vacation ideas

[LurkerSpeaks]

how about some ideas for a fun vacation around april. Last year I went to montreal for the first time. Had a blast.. Really enjoyed the boys there. Wondering if anyone has any ideas for a Semi-reasonably priced vacation spot. I will be originating from tucson (or phoenix) area. Since I am just an average, working class guy, the less I have to spend on the airfare/hotel, the more I will have for fun, boys, etc. I prefer larger cities..most definitely ones that will be compatible with a gay man alone..where boys are prevalent/available. Also one where I will be able to communicate at least somewhat in English. Thailand and Rio both sound great, but are a little over my budget and there is the language issue..are there any other places out there that would compare to montreal as far as boys, fun, etc?

[OneFinger]

I haven't done much international travel so I can only suggest North American designations. But here's where I've had a great time (in no particular order):

 

1. Toronto: Great night life and an abundance of gay clubs with lots of twinks. A little pricey but a very good time.

 

2. San Antonio: The river walk area is unique and loaded with great shops and fantastic dining. Austin is not that far away and also offers good places. Some of my favorite/must-see escorts are based in San Antonio so that is a big plus.

 

3. New York City: There are lots of great escorts, the Gaiety, and the Theater District. This is the kind of destination where you can travel alone and not feel out-of-place. I use HooBoy's Discount Travel and have found some great deals on hotel. Plus, you have a lot of airport options with JFK, La Guardia, and Newark.

 

4. Los Angeles: I usually stay at the Ramada Inn West Hollywood because of its closeness to the gay area. LA is very accessible to Orange County for typical attractions and is only 2-1/2 hours from San Diego. LA is a good launching point for Southern California.

 

5. Vancouver/Portland: Actually worked there for a short period of time. Good gay night life and close to other attractions. Spent a lot of time at Mount St. Helen's, the Lewis & Clark Trail, and even found some great casinos nearby.

 

If you want something more rustic, there is a great gay-owned bed and breakfast in Moab, UT. Close to some wonderful national parks and lots of "nature-related" activities.

[Chuck50]

I go Vegas in April... fun time hugs

[+ deej]

An April vacation is a little tough.

 

For weather alone, I'd probably pick Vegas or ... ummm ... Phoenix.

 

DC can be lovely in April (or not) if you catch it on a good year and catch the cherry blossoms. (It's more of a crap shoot than Vegas.)

 

LA can also be lovely in April. Or not.

 

But no city in your price range can compare with the Montreal boymart. Or any Canadian city for that matter, when it comes to looking for fun where the US$ goes a long way.

 

So are you looking for a good *vacation* destination or a good place to get laid? }(

[seaboy4hire]

Here are my votes: Seattle it is nice in the spring time. It kind of has a big city feel but is easy to get around and very close to nature and outdoors if you enjoy those things. LA is always fun most of the time great weather and cute guys. Vegas well we all know about Vegas in fact it is my 3rd fav city. Chicago is fun too and great food to boot! None of that tofu vegi crap! Mexico now how can you go wrong with Puerto Vallarta and from what I hear it is quite gay friendly. Or is it they just love the American dollar? Hope this helps. Gosh all these choices and talk of vacation and only a month and a few days to go and I will be taking mine.

 

Hugs,

Greg

Greg Seattle Wa seaboy4hire@yahoo.com

http://www.male4malescorts.com/reviews/gregseattle.html http://briefcase.yahoo.com/seaboy4hire

[FourAces]

>Here are my votes: Seattle it is nice in the spring time. It

>kind of has a big city feel but is easy to get around and very

>close to nature and outdoors if you enjoy those things. LA is

>always fun most of the time great weather and cute guys. Vegas

>well we all know about Vegas in fact it is my 3rd fav city.

>

What is your first and second favorite city?

 

RT

[FourAces]

Based on your budget and other interests noted I would strongly suggest SoCal. Personally I would avoid LA and stay in Orange County near the beach. Plenty of eye candy and close enough to LA if you want to speand some time in WEHO. Also, there should be plenty of cute, young guys around.

 

A close second is San Francisco. The few times I've been up there I have had a blast! And even though it's quite expensive to live there a vacation can be done on a reasonable budget.

 

RT

[Boston Guy]

Hmmm... why Orange County?

 

I don't mean that as a disagreement, but truly as a question. When I go to LA (which I do a lot), I almost always stay in WeHo. Lots of boys, lots of fun. He's interested in seeing boys on his vacation, if I understand him correctly. So where in OC would you suggest he go as a destination?

 

I always think of Orange County as endless suburban sprawl with few real destinations... probably an uneducated point of view but sort of the result of a few trips across it from one point to another.

