{"id":86486,"date":"2025-10-09T00:42:59","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T13:42:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?p=86486"},"modified":"2025-10-13T20:30:25","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T09:30:25","slug":"gay-adventure-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/gay-adventure-travel\/","title":{"rendered":"Why I travel as a gay man to some of the world\u2019s most unlikely places"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Jay Parker has spent his life and career travelling to unexpected destinations. He explains why a country\u2019s view on LGBTQIA+ rights doesn\u2019t necessarily stop him from booking a ticket.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re choosing where to travel, how often do you consider why not <\/em>to visit? For some people \u2013 including people of colour, women, the differently abled and the LGBTQIA+ community \u2013 this is a key consideration. As an openly gay man, I\u2019ve often had to take this into account, especially with LGBTQIA+ rights varying all over the world.

Working at Intrepid<\/a> has in many ways given me a security blanket with which I can explore the world safely. I once asked our CEO, James Thornton, if Intrepid considers the culture and politics<\/a> of a place when designing trips and going into new destinations. You might assume I\u2019d prefer we don\u2019t<\/em> visit destinations where queer rights are lacking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"As
Jay Parker in Iraq \u2013 one of many unexpected places he’s visited<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

However, my perspective has always been more nuanced \u2013 even before I worked at Intrepid. I’m often asked why I visit countries such as Iraq<\/a> or Saudi Arabia<\/a> \u2013 both known for strict anti-gay laws \u2013 when boycotts can be seen as a valid form of protest. But I see travel as a mutual exchange. It\u2019s not just about what I can get out of visiting a place, but what that place can get from my visit, too.

Travel brings new possibilities and the chance to meet people face to face, to exchange lifestyles and share views. There\u2019s far more to be gained by visiting some of the places I\u2019ve been to \u2013 Mongolia<\/a>, Lebanon, Brunei and Bhutan<\/a> among them \u2013 than there is to be lost by staying away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"As<\/figure><\/div>
\"Jay<\/figure>
\"New<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Where it began<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

My queer identity and my travels are deeply linked. It all started with my \u2018ah ha\u2019 moment after falling for someone in New York<\/a> \u2013 the final stop on a ten-month round-the-world backpacking trip at 18. Being away from home gave me headspace, with fewer considerations for everyone who knew me up until that point. I spent days exploring the city with him, not having to \u2018mask\u2019 my behaviours, interests and mannerisms \u2013 feeling liberated amid the unfamiliar and the unknown.

This deepened when I moved from the UK to Cambodia<\/a> at 20 to start what would be the first job in my travel career, working for a small, Dutch tour operator. It also turned out to be opportunity for me to come out and start my new life living openly.

Not only was this a huge weight off my shoulders, but to feel treated as an equal in Cambodia by locals who came to know me \u2013 my colleagues at the office or staff at my regular bar and restaurant haunts \u2013 changed everything. It felt like it was more viewed as part of being a \u2018quirky\u2019 Westerner, rather than with animosity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more: Exploring the world through queer literature<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Jay
Jay hoped his interactions with locals in Mongolia shifted perspectives<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

No one\u2019s perfect<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re planning a trip from afar, it\u2019s sometimes difficult to know where to draw the line. Should you not travel to the United States<\/a>, for example, because Trump banned trans people from the military? Or not visit The Shard in London<\/a> because it\u2019s owned by Qatar?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How many travellers would vow to never see Saudi Arabia but wouldn\u2019t bat an eyelid at visiting Vietnam<\/a>, despite the latter having more journalists in prison, according to a recent Statista report<\/a>. Especially with LGBQTIA+ rights being so inconsistent between countries, which metric do you use? If it\u2019s same-sex marriage, then that\u2019s only 38 countries to choose from, according to Equaldex<\/a>, which is perhaps a limiting way to see the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n
Wild Mongolia<\/a><\/div>
15 days<\/span><\/div>
View trip<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Real Cambodia<\/a><\/div>
10 days<\/span><\/div>
View trip<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Premium Bhutan<\/a><\/div>
9 days<\/span><\/div>
View trip<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

I feel it\u2019s also important to leave room for understanding why people hold the views they do. We\u2019re all a product of our upbringing, culture, religion and politics. When I travel, I\u2019m a guest in someone\u2019s country, and disregarding this displays a lack of empathy \u2013 which mirrors the faltering foundations of homophobia.

