Don't go searching for gay bars or gay clubs in Corfu Town, there are none. If you are looking for a gay Greek holiday, try Mykonos. But if you want a totally relaxing time on a beautiful island, Corfu is a great choice. There is one gay bar called Silk in the north of the island. However, the road up to it is a real challenge.
Romantic films and travel clips of verdant, pine dotted hills and turquoise pebbly bays have always inspired a desire to experience the charm and wonders of the Ionian Islands of Greece. Finally, our recent midsummer visit to Corfu allowed us to languish in all this precious jewel had to offer.
We arrived in Malta in early August when the weather was very hot. There are a host of good beaches, stunning rugged coastlines an island packed with summer tourists, cultural heritage, restaurants and bars. (See: http://www.malta.com/en) Most bars and beaches in Malta are gay friendly, but not gay. Malta has recently been ranked third in the 2015 Rainbow Index, making it one of most gay friendly countries in the world (http://www.ilga-europe.org/resources/rainbow-europe/2015).
Is it the warm, perfect weather, the spectacular views of Spinola Bay, or the comfort and excellence of Hotel Juliani's new luxury suites that make us instantly fall in love with Malta? Our 10 day booking at the boutique Hotel Juliani, located right on Spinola Bay, between the entertainment hub of Paceville and scenic Sliema, took an unexpected twist when the owners asked us to change rooms and review their brand new, top of the range, luxury suites.It's all three of course, but the hotel's VIP suites are the stand out.
Close your eyes and visualise your ideal beach setting. Do you picture sapphire and turquoise water lapping onto white powdery shores, a green belt of coconut palms lining the edge of the beach and disappearing into a lush jungle background? Perhaps boats are bobbing in sequence to the slow, rhythmic pace of this island utopia. You may think this is just a fantasy but in Railay Bay this is reality. It is simply radiant.
Our eagerly anticipated ride on the elephants took us through remote jungle tracks to an isolated mountain village and then back along the shallow banks of the beautiful Ping River. The one and a half hour ride was exhilarating and the highlight of the day. The second part of the tour was river rafting on a bamboo raft for an hour on the tranquil river trail punctuated by some small rapids to add a touch of excitement. Along the river there were locals fishing and picnicking and semi-submerged w