Travel the World with Karl & Daan
Gay Couple Guides & LGBTQ+ Stories
Gay couple adventures – from gay cruising hotspots to romantic bear-friendly escapes.
We’re Karl and Daan, a German-Dutch gay couple, traveling the world together for over a decade. Through honest storytelling and inclusive guides on our gay couple travel blog, we help LGBTQ+ travelers – especially mature gay and bear men – explore the world safely, joyfully, and confidently. From gay-friendly beaches and nude resorts to local cruising tips and Pride celebrations, this is our travel diary
— and your queer travel resource.
LATEST GAY TRAVEL POSTS
Pride Calendar Netherlands 2025: All 25 LGBTQ+ Events by Province
NETHERLANDS: Discover all Dutch Pride events in 2025. This guide lists every confirmed LGBTQ+ Pride date, city, and local highlight, making it your queer travel planner for the Netherlands.
Castro Street Fair: Harvey Milk’s LGBTQ+ Festival in San Francisco
USA: During our first gay travels to the South West Part of the USA, we spent almost a week at the beginning of October in San Francisco, one of our favorite cities of the United States of America.
Most Popular 13 LGBTQ+ Pride Flags of the Queer Community
WORLDWIDE: Over the past decades, the rainbow pride flag and all LGBTQ+ flags from the queer community have become iconic symbols for the equal rights movement.
LGBTQ+ Monuments: 13 Queer Memorials Worldwide
WORLDWIDE: Ten iconic gay and/or LGBTQ+ monuments from various countries, each representing a unique aspect of LGBTQ+ history and culture as queer sights.
How to be an LGBTQ+ ally? Our Guide for Supporting Queer Folks
WORLDWIDE: It’s crucial to understand how to support the LGBTQ+ community. We’ll provide you with tips on how to be a good LGBTQ+ ally for queer folks. Share it!
The legacy of the Stonewall Riots: A detailed look at LGBTQ+ Pride history
WORLDWIDE: Exuberant people celebrating on the street, colorful costumes, kisses, and holding hands and above all the rainbow flag blows. However, it has not always been that easy for the LGBTQ+ community…
Gay Pride Calendar Germany 2025: A complete CSD list of 180+ Pride Events
GERMANY: We checked the annual CSD agenda in the German cities and assembled as many CSD and LGBTQ+ Pride events we could find in Germany.
Clothing-optional in Gran Canaria: a gaycation by Everything To Sea
GRAN CANARIA: A clothing-optional vacation hosted by Everything To Sea. All-inclusive, all-male, all-Everything To Sea.
Osaka for gay couples: Our adventure to Japan’s most dynamic city
JAPAN: Come along as we explore gay-friendly Osaka with open hearts and a thirst for adventure. Ready to fall in love with Osaka?
Gay Travel Guides
Find the most welcoming, exciting, and romantic places we’ve visited — with safety tips and insider recommendations for gay couples and solo travelers.
Gay Cruising Guides
Honest, respectful advice on where and how to explore gay cruising safely, with personal insights and legal tips for cities across Europe and beyond.
Gay Bear Travel
Travel ideas and guides tailored for gay bear men — featuring clothing-optional resorts, bear weeks, and destinations that embrace body positivity.
LGBTQ+ Pride Trips
Plan your next Pride experience with our city-based guides covering parades, queer culture, nightlife, and LGBTQ+ rights around the world.
Gay Travel Blog Couple of Men
We are Karl and Daan, happily living the adventurous life together, eager to explore the world around us, from our favorite neighborhood restaurant to adventurous hiking trails into the mountains and exciting city trips around the globe. On our Gay Couple Travel Blog Couple of Men, and we’d like to inspire you to explore the world open-minded, respectful, and with a happy heart.
In these handpicked blog posts, we share our most recent adventures, from cruising hotspots and romantic escapes to gay bear-friendly beach resorts and vibrant Pride celebrations. These are our lived experiences, written for travelers who value safety, authenticity, and queer joy.
Karl & Daan.
