Stefan Arestis and Sebastien Chaneac are a Greek/French couple from London. Together they have been travelling the world for over 10 years and showcase their adventures on their gay travel blog, Nomadic Boys.
Stefan was a lawyer and Sebastien worked in computer programming, but they now work full time on their blog and are known as @nomadicboys .
For years, Stefan and Sebastien talked about leaving it all behind and seeing the world together. They knew the journey ahead wouldn’t be easy, especially as a gay couple travelling around the world. As a way to reassure their family and friends, they set up Nomadic Boys; a blog that everyone could follow along on their journey.
Since then, Nomadic Boys has become one of the prime online resources for gay travel. Stefan and Sebastien publish content to inspire and help fellow gay travellers to plan fun and safe trips for themselves, sharing their own experiences (both good and bad!).
Detailing every tip and piece of advice for queer people to travel the world safely and make the most of anywhere they want to go, their travels are often informed by connecting with the local queer communities, giving their travel writing a unique perspective of the scene and life in that country alongside all the hidden gems and exciting experiences they’d recommend from their own adventures, from the best Pride celebrations around the world, to their top spots for great food and drink.
Covering destinations in Europe, South America, Asia, North + Central America, The Middle East + Africa and Oceania, this is the indispensable guide to queer travel.
How did this book come to life?
After 10 years of publishing gay travel content on our Nomadic Boys gay travel blog, The Guardian newspaper did a feature on us in early 2022: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/feb/07/how-we-met-i-wanted-to-discover-the-world-he-said-ill-go-with-you
Following this, we were contacted by Harper Collins and Pavilion publishers who suggested we publish our experience travelling as a gay couple. We loved this idea and after 2 years of hard work, we’re now celebrating the publication of our first book. And oh boy are we excited! Not only does the book contain our stories and practical tips for LGBTQ travellers, it’s SHINY: we can’t get enough of the rainbow hologram front cover.
How do you feel with the fact that The Nomadic Boys have become a world-wide sensation in the queer community?
We love it. The fact that we are able to inspire fellow LGBTQ travellers is a wonderful feeling. Nothing beats that!
Our goal is to inspire and show gay travellers that they can visit more places in the world than they thought possible by providing a first-hand account of our travel adventures, which will help them plan a fun and safe trip. So, to have people tell us they use our content to plan their trip, and always turn to our website when researching a new place to visit is super humbling!
Most importantly, we’ve come to realise that true power lies in supporting the local LGBTQ+ community and, whenever it is safe to do so, giving them the visibility they deserve. By empowering them to say, ‘Hi, I’m here!’ in the face of oppressive governments trying to suppress their existence, we spark essential conversations that need to be heard. Positive change begins when we openly engage in these discussions, fostering empathy and understanding.
We take pride in being a vital part of this discussion, standing alongside our LGBTQ+ family around the world.
How did you decide to start The Nomadic Boys?
In 2014, we left our lives and jobs in London for a big trip in Asia that we had spent years saving up for. It was only meant to last for around 1 year. We set up Nomadic Boys blog in WordPress as a way to share our stories and photos from our Asia trip with our family and friends. Around a year in, we started receiving new visitors to our site – people we’d never heard of. What was happening that our content was starting to rank on Google for specific gay travel related search terms, and other gay travellers were finding it.
So, at this point we realised that we could channel this traffic into income and changed the nature of our blog posts – targeting LGBTQ travellers rather than our friends/family.
Is it easy to leave everything behind and explore the world?
Back in 2014 it sure was! We had spent years planning and saving up for it and were so excited to leave. However, after a few years we began to crave a more permanent base to call ‘home’, which is how we ended up settling in Cyprus, where Stefan is originally from.
For us the most important thing was to have a backup plan which is why we saved up before setting off.
What is the easiest and most difficult part of travelling that much? Do you get home-sick?
The easiest part of travelling is the excitement from discovering a new place, meeting new people, and discovering a new culture. The most difficult part is having to tackle situations beyond our control, usually as a result of being a gay person. The most stark example is when visiting a country with anti-gay laws or with a conservative society where we’re required to go back in the closet and act like “mates” for our own safety.
Homesickness is also hard when travelling for large periods of time, particularly family and friends. However, we get around this by having members of our family and friends join us at different stages of our travels.
How do you finance your travels?
At the start we lived off our savings. As Nomadic Boys started to grow, we began to receive income from advertisers on the website, social media campaigns and commission from companies who collaborated with us. Today we are able to live comfortably off the income that the website and Nomadic Boys brand generates.
Where is home for you?
Since 2018, we have called Cyprus our home base in the world.
From all the travels you have done and the destinations you have been, what are the most memorable? And why?
Mongolia was one of the most memorable places we’ve visited. The lifestyle of the nomadic families that live in gers in the Mongolian steppe dates back to the days of Genghis Khan in the 1100/1200s. It also has a mix of incredible otherworldly landscapes.
Another more recent trip was Bhutan. It’s a country that has only recently opened up to the outside world. They have so many traditions that date back to the Medieval ages yet are so modern in other ways – it was like we were in the Wakanda of Asia.
Do you feel like influencers and role models in the gay community?
We certainly like to think so! We hope to convey a positive image for gay people everywhere. But what we would say is that all LGBTQ people who are in some way public about their experiences are role models. In a world where LGBTQ rights are lagging in so many ways, any visibility we have is vital. It forces important conversations to be had and in this way we make change happen.
What is the secret of your relationship and of your love?
Seby is always right – a happy Seby is a happy home (text written by Stefan).
In all seriousness, Nomadic Boys is like our baby. It’s more than a job where we are business partners. We feel like a mommy and daddy to our child that has made us a lot closer. As a result, we know each other a lot better. We have good trust and communication.
We also appreciate the need for healthy separation time as we spend almost every day together. The fact that Seby has to go to France often to visit his family, and Stefan to London to visit his, forces us to spend time apart every so often.
Is it easier for a Greek or for a French to be a Nomadic boy?
We meet a lot of French people on our travels. Greek people less so, Cypriots even less. When Stefan does hear a Greek voice abroad it’s a very exciting feeling and he will instantly chat away with them for hours on end.
What are your future plans?
We’re really excited that Thessaloniki is hosting EuroPride in June – and in a momentous year when Greece has legalised same sex marriage. We want to be a part of this epic event. Stefan considers Thessaloniki a second home having spent many summers there (and in Halkidiki) growing up visiting family.
‘Out in the World: The Gay Guide to Travelling with Pride’ by Stefan Arestis & Sebastien Chaneac (Pavilion Books) is out now.
YASS Magazine 