Firstly, if you are reading this, we assume a huge congratulations is in order! We hope that you will have (or have had) an amazing wedding and will have an unforgettable gay honeymoon!
We always have to think twice before travelling as a gay couple. When spending your hard-earned money on an expensive vacation you want to feel comfortable, free and safe to be yourself.
Even more so on your gay honeymoon, just like any other couple this is going to be a hugely romantic experience and you are going to want to be naturally affectionate and loved up with each other.
The last thing you need to be doing it to be looking over your shoulder!
This is why we have thought very carefully about curating a shortlist of gay honeymoon destinations that are absolutely spectacular and safe for gay couples.
We want to share beautiful, a once in a lifetime destinations where you can openly be yourselves and enjoy the first few weeks of married life together.
We have personally been to each of the below places and are always happy to chat on Instagram if you have any questions (@theglobetrotterguys).
Our Top 5 Gay Honeymoon Destinations
Philippines
The beautiful El Nido.
The Philippines is nothing short of spectacular, in fact it is where we spent our own 3-week gay honeymoon and naturally has to sit at the top of our shortlist.
The Philippines are a collection of islands in South East Asia in the Philippine Sea, and the number keeps growing.
The current count by the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority is 7,641 islands in total!
Expect to find stunning beaches, perfect turquoise waters for scuba diving, lots of islands to explore, and a great mix of adventure and relaxation.
We spent three weeks in the Philippines – one week on the island of Cebu (Mactan Island), one week in Palawan (El Nido ‘winner of the most beautiful place on earth’) and one week in Boracay.
During our honeymoon we stayed as 4/5* hotels across all the islands, these were very reasonable at c$100-$200 per night. We felt welcome at every hotel and never once felt self-conscious as a gay couple.
To top it all off, the Philippines has been ranked as one of the most gay friendly places in Asia!
For more on the Philippines head over to our Complete Gay Travel Guide to the Philippines.
South Africa
Table Mountain.
If we were to go on our honeymoon again, South Africa would be our first choice without a doubt, in fact it is our all-time favourite destination.
In South Africa (specifically Cape Town and the Garden Route), you are guaranteed to be wowed by something every single day.
Expect the most stunning and diverse landscapes including Table Mountain, beautiful beaches, amazing wildlife on safari, hundred of penguins at boulders beach (near Cape Town) and for the brave great white sharks if you go cage diving!
For a gay honeymoon, if you are anything like us you will be looking for luxury – South Africa delivers some of the most luxurious hotels and restaurants we have ever experienced.
It’s also good to know that without exaggeration, for us coming from the UK, some of these luxury hotels were the same price as a basic UK Holiday Inn!
In terms of food and restaurants for a romantic evening during your gay honeymoon, again South Africa some of the best we have ever experienced – the fine dining options are out of this world and the wine (South Africa is well known for its wine) simply amazing.
Looking at South Africa from an LGBTQ lens, it was the 5th country in the world to legalise same ടex marriage and is miles ahead compared to many other developed countries – you can rest assured you are welcome.
We lived in South Africa for 3 months in total and have many blogs on every topic imaginable – for everything you could possibly ever need head over to our South Africa Archives.
Spain
South Africa may be our favourite place to travel to but Spain has our hearts.
We lived in Madrid for 8 months and during that time got to experience many places all over Spain. It is our go to destination.
Whether you are looking for vibrant and exciting cities like Madrid, a mix of city and beaches such as Barcelona or a complete luxury beach escape in the likes of Marbella, Spain has a lot to offer.
Not only is the country stunning, the culture feels so relaxed, open and inclusive. We have never once felt stared at or even noticed for being a gay couple – it’s so common and open, you can truly let your guard down and relax.
If you were to do a two-week honeymoon, we would suggest 3-4 days in Madrid before heading to Barcelona again for 3-4 days where you can see the city and experience the gay beach before heading further down the coast to quieter places like Marbella.
If you have time, Seville is another city that is stunning and statistically the sunniest place in Europe!
Head to our Top 10 Gay Destinations in Spain for more and our Spain Archives for loads of great content on Spain.
Greece
Greece is iconic and often conjures images of beautiful blue domed white washed buildings on the islands of Santorini and Ios and similarly iconic blue and white streets of Mykonos.
Starting with Mykonos, this is the gay hotspot of Greece without a doubt. It is trendy, expensive, luxurious and beautiful – very fitting for a gay honeymoon.
We spent a week here and fell in love with the island. The water is crystal clear, there are many gay beaches to relax at and some very stylish beach clubs to sit around the pool and enjoy cocktails.
In terms of food and restaurants, it has so much to offer. Some restaurants on the coast have the ocean lapping up right to the edge of the dining area – try and get a seat at one of these for a romantic sunset meal.
If you want to travel somewhere in Greece with less of a ‘scene’, then Ios, Paros, Naxos and Santorini are all beautiful Greek islands with pretty towns which are sure to make you feel romantic.
And finally, if you are looking for an exciting city with tonnes of history, art and culture, Athens has a lot to offer in that department.
Head over to see our Top 5 Gay Travel Destinations in Greece for more inspiration.
Little Corn Island – Nicaragua
If like us, you like to break from the norms and surprise people with your next destination then Little Corn Island Nicaragua might be for you.
For us, this is the definition of a hidden gem that to this day not too many people have heard about.
The best way to describe the Corn Islands would be to take Jamaica before tourism arrived – the Corn Islands are still pristine and when we were there, we had a whole perfect white sand beach to ourselves.
The Corn Islands comprise of Big Corn and Little Corn. Big Corn has a lot to offer (read more here), however for a honeymoon we would focus on Little Corn.
Little Corn can be reached by boat from Big Corn, it has no vehicles on the island and truly is a hidden paradise.
Simply walk into the sea, put your head under and you will be met by an array of spectacular marine life.
Specifically for your gay honeymoon there is only one place to stay, Yemaya Reefs (previously Yemaya Island Hideaway and Spa). This is a 5* luxury property, the food is out of this world, it has a professional spa on site and the rooms are incredible (make sure you get a plunge pool).
If you want a unique gay honeymoon away from the world, this is it.
For more on the Corn Islands, read our Guide to the Corn Islands, Nicaragua.
We hope that you have found this gay honeymoon shortlist inspiring and exciting! If you want to talk through any ideas take a look below to see Bens details.
We wish you a happy honeymoon!
