OLIVIA TRAVEL – THE NEXT BIG LESBIAN THING :: What’s hot right now? Lesbians. And where do lesbians like to travel? Everywhere.

You’re probably asking yourselves where the lesbians are every time you go on a trip. I know I do. I’m constantly researching the best night clubs (if any exist in the country I’m going to) and looking for lesbian groups to hang out with while I’m there. Most of the time I don’t find anything, unless I’m going to a big city or a really gay-friendly country.

This led me to wonder what it would be like to go on a trip where everyone was a lesbian, where everyone could be free to be themselves for the duration of the trip. Is there a company out there that exists solely for this purpose?

Enter Olivia Travel.

When I first found out about Olivia Travel, it blew my mind.

Olivia has taken over 200,000 lesbians on cruise, resort, luxury and adventure vacations all over the world. Did you read that correctly? 200,000 lesbians. Olivia also charters the entire ship or buys out the whole resort for an entire week and fills it with women. Can someone please sign me up?

I went on my first Olivia trip to the Caribbean in 2013 and it blew. my. mind. It was for Olivia’s 40th Anniversary celebration, the largest cruise to date, with 2,100 lesbians and over 20-plus entertainers, including Billie Jean King, Karen Williams, Marga Gomez, Gina Yashere, Michelle Balan and so many more, for eight days and seven nights. Even the excursions in our ports of call – Half Moon Cay, Bahamas; Willemstad, Curacao; and Oranjestad, Aruba – were all filled with women. It was as if the skies opened and lesbians came pouring out instead of rain.

It was a week-long slice of heaven.

RELATED :: Win A Trip For Two Aboard Olivia’s Caribbean Festival at Sea in February 2017!

Since 1973, Olivia has been serving the lesbian community, both as a groundbreaking independent women’s label and as the travel company for lesbians. Its staff works very hard to maintain a one-of-a-kind vacation environment where lesbians can be themselves anywhere in the world. “There is nothing more rewarding than relaxing and being able to feel free while on vacation knowing that this vacation was made just for me,” says longtime traveler and Olivia ambassador, Jana Leal.

There’s always something for everyone on an Olivia trip. Solos coordinators help facilitate friendships for those who are a little shy and single travelers can meet up at onboard mixers, dances and in-port excursions. For women of colour, Olivia also provides the Sisters at Sea (on cruises) and Sisters at Play (at resorts) programs to bring women together to mingle and participate in special activities.

For those looking to travel for less, Olivia’s Group Program allows groups of friends to travel together at a discounted price. Because Olivia wants every lesbian to experience an Olivia vacation, they offer monthly payment plans, so when you book your trip far enough in advance, the payments feel easier to manage. Olivia also partners with Air Canada, along with Delta Airlines and Alaska Airlines, to offer discounts on flights to and from specific Olivia trips.

This May, Olivia will be in Cancún, Mexico at the Club Med Resort, set between a large beach and a beautiful lagoon. This is an all-inclusive resort, which means your food, drinks, accommodations, sporting activities and entertainment are all included for eight days and seven nights!

In September, Olivia’s Pacific Coastal Cruise will be docking in the most LGBT-friendly cities on the Pacific Coast, including Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and San Diego, with 1,400 women. Wilson Philips will be headlining, and Chef Elizabeth Faulkner (of Top Chef Masters fame) will be heading up the culinary component.

You can also take advantage of that payment plan, and escape the cold Canadian winter, on Olivia’s Caribbean Festival at Sea in February 2017. It’s going to be the festival of all festivals, taking place under the warm Caribbean sun, with 2,100 lesbians on board Holland America’s ms Eurodam. You’ll also visit Half Moon Cay, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Key West – islands with clear, turquoise waters, snorkeling galore, and beaches that stretch for miles.

See ladies? There are options out there for you.

– Stephanie Papadakis

For more information, visit www.olivia.com.

