Our 7 tips for traveling as a gay couple to countries that don't always accept...

The law tells you what is allowed. She almost never tells you how people experience things on a daily basis.

A country can be perfectly legal on paper and still remain socially closed. The opposite also exists. What really matters is the atmosphere on the ground, in the street, in people's eyes, and no penal code tells you that. Learn about culture as well as the law. It is she who decides your real experience.

It’s the reflex we think about the least, and often the most useful. Before certain countries, we switched our personal Instagram accounts to private. If you share a lot online, ask yourself what people can see, where they can find you, and if geotagging each post is really necessary. We even blocked access to our site from a few countries where LGBTQ+ content could have created unnecessary complications. Your online visibility is a setting, not a value.

No photo, no Reel, no story is worth putting yourself in an uncomfortable situation. The best moments of a trip are the ones you really experience, not the ones you film at all costs. When a location isn't suitable for it, we put the phone away, and we've never regretted an image we didn't take.

Friends, local LGBTQ+ communities, and other travelers almost always give better advice than tour guides. The local community knows in five minutes what an article won't tell you in an hour, what neighborhood, what hotel, what time of day. Look for these people before you leave. And if we have already visited the country that interests you, write to us, we always try to answer.

For us, that has sometimes meant an international chain hotel or a private villa, a place to completely relax without thinking about anything. International brands often have clearer policies and trained staff, which removes the unknown. And a double bed is never completely guaranteed, even if booked, so it's worth confirming the day before to avoid an awkward moment on arrival.

Being a little more discreet for a while is not hiding. And most importantly, not every uncomfortable moment has to do with being gay. Sometimes it’s modesty, religious, a norm that applies to everyone, straight couples included. Reading it as hostility when it isn't really spoils the experience for nothing. Respect the place where it is, and keep your relationship intact underneath.

If a situation doesn't seem right to you, you don't have to prove anything to anyone. You can leave, change plans, come back another day. Following your instincts isn't fear, it's intelligence, and he's almost never lied to you so far.