Traveling Boyfriends on seeing the world safely, dream destinations & sharing their stories
Davey and Omie give us the lowdown on their dream destinations, travel tips, and how they began sharing their adventures online.
Mark
There’s no experience like traveling the world. In the words of Oscar Wilde, it “improves the mind wonderfully, and does away with all one’s prejudices.” Although when it comes to journeying abroad in 2026 — especially as members of the LGBTQ+ community — it’s never as simple as packing your luggage, hopping on a plane, and discovering your dream destination.
That’s part of what inspired gay couple Davey and Omie to begin documenting their adventures on TikTok, Instagram, and their website as Traveling Boyfriends.
The two men, who split their time between Chicago, New York, and London, met on a dating app by chance while visiting Miami. Funnily enough, it was travel that brought them together; a photo of Omie at the Marina Bay Sands pool in Singapore caught Davey’s eye. Fast forward a few years of long distance dating, exploring more than 35 countries, and building a niche community online, and the rest is history.
@travelingboyfriends There’s nothing that could explain us meeting… Had Davey changed his flight, I would’ve never met him. Had I (Omie) never visited Miami, and I did not want to, I would’ve never met him. We didn’t have mutual friends. We didn’t live in the same country. It simply shouldn’t have happened, but are we glad it did. Our point is that if it could happen to us, it could happen to you. So whatever it is that you believe in – the universe? destiny? higher power? – stay positive and just continue to live your life. Love will find you when it’s time. #fyp #boyfriends #lovestory #gaytravelcouple #gaytravelers #traveltheworld ♬ sailor song remix by the chainsmokers and twinsick – The Chainsmokers
Their mission is simple: Help gay travelers explore the world safely. For them, the very act of leaving the country as LGBTQ+ people is political, and their content revolves around exploring both openly queer-friendly places and those you might not expect to be as accepting. Sometimes, that means limiting the PDA or compromising on accommodations, but they refuse to let their orientation stop them from crossing trips off their bucket list.
“It’s nuanced,” Omie, who’s Mexican-American and grew up in California, told Gay Cities. “You’ll get people who are like, ‘Good for you. Thank you for being visible and being out there,’ and people who absolutely drag us.”
His partner Davey, who’s Scottish, explained that the most gratifying part of their travels has been the perspective. “Being able to meet other queer people, businesses, and couples and remember that there’s a huge world out there despite all the geographic laws and politics … [seeing those people] who live their lives and are themselves, and meeting them is rewarding,” he said.
Gay Cities chatted with Davey and Omie about how Traveling Boyfriends got started, the community they’ve built online, and seeing the world safely.
What inspired you to begin sharing your travels online?
Omie: “Davey had to go to certain places for work, and in order for us to see each other, it meant that I was going to go to these places with him. I didn’t start traveling until I was 25, my parents really couldn’t afford any of that. So when he was like, ‘Let’s go to Dubai,’ I was like, ‘Are you kidding?’ It wasn’t until a day or two before that I was like, ‘Wait, it’s in the Middle East. We’re gay. What should I be crossing and checking?’ I was like, ‘This is a big thing.’ It’s something that you’re mortified about because you want to enjoy and see the world. But at the same time, as a gay man, just inherently, you’re already committing a crime. So it was really, really, really scary.
I think from those moments, we realized that gay travel for us had always looked like a certain way. It’s people going to Puerto Vallarta in their cute little underwear and circuit cruises, and that’s great. But I remember being at brunch and we’re like, ‘What if there’s a group of people who are just like us that want to see the world, that want to one day experience Petra or go to Sri Lanka or go to the Maldives? Where are they getting their info? How can they feel safe? How can they feel less anxious about going?’
It wasn’t until we got a message from someone [about visiting] Saudi Arabia. [They asked,] ‘Have you guys been? Because I’m really nervous to go, but I really want to support my partner.’ Honestly, that was the moment. This is why we’re here. Like, this is why we’re meant to create Traveling Boyfriends. After that message is when I really started to take it seriously.
