After Jeffrey Ward and his husband married in Canada, they left for a South Africa honeymoon that included Cape Town, a Kruger National Park safari, and Victoria Falls.
Ward loved it so much that he quit his job at American Airlines and eventually co-purchased African Safari Consultants, a specialty operator and parent company of Savvy Navigator, the division specializing in gay honeymoons.
It’s no wonder that tourism agencies are reaching out to the LGBT sector: honeymoons have become a $12 billion industry in America. The historic Supreme Court overturning of DOMA in June 2013 coincided with simultaneous gay marriage victories in France, the United Kingdom, and Brazil, creating a boomlet of honeymoon spending among this pink dual-income, no-kids demographic.
“It seems that with each legal milestone gay and lesbian couples achieve, the marketing accelerates,” says Ed Salvato, editor in chief of ManAboutWorld, the No. 1-ranked gay travel iPad magazine in the App Store. “Readers may be surprised that corporations that may be considered ‘conservative,’ like Marriott, wholeheartedly market to this segment often in the context of honeymoons,” he continues.
There’s also been a sea change in where gays travel; gay-owned hotels and traditional gay destinations are no longer the primary draw. Places like Wales, Uruguay, and Bora-Bora are all beautiful and rarefied and now also offer gay marriage and anti-discrimination laws that can put same-sex couples at ease. After all, LGBT honeymooners want to be able to hold hands or exchange a kiss on the beach like everyone else.
Read on for today’s best gay honeymoon spots, in a range of budgets.
–Adam H. Graham
More from Travel + Leisure:
America’s Favorite Towns
America’s Best Cities for Gay Travel
World’s Most Romantic Islands
America’s Most Beautiful Coastal Views
Best Secret Beaches on Earth
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French Polynesia
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This honeymoon favorite delivers, regardless of sexuality, thanks to a winning formula of soft white-sand beaches, vanilla plantations, coconut groves, gin-clear waters, and some of the world’s sexiest hotels. At a href=”http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/bora-bora/hotels/le-meridien-bora-bora” target=”_hplink”Le Méridien Bora Bora/a, overwater bungalows feature glass floors to reveal the marine life below while windows face Pahia and Otemanu, the island’s iconic emerald-hued volcanoes. Since its motherland France passed marriage equality in June 2013, French Polynesia has granted LGBT travelers full protection status; same-sex marriage is recognized and performed here.
brbremPhoto: Courtesy of Le Meridien/em
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Greece
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Ancient Greece’s gay literature, art, and theater are crucial to the history of homosexuality, and the destination remains wildly popular with LGBT travelers (even though gay marriage is prohibited here). Situated atop a hill near Porto Heli on the Peloponnese coast three hours from Athens, the serene modernist a href=”http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/greece/hotels/amanzoe-greece” target=”_hplink”Amanzoe/a feels like a temple to Mediterranean tranquility. Vineyards, olive groves, pine forests, and ancient sites like the Temple of Hera and Avgo’s St. Dimitrios Monastery surround the resort. It’s also become a favorite of architects, artists, and design-minded travelers who come to shut out the exterior world.
brbremPhoto: Courtesy of Aman Resorts/em
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Buenos Aires
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Argentina approved same-sex marriage in 2010 and remains one of the most affordable destinations in the Americas, known for its art, cuisine, and bold Malbec wines from the Mendoza region. Start in the sultry capital of Buenos Aires, where the a href=”http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/buenos-aires/hotels/art-hotel” target=”_hplink”Art Hotel/a—a 1929 townhouse conveniently located between the barrios of Recoleta and Barrio Norte—doubles as a gallery space devoted to contemporary art. (Local works decorate each of the 36 rooms.) Ornate ironwork and canopy beds add an old-world romantic flair to the otherwise modern property.
brbremPhoto: Courtesy of Art Hotel/em
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Australia
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Contributions to LGBT films like emPriscilla, Queen of the Desert/em and emMuriel’s Wedding/em and Sydney’s vibrant gay scene have made Australia a must among gay travelers. And the varied sun-scorched landscape of vineyards, outback desert, open-minded cities, and the Great Barrier Reef have an undeniable lure for honeymooners seeking an active, multitasking vacation. The a href=”http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/the-rocks/hotels/four-seasons-hotel-sydney-sydney” target=”_hplink”Four Seasons Sydney/a is one of the most affordable in the portfolio; it’s located in the vibrant Rocks District, walking distance from the Harbour Bridge and the iconic Sydney Opera House.
brbremPhoto: Anson Smart/em
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Santa Barbara, CA
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California helped make LGBT marriage legal on a federal level, and the state’s laid-back attitude, creative cuisine, and sunny climate make it an ideal honeymoon destination for all. Consider Santa Barbara, a wine lover’s paradise along the central coast and setting for a href=”http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/santa-barbara/hotels/el-encanto-orient-express-santa-barbara” target=”_hplink”El Encanto/a, an exquisitely renovated Orient-Express property atop the city’s Riviera Hill. Romantic Craftsman bungalows are fitted with fireplaces, fluffy beds, and private porches, while a full-service spa specializes in couples’ treatments like lemon-basil body scrubs. More active types can use electric bikes to explore Santa Barbara’s winery-packed Funk Zone, or arrange snorkeling in the nearby Channel Islands.
brbremPhoto: Courtesy of El Encanto/em
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Cape Town
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South Africa is the lone African country that has banned gay discrimination and recognizes same-sex marriage. By turns rugged and urbane, Cape Town offers fine dining, scenic drives, surfing, penguins, and proximity to gorgeous wine country. It’s also a sanctuary for LGBT travelers. Honeymooning guests of a href=”http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/cape-town/hotels/cape-grace-cape-town” target=”_hplink”Cape Grace/a are treated to daily gifts like bottles of Stellenbosch bubbly and handmade chocolates. The hotel’s online honeymoon registry allows friends and family to pay for the couple’s activities ahead of time. For guided tours with an extraordinary level of service, consider a href=”http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/kenya/activities/micato-safaris” target=”_hplink”Micato Safaris/a.
brbremPhoto: Courtesy of Cape Grace/em
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Switzerland
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The Swiss acceptance of all walks of life is a model for emerging gay-friendly countries (it’s the only nation where gay marriage was voted for by people, not approved by the government). The French-speaking Romandie lures honeymooners with more than 40 13,000-feet-plus peaks, a thriving wine culture, its native dish of fondue—plus biking, swimming, skiing, and Alpine hikes to work off the calories. You’ll find the cozy wine bar/inn Le Bourg 7 amid the cobblestoned streets of the Lavaux wine region, where terraces dangle down steep hills into cerulean Lake Léman. ema href=”http://lebourg7.com” target=”_hplink”lebourg7.com/a/em
brbremPhoto: John Warburton-Lee Photography / Alamy /em
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