We are Karl and Daan – a German-Dutch gay couple living in Amsterdam and the founders of Couple of Men, a personal gay travel blog dedicated to LGBTQ+ travelers worldwide. What began as a shared passion for storytelling, photography, and safe queer travel has evolved into a trusted platform for inclusive, honest, and experience-driven travel inspiration. From Pride celebrations to clothing-optional getaways and candid discussions about queer travel safety – this is the blog we wish we had when we started exploring the world together.
Our story: From love to LGBTQ+ & gay travel blog
Our journey began in Germany, where we met and danced together through a Berlin night. Right from the start, travel played a significant role in our relationship. While Karl was living in Berlin and Daan called Amsterdam home, a long-distance relationship shaped the beginning of our journey as a gay couple. But there were so many LGBTQ+ friendly places to explore… First through weekend getaways across Europe, later on longer trips across Asia, North and South America, and beyond.
We quickly realized that many places lacked clear, queer-affirming travel information. So we started documenting our trips – initially for friends and family, later for a growing international LGBTQ+ community. In 2018, we officially launched Couple of Men. Since then, we’ve traveled to over 50 countries together, combining cultural curiosity with a strong message of LGBTQ+ visibility and love.
And while we grew together and got married along the way, our blog evolved into one of the leading personal gay travel blogs for queer travelers around the world. But for us, it has always been about more than just ticking off destinations – it’s about visibility, personal stories, and helping others travel with confidence.
Karl | German | he/him
Writer, LGBTQ+ activist, editor
Originally from Eastern Germany, Karl is a published writer and long-time LGBTQ+ activist with a background in journalism, art history, and queer youth education. His passion for visibility, storytelling, and cultural analysis shapes the voice of Couple of Men. He’s the driving force behind much of the blog’s editorial structure and written content.
Daan | Dutch | he/him
Creative, actor, queer storyteller
Born and raised in Amsterdam, Daan brings his theater background and creative energy into every part of the blog and our social media presence. With years of experience as a theater director and visual artist, he leads the aesthetic vision of Couple of Men – encompassing video and photography, branding, and immersive experiences.
What makes our gay travel blog different?
We believe travel is more than just ticking off destinations from a bucket list. Traveling is about experiencing the world as our true selves while connecting with real people, learning about authentic stories, and sharing our experiences with LGBTQ+ travelers from around the world. That’s why Couple of Men is built on emotional storytelling and honest LGBTQ+ representation.
We pride ourselves on our blog not being a marketing platform in disguise but a deeply personal project. We take every photo and every video sequence. Every article is rooted in our real experiences. Whether we’re attending a Pride march in Osaka, hiking through Icelandic volcanoes, or reviewing a gay men-only resort in Gran Canaria, we do it from our unique perspective as an openly traveling gay couple.
What makes our gay travel blog authentic & trusted by LGBTQ+ travelers?
- 100% original content: no AI, no ghostwriters, no stock imagery
- Strong queer DEI values: inclusivity, visibility, and respect
- Real-life experience: over 50 countries visited as a couple
- LGBTQ+ hotel, destination & event focus
- Trusted by our queer audience and industry partners alike
As two men traveling together, we understand the joys and challenges that come with exploring the world as a queer couple. We know what it means to navigate unfamiliar cultures, language barriers, and varying degrees of acceptance. For us, it is crucial to understand and communicate about the challenges the queer community faces, especially when behaving cautiously is part of an LGBTQ+ individual’s life. The goal of our work is to ensure that LGBTQ+ travelers feel welcome, safe, free, seen, and heard while traveling.
Work with us LGBTQ+ content creators & storytellers!
Who we reach: Our global queer community
Over the years, Couple of Men has grown from “just” a gay couple travel blog to become a vibrant hub for LGBTQ+ travelers from around the globe. Our audience comprises solo gay travelers, queer couples, non-binary backpackers, lesbian and transgender readers, and allies seeking guidance on inclusive travel experiences. We receive messages daily from readers who found safety tips helpful, booked their first gay cruise through our links, or felt empowered to visit a new country and stay at a hotel thanks to our honest reviews.
What our readers are looking for
- Travel safety insights for LGBTQ+ individuals
- Personal stories and honest hotel reviews
- LGBTQ+ travel guides to cities, regions, and festivals
- Inspiration for romantic, offbeat, or adventurous trips
- Community-focused storytelling and queer representation
Our reach spans across Europe, North America, Latin America, and Asia – with the majority of readers coming from the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, and Canada. Through our social channels and newsletter, we regularly share destination guides, hotel reviews, Pride calendars, and cultural tips tailored explicitly to LGBTQ+ safety and inclusion.
Awards & recognition of our gay travel blog Couple of Men
As our platform grew, so did the recognition of our work. In 2021, we received the first-ever Lonely Planet Best in Travel LGBTIQ+ Storyteller Award, which acknowledged our role in promoting authentic LGBTQ+ stories in the travel space. The Lonely Planet award is typically reserved for destinations or tourism campaigns. The fact that a gay couple travel blog won it was a proud and very emotional moment for us. We view this award as an opportunity to continue our work, become even more inclusive, and educate even more destinations to incorporate queer stories into their marketing campaigns.