During a trip to Mongolia in 2016, my partner and I shared a bed throughout the trip. Staff at the ger camp would enter the tent at night to stoke the fire and keep us warm. In those instances, when they saw two men sharing a bed, I hope they just saw two humans, rather than anyone to hold animosity towards. Even though Mongolia has mixed views on LGBQTIA+ rights, I hope in some small way \u2013 through our interactions with our driver, tour leader and local families we met \u2013 we challenged on-paper preconceptions with meaningful in-person interactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Visiting<\/figure><\/div>
\"Jay<\/figure>
\"Jay<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Approach things safely<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I try to travel as openly as possible, when it\u2019s safe to do so. However, often the laws and customs of a place mean you may not feel comfortable doing so. Some may see this as a compromise, but at home I don\u2019t often lead with my queer identity either \u2013 even though \u2018Hi I\u2019m Jay and I\u2019m gay\u2019 rhymes perfectly.

Either way, I still take simple precautions while travelling, using \u2018partner\u2019 and they\/them pronouns if he isn\u2019t with me, as well as turning my social media to private during a visa-application process. If I’m booking a property myself and feel cautious, I go with a larger hotel chain, as they often have more international accountability.

That said, my same-sex partner and I have shared a double bed in destinations including South Africa, Myanmar and Ukraine. But if we need to go with twin beds to feel safer, we\u2019ll go with that option.

Other places have surprised us: during check-in at a private riad in Marrakech<\/a>, our housekeeper asked if we\u2019d like one or multiple rooms made up. We briefly hesitated before asking for a double bed. The next day when she arrived to make breakfast, after coming in off the street, she removed her hijab \u2013 something she\u2019d been wearing inside the previous day. I\u2019ll always wonder if this unspoken familiarity was because we were gay men, a sign that she had shifted in some small way to understand our relationship and identities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more: How group travel helped me as a trans traveller<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Jay
Sometimes you can\u2019t fly under the radar as a gay traveller, says Jay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Taking small precautions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Of course, the one \u2018why not\u2019 I consider a deal-breaker is my personal safety. I make a call after researching local laws, when and how laws were previously enforced, accounts from queer locals and the possibility of assault or vigilantism.

As a solo traveller<\/a>, I know that simply existing as a gay man anywhere in the world does not in itself violate any law. Nearly all anti-gay laws are based on physical interaction.

However, when travelling together, sometimes you can\u2019t fly under the radar, even if you tried. Once my partner and I were walking around Istanbul<\/a>\u2019s Grand Bazaar, not holding hands, thinking we were presenting as two male friends. A male shopkeeper stood in his doorway: \u2018What a beautiful couple!\u2019 he said, bursting our bubble and uniting us all in a laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more: Explore these LGBTQIA+ travel hotspots<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"LGBTQIA+<\/figure><\/div>
\"Jay<\/figure>
\"Jay<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Head out and surprise yourself<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Yes, I\u2019m a gay man, but as a white, male, British passport holder with the disposable income to travel, great skin and amazing eyelashes, the world of travel is still laid at my privileged feet.

When I\u2019ve been able to travel openly, maybe the people I\u2019ve met have learnt something new about me, about tourists, about British people \u2013 or about gay men. Maybe you can use that tourist privilege you\u2019re afforded for good. After all, many queer locals would rather you visit their country than stay away, in order to help push things forward \u2013 even if it\u2019s on a nano scale.

Laws change because the population believes<\/em> they should \u2013 and how do you help inform someone\u2019s beliefs? By sharing experiences, meeting people, breaking bread and humanising their image of what a gay person is.

In spite of the presiding laws of a country, humans are greater than the sum of their laws, the media headlines or how a certain government represents them. After all, do you always feel represented by the laws of your country?

