it is to the world scene and, in Premiere (business class), private sleeping modules. (That's me in my sleeping pod.)

Prices are incredibly reasonable right now. And with connections in Brussels it's also a good way to get to Europe inexpensively and in style even if India's not on your travel agenda this time. Premiere class travelers also are escorted from the arrival of the flight (from the exit door actually!) to and through customs and immigration. International arrivals just don''t get easier than that.

For a pampering, peaceful (literally, it's in the name: Aman translates as serenity or peace) and secure way to stay, check out the Aman Resorts. Known for their exclusive, small, ultra luxurious resorts, many in remote destinations, Aman opened its first truly urban resort hotel in New Delhi, the Aman New Delhi. It's also the largest of the hotel collection's properties. Just a handful of the many luxe features include huge, airy, modern rooms with private plunge pools, a contemporary Western/Indian restaurant, a tapas restaurant, a 150 foot long lap pool, a state-of-the-art gym open 24 hours, and free wireless throughout the property. Staff is super attentive. The hotel's rates includes pick up and drop off at the airport and a small fleet of hotel cars that can drop you off and pick you up most anywhere in the city. But its key attribute is the calm oasis it affords visitors amidst the seemingly never-ending motion of Delhi.

Today I head out of town to Jaipur. Check back for my next update! First, here's the video of our roller-coaster rickshaw tour of Old Delhi. As a fellow traveler said to me, I experienced more in that 30 minute rickshaw tour as I did in the first 20 years of my life.

Designing Helsinki

Story: Nikko Lencek-Inagaki; Photos below: Courtesy Companies

Although Helsinki's gay nightlife, restaurants and cultural offerings are well-worth the trip on their own -- at least in summer! -- the city is also an emerging design capital, marked by its current finalist bid to be 2012's World Design Capital.

There are also plans for a new design university to accommodate all the talented young Finns who are building on older international A-listers like Eero Aarnio -- remember this chair? -- and Alvar Aalto.

Of course, the best place to see chic new Finnish design work -- famously simple, eco-friendly and functional, but still statement-worthy -- is at the annual international design fair.

Barring that, downtown Helsinki's Design Forum combines showroom, shop and café into a stylish multi-use space where you can see (and purchase) work by both established and University-fresh designers.

At the top of the rising star list (look for his watch work with Issey Miyake) is Harri Koskinen, whose elegant but pleasantly whimsical glasswork for Iittala is simply beautiful. His furniture can be harder to find -- and transport -- but will be online soon.

Dotting Helsinki's Design District, you'll also find a handful of cool boutiques stocking the wearable version of new Finnish design. IvanaHelsinki, for example, the first label invited to Paris' main catwalk, has their flagship womenswear shop in the heart of the neighborhood. Beam and Tiger are the best places to start for menswear by Scandinavian designers, but neither carry Finnish labels. A few can be found, along with everything else one needs in life, at Stockmann, Helsinki's massive department store.

For something funkier -- but still very Finnish -- check out Secco, a small shop on Fredrikinkatu that specializes in recycled streetwear and accessories by forty or so local designers.

After a long day of the new Finland, unwind with one of the culture's oldest traditions: the dry sauna. A beautiful, central sauna -- and, built in 1926, perhaps Helsinki's oldest -- can be found at Yrjönkatu alongside a huge pool and a Turkish steam room. Check for mens' and womens' days and be comfortable sweating nude with a bunch of Finnish men of all ages.

Nikko will be reporting from his travels in Helsinki, Stockholm, Paris and Berlin this month. If you have a tip on a new place he should visit, e-mail him here.

Sunny, summery Helsinki

Story and photos by Nikko Lencek-Inagaki

Although Helsinki's weekend gay nightlife might keep you up (and sleeping in) late, the days in between can afford a useful opportunity for sight-seeing and sampling the amazing restaurants that have popped up in the last few years.

The best way to spend a morning is at the open-air produce, knick-knack, flower and antique markets. They're impromptu, weather-dependant affairs but thankfully dependable if you have a clear-skied day to bring the local farmers, fishermen and attic-cleaners out in force.

Just west of the Design District, at the end of Boulevardi street, you can unearth occasional gems at the lively, ragtag flea market known as Hietalahti. The main show, though, is the adjacent indoor antique market where you can pick up anything from a 19th century English birdcage to vintage Iittala glassware.

 Nearby, No. 9 is a relaxing gay-friendly café that serves a popular, tasty lunch. The Atkins salad is recommended, but make sure you want a whole steak with your greens.

