Alaskabear

Those that you mentioned and I think a place called Las Vegas on Infanta a couple of blocks from Humbolt. I was there when humbolt closed down. It was a huge loss and a good source of income for the workers there. There is a cafe at Calle 25 and Infanta who's name escapes me now. But boys hang out there on a regular basis looking for clients. Sit outside and watch for them.

Totally agree. I spent a month in Havana last November. There are tons of attractive guys to be chased after. It's a large Caribbean island with lots and lots of beautiful men looking for something to do. Social media "scouting" before you arrive (scruff, hornet, planetromeo), trips to Micayito beach, the Malecon, La Rampa, Parque Central, and the new gay clubs will get you what you want. It might not be the all you can eat seafood buffet of Rio, but it's worthwhile.

There are a couple of guys on Planet Romeo who advertise as escorts. But honestly most of the population doesn't have access to the internet like we do. So its hit and miss for sure. I do recommend heading to the places you listed as well as heading to Mi Cayito Beach. There are lots of boys walking the beach there. Some look to be higher level escorts, others more street trade. Its still a good time. I never experienced what cruising was like before the age of the internet and several people say Cuba reminds them of the good ole days. It certainly is a lot of fun. I do know that Planet Romeo was the most used social network last year when I was there. though I imagine with wifi spreading out to more areas other apps might be getting some use.

Still more great information! Thank you! I've been reading the sticky posts on the Rio saunas to get some detailed info on how the saunas work. For those of you who have been recently, do they still have sex shows? I got a kick out of the campy shows in Thailand and I'm curious if they are still being put on in Rio.

I'm thinking of flying far north to Recife and making my way down the coast. My goal is to hit Salvadore for carnival! I'm told it's pretty wild there. I'd also like to check out as many gay beaches as possible. I really love the thrill of cruising on the beach. Are there any great Facebook pages I should join? Any local gay travel websites I should be looking at?

Great information guys. I plan on spending the better part of two months in the country if I do choose Brazil, which I'm leaning towards. In fact I would like to spend a month just in Rio to get a really nice "lived in" feel. SP, Salvadore, a day or two in PA and a side trip to Iguazu is sort of on my horizon.

Hi guys! So I've been planning on a trip to Brazil for quite some time and FINALLY this spring I have a 2 month window! But after checking out flight prices, I'm having second thoughts. Its looking like $1300ish for a round trip to Brazil this January with a return in March. Which is high! In fact when I was doing some research into flights all over planet earth, Brazil was consistently the most expensive. I found a one way to Lisbon from the states for $323 for comparison. We all know that no place is quite like Brazil ( I have yet to visit myself but I trust your opinions) and in terms of adult fun, I realize few places will compare with Rio and other cities down there. But a cheap flight to Portugal followed by overland through Spain and a month in Morocco sounds incredible as well. Taken on a whole, is the premium for the flight to Brazil not that bad when factoring in exchange rates, airbnb costs, food costs, escort costs, etc when compared to a month in Spain and Portugal and a month in (cheapish) morocco? If any of you fellow travelers have any thoughts about this I would love to hear from you. cheers!

I'm curious as well. From what I've gathered reading topics on the DR, it seems that the scene is less robust than what Santo Domingo has to offer. Nonetheless any info would be appreciated.

Thanks for your update! I would be curious what the going rate is for guys off of grindr vs the saunas. Let us know if you take any of them up on offer. .

It is a weird question I agree. Thanks for the info though!

Hi guys! Its looking likely I'll be heading down to Brazil this fall with my buddy. Does anyone have any info on the girl scene there? (odd question in this corner i know Any forums or websites that our straight brothers can check out?

Toms is still going strong. At least it was when I visited a few months back. The backroom was busy too. I've not been to the others on your list though.

