Socaflyer

My partner and I are having a wedding next summer and are trying to decide on a destination for our honeymoon in August. We don't have a lot of cash, but we do have enough miles to fly American or any OneWorld carrier almost anywhere they fly (excluding the South Pacific). Currently we're thinking either somewhere in Asia or Europe, but we're not sure where exactly. We'd like to go somewhere lesbian/gay-friendly (or at least tolerant). Any suggestions from the more experienced travelers?

Going one step further, we have some Starwood points and a few Hilton points available for us to use to cover some hotel costs, so would be especially interested in any experiences with those chains in any locations in Europe or Asia. Thanks very much for any input you might have.

GoldFlyer

Montreal, you get that European feel without the jetlag.

Congratulations btw ^

I hope to join you in the wedding commitment too in '07.

MegatopLover

My instantaneous response was Bali. There's nothing like it. A fascinating culture, a very warm people, a beautiful island, plenty to do or not do on your stay. Bali has many budget and basic tourist locations that will be *swarming* with Australians in August, one of Bali's two high seasons for tourism, most of which is from Australia (for many, Bali is to Australians as Cancun is to Americans). That's not my cup of tea. I tend toward the lux end of hotels/resorts. If you're doing that (and I suspect you're not, based on your post), there are resorts in Bali second-to-none in the world. Even if you're not at the Aman resorts, where stratospheric rates prevail, you can stay in spectacular resorts that are simply nothing like anything in the West. If you're doing that, I would say that, on balance, Bali is not cheap but not expensive either. At this point, I would probably go to Bali (where Mr. Megatop and I have already been twice) for our honeymoon.

For luxury at very affordable places (a 5* hotel in Central BKK with breakfast for under $200/nt), most everyone agrees that Thailand is the place to go, hands-down. Like the Balinese, the Thais are exceptionally warm and welcoming to guests. They have an ancient and well-developed culture you can easily immerse yourself in. In addition to all that Bangkok has to offer (the Grand Palace, the Golden Teak Mansion, the canals, more Wats (temples) than you can shake a stick at, more shopping than you can imagine, food like you wouldn't believe, entertainment that will...), plenty of easy day-trips are within reach, some of them unmissible, such as the summer palace of King Rama V (c. 1860-1910) and the ruins of the ancient Siamese capital sacked by the Burmese in 1770 or so. Thailand also has world-class beaches. August is monsoon season on the Andaman Sea coast, so you're best to avoid Phuket and Krabi. The Gulf of Thailand Coast and islands will have better weather then. Thailand has plenty of Hiltons where you can use your points; in addition to a newly opened Millennium Hilton on Riverside in Bangkok, there's a Conrad in the Embassy District. Take AA to SFO or LAX and pick up CX to HKG and BKK.

MegatopLover

Forgot to add that Thailand is arguably the single most gay-friendly place in all of Asia. A couple of gayboys, even newlyweds, will find plenty of things to entertain them, whatever your interests. As long as you're in a major Western or International hotel, no one will bat an eyelash at two men staying together with a King Bedded room. At the right hotels, you could even mention that you're on your honeymoon and would probably be given some bennies by management.

Since my first visit to Thailand five years ago, Mr. Megatop and I always stay at the same hotel, where we are recognized by many of the staff and given extra-special treatment. A few years ago, I was planning a stay at the sister hotel (mother hotel, actually) in Hong Kong and mentioned that I would be proposing to my partner during our visit. The G.M., who has since moved to the Bangkok property, personally offered to help with the arrangements (she knew full well we're two boys). Although I actually proposed off-property, she knew when it was going to happen and, when we were back at the hotel for dinner that night, she sent us champagne. As you can imagine, we are lifelong loyalists.

jamiedot

i agree with Thailand. so many things to see there especially night life. so easily teeming with activity where you can watch the night shows around Silom Road. and if you're into exotic or street food try Chatuchak Market. i especially like phad thai here..

Animgif

Any chance you can share the name of the hotel? I'm planning a trip to Asia and would love to stay at gay-friendly places.

VC10 Boy

Reading between the lines I would say Mr Megatoplover could only have been staying at the Oriental Hotel. Where incidentally 12 of us will be staying this Christmas - fortunately we have the Selandia Suite with others relegated to the Garden Wing.

The experience, even in a river wing room, starts the moment you clear customs. You look for the guy in an orange mandarin jacket, who directs you to a waiting 7 series where you are given ice cold refreshing towels and water, before being driven to the hotel. All the Oriental cars are the same colour with the hotel's crest on the door. On the drive in your chauffeur flashes his headlights at slower moving cars who then pull over to allow you through. They recognise Oriental Cars and think you're important.

When you get to the hotel you are greeted by name at the door, presented with an orchid wai and whisked to your room. Your butler then arrives to unpack and provide refreshments. And so it goes on.

