Are you suffering from 'been there, done that' syndrome? Have you been to your fair share of all inclusive resorts and cruises? Tired of burning up hard earned vacation time on family reunions, weddings and the pre-requisite Christmas and Easter visits with the family? Are you thinking that it's time to do something different, something challenging, something rewarding with your time?
Then it's probably time to put some thought into getting off the beaten gay path and look into exploring adventure options. The easiest way to break down your options is to look at the obvious and then dive into adventure.
Let's tackle Asia first! With direct and in some instances non-stop service from North America to Asian cities like Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing, Tokyo, Manila and Seoul, it is easy to see why Asia holds such a fascination for many gay travellers. Some of these cities actually have quite a buoyant gay life due in part to the large ex-pat communities that live in these cities. In Singapore for instance you'll find gay bars, restaurants and cafes. But in most Asian cities the gay options are pretty scarce and when they do exist they operate under the radar.
But that actually presents an opportunity to really explore Asia in a different light. Unless you're travelling to gay beach meccas like Phuket in Thailand then you are probably going to have to get off the beaten path to explore the real Asia. This region is so fascinating for so many reasons and it's incredibly varied as a result. Why not consider a trip through the former French colonies of Vietnam and Cambodia. This region, once known as Indochine or Indochina is an area that will get your adventurous spirit flowing.
Vietnam is a beautiful, coast hugging country running from Hanoi, the capital in the north to Ho Chi Minh City in the south. But don't just stop at the cities! Make sure that you visit the picture postcard Halong Bay where you can take an overnight junk boat into the island sprinkled bay where you can swim and kayak in the clear water. Spend a couple of days in the Hoi Ann, a world heritage site where you can take Vietnamese cooking classes and get made to order clothing. When you get down to Ho Chi Minh City make sure you visit Uncle Ho himself. Ho Chi Minh is credited with helping the Vietnamese to expel not only the French but also the Americans in what they call the "American War", not the Vietnam War as we are taught. He is embalmed and lies in state for public viewing. Kind of creepy but hey, how often to you get to see an embalmed national war hero?
Cambodia is also another Asian destination that is pretty much off the beaten gay path, but you won't be disappointed for making the effort. Strolling through the imperial palace grounds in Phnom Penh is such a different experience from the tourist swamped royal palaces of Thailand. There are so few tourists that you can take your time and get some pretty amazing photographs. Cambodia does have a very sad and tragic past and you must spend some time understanding the massacre that took place in the 1970's. The Khmer Rouge rose to power and wiped out entire generations of their own people. The elite, teachers, business people, lawyers and doctors were all killed as the Khmer Rouge attempted to revert the country to a feudal society and one based solely on farming. It's a sad history but an important one to reme
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