ADVENTURE TRAVEL
A Gay Couple’s Camper Road Trip to the Scottish Highlands | Part 1
SCOTLAND: We’re taking you on our 12-day camper van road trip around the Scottish Highlands in the far north of the UK. From Edinburgh to Glencoe, the Isle of Skye and back to Glasgow.
Road trip across the Florida Keys to Key West | A Gay Couple on the road
USA: On our road trip from Miami via the Florida Keys to Key West, we as a gay couple of men took a closer look at the LGBTQ+ friendly destination of the USA.
Medellín: The revitalized & reborn Colombian City of Eternal Spring
COLOMBIA: From the most dangerous city in the world to a gay-friendly destination – in one generation! Art and culture, cable cars, and self-sustaining neighborhoods.
Malta – Our trip to Europe’s LGBTQ+ Paradise in the Mediterranean Sea
MALTA: On our road trip from Miami via the Florida Keys to Key West, we as a gay couple of men took a closer look at the LGBTQ+ friendly destination of the USA.
Adventure Switzerland: From Bern to the Matterhorn & on to Interlaken
SWITZERLAND: LGBTQ+ and Gay-friendly Switzerland Summer Trip: Our vacation in Bern, and Zermatt ( the Matterhorn) in Interlaken with Pink Alpine.
Safari Adventures at Etosha National Park in Namibia
NAMIBIA: Etosha is located in the Northern part of Namibia. Etosha National Park itself is continuously under protection for poachers and other animal threatening to guarantee a healthy and balanced environment for the animals and vegetation.
13 Road Trip Highlights of the US-American South West
USA: Our road trip around California, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. Gran Canyon, Zion National Park, Yosemite, San Francisco and LA – join us on our trip to the land of opportunity.
Gay Peru Adventure – llamas, Machu Picchu and a Rainbow Flag
PERU: For us, our Peru adventure meant learning more about the history of this South American country, which goes back much further than ‘just’ to the glorious Incas.
Rovos Rail Train Safari: Namibia to South Africa on Rails
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Our journey through rural inhabited Savannah regions, windy dunes and protected National Parks turned out to be one of our biggest gay travel adventures ever.
Pride
Happy Pride! With this international greeting, lesbians, gays, intersex and trans folks as well as queer people, as well as their friends and allies, are marching side by side demonstrating various LGBTQ+ Pride parades for equality, acceptance, and equal love. But what does PRIDE for the LGBTQ+ community actually mean and stand for? Why are we using the abbreviation LGBTQ+? And why is a Coming Out for queer people so important and really still necessary? We are giving answers to these and additional questions on our Gay Couple Travel Blog Couple of Men.
HOTEL REVIEWS
The 14 Best Gay Men Only Hotels in Maspalomas – Gran Canaria
GRAN CANARIA: Gaycation in Maspalomas with the 14 best gay men only hotels in Gran Canaria, from clothing-optional resorts to cruising-friendly bungalows.
Nakagin Capsule Tower: Sleeping in Historic Organic Architecture in Tokyo
JAPAN: We used a unique and rare Airbnb offer to stay in an architectural icon, the world-famous Nakagin Capsule Tower, designed by the architect Kisho Kurokawa.
Top 10 LGBTQ+ Friendly Hotels in Greater Fort Lauderdale
USA: A luxury resort, a clothing-optional getaway, or a cozy guesthouse: Here are our Top 10 LGBTQ+ friendly hotels and resorts in Greater Fort Lauderdale.
Hotel am Steinplatz in Berlin – Autograph Collection Marriott | Review
BERLIN: When we discovered that Hotel am Steinplatz in Berlin Charlottenburg was part of the Marriott family and listed under the Pink Pillow Collection, we had to check it out.
Island House in Key West: The best Gay Resort in the World | Review
KEY WEST: We stayed at the popular clothing optional gay resort Island House in Key West. In 2019, the accommodation has become “The Best Gay Resort In The World”.
Universal’s Aventura Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort, Florida | Review
ORLANDO: We stayed at the Aventura Hotel at the Universal Orlando Resort™ in Florida, located close to Universal’s Volcano Bay, Islands of Adventure, and Universal Studios Florida.
