The favourite places of The Globetrotter Guys

Sion and Ben aka The Globetrotter Guys have been travelling full time for the last two years. They have created a travel blog covering everything gay travel and hope that they can provide you with some incredible travel inspiration. They talk to Mr Hudson about their passion for travel, and some of their favourite places.

Tell us about yourself

Hi! We are Sion and Ben, a married couple from the United Kingdom. We have been together for over 11 years, married for almost three years, and we set up our blog ‘The Globetrotter Guys’ when we left the UK to travel full time in January 2018.

What is your blog about?

‘The Globetrotter Guys’ is a gay-travel and lifestyle blog, with a strong focus on both luxury and adventure travel – as that is how we like to travel ourselves. But we also know how hard it can be to find accurate, first-hand information about what it’s like for LGBTQ travellers visiting specific destinations. So, when we travel somewhere with little or no information known beforehand, we try to connect with locals to learn about the destination from their perspective, share their experiences with our audience, and also produce our LGBTQ travel guides.

“We are still a long way off from being able to travel freely without having to think about our sexuality first”

Is there still a need for LGBTQ travel content?

Absolutely! It is so essential for so many reasons. It is entirely unfair, but there are so many countries where travelling as an LGBTQ+ person can be illegal and dangerous. It is important to have advice and content out there to highlight these issues as well as recommend those countries that do provide a safe space for LGBTQ travellers. We also think it’s important that we share the stories from people living in those less favourable countries and give them a voice. We are still a long way off from being able to travel freely without having to think about our sexuality first. We wrote an article recently ‘Gay Travel: The good, the bad and the Ugly’ which runs through this problem.

Photo: Peter Hershey

“Our latest trip was amazing, not just to visit these beautiful places around the Caribbean but also to spend a week surrounded by other LGBTQ travellers”

What is your perspective on Instagram and other popular social media platforms in relation to travel?

We are big fans of Instagram and are fully aware it has its pros and cons. For us, we like that it keeps us inspired to travel to new places that we see and keep things creative. We also like the fact that it allows us to share our travel advice with such a huge audience. There is, of course, the flipside where some social media becomes a warped sense of reality (like the photo everyone gets in Bali of those gates by a lake – only its not a lake, its a man holding a mirror under the camera lens etc.). Still, we try and stay away from all that!

Where did you go on your latest trip?

Our latest trip was on the Atlantis Caribbean Cruise in January, which is the worlds largest gay-cruise. We flew to Miami, embarked, and spent seven days sailing around the Caribbean visiting Haiti, Puerto Rico and Saint Maarten. It was amazing, not just to visit these beautiful places but also to spend a week surrounded by other LGBTQ travellers. It is not what you would think, and the entire trip combats people pre-conceptions of a ‘gay cruise’, so much so that we wrote an entire article sharing the truth of what a gay cruise is really about.

Which is your favourite city, and what makes it so special?

New York has to be our favourite city – so much so we have been three times now! We actually got engaged in New York on Sions 25th birthday six years ago, and so it holds a special place in our hearts for that reason. But also just because of how iconic it is – standing in the middle of Times Square, walking through Central Park… places that you are so familiar with from seeing on TV and in movies, that are exactly the same in real life! There is no other place like it.

NYC | Photo: Daniel Schwartz

“Our top three places to go to would be Madrid, Cape Town, and New York”

Tell us about a great little place you know

Somewhere very much off the beaten track that not many people know of are the Corn Islands – 2 tiny Caribbean islands off the Eastern Coast of Nicaragua. Both of these islands are the epitome of paradise – crystal clear waters, powdery white sand, palm trees, both small enough to cycle around. And as they are so little-known, you can almost guarantee that you will struggle to meet any other tourists! They are the ideal place for a genuine, authentic experience. One day we were the only people on the beach – it was idyllic!

What is the best hotel you’ve stayed at?

Tying into the previous question, we stayed at a stunning boutique property on Little Corn Island, called Yemaya Hideaway and Spa. We had a beachfront bungalow with direct beach access, a private plunge pool, and impeccable service. The food was gourmet dining from breakfast through to dinner, and obviously, the location of the hotel helped too!

Caixa Forum, Madrid | Photo: Bastiaan Ellen

Have you ever stolen anything from a hotel?

Haha…does the mini bottles of shampoo and conditioner count?? Oh and a lot of teabags!

Any recommendations for gay travellers?

Lots! Our top three places to go to would be Madrid, Cape Town, and as we have already mentioned, New York. We have so much more on our website.

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