For me, travel is at its most rewarding when it challenges perspectives and makes you stop, think and reflect. So, maybe the next time you\u2019re choosing a destination, it’s time to challenge your own criteria, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expand your travel horizons with Intrepid<\/a>\u2019s small group tours and adventures.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jay Parker explains why a country\u2019s view on LGBTQIA+ rights doesn\u2019t necessarily stop him from booking a ticket.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16398,"featured_media":86489,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3105],"tags":[1268,3260,557],"class_list":["post-86486","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-good-ideas","tag-lgbtqi","tag-lgbtqia","tag-traveller-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhy I travel as a gay man to unlikely places | The Good Times by Intrepid<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Jay Parker explains why a country\u2019s view on LGBTQIA+ rights doesn\u2019t necessarily stop him from booking a ticket.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/gay-adventure-travel\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why I travel as a gay man to unlikely places\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Jay Parker explains why a country\u2019s view on LGBTQIA+ rights doesn\u2019t necessarily stop him from booking a ticket.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/gay-adventure-travel\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Good Times by Intrepid\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/intrepidtravel\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-08T13:42:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-13T09:30:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Antarctica-9-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jay Parker\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Why I travel as a gay man to unusual places\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Jay Parker explains why a country\u2019s view on LGBTQIA+ rights doesn\u2019t necessarily stop him from booking a ticket.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Antarctica-9-1.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Intrepid_Travel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Intrepid_Travel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jay Parker\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/gay-adventure-travel\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/gay-adventure-travel\/\",\"name\":\"Why I travel as a gay man to unlikely places | The Good Times by Intrepid\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/gay-adventure-travel\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/gay-adventure-travel\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Antarctica-9.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-08T13:42:59+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-13T09:30:25+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/6d0141863e58201ab8a263924f1a7810\"},\"description\":\"Jay Parker explains why a country\u2019s view on LGBTQIA+ rights doesn\u2019t necessarily stop him from booking a ticket.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/gay-adventure-travel\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/gay-adventure-travel\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/gay-adventure-travel\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Antarctica-9.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Antarctica-9.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1080,\"caption\":\"Jay Parker, who works at Intrepid, travels solo and with his partner to unlikely places.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/gay-adventure-travel\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Why I travel as a gay man to some of the world\u2019s most unlikely places\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/\",\"name\":\"The Good Times by Intrepid\",\"description\":\"adventure news\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/6d0141863e58201ab8a263924f1a7810\",\"name\":\"Jay Parker\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/cropped-Yellowknife-Canada-2-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/cropped-Yellowknife-Canada-2-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Jay Parker\"},\"description\":\"Originally from the UK, Jay Parker discovered his love for travel at 18 during a solo trip around the world. Since then, he has lived and worked in Cambodia, Australia and Canada, visited all seven continents and experienced everything from backpacking to private tours. His passion for overlooked destinations has led to passport stamps from Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Brunei, Bhutan and beyond. He currently works for Intrepid.\",\"sameAs\":[\"_jay_seb_\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jay-parker-5b4792124\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/author\/jay-parker\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why I travel as a gay man to unlikely places | The Good Times by Intrepid","description":"Jay Parker explains why a country\u2019s view on LGBTQIA+ rights doesn\u2019t necessarily stop him from booking a ticket.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/gay-adventure-travel\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why I travel as a gay man to unlikely places","og_description":"Jay Parker explains why a country\u2019s view on LGBTQIA+ rights doesn\u2019t necessarily stop him from booking a ticket.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/gay-adventure-travel\/","og_site_name":"The Good Times by Intrepid","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/intrepidtravel\/","article_published_time":"2025-10-08T13:42:59+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-10-13T09:30:25+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Antarctica-9-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Jay Parker","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Why I travel as a gay man to unusual places","twitter_description":"Jay Parker explains why a country\u2019s view on LGBTQIA+ rights doesn\u2019t necessarily stop him from booking a ticket.","twitter_image":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Antarctica-9-1.jpg","twitter_creator":"@Intrepid_Travel","twitter_site":"@Intrepid_Travel","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jay Parker","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/gay-adventure-travel\/","url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/gay-adventure-travel\/","name":"Why I travel as a gay man to unlikely places | The Good Times by Intrepid","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/gay-adventure-travel\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/gay-adventure-travel\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Antarctica-9.jpg","datePublished":"2025-10-08T13:42:59+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-13T09:30:25+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/6d0141863e58201ab8a263924f1a7810"},"description":"Jay Parker explains why a country\u2019s view on LGBTQIA+ rights doesn\u2019t necessarily stop him from booking a ticket.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/gay-adventure-travel\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/gay-adventure-travel\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/gay-adventure-travel\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Antarctica-9.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Antarctica-9.jpg","width":1920,"height":1080,"caption":"Jay Parker, who works at Intrepid, travels solo and with his partner to unlikely places."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/gay-adventure-travel\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Why I travel as a gay man to some of the world\u2019s most unlikely places"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/","name":"The Good Times by Intrepid","description":"adventure news","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/6d0141863e58201ab8a263924f1a7810","name":"Jay Parker","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/cropped-Yellowknife-Canada-2-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/cropped-Yellowknife-Canada-2-96x96.jpg","caption":"Jay Parker"},"description":"Originally from the UK, Jay Parker discovered his love for travel at 18 during a solo trip around the world. Since then, he has lived and worked in Cambodia, Australia and Canada, visited all seven continents and experienced everything from backpacking to private tours. His passion for overlooked destinations has led to passport stamps from Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Brunei, Bhutan and beyond. He currently works for Intrepid.","sameAs":["_jay_seb_","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jay-parker-5b4792124\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/author\/jay-parker\/"}]}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Antarctica-9.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4OQMK-muW","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86486","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16398"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86486"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86486\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86917,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86486\/revisions\/86917"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86486"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86486"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86486"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}