– Advertorial –

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LGBT Travel :: West Hollywood. There’s nothing like stepping off a plane and into bright Los Angeles sunshine, even in summer, and especially when your summer weather is as dodgy as Canada’s has been. If this is your first time, expect to see all the landmark sights you see on television and in the movies, palm trees, the Hollywood sign, and of course, expensive cars driving down Santa Monica Blvd.

Within the greater LA area the place to see and be seen is West Hollywood. A city that prides itself on living forward, more than one-third of West Hollywood’s population identifies as LGBT.

Only 1.9 square miles and bordered on the north by the Hollywood Hills, and on the west by the city of Beverly Hills, West Hollywood (or WEHO for short) is one of the premiere places in North America to eat, shop and play. A hotbed of high-end fashion trends, two main districts – the West Hollywood Design District and Sunset Plaza – feature global fashion houses and boutiques.

The art doesn’t stop at fashion: WEHO houses world-class art galleries, it’s reputation as a foodie nirvana is completely justified, and of course, this is ground zero for LA’s infamous nightclub scene.

Click here for our S.Travel Approved WEHO accommodations, dining and spas.

S.Travel Tip: The best way to get around LA is to rent a car; valet parking abounds and unlike many cities, there’s parking everywhere. When in Los Angeles, S.Travel uses Enterprise Rent-a-Car.

More on West Hollywood here.

–  S.Travel Approved*

* S.Travel is our coveted publishing stamp of approval on LGBT travel destinations, accommodations, bars, restaurants, adventures and experiences. Look to S.Travel for the very best LGBT travel the world has to offer. Join us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest in LGBT travel ideas, tips and fun, and sign up to receive our free  S.Travel Newsletter.

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LGBT TRAVEL  :: Eveleigh Restaurant located on West Hollywood’s infamous Sunset Blvd., the Eveleigh (pronounced ever-ly) is a favourite restaurant of celebrities and the local general public. Turning four years old this November, the Eveleigh is ageing well in such a “here today, gone tomorrow” environment. Part of the key to Eveleigh’s success: an on-trend local, farm-to-table and market inspired menu with hand crafted, seasonal cocktails, market fresh herbs and fruits.

Named after an inner-city suburb in Sydney, Australia, the home of the award-winning Eveleigh Farmer’s and Artisan’s Markets features a spacious, true-LA outdoor patio, packed with decorative pieces from antique fairs across the US.

Eveleigh is where you go to share with friends – just one look at the menu, and you’ll want to try one of everything. Here, you can. S.Travel’s personal recommendations for sharing: French fries enhanced with truffled aioli, patatas bravas, black quinoa & baby radishes, and the lamb meatballs should get you started.

However, if you’re more like Joey Tribbiani of Friends and don’t share your food (we get it), try the buttermilk quail, tomato aioli, lamb’s quarters, morita chili, and grilled lemon.

More on Eveleigh Restaurant.

–  S.Travel Approved*

* S.Travel is our coveted publishing stamp of approval on LGBT travel destinations, accommodations, bars, restaurants, adventures and experiences. Look to S.Travel for the very best LGBT travel the world has to offer. Join us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest in LGBT travel ideas, tips and fun, and sign up to receive our free  S.Travel Newsletter.

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LGBT TRAVEL :: Tortilla Republic Restaurant in West Hollywood was named the Los Angeles area’s best place to drink by Forbes in 2012; S.Travel had to find out for ourselves if this was the case.

It is. Tortilla Republic is a warm, modern, inventive and comfortable Mexican grill and tequileria in West Hollywood that fills every craving for Mexican you could have – including gluten-free options – without going south of the border. Their margarita cocktail bar is filled with delicious concoctions like their Cucumber Lavender Margarita and goes well with ceviche, enchiladas or carnitas! And if you’re the tequila-loving individual who has woken up many mornings with vague recollection of the previous night’s festivities, you’ll love the bar’s extensive tequila list that includes blancos, anejos, reposados and reservas.