You will never lift a finger. In the bamboo bar they will remember your fave drink from the night before and ask if you would like your usual. The lift boys press your floor button for you - they don't need to ask which floor - they just know. I've had a butler apologise to me on getting out of the lift beacuse he noticed a scuff mark on one of my shoes in the room and took the liberty of polishing them for me.

The social scene around the pool is good to watch and the hierarchy of robes becomes such fun. Of course as soon as you arrive at the pool a cabanna boy rushes over to lay thick towels on an already sumputous lounger, provide you with ice water etc. Throughout the day they come round with free gin sorbets or champagne sorbets depending on the day of the week.

But then I was passing through the lobby one day and noticed the red carpet come out so thought I would hang around to see who was arriving - the Emperor and Emperess of Japan. Then that afternoon taking tea in the authors wing, Hillary Clinton was shown up to one of the suites.

There is nowhere in the world that can match the service. It's sad to leave but even then they take care of you. The orange jacket guy meets you at the airport to take your luggage all the way through to check in so you never have to lift a finger.

By the way, with right corporate code all this can be had for �100 a night.

But hey I was a little disturbed MegatopLover, what has happened to Kurt Wachtveitl? Have they a new GM. Have to admit I thought he was looking a little fragile at the last cocktail party.

Animgif

Interesting. Sounds like just the kind of place i'd like to splurge on a few nights of my trip.

MegatopLover

Close but no cigar, as they say. I'm a "fan" of The Peninsula. The GM in Hong Kong was Ms. Rainy Chan, who has since moved to Peninsula Bangkok and succeeded in kicking up a notch the service there. In a word, she's fabulous. The RM at PBK, with whom I've become acquainted in some recent stays, is excellent too. Even though Peninsula Hong Kong is probably a better hotel all things considered, Peninsula Bangkok is my single favorite hotel in the world. Admittedly, that is in part for purely personal reasons: I'm inevitably spending time with Mr. Megatop on his end of our 12,000-mile LDR. In any case, I would highly reccommend PBK to anyone, and those to whom I have recommended it have yet to be disappointed. If you're considering splurging, Peninsula Bangkok is certainly worthy of it.

The Gays seem to like Peninsula Bangkok quite a bit. Mr. Megatop and I see a great many around at all times of year, especially during breakfast at the River Cafe & Terrace. For New Year's 2005, a bunch of GGG FT'ers were all staying there by happenstance and we rang in the New Year together.

While the Pen is certainly a world-class 5* property with impeccable service (you'll find lots of detailed descriptions if you search in the Luxury Hotels forum for Peninsula Bangkok and my handle), some people who've stayed at both the Pen and The O across the river consider the Pen to have a bit more relaxed atmosphere among the guests. I can't attest to that personally, as I'm always at the Pen. Started 2006 there. Was back over Memorial Day. Going again for Labor Day. Maybe Thanksgiving too. Already booked in for two stays at Christmas/New Year's.

VC10 Boy

My humble apologies, as the Mandarin Oriental in HK came before The Oriental (since the Swire days) I made the wrong connection.

The good thing about the main Bangkok hotels is they are all so good. I have eaten in Jesters at the Pen and it was amazing. Their boat even dropped us back at our own hotel pier which I really appreciated. The Sucathai is another in the stellar league but I just couldn't stay anywhere but the O these days.

But if you guys are there this Christmas maybe we could all meet up for cocktails at some point. We arrive on the 23rd and depart on the 27 for New Year in Sydney.

MegatopLover

That's cool. But I've got a question. I'm not sure I understand about the timing. The O in Bangkok goes back 125+ years. I believe the current Mandarin Oriental in HK dates from the early 1960's when it opened as the Mandarin Hotel. The HK hotel joined up with the venerable O in Bangkok at some point later to form the chain that now bears the combined name MO. Was there another Mandarin before the current structure on the same spot in HK? I'm also curious re who owned and owns the chain. I thought it was Jardine Matheson, Swire's arch-rival, but I may be wrong. Your message makes me think Swire owned it in the past but subsequently sold it to Jardines. Am I right?

I'm a bit better with Pen's genealogy, as they have a "history of the company"-type video that loops on a channel in the rooms of some hotels. Oddly, I haven't found it at the Bangkok property.

Anyway, it would be lovely for a couple of Pen loyalists to meet up with some O loyalists. Neutral grounds, maybe, like the State Dome Tower? Our exact plans are still somewhat up in the air, so to speak, but at this point it looks like we'll be in Bangkok on Dec. 17-21, then again on Dec. 25-29, and back for one more night on Jan. 1st, with Beijing and Hong Kong in the intervals. Any guesses where we're staying? Looks like we'll overlap in Bangkok on Dec. 26th at least. If this year is like years past, we won't be the only GGG FlyerTalkers in Bangkok at that time of year.

ksu

It's all well to get tips about BKK and the respective merits of The Oriental and The Peninsula: I certainly will follow your tips when I go to BKK!

