Top Travel Websites - part 1 (some are gay too)

Gay travel information websites – getting the low-down part 2

Following publishing my favourite gay travel websites, I have been inundated with requests to add more to this list. And it is true, that list was surely only Part 1. So on Part 2, we expand our selection slightly.

Some of them gay, some of them just helpful if you are an independent traveler. So enjoy the list and let me know any others I should be visiting when planning.

Budget Travel

Some excellent advice and resources for the budget traveler. It covers a wide range of Destinations, as well as providing some guides on best travel and what to look forward too.

http://www.budgettravel.com/#!

Guiajando

This is for the Spanish, a great website with plenty of detail on destinations, each with their own pages. I know the editors and they are so passionate about providing quality content, that from this service they have achieved funding for Itinerium, which means if you can’t be bothered to do the planning yourself – one of their editors will do it for you.

http://www.guiajando.com/

PurpleRoofs

If you’re looking for gay travel, and help with all your accommodation needs, check out Purple Roofs selection of Bed&Breakfast, Inns, Hotels and even get your entire holiday booked with their referred Travel Agents and Tour operators.

http://purpleroofs.com/gay-travel-events.html

Shermans Gay Travel Blog
It’s all thing travel, but its great to see some articles featuring gay travel. It’s all pretty generalistic, but handy to get some ideas for your trups.
http://blog.shermanstravel.com/gay-travel

New Gay Travel Guide

Dedicated news service for gay travel, giving updates on where to go, where to be careful and loads of advice too. Good for reference material.
http://www.newgaytravelguide.com/

Gay Travel Information Blog

This is more advice for gay travel and good as a resource for when deciding the destinations you are heading.

http://gaytravelinformation.com/

Dream Euro Trip

Full of personality and truly focused on Europe and delivering quality advice. So check out his destinations, get an idea of the cost and travel as frequently as you can across Europe.

http://www.dreameurotrip.com/

Agra - make it a small pit stop!

I felt at peace! Was this the Varanasi effect?

I arrived 2 hours early, I wait patiently at Varanasi train

station gently nodding in our of sleep while watching other passengers calmly letting time pass. Trains were delayed - I couldn't tell if it was by minutes or hours. I wasn't too bothered mine was still on time. 

Other than a platform change at the last minute I found my carriage. An upgrade from my last journey. A 4-berth cabin. The carriage was pretty empty. The steward arranged my sheets and pillows then demanded money - I was bewildered - money money!

 

I fell straight to sleep and only woke at 6am when another passenger boarded my berth. I rolled over and slept further, my alarm rang at 7am to prepare me for my arrival in Agra at 7.30am. 8.30 came and I began to get nervous - were we that delayed? My fellow passenger woke at 9.30am and explained the train had been delayed 2 hours when she boarded - and was delayed by a further hour. We exchanged chitchat (it’s amazing how you pick up this word in India) and she advised me for the next hour until we finally rolled into Agra Fort.

 

Touts were awaiting me - I knew this beforehand but this would be the start of my dislike for Agra. They knew how to spin tourists. They hassle beyond hassle, walking with you the entire way waiting for you to give in. 

I made a wrong decision - bartered and took a rickshaw driver with a bad personality. Hotel bound we then fixed a day rate deal - big mistake number two! It would have been cheaper for separate rides and more at my own pace! 

First stop - Taj Mahal. 750R entry, no cigarettes nor video cameras allowed! Screwed again on both counts. The sky was hazy, thick with pollution, so the backdrop was not a stunning Rio blue. The Taj is terrific and worth the visit.

Next stop - Agra Fort, this is very impressive and worth spending about 2 hours whiling around. Fantastic architecture, fine design and brilliant views of the Taj. 

Finally I wanted to walk Taj Ganj for sunset, so I found a rooftop terrace enjoyed a Lassie ( a local milkshake type drink) whilst I chatted to a German traveller, then I moved to another rooftop for nighttime photography and dinner while chatting to yet another German traveller.

My night was done and having ended my tour with my rickshaw driver earlier, I negotiated a deal that was half the rate to get to my hotel. Typical

That was my time in Agra done!