Be Vedetta: Adult-only gay-friendly Relais & Glamping in Tuscany | Review
ITALY: Gay-friendly BeVedetta in Scarlino, Italy, located high up on a hill overlooking the sea, was just the right place to experience a gaycation, far away from the stress of everyday life.
Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort, Florida | Review
ORLANDO: We stayed at the LGBTQ+ friendly Review Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando, Florida, a premier resort hotel to Universal Studios Florida™, located close to the Universal CityWalk Orlando.
Review Design Hotel Aloft Munich, Germany
MUNICH: The 4-star hotel was our accommodation for the 4-days trip to Munich this summer with enough space to play games, to dance to DJ sets, and to work in an LGBTQ+ welcoming environment.
Queer Couple Stories
By sharing their stories, we get to understand the daily lives of couples that are running a business together, that are activists for freedom and equality together, that are facing everyday problems together or that simply are what they actually are, two people in love. This is why we use Queer Couple Stories on our Gay Couple Travel Blog Couple of Men to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ couples and their situations with the goal to change the perception and acceptance in our society. We want them to be seen – by sharing their stories.
QUEER STORIES WORLDWIDE
LGBTQ+ Glossary: Understanding Queer Terminology with Respect and Pride
WORLDWIDE: From gender-neutral pronouns to outdated terms to avoid, our LGBTQ+ glossary guide helps travelers, allies, and community members speak with clarity and care.
Our Top 10 Queer Movies at Roze Filmdagen 2025 in Amsterdam
AMSTERDAM: Explore the top 10 queer movies of 2025 at Roze Filmdagen Amsterdam. Dive into diverse narratives and engage in rich cultural discussions in cinematic celebration.
Top 10 Lesbian Movies not to be missed at Roze Filmdagen 2025
AMSTERDAM: Explore the top 10 lesbian movies at Roze Filmdagen 2025 with compelling narratives and celebrated lesbian cinema in vibrant Amsterdam.
Top 10 Gay Movies: A must-watch guide for Amsterdam’s Roze Filmdagen 2025
AMSTERDAM: Discover the must-watch gay movies of 2025 with our curated list. Dive into our top selections from the Roze Filmdagen and get the best viewing tips for queer and LGBTQ+ film fans.
Our First Book: Couple of Men – Ein Männerpaar reist um die Welt
GERMANY: The first LGBTQ+ Travel Book Couple of Men – Ein Männerpaar reist um die Welt, giving insights into our lives as gay men, as a couple, and queer LGBTQ+ communities
2SLGBTQ+ Community in Ottawa, Canada: Capital Pride 2024 Celebration
BERLIN: Gay travelers can use the Gay Travel Index 2024 to prepare for their gaycation. But which country ranks first? Where is it safe to travel to as a gay and LGBTQ+ traveler?
Top 10 Lesbian Movies at Amsterdam’s LGBTQ+ Film Festival 2024
AMSTERDAM: Join us and thousands of queer movie fans for a unique celebration of the LGBTQ+ cinematic culture with our movie list of the Best Lesbian Movies 2024 we’ve selected for Roze Filmdagen.
Top 15 Best Gay Movies 2024 for Roze Filmdagen in Amsterdam
AMSTERDAM: Get ready for a unique celebration of the LGBTQ+ cinematic experience featuring the Best Gay Movies 2024 we’ve selected together with festival director Werner Borkes that promises to captivate and inspire.
Mallorca Gay Cruising Guide for Palma & the Beaches
SPAIN: Mallorca doesn’t have a gay cruising reputation like Gran Canaria, Amsterdam or Sitges. But there are places where intimate encounters are possible. Here are John’s tips.
LGBTQ+ Rights around the World
Gay in Moldova: “Hate against LGBT is systematically instilled in people”
MOLDOVA: How safe and enjoyable is the life of the LGBTQ+ community in the Eastern European country? Sarah attended an online event organized to answer these questions…
Gay in Ukraine: The local LGBTQ+ Community Struggles for Visibility
UKRAINE: Sarah learned about the situation of the LGBTQ+ community in the Eastern European country at an online event organized specifically for activists and journalists.
