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South Africa is a nature lover’s paradise, with some of the best safaris in the world. Obviously, if you stick to the areas you know are safe, it’s absolutely fine! The only downside is the violent crime so prevalent around the country which makes it a little big dangerous for all travellers whether straight or gay. South Africa almost ticks all the boxes – stunning destination to visit, a large, active LGBTQ community, and lots of queer hangouts and events happening. We also love that Belgium has a “ Rainbow Cops” police force who are specifically trained to handle LGBTQ issues. Whilst the Belgium are generally tolerant and openminded, homophobia has grown recently in Belgium.īelgium is known for medieval towns, Renaissance architecture and as headquarters of the European Union and NATO. Touristic highlights include the Grand Palace in Brussels, the Canals and Belfry of Bruges, the Battlefields of Flanders, Ghent's Gravensteen and Old Town, the Horta Museum and Town Houses, the Basilica of Bruges, Meuse Valley, Mons Old Town, and more.ĭid you know? Belgium has also had its fair share of openly gay politicians, including the world's second openly gay head of government, former Prime Minister, Elio Di Rupo (2011-2014). When it comes to holding hands in public, we didn’t feel as comfortable as in other countries. We’ve loved it each time, especially my chips-loving-Frenchman! Belgium is overall very welcoming for gay travellers.
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We’ve been several times to Belgium as a gay couple – either on a city break to Brussels and Bruges and once on a Flanders Field “pilgrimage” to see the former WW1 battlegrounds. The mayor of Bogota is widely considered the second most important political post in Colombia after the President, which is a big deal for the LGBTQ community in Colombia! Read more in our Colombia gay travel guide.ĭid you know? In October 2019, Ms Claudia López Hernández became the first woman and first lesbian to be elected mayor in Bogota. However, we didn’t encounter this on our travels in Colombia as we just avoided them. One of these included a fine for shouting homophobic abuse to others in public! The only thing we’d say in Colombia, which is the case for many countries in Latin America is that the machismo culture is prevalent in rural areas, particularly along the coast. In one hotel in Medellin, we noticed a sign in the lift showing the penalties the police could give you for certain crimes. Some of our favourite travel highlights include the coffee region, the Cocora Valley, the Salt Cathedral, the Caño Cristales Rainbow River, Cartagena old town and the Tayrona National Park.Īs a gay couple, we had no issues in Colombia and felt accepted everywhere.