Why the awards matter to us and our readers
Each recognition affirms our mission – but more importantly, it helps our community trust that our content is meaningful and reliable:
- Validated by respected institutions in travel media
- Representing LGBTQ+ voices at global events
- Proof of consistent, long-term commitment to inclusivity
- Helps open doors for collaboration with like-minded partners
- Encourages others in our community to share their stories
Just two years later, in 2023, we were honored with the ITB LGBTQ+ Pioneer Award during ITB Berlin, the world’s leading travel trade show. This ITB award celebrates trailblazers who create visibility for queer communities through tourism and media. Receiving the award in a city where our relationship began made it especially meaningful. It reaffirmed our belief in storytelling as a powerful tool for change – both within and outside the queer community.
Lonely Planet Award 2021
On our summer trip from Sweden to Germany to Austria, we received a completely unexpected message:
“Congratulations on receiving the first Best in Travel LGBTIQ+ Storyteller Award from Lonely Planet!”
This award is usually given to places and organizers that deserve special attention for the upcoming travel year. We were speechless that we should now be one of them!
Our book: Sharing queer travel stories in print
In 2022, we fulfilled a longtime dream by publishing our first book: Couple of Men – Gemeinsam um die Welt. This book is recognized as the first LGBTQ+ travel book in the German language and a heartfelt journey through our most personal experiences as a gay couple on the road. With stories from Sweden, Japan, Iceland, the United States, and beyond, the book carefully blends cultural exploration with queer storytelling. We wanted to create something tangible for those who value slow reading, LGBTQ+ activism, and physical inspiration.
The book, published under the Polyglott label by the renowned German publishing house Gräfe & Unzer Verlag in Munich, is available in German and can be purchased in bookstores throughout Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It was written, edited, and designed with great care by us – and yes, all photos are our own. Whether you’re searching for a gift, need some queer motivation for your next trip, or want to read queer voices in print, our book is a celebration of love, resilience, and wanderlust.
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Order our book now!
The perfect present to inspire (German-speaking) LGBTQ+ travelers and their allies to travel the world open-minded, respectfully, and with a happy heart.
Order our book online or purchase it in bookstores in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Advocating through community: IGLTA membership
We see activism not just as protest, but as presence. Beyond participating in Pride events around the world, we represent our gay travel blog by actively engaging in the global travel industry as speakers, panelists, and queer representatives. Over the years, we’ve shared our perspective at conferences such as the annual IGLTA Global Convention, the Gnetwork360 conference in Argentina, and various LGBTQ+ Travel Symposia, including this summer’s event in Bilbao. We regularly attend international travel trade shows, such as IPW USA and ITB Berlin, advocating for more inclusive practices in tourism marketing and media. Our role is to help shape the future of LGBTQ+ travel through our storytelling while standing visibly and unapologetically in the rooms where decisions are made.
As proud members of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA), we are part of a global network of travel professionals dedicated to promoting LGBTQ+ equality and safety in the tourism industry. Our membership provides us with access to reliable industry contacts, queer-owned businesses, and initiatives that extend far beyond mainstream travel coverage.
Through IGLTA, we have built lasting partnerships with destinations, participated in LGBTQ+ travel conferences, and collaborated on inclusive campaigns. The organization is more than a label – it’s a source of knowledge, community, and mutual support that amplifies our mission as gay travel bloggers. We also regularly share IGLTA’s safety updates and visibility initiatives with our readers.
Since 2019, we have proudly served as official brand ambassadors for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. This long-term partnership has allowed us to showcase inclusive air travel experiences while advocating for greater queer visibility within the aviation and tourism industries. We’ve collaborated with KLM on campaigns for Pride, sustainable travel, and LGBTQ+ representation in international marketing.
Our gay travel blog Couple of Men with a mission for visibility
We see Couple of Men not just as a gay travel blog but as a platform for LGBTQ+ empowerment. We’re proud to support queer-owned brands, create inclusive travel campaigns, and highlight stories that are too often overlooked. Our mission is simple:
To make the world a more visible, welcoming, and safe place for queer travelers – one story, one trip, one honest moment at a time.
Karl and Daan.
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We advocate for cultural understanding, fight against stereotyping, and believe that the tourism industry must do more to include queer travelers in an authentic and meaningful way. Whether we’re exploring nature, nightlife, or neighborhood cafés, visibility is at the heart of everything we do.
For broader global updates on LGBTQ+ rights and safety, we also recommend checking the regularly updated resources at ILGA World.
Want to learn more about travel news from the LGBTQ+ community? Follow us on Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook! See you at a Pride or CSD march somewhere in this beautiful, diverse, and colorful world! Karl & Daan.