Tips for Gay and Lesbian Travelers

Hawaii is known for its acceptance of all groups. The number of gay- or lesbian-specific accommodations on the islands is limited, but most properties welcome gays and lesbians like any other travelers.

The Center, mailing address P.O. Box 22718, Honolulu, 96823, or 2424 S. Beretania St., between Isenberg and University, Honolulu (tel. 808/951-7000; fax 808/951-7001; www.thecenterhawaii.org), open Monday through Friday from 10am to 6pm and on Saturday from noon to 4pm, is a referral center for nearly every kind of gay-related service you can think of, including the latest happenings on Oahu. Check out their community newspaper, Outlook (published quarterly), for information on local issues in the gay community in the islands.

For information on Kauai's gay community and related events, contact the Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Audio Bulletin Board (tel. 808/823-6248).

For the Big Island, Oahu, Maui, and Kauai, check out the website for Out in Hawaii, www.outinhawaii.com, for vacation ideas and a calendar of events.

The International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA; tel. 800/448-8550 or 954/776-2626; www.iglta.org) is the trade association for the gay and lesbian travel industry, and offers an online directory of gay- and lesbian-friendly travel businesses and tour operators.

Many agencies offer tours and travel itineraries specifically for gay and lesbian travelers. Above and Beyond Tours (tel. 800/397-2681; www.abovebeyondtours.com) are gay Australia tour specialists. San Francisco-based Now, Voyager (tel. 800/255-6951; www.nowvoyager.com) offers worldwide trips and cruises, and Olivia (tel. 800/631-6277; www.olivia.com) offers lesbian cruises and resort vacations. Pacific Ocean Holidays (tel. 800/735-6600 or 808/944-4700; www.gayhawaiivacations.com) offers vacation packages that feature gay-owned and gay-friendly lodgings. Also on their website is A Guide for Gay Visitors & Kamaaina.

Gay.com Travel (tel. 800/929-2268 or 415/644-8044; www.gay.com/travel or www.outandabout.com), is an excellent online successor to the popular Out & About print magazine. It provides regularly updated information about gay-owned, gay-oriented, and gay-friendly lodging, dining, sightseeing, nightlife, and shopping establishments in every important destination worldwide. British travelers should click on the "Travel" link at www.uk.gay.com for advice and gay-friendly trip ideas.

The Canadian website GayTraveler (gaytraveler.ca) offers ideas and advice for gay travel all over the world.

The following travel guides are available at many bookstores, or you can order them from any online bookseller: Spartacus International Gay Guide, 35th Edition (Bruno Gmünder Verlag; www.spartacusworld.com/gayguide/) and Odysseus: The International Gay Travel Planner, 17th Edition (www.odyusa.com); and the Damron guides (www.damron.com), with separate annual books for gay men and lesbians.