 

So where in Orange County is there fun to be had? :-)

 

BG

[seaboy4hire]

first fav is LA because of the nice weather and it is close to the ocean. Aint nothing better then walking on the bach 3 am barefoot and playin in the water. My second fav city is Chicago. I like it there cause of the great food! Like I said no tofu or vegitarian vegan crap! Ok I am sure there are such places there but I didn't see any. And I like the older buildings there in Chicago. The city has a great history and feel about it. The bad thing is though I always find myself lost on Michigan ave. LOL.

 

Hugs,

Greg

Greg Seattle Wa seaboy4hire@yahoo.com

http://www.male4malescorts.com/reviews/gregseattle.html http://briefcase.yahoo.com/seaboy4hire

[Boston Guy]

vacationing in Rio

 

I'm not sure I'd discount Rio as a destination, especially if you are thinking about spending any real amount of money on boys.

 

You'd spend a fair amount getting there unless there's a fare sale between now and then (a real possibility and I personally wouldn't book a ticket for a while but would instead keep checking every day for good fares). But, once there, the cost of everything would be much less than in any North American destination. This especially includes the price of getting together with guys.

 

You might find the true total cost of a vacation in Rio to be not much more or maybe even less than a corresponding vacation in LA or Montreal. If it intrigues you, there are lots of guys here who can give you some very good info on the current cost of just about everything there.

 

The only thing I'd recommend is to pick up a CD-based course on Portuguese and learn at least a little Portuguese. It will make your trip a lot more fun.

 

BG

[FourAces]

In OC I suggest Laguna Beach if you want to be in the Gay part of town. But my personal favorite is Huntington Beach. Probably not going to find a lot of openly gay boys there but YUMMY eye candy all around. Especially down Main Street.

 

BostonGuy it is simply preference. I don't like staying up in LA when I'm in SoCal. I prefer the more laid back nature of OC beach towns. But am only a short drive away from everywhere I want to be including WEHO.

 

Even when I'm visiting my hometown of San Diego I stay in North Costal county instead of North Park, Old Town, Hillcrest area.

 

It simply isn't my style to need to be in the center of the Gay universe when I travel. I just want it nearby :9

 

RT

[FourAces]

Interesting choices from the beach to the desert sand to way too much snow

 

RT

[seaboy4hire]

It all depends on my mood really. I am a total sun lover. The hotter the sun the better but each city has something fun and exciting. I usually spend most of my time in LA since that is where my family lives. I usually end up going down there since they are too cheap to come up to Seattle to visit. I think they figure I have 2 incomes coming in (they don't know about this income) I can afford to fly down anytime I want.

 

Hugs,

Greg

Greg Seattle Wa seaboy4hire@yahoo.com

http://www.male4malescorts.com/reviews/gregseattle.html http://briefcase.yahoo.com/seaboy4hire

[Luv2play]

It has been many years since I spent any time in Laguna Beach but I doubt it has changed much. It is a beach town but not an urban environment. In April, I can't imagine there would be much doing in the way of boys during the week, maybe more on the weekend from LA visitors. It is also an expensive place to stay, being a beach town with an upscale tourist base to draw on.

 

I spent a month there in August many moons ago and had a blast. Of course I was in my early thirties, fit as a fiddle, picked up guys every night at the Boom-Boom Room or the Little Shrimp, had no trouble taking them back to my hotel on the beach. But I did blow a bundle on hotel, meals etc. It was NOT cheap! But the bois were FREE!!! (I doubt I could re-live that experience, free sex that is with under 30's)!}(

[Guest alanm]

I am with Boston Guy on this, why would you stay in OC? If you want an alternative to WeHo, Malibu is closer (Sunset Blvd. starts in Mailbu) and has both great beaches with huge waves (and sexy young surfers) and Topanga Canyon, with plenty of mountain scenery and great offbeat restaurants. The Malibu Beach Inn is a great place to stay, if pricey. Casa Malibu is also right on the beach and more affordable. WeHo is a half hour away, less late at night when Sunset Blvd. has no traffic.

[LurkerSpeaks]

RE: vacationing in Rio

 

Thanks for the input so far, guys...Seems like most of the input has been for Cali.. But since I live in Arizona, to me, Cali or vegas is more of a 3 day weekend kinda trip. And remember, I will be traveling alone, and for some reason, while I love cali, to me it is not a place for solo travel. Cant really explain why i think of it that way, just do Vegas has been a regular solo spot for me for a number of years, just ready for bigger and better things. That is one reason (boys and the reputation being the other) that I went to Montreal last year. Yes, I want some place where I can get laid, but do want some other things to do as well. AND, i am now in my **gasp, gasp** upper 30's, carrying a little too much weight, but still am attracted to the young, boyish types.

