Not only does Jenny Southan (photographed here at London’s Grand Hotel Bellevue) have spot-on foresight into what’s next in travel as the founder, CEO and editor of leading trend-forecasting agency and magazine Globetrender, but she’s lived it all too, navigating the world as a journalist for the likes of Conde Nast Traveller and Mr Porter.
Along with her wife – award-winning magazine writer and novelist Lotte Jeffs – and daughter she’s also a wellspring of information for queer travellers looking for safe spaces and untroubled trips; so in honour of Pride month we reached out to find out what’s next for LGBTQ+ travel and where the best Pride party is, as well as the next big thing in instant noodles and how not to do a hangover in Las Vegas…
Most memorable LGBTQ+ travel experience you’ve had
I recently joined the Belmond ‘Travel With Pride’ party aboard the Orient Express from Paris to Venice. It was a big queer takeover of the train and we had a riotous party with DJs and performers. It was the most fabulous experience.
Country you’ve felt safest in
Japan. I spent a year living in Tokyo teaching English at a local language school. After work, at 10pm I would go to a nearby internet cafe and work on my blog for three hours, walking home at 1am. I never had a problem. People were always incredibly respectful.
Best tip for LGBTQ+ travellers
Choosing countries where gay marriage is legal is a good starting point if you want to be ‘out’. Equaldex is a useful website.
The future of LGBTQ+ travel is…
Queer family travel. Those of us who have kids are still very much in the minority but in the future there will be more LGBTQ+ families out there exploring the world with their Gen Alpha and Beta little ones. I have a daughter with my wife and this summer we are planning a camper-van road trip around Scotland – I usually stay in fancy hotels but I think this will be a good bonding experience for us.
Best Pride celebration around the world
Stockholm. I was with a group of travel journalists and we went from party to party, all over the city. There was a big festival in the park with live music and lots of after-hours parties. It felt very joyful and inclusive.
Funnest LGBTQ+ area you’ve visited
West Hollywood in Los Angeles. The Abbey is a popular spot with a fun vibe and there are various other rainbow-clad bars within walking distance. It’s not quite a real-life version of The L Word but my wife tells me that lesbian wine bar Ruby Fruit in Silverlake is friendly and a great place to get chatting to other women (she visited recently).
An LGBTQ+ hotelier who inspires you
Charlotte Weatherall from the Corinthia London. It’s always refreshing to meet queer female professionals in my industry. It feels rare so it’s a nice surprise. We recently had dinner together in Dubai – we were there for work and talked for hours. She’s a mum too so we have a lot in common.
Favourite museum/gallery
I love the architecture of the Museum of the Future in Dubai and there is an amazing humanoid robot on display that responds to conversation with incredibly realistic facial expressions.
Book that shaped you
This Love the new debut novel by my wife Lotte Jeffs. It’s been described as a ‘queer One Day’.
Quote to live by
‘Go everywhere, do everything’, by Anthony Burrill.
Favourite musical artist
Romy (of the xx)
Your definitive LGBTQ+ icon
Kristen Stewart. I am looking forward to watching her film Love Lies Bleeding.
Favourite cocktail
A G&T with a slice of pink grapefruit.
Comfort food
Spicy instant noodles. I am so obsessed I am launching my own healthy instant noodle brand specifically for travellers.
Worst holiday hangover
Vegas. I’d lost my phone in a nightclub and crawled into a disco limo at 4am. When my friends and I woke up in the morning we were given IV drips by a nurse from Hangover Heaven. It took two hours and I nearly fainted when he put the needle in my arm. I wish I’d just gone for brunch and had a Bloody Mary.
Architecture that awes you
Mirror buildings in the desert. The Invisible House in Joshua Tree, California, can be rented on Airbnb and I have always wanted to stay there. I’m also obsessed with ultra-modern cabins, treehouses and lodges in the forest. The Maraya Concert Hall in the Saudi Arabian desert is the largest mirrored building on Earth.
Homewares you hunt while travelling
Hand-painted ceramics. One of my favourites is a vase I bought in Iran, which is decorated in birds and flowers.
Your design inspiration
Villa Palladio hotel in Jaipur – I haven’t been there yet but the photos look incredible. It’s the most extraordinary use of red I have ever seen. Also the blue-and-yellow YSL house in the Jardin Majorelle in Morocco. I am torn between homes in calm neutral tones, natural fabrics and wood; and intense colour that I find incredibly invigorating and uplifting.
Interiors account to follow
@8_kraw is a weirdly fascinating account about smart home technology in Asia.
Your airport look
Navy or black Sweaty Betty technical trousers that are super comfy and dry in seconds so you can go to a business meeting, wade through a stream or climb a mountain in them. Superga trainers, white Poetry T shirt, khaki jacket from Sunspel.
Essential accessory
Jones Road Miracle Balm.
Most regrettable holiday purchase
A huge shisha pipe from Cairo.
Most stylish city
London.
City you’d move to
Los Angeles but only for a couple of years. I am still seeking the perfect place to settle – a coastal city would be ideal – but can’t find anywhere that I love more than London.
Strangest hotel experience
During a US road trip my friend Garth and I had to spend a night in a dingy motel. It was freezing cold, we had nothing to eat except stale potato chips from the car as we were in the middle of nowhere, and the blankets on the bed were covered in dog hair. But when we woke up we saw we were looking out on Mono Lake, which is like something from another planet. We had been looking for it and so it was a wonderful surprise when the sun came up.
Best place you’ve ever swum
I did a polar plunge in Lapland – it wasn’t a ‘swim’ as such but it was an incredible experience to enter a lake down a ladder through a hole smashed in the ice. I had a vodka shot and sauna after, and once I had warmed up, did it again.
Best beach you’ve ever found
There was a vast beach we went to in February that is about a 30-minute drive from Lisbon and it was absolutely incredible. Miles and miles of sand and dunes and no one there.
It’s not a holiday without…
My wife and daughter.
With thanks to the Grand Hotel Bellevue, London.