I guess I worded my question really badly and now I come across as some ignoramus. lol I know that I can of course have success finding guys down there when I arrive. I just like to make contacts that go beyond purely sexual. I have a deep appreciation for the countries I choose to visit and I dont want to come across as some ignorant american (though to some degree we are all ignorant in some way or another). Its just that in my years of travels, I've made so many great connections with guys from all over the world-mostly non sexual-that have led to unforgettable experiences that I normally would not have experienced had I stuck with the usual tourist schedule. Its just that most of these contacts happened on the old school systems like planetromeo, manhunt, etc. Now we live in the mobile app world with less ability to seek out kindred spirits beforehand. This site has a pretty large knowledge of the sauna scene and I really appreciate the info I gather here. I was just wondering if anyone else used any applications that led to connections. Currently Ive had some success on Growlr as there is a search option. I don't speak Portuguese unfortunately but language has never been a huge barrier in other places Ive traveled. Also, no offense to Salvador when I labeled it a second tier city. That was wrong of me and actually Salvador is where I am the most interested in from a historical perspective. Also they say it has the best cuisine in the country. I can't wait!!! Thanks for the help guys.

Hi guys! I'm planning a trip to Brazil in a few months and I'm wondering if there are any places you guys use to chat up and make friends with garatos or other guys before your trips. Back when Manhunt and other web based meetup sights were popular you could search an area or city for profiles instead of relying on gps and whats in your immediate vicinity. I'm definitly going to hit up the saunas in SP, Rio, PA and possibly Salvador (or another second tier city. I have a month there) But it would be nice to make friends beforehand like I normally do for other trips abroad. Are there facebook groups? Does anyone want to PM some personal friend pages? haha I'm into lean and muscle activo guys. Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks and happy Carnival!

Colombia is incredible. As for the rent boy scene, I was there last 4 years ago and the only bit i saw was the odd profile on manhunt. Now with grindr and scruff I am sure you can find some boys. As for any official resource, I'm not sure. I found that Manizales had really hot guys living there for some reason. Perhaps it was just luck, but it, like Medellin seemed to have a lot of sexier guys walking around. And the actual geography around Manizales was amazing. I'm told that Cali has the best looking guys in the country with Medellin a close second. I've heard this from several Colombian guys throughout the country. It also has a pretty lame track record for safety too. But I am sure it is like most cities. You never really see the violence up close.

JAYBLK, Thank you so much for a great response. This will be my second trip there and I am getting the feeling that it feels a bit more aggressive online with guys. I will be curious what it will be like on La Rampa, etc. I totally agree with your assessment of the financial situation down there. Its simply a different reality than up here in the states. That being said, some guys you meet online are fiercely protective of their imagine not being that of a money boy. When I am in countries that are poor like Cuba, I feel it is always a good rule of thumb to provide for all of the days adventures with your guy even if it isn't a "money boy" situation. And in no way do I feel that I am "winning" by not paying for a guy ( not that you were insinuating that at all). And another thing I am finding that you are so correct on is the educated trade down there. I've been talking to several guys who are 3-4-5 years into university who are looking for some extra help. These guys generally speak decent english and like you said, a lot more interesting to talk with. All in all, I can sense that things are changing down there from my last trip. I'm noticing a lot more smart phones in pics and a general internet savvy that wasn't there before. I'm certainly hoping that the food situation has improved. Thanks for the heads up with safety. My ultimate biggest concern is having so much cash on hand for the month I will be there. Not having access to the banking system is a drag. Any tips with carrying large loads of cash? It would be really nice to open a short time safety deposit box in the cadeca. I will be staying at a casa with a doorman that requires ID entry so that will help a lot.

Hi guys! I will be heading down to Cuba again for the month of October. Half of the trip I will be solo and free to have some fun. I doubt I will be able to update while I am down there as internet is difficult, but I have already made some great contacts on planet romeo so far. A lot of the guys on there are just looking for fun instead of trade. Nonetheless I hope to give a full report sometime after the trip is over. Also as a bonus I will be in Mexico City for a few days on either end and I hope to have some fun there as well. If anyone has any tips I would be happy to have them. Cheers!

I can't comment on the gay scene there as I was only there for a few days and not alone to play. But Istanbul is an incredible city and the Hagia Sophia is certainly one of the best historic buildings I've been to. Enjoy the trip and give us the juicy details when you return!!

Luis is great! He was really informative,friendly and an all around great guy. I highly recommend him for first time arrivals in Cuba.