Extra kudos for the hospitality. The staff is very friendly – without being cheesy. Have a seat at the bar, on the patio or inside the stunning main dining room, where warm autumn colours make you feel like you’re sitting in a lavish forest.

More on Tortilla Republic.

–  S.Travel Approved*

* S.Travel is our coveted publishing stamp of approval on LGBT travel destinations, accommodations, bars, restaurants, adventures and experiences. Look to S.Travel for the very best LGBT travel the world has to offer. Join us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest in LGBT travel ideas, tips and fun, and sign up to receive our free  S.Travel Newsletter.

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LGBT TRAVEL WEST HOLLYWOOD :: Back when The Rolling Stones, The Who, and Led Zeppelin would host their legendary rock ‘n’ roll blowouts at Andaz West Hollywood, it was referred to as the Riot House –  your imagination can fill in reasons why.

Today we’d say it’s more… quiet riot. The LA rock star vibe still exists at this hot spot – nestled centre-of-everything between the Hollywood Hills and the infamous Sunset Strip – but Andaz West Hollywood is now more glam urban oasis meets sexy vintage art deco lounge, while still feeling modern. So modern, that a marriage equality PSA was shot at the boutique hotel, which also drew gAy-lister Matthew Breen, editor-in-chief of iconic queer magazine The Advocate, to marry his partner, Andreas, on the rooftop.

Perhaps the Andaz West Hollywood’s best angle, the rooftop is a one-of-a-kind space offering stunning views of the hills, whether sun-soaked by day, or glittering by night. Be sure to take a dip in the pool: it’s the highest in Los Angeles.

The minimalist rooms boast killer views, too, and extra points for inventiveness with the fun lettering on all the windows, thoughts to ponder as you watch LA wake up or wind down.

Complimentary amenities include wifi, a non-alcoholic mini-bar (this is LA after all), and morning coffee and wine down in the Andaz Lounge each afternoon.

Our favourite part: checking-in in a way that makes you never want to check out. After the valet takes your car, friendly staff get you settled in a chic lounge setting, bring you a glass of wine, and sit with you and their iPad to take care of business. No lines, no standing around after a long trip… and wine.

Then to the pool.

–  S.Travel Approved*

* S.Travel is our coveted publishing stamp of approval on LGBT travel destinations, accommodations, bars, restaurants, adventures and experiences. Look to S.Travel for the very best LGBT travel the world has to offer. Join us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest in LGBT travel ideas, tips and fun, and sign up to receive our free S.Travel Newsletter.

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STAR TREATMENT :: Only in Los Angeles can you be enjoying a lemon martini made from lemons from the tree you are sitting under as Lando Calrissian walks by en route to a massage. Welcome to the under-the-radar Gendarmerie Boutique and Spa, a West Hollywood must for tourists, locals, and celebrities like Billy Dee “Lando” Williams.

Feeling more like you’re at your best friend’s place (should your best friend live in a 1928 stucco cottage just off the gay strip), a courtyard in the rear is where you wait between delicious treatments. Kingly owner Toper Schroeder, a former music exec,  wouldn’t have it any other way. His insistence that you be treated like royal guests is done with intention that you leave Gendarmerie with the best of you brought forth, whether through one of the best deep tissue massages we’ve ever had, or a leading-edge facial. The spa also offers scrubs, trims, manicures and pedicures performed by mostly-male staff.

S.Travel Tip: Pick up a bottle of Gendarme while you’re there ($68). The fresh scent is a favourite of the celebrity set; LL Cool J is a partner and scent ambassador.

– More on Gendarmerie here.

–  S.Travel Approved*

* S.Travel  is our coveted publishing stamp of approval on LGBT travel destinations, accommodations, bars, restaurants, adventures and experiences. Look to S.Travel for the very best LGBT travel the world has to offer. Join us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest in LGBT travel ideas, tips and fun, and sign up to receive our free  S.Travel Newsletter. 

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