 

 

As far as budget goes, I will give some ideas on what i spent last year and what I want to spend this year.. Last year montreal was really pretty cheap.. Airline ticket was less than 400$, Delta Montreal Hotel I got on priceline for about 75$ US per nite, then for 5 days, I spent roughly 500$ US spending money., so roughly $1300 for the 5 days vacation. This year I anticipate probably allocating $1500-$2000. I realize it is not a huge amount by some standards, but it is what is within my budget.. so the less i spend on the trip, the more i have to spend on enjoying the boys..

 

Oh, and btw, I do speak spanish. Would that be enough to get along in Rio? I realize they speak portuegues there, but would I be able to understand/converse enough to get around? Do the saunas, hotels, restaurants there speak any english???

[Boston Guy]

RE: vacationing in Rio

 

>As far as budget goes, I will give some ideas on what i spent

>last year and what I want to spend this year.. Last year

>montreal was really pretty cheap.. Airline ticket was less

>than 400$, Delta Montreal Hotel I got on priceline for about

>75$ US per nite, then for 5 days, I spent roughly 500$ US

>spending money., so roughly $1300 for the 5 days vacation.

>This year I anticipate probably allocating $1500-$2000. I

>realize it is not a huge amount by some standards, but it is

>what is within my budget.. so the less i spend on the trip,

>the more i have to spend on enjoying the boys..

>

 

If you checked for flights from TUS or PHX to Rio right now (the airport code for Rio is GIG), you'd find r/t flights to be priced around $970 from TUS and about $930 from PHX. If you wanted to be there for five nights and were willing to stay in a Brazilian hotel, you'd probably spend another few hundred on the hotel and you can easily eat in Rio for $30 US per day (less if you want to). So even at these prices, you could go to Rio on your budget, stay five nights and pay for food and have some left over for fun. Remember that the going rate for a boy in the sauna's is still $50 US (I think).

 

However, I haven't been there often. There are guys who post mainly in the South of the Border forum who are far, far more knowledgeable about these things than me. If you are truly interested in Rio as a destination, you should start a thread there asking for advice.

 

Also, these air fares feel high to me. I think that you might well do better -- better enough to save a few hundred dollars -- by waiting for a sale. If so, that would give you more money to spend on fun and still stay within your budget. Ask about airfares in the other forum, too.

 

Finally, if you do go, be aware that you need to have a visa from the Brazilian embassy stamped on your passport before you go. The cost is someplace around $60 and I think it lasts for five years. You need to fill out an application and send it or take it to a Brazilian embassy or consulate far enough before you go to get it processed. If you fail to do this, you will not be allowed to board a plane for Brazil.

 

>Oh, and btw, I do speak spanish. Would that be enough to get

>along in Rio? I realize they speak portuegues there, but would

>I be able to understand/converse enough to get around? Do the

>saunas, hotels, restaurants there speak any english???

 

I'd still pick up a Portuguese CD and study it. Your Spanish should make it far easier for you. But the languages are not the same.

 

BG

[trilingual]

RE: vacationing in Rio

 

April will be low season in Brazil (the only time it's expensive that time of year is during Holy Week, but that's early this year and will be over before April). Airfare will cost you more than Montreal, but you should be able to find a decent fare between US$600 - 800. (Obviously, Rio is much farther than Montreal!)

 

You can get a nice hotel in Rio for the equivalent of US$50 - 70 night, with a generous breakfast buffet included (saving you the cost of lunch, if you breakfast late). US$100 a day in spending money will buy you admission to one of the saunas and 40-minute romps with at least 3 different guys (if you pay the standard R$50 -- or about US$18 -- rate for a session). You can gorge yourself at the less expensive restaurants (like the "por kilo" buffets) for less than US$10. Rio is definitely urban, and you can walk to most attractions, restaurants and shopping in the beach areas where you will be staying. Subway fare to other destinations is about US$0.70 cents. A taxi from Copacabana to downtown will run about US$4 - 5. The special taxis from the international airport to your hotel will cost about US$20 (and worth it for the safety and convenience). As you can see, even though the airfare is higher, a trip to Rio may not cost you any more than a visit to Montreal, once you factor in the lower costs you will find when you arrive.