Thanks axiom! Organized tours are difficult to negotiate free time. :/. I use Cuba junky website to book casa particulars. These are people renting our rooms for a fee of $30usd/cuc. Some advertise as gay as well, Also, planet romeo is used in Cuba as the main source of contact. Or it was a few years ago. Guys can be found at humbolt 52, on the malecon near humbolt, and in the park in old town Havana near the hotels. Also, micayito beach is full of available men. I've heard very mixed stories regarding yunior as a tour guide. I suggest going to humbolt 52 and making contacts there for tours and whatnot. As an American, I flew to Mexico city and bought a cash ticket with interjet and flew to Cuba that way. Take lots of euros or Canadian dollars if you are from the states. I feel that getting in trouble with U.S. authorities is very minimal these days. I asked for no stamps on my passport when I arrived in Havana and they obliged. Axiom, Cuba really is an island full of amazing men isn't it? Gorgeous faces and bodies everywhere. Such a warm friendly place. It's in my heart for sure. Thank you for your great post.

I would like to add that you can find guys at Micayito beach as well. There is a bus in old city that will take you there. I think it's about 30minutes away. Very handsome boys in underwear and speedos advertising what they have. the quality of the guys is incredible. I think around 30cuc was the going rate.

I spent 5 weeks in Cuba and 3 of them in Havana last year. I flew to Mexico City, bought a cash ticket, converted my US bills (at my bank before I left) and was on my way! Cuba is a love/hate country. There is so much potential for it to be the premier destination for the region but policies in both Cuba and the US prevent that from happening. As for guys, woooof. I've been to all 7 continents and 34 countries and no place has quite a supply of amazing looking guys as Cuba does. But, I am partial to that look. There are a few gay bars popping up in Havana now and the street scene is really active in a few locations. You do need to exercise caution though. Twice I was walking back from the bar at night and my date was stopped by security or the police and asked to see ID. Also, walking by the cruising areas I passed a glance at a couple of guys but I wasnt really interested. They followed me for a couple of blocks while I was walking home for the night and begging for a night in bed with me, and a plain clothes policeman noticed and arrested them. Planetromeo is a great option, but be aware that internet service is very expensive if you don't have access to it at your job or university. It was about $5/5CUC per hour at the two government run internet cafes. In a country that averages $30 a month in wages, internet is truly a luxury. In old town there is parque central. It is near the Capitol Building. I noticed several working boys sitting around on the benches waiting for a conversation. Also, across the street in front of the Hotel Inglaterra there is a tourist bus that can take you to Micayito Beach. Its a gay beach with LOTS of activity. Be careful of the police though. Needless to say, I was impressed by the lack of swimwear and abundance of tighy whities used for swimming trunks. The boys know what they are doing for sure when they get wet Food is an issue and unfortunately Cuba ranks as the worst place I've ever been when it comes to options and quality. Accommodations are really interesting. http://www.cuba-junky.com/, a great website to find Casa Paticulars, was where I found most of my lodging. Casas averaged $25-$30 a night. Sometimes breakfast is included, sometimes not. Be aware you are staying in people's actual homes a lot of the time. There are options that are more private though. I much preferred to stay in Vedado instead of the slightly cheaper and dirtier Centro and the overpriced and too touristy Old Havana. Vedado is where most of the cruising and gay life happens. Near Calle 23 and the Malecon, there is a bar called Humbolt 52. It is the first and I think only fully gay bar in town. I love Havana for its grittiness, yet relative safety. The scene is very young, and feels of a different age. As an American, it is very nerve wracking to carry around thousands of dollars due to lack of access to our banking system. You wait in lines EVERYWHERE it seems and the bureaucracy is apparent everywhere. If you would like to have an amazing gay tour guide, I highly recommend Luis. http://www.gaycubatourguide.com/about-me/ He is a professional and not an escort by any means. Don't use him to find boys, but his services in getting acquainted with the city, finding a gay friendly casa, and general friendship are amazing. I miss Cuba. It certainly has made an impression on me in many ways. As a tourist, it can feel that you are a walking ATM sometimes. Poor countries have this affliction and Cuba is no exception. Touts are everywhere in Old Town. I spent about $50 a day staying in decent Casas, eating at the more pricey and tastier privately owned restaurants and buying a couple of drinks at the bar. Sometimes that bumped up to $80 depending on the date for the night. The country is changing in some ways very fast, and in others, painfully slow. Give it a try.