Catering more to souvenir needs is Kauppatori market, located at the small harbor at the end of the Esplanade. Weekends are packed with stalls, but you'll find deliciously fresh seasonal produce, local fish and a variety of kitschy Lapland Reindeer-based handicrafts every day.

From Kauppatori, it's easy to take an afternoon trip to Suomenlinna, a small UNESCO heritage-classified island 15 minutes from the market by hourly ferries. This hilly former fortress has plenty of history -- some Finnish, some Swedish, some Russian -- but its chief appeal is picnic-ing amid grassy knolls and sea breezes. Cafés dot Suomenlinna, in case you don't port around lunch yourself, and there's a cute shop selling works by the Finnish artists who inhabit it if you need a souvenir.

Back on the mainland, don’t miss Kiasma, Helsinki's Museum of Contemporary Art. The institution's  stunning permanent collection of Scandinavian and Nordic artists is full of clever, often funny and surprisingly edgy work -- like this neon, flaccid Darth Vader.

To 'finnish' -- pun! -- off the day, I recommend Juuri, a five-year old restaurant run by two women chefs who are as warm with their patrons as they are talented in their profession. Mid-range by price thanks to their stellar seasonal 'Sapas' or tapas menu, Juury is decidedly top tier by taste.

Modern riffs on traditional Finnish cuisines combined with intimate, unpretentious décor make Juuri popular with small dinner parties and dates alike. Dress decently, make a reservation and take the chefs' recommendations -- it's a dinner you won't regret.

Nikko will be reporting from his travels in Helsinki, Stockholm, Paris and Berlin this month. If you have a tip on a new place he should visit, e-mail him here.

Helsinki by Night

When summer inches north in June to Finland, put sleigh-bells, reindeer and naked ice swimming out of your mind. When the Nordic summer sun rises it stays out exhilaratingly late, a formula Finns seem to mimic with their nightlife.

Long hours of daylight notwithstanding, pack a raincoat! And, if you are in Helsinki, make sure it is stylish. The seaside capital, long a cozy alternative to neighboring, jet set Stockholm, is shedding its  famously shy exterior and seeking deserved attention for its top notch design industry, chic hotels and lounges, and unpretentious -- but surprisingly edgy -- art.

 Located in the heart of the city’s Design District, the Klaus K hotel (where I've been staying this past weekend) is a good example of this new Finnish face. Exceedingly hip but pleasantly friendly, this design hotel includes two restaurants -- one Italian (Toscanini) and one more traditionally Finnish (Ilmatar) -- alongside Ahjo, a cool, all-white lounge with a streetside terrace and an intimate, similarly high-design club in back.

Late into Saturday night, well-heeled young Finns in designer suits and dresses poured out of taxis and  into Ahjo's live, pounding house. Thankfully, I couldn't hear a thing from my room when I, too, finally called it a night.

A small city, it still helps to stay near Helsinki's center and -- if you're going to frequent the gay nightlife -- as close to the Design District as possible. Around the corner from three of the city's most popular gay spots, Klaus K is hard to beat for this.

Two blocks south of the hotel is Hugo's Room , Helsinki's newest gay lounge. Impeccably cool -- although somewhat pricey -- Hugo's Room is great for dressing up, claiming a window-side booth and watching the busy street outside.

Crowded by 10pm (especially on weekends), folks tend to drift out of Hugo's Room by midnight, either  going directly across the street to Don't Tell Mama -- DTM for short -- or stopping by Hercules first, a dance club one block north of the Klaus K hotel. None of these venues charge a cover, but entry is supposedly restricted by age -- 20 at DTM, 22 at Hugo's Room and 24 at Hercules. Local Finns, however assure me that no reasonably-aged young man is denied entry.

By 1 am, the crowd really picks up at Hercules, a fun and well laid-out club that spins roaring pop remixes and dance tracks. There's a spacious back lounge where conversations can actually be heard, too. Until recently, when the city closed them all, Hercules maintained an appreciated dark room, but its absence hasn't dampened the club's popularity or the mixed patrons' forwardness!

DTM is Helsinki's most iconic gay place. A friendly café with an outdoor patio by day, a bar by evening, and a busy club later on, DTM is more or less open 24 hours a day. Locals grumble a bit that it's cool factor, multiple dance floors and good music have begun drawing a sizeable straight population, but all agree that it is still the place to be seen, to bring your female friends, to dance all night, or just to have a quiet afternoon coffee.

Nikko will be reporting from his travels in Helsinki, Stockholm, Paris and Berlin this month. If you have a tip on a new place he should visit, e-mail him here.

To (and from) Manchester with Pride

Story by Ed Salvato; photos courtesy of Manchester Pride (above and below); Ed Salvato bottom.

