Your roommates rustle through their rucksacks and make small talk. The lights go off. It vibrates. New Grindr messages. Speaking on behalf of single gay travellers out there, checking out the locals is part and parcel of riding tuk-tuk and playing with elephants. I grew up in Saudi Arabia, but spent high school and university in the bonny hills of Scotland. Sit back, log in, and digest this guide to using gay dating apps in Southeast Asia.
Asians get a lot of flack in Western gay dating culture. Yeah, this happens. Sometimes in the heat of the moment, your hookup will utter the terrifying three-letter sentence as he nears his climax. Love it or hate it, Grindr is synonymous with gay dating culture. If you want to find more locals, these are the best apps to use. Six packs everywhere! In cultures that place a lot of emphasis on physical appearance, the tip of the scale can be a deciding factor.
When in SE Asia, be careful. Opportunists use gay apps to hook up, then run off with phones and wallets in tow. Suss out the people you are talking to. Are they patient?
Can they hold a conversation? Would you introduce them to your mother? Meet for a coffee first and see how it goes. Muslim weddings in Kuala Lumpur. Secret street food in Saigon. Wine gardens in Cebu.
And you may make some lifelong friends in the process. In Vietnam, paternal culture rules. In The Philippines and Malaysia, religious expectations from society and parents keeps some guys firmly in the closet.