Gay in Laos: The LGBTQ+ Community between Tolerance & Acceptance
LAOS: The Democratic People’s Republic of Laos also called Laos for short, has the reputation of being one of the most tolerant communist countries for the LGBTQ+ community.
Rejection & Violence: LGBTQ+ in Cambodia
CAMBODIA: Additionally to the two genders, male and female, Cambodia’s national language Khmer also knows the third gender kteuy, describing a person who has the physical characteristics of one gender but the behavior of the other.
Gay in Vietnam: Is the country turning into an ‘LGBTQ+ paradise’?
VIETNAM: Homosexuality was still described as a social evil by a national television broadcaster in 2002, comparable to prostitution and illegal gambling. Over the past years, the situation for the LGBT community in Vietnam has improved.
LGBTQ+ in Myanmar – A sin from a former life?
MYANMAR: …or Burma, still one of the most conservative countries in Southeast Asia, is also the country where life is anything but easy for LGBTQ+ people
“The problem is not only the law, but Lebanese society”
LEBANON: The country has a reputation in the Middle East for being the most liberal of all countries when it comes to the LGBTQ+ community in general.
Being Gay in Russia under the ban on homosexual propaganda
RUSSIA: A kiss and a murder. This is how recent events in Russia can be summarized in the LGBTQ+ community. Renowned LGBTQ+ activist Yelena Grigoriyeva was found dead in St. Petersburg in mid-July, with several stab wounds in the chest and signs of strangulation.
Gay in Georgia: “If you are Georgian, you need to be a straight man. “
GEORGIA: Although homosexuality has been legal in Georgia since 2000, it is taboo in large parts of the country with far-reaching consequences for lesbians, gays, and queer people in the country.
Frequently Asked Questions about Couple of Men
We’re Karl and Daan, a gay couple traveling the world together for over 10 years. Our authentic LGBTQ+ travel guides are based on real-life experiences and tailored for mature gay men seeking authenticity, safety, and emotional connection while traveling. From bear-friendly resorts to local cruising tips, we write about what we know and what we’ve lived.
Not at all! While we write from a gay couple’s perspective, our guides are designed for solo gay men, gay bears, mature LGBTQ+ travelers, and anyone looking for queer-friendly travel advice. You’ll find tips for navigating local laws, booking queer welcoming stays, and connecting with the LGBTQ+ community — whether you’re traveling solo, as friends, or with a partner.
Some of our favorites? Gran Canaria, Sitges, Berlin, Palm Springs, and Fort Lauderdale. And of course, our home of choice, Amsterdam! These destinations celebrate diversity in body, age, and attitude — and they host some of the best LGBTQ+ queer and gay bear events. We’ve documented our favorite spots and accommodations in our gay travel guides, with photos and stories from our trips.
It depends on where you go. In places like Amsterdam, Berlin, and Barcelona, there are legal and culturally accepted spaces for cruising. But it’s always essential to check local laws and safety conditions. In our gay cruising guides, we share personal tips on etiquette, safety, and the best places we’ve explored — based on real-life experience, not assumptions.
Yes — every review you read on Couple of Men comes from our personal stays, experienced cruises, or paid collaborations. We always stay at the gay-friendly accommodations, meet the people, and take the photos ourselves. We only recommend destinations that feel safe, inclusive, and joyful for LGBTQ+ travelers like us.
Start with our destination guides. Each one includes info on LGBTQ+ laws, queer nightlife, cruising culture, and the best accommodations. We also cover when to go, where to stay, and how to feel safe — all based on what we experienced. Plus, we keep guides updated for major Pride events and seasonal tips.
Absolutely. As a gay bear couple, we’re big believers in body positivity and comfort. Many of our readers love clothing-optional gay resorts and nude beaches. We feature honest and respectful reviews of these places across Europe and beyond, particularly where they intersect with LGBTQ+ community events.
We’d love to hear from you! You can always reach us via our About Us page or Instagram @coupleofmen. Whether you need help choosing a destination, booking a hotel, or just want to share your story, we’re here for you.