The OP wanted honeymoon tips for August '07. We married in April 2004 and went to a very straight resort for our honeymoon, The Jumby Bay on Antigua. My impression was that they weren't too used to gay couples, but we still felt very welcome, and enjoyed immensely there. But it's expensive (USD 800-1000/night) and the Caribbean is probably not the most failsafe place for a honeymoon in August: hurricanes might make the honeymoon memorable in a very wrong way.

I would suggest going to Europe for a memorable honeymoon. Climate should be OK for most of Europe during this period, and using FF miles for flights shouldn't be a problem. My suggestion would be the Amalfi coast, the most romantic part of Italy. It's a very popular region, and August is HIGH season, as the Italians themselves vacation there. But the region is quite upmarket, so you never have the feeling of a mass market tourist machine.

We came back last week from Casa Angelina in Praiano, after a GREAT week in a resort. For more detailed information check the reviews on www.tripadvisor.com. This is a brand new (opened in June'05) hotel, just 40 rooms in Praiano (or more correctly: Vettica Maggiore) between Amalfi and Positano. It's very designed (all white) but still manages to be friendly and cosy. We stayed a week. We didn't notice any other gay couples, but this being Italy, it was no problem coming as a gay couple. The resort was very quiet (it is in a secluded part of the village), the views are great. Very nice public areas: nice lounges and spa. The outdoor pool and sundeck could be bigger, but we spent most of our time on our balcony in any case. The hotel restaurant is marvellous: a bit pricey and the selection could be bigger. But our two dinners there were marvellous!

The hotel was converted from an old two star, so the standard rooms could be a bit bigger, but they were very comfortable. Great beds (important for honeymoons! ) and bathroom. It is a steep walk down to the beach, though, and 100 steps up to the village. Some good restaurants close to the hotel in the village: important for lunch as the hotel restaurant only serves dinner. The hotel bar serves lunch, but that was somewhat overpriced. Free shuttle into Positano (famous and expensive place, go there once or twice, but Amalfi is much more interesting!). The hotel is good at arranging excursions. As it is so small it is really personal service, without obtrusiveness!

For the Amalfi coast it even isn't that expensive. We had a one week package: a standard seaview double room with a large balcony was 250 Euros/night, including all taxes and breakfast buffet for two (a good one). The package included a welcome dinner (five courses) in the restaurant and fruit and sparkling wine (officially spumante, actually REAL champagne) on arrival. There might be other packages available, including more meals or transfers. A private Mercedes for two to/from Naples airport/railway station was 110 Euros, all inclusive: a 90 minutes drive. If you go there, send them a request, tell them why you are going and see whether they can offer a honeymoon package. We would certainly be satisfied with having had our honeymoon there! If cost were less of an objective, the most famous hotel on the Amalfi Coast is two miles away: the San Pietro di Positano. The two hotels are actually rather similarly situated. I've never been inside, but it should be great. It's twice the price, though, and I don't think it's twice the experience.

I would combine the Amalfi coast with either Rome or Naples (using Hilton or *wood points). They'll be HOT in August but good for a stopover and some sightseeing. Even Milano is doable, but it's a long train trip down to Naples. If you prebook trains on the Trenitalia website, first class is often the same price as second: we paid 30 Euros each in first class Milan-Salerno.

Socaflyer

Thanks very much MegatopLover, although I should probably have clarified that we are a pair of gay females. I assume though that if an area is friendly to gayboys, it will be friendly to us as well.

All the suggestions that everyone has made so far are great -- I really appreciate the information.

MegatopLover

Ackshully... Thailand will certainly be equally welcoming to gay females as gay males. Thailand's culture very much adheres to a live-and-let-live attitude about things, including sexual orientation, and gay girls will sense that as much as boys would. Plus, I've seen no shortage of gay girls hanging around the Pen (mentioned in my posts above that did veer slightly OT) and various tourist spots around Bangkok and environs. With that said (written), my comment about having plenty of things for gayboys to do was somewhat gender-specific. I believe Bangkok has a number of girl bars/clubs and such, though I have no pesonal experience with them. In my post, I was thinking of the great many gay venues that are geared toward boys, including the swarms of partrons from all around Asia and much of the rest of the world that come to Bangkok for clean and not-so-clean entertainment. Some of those you may hold some interest for you. Others maybe not so much. (I trying to avoid being presumptuous.)

I don't mean to withdraw my recommendation of Thailand in the slightest. It holds up regardless of gender. But I did want to clarify that one comment, lest I lead you astray in an area of limited personal experience for me.

peteropny

We had lunch at the San Pietro a few years ago on an excursion from our cruise. It was great!!! Location right on the sea with amazing views. We haven't decided if we like San Pietro better or the Hotel Splendido in Portofino better. Similar but a bit different in that San Pietro is on the Med with very expansive views while Splendido is a bit up the hillside with a view pretty much limited to the bay at Portofino.