Stockholm has no gay enclave as such, but gay and gay-friendly establishments are scattered throughout this city, and rainbow flags fly high in most of Stockholm's central districts. But the greatest concentration of gay bars and clubs is to be found in two areas: the Sodermalm district and in Gamla Stan, Stockholm's Old Town, where the original medieval town lives on in the cobblestone streets and the stunning buildings. Sodermalm is where you'll find, for example, the gay club Side Track, as well as the SM/leather clubs LASH (for women) and SLM (for men) - if that's your taste... In the Old Town, Torget is a firm favorite among gay bars, with different themes each evening.

For dancing queens, a unique event is the Sunday tea party on the old steamship Patricia, from whose upper deck you can admire the lights of Stockholm while taking a rest from the dance-floor. Or try the intimate Connection club every Friday and Saturday, or the more male-dominated Lino club, just west of the Old Town, with four bars, three dance-floors and a big outdoor terrace.

This friendly, spotlessly-clean city starts with a massive advantage: its breathtakingly beautiful setting. Stockholm is built on 14 islands, set in a sparkling sea so unpolluted that you can even swim in it (and many people do!). And, if the sea is never far away, the same is true for nature in all its splendour and ever-changing variety. Whether you are exploring the Old Town or the stylish modern architecture of Stockholm's business district, beautifully-designed parks and gardens are a constant reminder of nature's responses to the changing seasons.

The hotel is a boutique property, so all the rooms have their own unique charm. What links them together is the founder's connection to Africa... the hotel's owner, Per Hellsten, lives in Africa part time and you can see that influence in the rooms and common areas.....

Due to Sweden's alcohol policies, bars in Stockholm must always include a restaurant– and unlike America or the U.K. (where bar food is a crappy fried afterthought), all the bar/restaurants I tried served great food.....

Chokladkoppen, a charming little coffee house in the middle of Gamla Stan (Sweden's old city), shares the plaza with the Nobel Museum (as in, the Nobel Prize and the inventor of dynamite, Alfred Nobel). They serve coffee drinks, sandwiches and the most incredible array of desserts...

Stockholm's City Hall is actually two must-sees in one: the tour of City Hall itself, and the "tower tour," which involves climbing 365 steps to a stunning view of Stockholm...