How to Plan a Gay-Friendly Trip to Sydney

Sydney's wonderful weather, vibrant gay community and breathtaking scenery provide for a near idyllic vacation you'll long to embark upon again and again.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Airline Tickets

1. Plan your trip to Sydney well in advance. Make a list of the kinds of transportation, accommodations and activities you desire or need.

2. Conduct some research about Sydney via books or the Internet. Look for the abundant hot travel deals offered on Web auction/travel sites.

3. Create a budget in advance even though Australia offers a fabulous exchange rate and a vast array of accommodations - from cheap to chic.

4. Schedule your trip during the northern hemisphere's winter - it's Sydney's summer. Plan to head Down Under in late February to early March for Sydney's extravagant Gay Mardi Gras.

5. Satiate your appetite for cafés, clubbing and cruising on Oxford Street or King Street in Newtown.

6. Consult a gay travel agent and confirm your reservations prior to departure.

7. Grab a copy of the gay "Sydney Star Observer" at cafés or bookshops to keep abreast of the latest goings-on.

8. Absorb the breathtaking natural beauty of Sydney Harbor and the architectural genius of the Sydney Opera House. Catch some rays (and maybe a date) between Bondi and Tamarama beaches or go au naturel on Lady Jane or Obelisk beaches.

Tips & Warnings

• Some Web sites and books offer information for travelers with HIV or AIDS (necessary vaccines, foods to eat and not to eat, where it's safe to drink the water and so on).
• Sydney serves as the ideal starting point for any vacation to the Pacific or Southeast Asia.
• Carry your passport, extra cash, traveler's checks and several credit cards with you at all times.
• Not all locals are friendly. Sydney, like any major city, can be dangerous. A series of gay-bashing incidents during the last few years resulted in several deaths (more frequently during Sydney's summer months).
• Sydney is safe by day - but beware at night.