I recently had the pleasure of discovering Manchester Pride. I'd heard a lot about how fun it was but thought, a Pride is a Pride is a Pride, right? Wrong! This 10-day celebration of the arts, culture and sense of fun of the LGBT community really is one of the best Pride events I've ever attended. It seems to have just the right balance of really fun events, cultural events and even a stirring candlelit vigil to honor those taken away from us by HIV and AIDS.

Here are a few photos so you can get a sense the experience, but the best way to really do that is to plan now to attend. It's held the last week in August to coincide with a national bank holiday. It's especially fun to discover something new about England if you've already visited London or elsewhere in the United Kingdom. And the best part is the Mancs or Mancunians, as the locals are known: They are incredibly hospitable hosts!

I've written a short guide for enjoying Manchester beyond Pride. Click here to see it. For more official gay and lesbian trip-planning information from the Visit Manchester tourism folks, click here.

Getting there gay

To get to Manchester, I flew direct on American Airlines in business, which really is the only way to travel to  Europe or any destination that requires an overnight flight, and discovered that the American's gay and lesbian employee Group, GLEAM, was founded in 1994, thus celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. AA.com/rainbow, their dedicated LGBT-specific website, founded in 2006 and also a first for any major carrier, is still going strong. It's a great place to find exclusive offers for gay and lesbian travelers.

In addition to these, AA boasts a whole slew of LGBT-related firsts, like being the first major airline to implement same-sex domestic partner benefits in 2001. You can read more about it at AA.com/rainbow and book your next gaycation on a demonstrably gay and lesbian friendly airline. Also, it's worth nothing that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the Admiral's Club.

Correspondents: Shanghai Shenanigans

Story and Photos by Michael Seibert

Want to see lots of concrete, get lost in a taxi, see elderly men waltzing and ingest more smoke than your eyes or lungs can handle? Visit Shanghai! In early June, Shanghai also celebrated its first Pride event, so there's even a growing gay reason to visit. This Pride was the largest gay and lesbian community event on the Chinese mainland ever. Although it was mildly dampened by police involvement, it is still considered a major success and milestone.

My recent trip started off with a burning desire to witness the Lai Lai Dance Hall (2/F 235 An-guo Road, near Zhou-jia-zui Road; Hong-kou District), which I luckily found with the help of the taxi driver. Once you find the building, you have to dart through a Karaoke Lounge -- there was only one singer who was her own audience at the time -- and up some dingy steps to get to the Dance Hall.

Emerging from the entrance as the only white guy in the place, I found both young and old gay Chinese men waltzing with each other as multi-colored lights flashed out of sync around them. One, almost bouncing through his dance steps, fanned himself and his overly myopic eyeglasses with a fabulous black lace fan.

It was almost like a high school dance, except that the guys only danced to the slow songs -- translating them into waltzes as they went. When any other song came on, they returned to their tables and thermoses of hot tea. at their tables. If you want to witness a different groove, you will love this place. You won't soon forget the smiling faces on these potentially-married, elderly men enjoying themselves for a short 2 hours from 7-9 on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday night with quick 'waltz' with another man.

For a more familiar scene. try Shanghai Studio (1950 Huai-hai Zhong Road, No. 4, near Xing-guo Road; Xu-hui District). But beware, this old bomb shelter is so smoky that your lungs will ache the next day. If you can stand it, they have a 100 RMB all you can drink night on Thursday.

If you're in the area, Eddy’s Bar (1877 Huai-hai Zhong Road, near Tian-ping Road; Xu-hui District) is a must -- better ventilation, small, cozy and great on any night. And if you are a bear, there's a place called Bo Bo’s for you. remember, though, that YOU are a “PANDA” in China. The locals informed me that it is rare to find a "Panda," so you may have to do some hunting if you want your own.

For club dancing with cute boys, visit the popular disco, D2 (505 Zhong Shan Road South, near Fu Xin Road; Huang-pu District), in Pudong on a packed Saturday, but skip Friday.

A short bus ride to Zhujiajiao (make sure to take the fast bus, not the local), the "Chinese Venice," is worth the half-day trip. Sip on some hot tea and shell peanuts along the waterway and then head back to Shanghai for the evening fun.

On a final note, visit The Bund -- the old colonial neighborhood -- in the morning if you can get up really early and watch the women dance with each other with Pudong in the background.

Dr. Michael Seibert is part of Out Traveler.com's international team of Correspondents, reporting from around the world on items of LGBT travel interest. If you would like to become a Correspondent, e-mail us here after checking out our guidelines.