Traveling Boyfriends started from a need to really want to make people feel like they’re not alone. If they want to go see the world, how do they do it safely? It makes us happy to know that people can see parts of their bucket list that they only dreamed of, because of an experience that we had and we can help them be safe.”
You’ve built a great community by sharing very essential tips and experiences. Have you been surprised by any comments or the reaction?
Davey: “We still have a lot of homophobes in our comments. It’s surprising how much hate still lives out there. Sometimes, you forget because we’ve created a small community of kind, open people so it can be shocking when you get a flurry of homophobic comments .. but I guess it comes with the territory. And it just means we’re doing something right, I guess.”
Omie: “Some of the most beautiful messages we’ve gotten are from mothers who are like, ‘I’m really nervous about my son going to Jordan with his partner. How can I help him feel safer?’ Or, ‘My trans daughter is really afraid to grow up in this world where she feels that she’s going to be confined to only certain places. I’m so happy we found you because we get to tell them that they can travel outside of X, Y, and Z.’ Davey and I have had really accepting parents from the beginning, but to see that in real time, from a different perspective, has been so heartwarming.
It’s those moments where we get those messages that really make us feel like this is, in fact, a community and there is a place for being able to create these [videos] that at least one mother, one child, one gay couple can look at feel safer or more at ease.”
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This TikTok couple perfectly summed up what it means to travel as queer people
The act of traveling as a queer person is inherently political.
How do you prepare for international travel during especially politically turbulent times for LGBTQ+ folks?
Davey: “Be flexible with your schedule because you never know what’s gonna happen. Yes, always do your research, but also be open to the possibility that you might have to pivot plans.”
Omie: “I think it’s getting a little bit harder. For us, research is the most important and then the small, little things that you genuinely don’t think about. For example, obviously, the twin beds. Sometimes, we’ll do that just to make sure that we’re extra safe. And people don’t think about this often, but even what you’re packing. As a gay couple, sometimes we’ve gotten away with putting certain things in our bags that we’re like, ‘Oh my goodness, we have a bottle of lube going through Dubai airport. Like, what were we thinking?’
Immigration story, again, something you don’t think about. If you go through immigration [in a country that’s not LGBTQ+-friendly], and there’s a conversation … we share the same address. Red flag. We’re like, ‘OK, what’s our story?’ We have to make sure we’re in sync.
It’s those things that we prepare for. We don’t post in real time, and tell our friends and family where we’re going to be. Sometimes, when we want to be extra sure, we’ll email the hotel and ask, ‘Are you guys OK with two men sharing a bed?’ And if there’s any hesitancy, then we go somewhere else.”
How do you navigate staying true to yourselves while maintaining your safety on these kinds of trips?
Davey: “I think just talking in advance of the trip, because you may have to make temporary adjustments to your way of being together, and making sure your partner feels safe and comfortable. Understanding that you might have to alter to respect local laws and culture, but reassuring each other that we’re ultimately the same gay couple before we arrived and that the love is there, and we try to show it in other ways than touch.”
Omie: “It truly comes down to how we feel once we get there. Personally, both Davey and I have always said governments do not always represent their people and the people don’t always represent their government.
We’ve gone to Bulgaria, which decriminalized same-sex relations in the 1960s. You could not pay me to go back. It was uncomfortable. We were stared at the entire time and on paper, you would say, ‘Well, they’re going to be welcoming.’ Now, you go to Marrakesh. We actually went a few weeks ago, and we will tell you this, their people do not represent their government. Moroccan people are so chill. I talked with a girl when we were doing a Haman scrub and she was like, ‘Oh my God, Lebanese men are so cute.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, girl, I’m part Lebanese.’ And she winked at me and started laughing.
It doesn’t take a genius to know that we’re gay. It’s quite clear, even if we’re not holding hands or if we’re not kissing down the street. So most people can infer that we are and it’s never been an issue. The first thing we do is just really feel the space. Like, do we need to not hold hands? Do we need to act even more straight? Do we need to be across the table from each other? Or can we sit closer? All of those things.”