 

There is tons of information on the Escorts South of the U.S.A. board (including the FAQ section) about hotels, how to get cheap air fares,, etc. Just browse through all of that, or use the "search" function on that board to find specific info. As an American you will need a passport and visa to visit Brazil. The Brazilian consulate in Los Angeles handles visa applications from Arizona. For specific information visit their site at http://www.brazilian-consulate.org. If you don't go in person to pick up the visa you'll have to use a visa service, and the total cost will probably be around $200, but the visa is good for 5 years and for multiple entries, so that comes to about $40 per year for the life of the visa.

 

English is understood at hotels and in some shops and restaurants. You won't run into much of it in the saunas (the guys you meet there are working-class and rarely well educated) but you'll be able to get by. Spanish will be extremely useful: most Brazilians understand it, if you speak slowly and clearly. You'll have more difficulty understanding Brazilians when they respond in Portuguese until you get used to the sound of the language and the differences in vocabulary. But if you keep asking people to speak SLOWLY ("Fale mais devagar, por favor!") you should be able to understand a surprising amount. Learning Portuguese is easy if you already speak Spanish, so invest in a phrase book and pocket dictionary and some language CDs before you go. There is information in the Escorts South board about English-speaking guides like Eduardo who can show you around the scene inexpensively. However, as you'll see from reading the testimony of M4Mers like Tomcal, many guys have enjoyed themselves totally in Rio without speaking a word of Portuguese! So take the plunge!

[+ Charlie]

What about Ft.Lauderdale/Miami? In April it's not yet too hot, but it is already approaching off-season. There's the beach, bars, beautiful boys--many of them available for escort duty--and other things to do when you get tired of sex (ha!).

[LurkerSpeaks]

RE: vacationing in Rio

 

do the sauna boys cost $50 US or 50 Reais? One other concern is that it seems that the boys in Rio are more muscular, where I prefer the thin twinkie types (Taboo was my idea of heavan so far). Will I find what I like there?

 

Any other ideas? how about Europe? anything there? The only place outside of the US that I have visited (other than mexican border towns) is Montreal, so the idea of someplace "foreign" is both exciting and intriguing.

[Boston Guy]

RE: vacationing in Rio

 

The dollar and the euro used to be on par. As of today, the dollar is worth $.76 euros, thanks to GWB and his administration's policies. Europe is very expensive for US visitors right now. I'd hold off on that one until the dollar is in a better vis-a-vis the euro unless you are prepared to spend much more than you have budgeted.

 

BG

[Guest alanm]

RE: vacationing in Rio

 

You are 100% correct about the prices in Europe. I have a long planned frequent flyer trip set for June 13-July 10 and may have to take out a second mortgage to pay for it, even with the free Lufthansa frequent flyer flights to St. Peterburg and Munich from and back to Philadelphia (also going to Paris and one other city, not yet determined). I longingly check out the Europe Escort Site here, wondering if I can afford to hire anyone.

 

As to this thread, I would suggest Buenos Aires which is even cheaper than Rio and language would not be a problem, already knowing Spanish.

[Boston Guy]

RE: vacationing in Rio

 

>As to this thread, I would suggest Buenos Aires which is even

>cheaper than Rio and language would not be a problem, already

>knowing Spanish.

 

That's a terrific suggestion. I just did a quick look at the airfares from Tucson to Buenos Aires and they're just about the same as to Rio. The trip's about the same length, too. So another interesting destination for him to consider.

 

BG

[Guest msclonly]

InExpensive hunting! Leave your attitudes at home!

 

There is so much confusion about how much you have to spend for great and successful hunting. It does not even require a new hunting outfit to battle the weather. Sun is quareented.

 

All of the cities mentioned cost more to hunt in, even if a license(visa) is not required. Getting to most of them costs almost as much as gong to the HAPPIEST HUNTING ground on earth and no disquise is necessary. A room at the Hunting Lodge costs less then half of the places mentioned and within a half mile radius of the hunting blind or nest, there is at least 100 times more game out in the open to set your sights on along with some of the most interesting hunting territory on earth. It is possible to eat on less then $10.00 per diem. In fact, the game is so thick, that it is hard to avoid, when wanting to take a break! They like to play and entertain the hunters with free shows. It is like the hunters are the hunted! :7

 

A ticket to Thailand costs a wee bit more then a ticket to Montreal, due to the many special fares.

 

Now if you don't like the freshest prepared feed available in camp, then as Rosannadanna said 'Never Mind!'.

 

I always order very mild and have no problem, since it is possible to go to BKK and only eat western feed like Italian, German, French, American, and even Japanese, etc.:9

 

It certainly beats hunting in any Western country.

 

 

 

:9

[Guest Valleyman]

RE: vacationing in Rio

 

The normal cost for a boy in the Rio saunas is R$50 – that is, 50 reais. At current exchange rates that is equivalent to about $19 US.