“Gay-friendly” is a phrase that’s bandied about a lot these days, and it can mean different things. It could simply mean that a place has laws to protect LGBTQ+ people from prejudice, and you won’t run into trouble holding your loved one’s hand or booking a double bed in a hotel. Or it could mean a welcoming local populace that doesn’t frown as you pass or ask awkward questions when booking that aforementioned bed. It could even go as far as meaning an openly active LGBTQ+ community and a thriving gay nightlife scene. It’s fair to say the term has become somewhat subjective.

Places like Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, Puerto Vallarta, Bangkok, and Sydney tick all of the above boxes, but there are some unexpected places in the world that also have most—if not all—of those criteria checked too. Here are five up-and-coming gay hotspots across the world that one could truly call “gay-friendly.”

Curaçao

The Caribbean is a veritable paradise aesthetically, though sadly not so much when it comes to inclusivity for the LGBTQ+ community. However, this paradisiacal island just off the coast of Venezuela is a definite exception. Curaçao is an autonomous country within the Netherlands, and this does wonders for it in terms of human rights. The Dutch population has very much brought its progressive attitudes to the island, as has the island’s multiculturalism—it’s home to around eighty different nationalities.

The LGBTQ+ community has a growing amount of visibility in its capital, resorts, and pristine Caribbean beaches, and they even have a Pride week in early October. While same-sex marriage is not recognized, anti-discrimination laws are in place, and the island never feels unsafe. What’s lacking is a big gay nightlife scene—yet. However, Willemstad, the island’s capital, does have a gay bar called Gaze, which hosts drag shows and karaoke nights—hopefully the first of many.

Montevideo – Uruguay

Uruguay has to be the most underrated country in South America, period. Really, it’s stunning, and the people are some of the least pretentious and friendliest folk you’ll meet in the world. The country legalized same-sex marriage all the way back in 2013 and has been progressive in LGBTQ+ rights, including adoption rights for same-sex couples and strong anti-discrimination laws.

Its capital city, Montevideo, is known as “the sleepy South American city” because life there is slow-paced and so laid-back it's practically horizontal, especially when compared to hectic Buenos Aires, just a short ferry trip away. This also means people couldn’t care less about the sexuality of either its populace or visitors. There may not be a specified gayborhood, but you might argue it's simply because the city doesn’t need one. That said, there are a handful of gay bars and clubs around the city, like Chains and Il Tempo, two saunas, and activities like queer tango classes.

Taipei City – Taiwan

Taiwan was the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage in 2019, which sets the stage for how progressive it is. Taipei is the country’s capital, and it’s fair to say it has a loud and proud gay community. The chaotically fun Ximen Red House District attests to this, sporting around twenty gay bars and three big gay clubs, each with its own eccentric personality, ranging from your more standard bustling gay bar like Abrazo to the carousel-shaped Belle’s, the pounding G-Star Club, and the kinkier Commander D. Saunas? They have four! Not to mention, Taipei City has a gay beach, Shalun Beach, just a short drive from the center.

They also know how to throw a good party in Taipei and have one of the biggest Pride parades in Asia, with over 200,000 people in attendance every October. The community blends tradition with modernity at their Dragon Boat Circuit Festival in June—a three-day circuit party running alongside the traditional Dragon Boat Festival.

Siem Reap – Cambodia

The second-largest city in Cambodia appeared on a lot of people’s radars thanks to the tomb-raiding exploits of one Lara Croft. Siem Reap is best known for being the launching point for those looking to explore the country’s many ancient temples, like the impressively big ruins of Angkor.

However, what isn’t so well known is that the city also has a rather healthy emerging gay scene. Although more discreet in comparison to some of the other places on this list, the resort town has a plethora of gay men’s resorts, three gay bars, and even a sauna—albeit one hidden within a resort. Siem Reap Pride is also great fun—a three-day event in May that includes unique events like pool parties at the resorts, a gay tuk-tuk race, and queer yoga classes. While Cambodia does not yet legally recognize same-sex marriage, the country’s social attitude toward LGBTQ+ individuals is becoming increasingly open, and Siem Reap most assuredly represents that.

Salzburg – Austria

Everyone knows that Vienna, the architecturally stunning capital city of Austria, is gay-friendly. Big-city Austrians are just as progressive as their German neighbors when it comes to attitudes on LGBTQ+ rights. But the unassuming city of Salzburg, just two and a half hours from the capital, is the true rising star of the country. Salzburg is most famous for being both the birthplace of Mozart and where The Sound of Music was filmed—which is pretty gay all by itself. The city has a fair bit of queer history, all learnable on a queer history tour organized by local Austrian guide Roman Forisch.

But it is the impassioned LGBTQIA+ community, spearheaded by HOSI (the Homosexual Salzburg Initiative), that makes Salzburg the increasingly gay-friendly location it is today. The organization runs innumerable events, like the HOSI Festival four times a year and, naturally, Salzburg Pride every September—in which the whole city comes alive to celebrate diversity, drawing in crowds from all over Europe. The nightlife in Salzburg is surprisingly active for a place with only 150,000 inhabitants, with the scene revolving around three principal gay bars: Mexx, the aforementioned HOSI, and Dark Eagle—the latter being a cruising bar. Every month, the queer night ‘Magic Garage’ holds an event showcasing some of the most innovative drag acts in Austria—if not Europe—well worth timing a trip around.

These are just five of the most up-and-coming gay-friendly destinations to add to your 2025 travel calendar, but do your own explorations off the beaten rainbow track, and you’re sure to find many more gay-friendly pots of gold, worthy of your pink pounds.