Word: Avey Cortes

It didn’t take much convincing to plan this trip. Having already committed to a jaunt to New York, a friend suggested that I may as well make the journey down to Miami considering I was already Stateside. So with a nod and knowing smile, the boys and I packed our speedos and our Miami Sound Machine CD and headed for the “Magic City”.

GETTING THERE

There aren’t any direct flights to Miami. Your best bet is flying via New York or Los Angeles. Flights will vary subject to availability and exact departure date but prices with Cathay Pacific start at HK$12,060. Peak season is Christmas & New Year and July/August with flights starting from HK$16,000 plus tax.

SLEEP

MIAMI BEACH INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS HOSTEL
236 9th Street, Miami
Website: www.hostelmiamibeach.com
Price: Dorm rooms start from US$25 per night.
Buzz: Free breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday, this boutique hostel sits but a mere block away from South Beach. Clean and convenient… just how we like our tricks!

WHITELAW – SOUTH BEACH GROUP
808 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach
Website: www.southbeachgroup.com/whitelaw-hotel-Miami.html
Price: Prices start from US$99.
Buzz: Complimentary happy hour every night, you know the Whitelaw hotel is targeting those who come here to party. There’s a “Shagalicious Crashpad” room with all the dramatic finishes that typify the name.

GANSEVOORT SOUTH
236 9th Street, Miami
Website: www.hostelmiamibeach.com
Price: Introductory rates start at US$295.
Buzz: Now THIS is what I call a Miami hotel… With its signature (adult only) rooftop pool, a spectacular 45,000 square foot gym, Louis – an achingly chic lounge bar/club, a million-dollar shark tank in the lobby, not to mention the ultra swank and spacious Andi Pepper designed rooms… this is what Miami dreams are made of. And of course where yours truly stayed no less!

EAT

With empty bellies and an eagerness to try, our hotel concierge recommended the following restaurants which turned out to exceed expectations:

(Prices quoted are in respect of a starter, main and a glass of wine and include the tip unless otherwise noted)

NEMO
Address: 100 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach
Website: www.mylesrestaurantgroup.com
Price: US$60
Buzz: There’s a lavish, chic and romantic terrace. The food and excellent service will blow you away. Try the Seared Tuna with crispy ginger rice ball and the Key Lime Pie is a must – a simple slice of South Beach heaven!

MEAT MARKET
Address: 915 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach
Website: www.meatmarketmiami.com
Price: US$60-70
Buzz: Sleek, inviting and elegant. Beautiful and well-heeled crowd of all ages. Try the filet mignon, I recommend either the bearnaise or wild mushroom and truffle sauces as an accompaniment.

FRONT PORCH CAFE
Address: 1418 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach
Website: www.penguinhotel.com
Price: US$20 for a full breakfast including juices and coffee
Buzz: Best breakfast in town! Unbeatable prices, killer location, mouth watering breakfast menu!

SEE

The best thing about South Beach is its sleek, streamlined, iridescent architecture that can easily be explored on foot. Miami art deco is as giddy as a 1920s flapper decked out in beads and baubles. Over 800 buildings from the 1930s and early ‘40s inhabit the city’s historic Deco District, between 5th Street to the south and Dade Boulevard up the north. Here you will also find the Versace mansion aka Amsterdam Palace, which has since been turned into the Casa Casuarina, a members-only country club/hotel.

If museums are more your cup of tea, then check out the World Erotic Art Museum (1205 Washington Ave, 12th Street) which houses a vast collection of sex toys, paintings and artefacts, spanning all periods (ancient Rome, Victorian, art deco) and ethnicities (from Chinese to African). Unsurprisingly enough, the penis collection is the highlight – a mind-boggling array of phalluses in all shapes, colours and sizes. Under-18s are not admitted.

If you want to really see Miami, then Balloon over Miami (www.balloonovermiami.com) offer breathtaking views of the Everglades, Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. For the the adventure of a lifetime and a “wild ride” as our pilot put it, head over to South West 115 Avenue and Quail Roost Drive.

NIGHTLIFE

The thing I was most looking forward to in Miami was painting the town red. And South Beach is home to a proliferation of bars:

SCORE
Address: 727 Lincoln Road, Miami, FL
Website: www.scorebar.net
Price: There’s a door cover starting from US$12 on nights with special events and weekends.
Buzz: This versatile bar/club is a favourite for tourists and locals to drink, dance, chat and cruise. Expect to see gay ‘celebs’ like Marc Jacobs and Reichen Lehmkuhl mingling amongst a host of shirtless hotties.

TWIST
Address: 1057 Washington Ave, Miami Beach
Website: www.twistsobe.com
Price: We visited Twist on a Thursday and bought two for one drinks at around US$ 10 excluding tip.
Buzz: Effectively this infamous gay hot spot is seven bars in one.The “Bungalow bar” houses a plethora of erotic male dancers eager to give you a lap dance for US$20, and the “Main room” pumps out the latest chart and dance tunes.

HALO
Address: 1625 Michigan Avenue, Miami Beach
Website: www.haloloungemiami.com
Price: 4 vodka red bulls will cost you around US$40 including tip.
Buzz: Styled and preened staff, not topless but their perfectly sculpted hair ‘do’s and biceps bursting out of their t-shirts will keep you more than satisfied.

BOY BAR MIAMI
Address: 1220 Normandy Drive, Miami Beach
Website: www.nikkibeach.com/miami
Price: Nightly memberships can be purchased for US$10
Buzz: Located in Miami’s hottest new gay neighbourhood, Boy Bar prides itself by being the only 5am full liquor cruise bar and offers both a touch of class and a touch of sleaze.

STEAM & CRUISE

Other than Boy Bar, my friends and I found that most public places were free game for gay cruising. The Gay Beach at 12th Street and Ocean Drive is marked with rainbow flags so it’s pretty hard not to miss.

For those of you not satisfied by getting wet in the sea, Club Aqua Miami (2991 Coral Way, Miami Beach – 1-305-448-2214) is THE gay sauna on SoBe. A one time membership will cost you US$8, with cubical rentals going from US$20. There’re even monthly live shows to get you in the mood.

Miami certainly brings the heat to your vacation – in its food, beaches, nightlife, and men! It’s hard what to make of South Beach when you’re mostly intoxicated half of the time, but sun, sand, sea, sangrias and sex just about sums it up… and that was just the first day.