Newsletter 236 - Colombia Group Trip, Antarctica Gay Cruise + Milan Travel Guide & More

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Ten Days. Three Colombian Cities. A Lifetime of Memories!

Colombia is the world’s spiciest hotpot, guaranteed to make anyone break a sweat. Whether you’re a culture lover, adventure seeker, avid foodie, party queen, or some combination of these, the “Gateway to South America” has it all. Honu Adventures is offering the chance to visit three of its most vibrant cities—Bogotá, Cartagena and Medellín—from March 7 to 16, 2025. Under the guidance of knowledgeable experts from Out in Colombia, you’ll experience the heart of these unique cities through a range of exciting tours, savor delicious Colombian cuisine in authentic restaurants, relax on picture-perfect beaches, meet friendly locals, attend private parties, visit culturally rich museums, and—if you dare—lose yourself in South America’s wildest nightlife, including a trip to the infamous Theatron nightclub! Add a little Colombian spice to your 2025 with Hondu Adventures.

SPONSORED BY HONU ADVENTURES

Heavenly Beauty in Mallorcan Hotel in the Mountains

Step away from the tourist-packed holiday resorts and city hotels and retreat to a serene refuge within the Mallorcan mountains of the Sierra de Tramontana. We recently visited the Ratxo Retreat Hotel, a luxury property where natural beauty meets sumptuous modernity within a UNESCO Heritage Site surrounded by mountains and lush green landscapes. Choose between a range of gorgeous rooms and suites, where wood and stone merge to create that natural touch. Reconnect with yourself for a sunrise yoga session, cool off in the hotel’s infinity pool, relax in a spacious Jacuzzi then head to the wellness sanctuary for some TLC. Finally, feast on a fusion of flavors from around the world with traditional Majorcan cuisine in their Roots Restaurant. Plus, as the owners of a Travel Proud Certificate, you can be assured they know how to provide the full experience for LGBTQ+ folk in a haven far removed from the stresses of the world. If you’re interested in booking your clients at this property, get in touch with Biel Marti from Summun Hotel Group to help create an unforgettable experience: [email protected]

SPONSORED BY SUMMON HOTEL GROUP

This newsletter was written in collaboration with one or more travel brands or businesses. We may receive compensation when you click the links and make a purchase. Read our full advertising policy here.

Elevate Your Summer Style with Kenny Flowers

Whether you're teeing off on the golf course or lounging poolside, Kenny Flowers offers the quintessential tropical attire to make a statement this summer. Slip into their iconic, 19th-hole approved polos, and experience a slice of paradise wherever you go.

But their commitment to excellence doesn't stop at style – they’re all about quality too. Each garment is ethically made with meticulous attention to detail, ensuring unmatched comfort and durability that lasts from one vacation to the next.

This summer, indulge yourself and your loved ones with their latest vacation pieces, including their popular matching sets. Bonus: As a subscriber, enjoy an exclusive 10% off with code FLOWERS10.

Shop their newest releases and elevate your summer wardrobe today.

The Newsletter Platform for Growth. By Creators, for Creators.

We've been publishing our LGBTQ+ travel newsletter since 2014 and have used several email service providers (ESPs), including MailChimp, Pepo Campaigns, and most recently, Email Octopus, due to its low-cost model via Amazon’s Simple Email Service. However, recent price hikes made us reconsider. Though migrating ESPs wasn’t a priority, we discovered beehiiv, a promising platform from the founders of Morning Brew. While beehiiv costs about 20% more than Email Octopus, its features, especially for monetization, more than justify the price. They offer ad placement services and opportunities to recommend other newsletters for extra revenue. Additionally, beehiiv has a referral program to help grow our subscriber base through existing readers. Though we’re early in the transition, the benefits are already clear. If you're searching for a powerful platform for newsletters, beehiiv is worth exploring, and you can try it with a 30-day free trial the save 20% for the first three months.

Being Good ‘Bad Tourists’ in Barcelona and Sitges

They say three is a crowd, but a group is a good time - so why not join our 7 Days in Spain gay group trip on May 14-20, 2025. Together we’ll spend four nights in Barcelona and three in the gay-friendly coastal town of Sitges. This will also be the fourth time we've hosted this exact trip so we've perfected the itinerary and have curated all the best places to visit, restaurants to eat at, gay bars to sip cocktails at and more. We’ll take a dynamic range of tours through the city center, Gaudi Houses, Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell. By night we’ll introduce you to the city’s lively LGBTQ+ nightlife through drag shows and the best gay bars. On the second half of the tour we’ll relax in the picturesque coastal town of Sitges, where gay expats blend with the locals as if they were one of the same. 

SPECIAL OFFER FOR SOLO TRAVELERS

The price of the trip is $2,095 per person. Solo travelers who book by October 31, 2024 can also get a private room for the same price, with no single supplement.

Swipe Right on Savings - Five Travel Cards in Our Wallet

If travel cards were like Tinder dates, you’d want to be a little selective before swiping right. The sheer mass of travel reward credit cards on offer can seem overwhelming and no one wants to end up lumped with a travel credit card that doesn’t fully optimize their traveling habits. Then there’s health insurance, priority passes, ATM cards that don’t charge you abroad…the list of potential cards to squeeze into your wallet goes on. We take a look at the top five pieces of plastic that we use to lubricate our travel experiences – financially speaking that is – and make for the most lucrative travel benefits when jet-setting across the world.

Gay Travel Guide to Milan

Milan is a city of pure, understated sophistication. Italy's second-largest city is especially famous for being one of the fashion capitals of the world, and indeed you can see that through the well-dressed populace and the superabundance of fashion shops lining its streets. However, Milan is also a classically beautiful Italian city, which is brimming with art, history, fine cuisine, and high culture in general. Although Rome may be bigger and draw more tourists, it’s Milan that stands out with Italy’s largest and most visible gay scene, leading to it becoming known as the “gay capital” of Italy.

Want to Reach a Million LGBT+ Travelers?

Do you work in tourism or run a travel business? Are you looking to grow your sales, get more bookings or reach the LGBT+ market? Let us help you promote your travel product or service to our engaged audience of LGBT+ travelers. Two Bad Tourists was founded 2012 and now reaches nearly a million LGBT+ travelers annually through our website, newsletter, podcast and social media. We even offer special rates for small businesses with campaigns starting at just $100 USD per month. Plus, we do all the heavy lifting and campaign content creation on your behalf. Contact us today to learn more about advertising through our network!