What’s the best LGBTQ+ travel tip you’ve ever gotten or given?
@travelingboyfriends For us queer travelers, our trips are dictated by where we’re ’allowed’ to go and where we’re not. Some of us choose to go anyway, but that doesn’t lessen the realities and risks: For gay travelers, travel has always been inherently political. #gaytravelcouple #gaytiktok #lgbtcouple #traveltheworld ♬ original sound – Traveling Boyfriends 
Davey: “Always do research in advance so you know what the safe spaces are and what the local customs are. We always aim to find at least one firsthand experience from another queer couple, that helps ease our nerves. Also, going on the official governmentt page of said country helps.”
Omie: “Trust your gut — that’s something we’ve been told and something that we’ve also said. When we first heard it, we’re like, ‘Oh my God, it’s so dumb. Everyone says that.’ But when you are a queer traveler and you’re in certain spaces, you have to look inward and ask, ‘How comfortable am I feeling?’
It’s easy to dismiss because I think you’re feeling the high of being in a new place. You don’t really get attuned with how you’re feeling. But trusting our gut has gotten us out of really what could have been weird situations. Like going to a hotel and … maybe there’s too many eyes on us or the hotel doesn’t feel as safe. We will literally be like, ‘OK, bye. We’re not doing this.’ In some ways, it’s like better safe than sorry. I’d rather say, ‘Sorry I’m not checking in,’ and move to a hotel that will probably be a bit more expensive, but I know that I can feel a lot more safe.”
What’s your dream destination?
Omie: “My dream is Antarctica. It’s not known to be queer, specifically, but they do have their own little Pride, which is a bit of a fun fact I read a few months ago. I just think being in a place that’s so remote and different would be [amazing]. Davey would absolutely say anywhere where there’s sun and a beach. So the opposite. I want to jump in and polar plunge with the whales. Davey’s like, ‘I just want to be under the sun.'”
Davey: “I really want to go to Hawaii. I saw 50 First Dates, and the landscape looked amazing and like a real vibe, but it’s really far away so we just need to find the time to plan it out. But it looks like heaven and also a gay-friendly place.”
What’s the most underrated (but LGBTQ+-friendly) place you’ve both visited?
@travelingboyfriends We’re not kidding when we say we spent hours researching for a good safari camp that was ethical (more on that later) but also didn’t break the bank. And we found it! It’s no wonder this camp has 5 stars on Google. We spend three unforgettable days here, which would’ve cost us thousands at a luxury safari lodge. This camp only cost a few hundred per night, and that included all our meals, twice-daily game drives, and a private glamping-style tent under the stars. It’s hard to believe but we’re proof a safari doesn’t have to break you. Now, on the ethical part, many people don’t know this but many high-end safari lodges fence in wildlife or use feeding stations to guarantee sightings. That’s how they guarantee you’ll see the Big 5, which the idea of domesticating wildlife is crazy to us. The camp we stayed at in Greater Kruger lets nature be nature. The animals here are truly wild and roam freely—you’re a guest in their home. And best of all, we saw 4 out of the Big 5 without ever feeling like we were intruding!
The experience felt raw, real, and respectful—yet still incredibly comfortable. And as a gay couple, we were blown away by how welcoming and LGBTQ+ friendly it was. From the staff to the atmosphere, we felt totally at ease the entire time. We recommend this for our girlies, too!
Want the name of this hidden gem? Message us and we’ll DM it to you.
(We’re doing this for safety measures.) #southafrica #safari #gaytravelcouple #gaytravelers #fyp #traveltheworld ♬ sonido original – KiaraMarBalto
Davey: “South Africa. A lot of people think all of Africa has strict anti-LGBTQ+ laws, but South Africa is very gay. We visited for two weeks and loved how safe we felt as both queer travelers and a gay couple. We can’t wait to go back!”
Learn more about Traveling Boyfriends, their community and their travels here.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
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