Saturday, December 20, 2008

Aamir Khan shed tears to get eight-pack-abs in 'Ghajini'



New Delhi, Dec 19 (IANS) No pain, no gain. The saying couldn't be more true for Aamir Khan and the team that painstakingly sculpted those eight-pack-abs, snipped up four different hairstyles and designed the actor's varied looks in "Ghajini" that have become a rage among his fans.
"It took Aamir 13 months of workout, with a daily regime of about four hours, to achieve the next to impossible look for 'Ghajini'," Satyajit 'Satya' Chaurasia, who trained the actor for the film, told IANS.
"He used to get tired exercising and sometimes even used to shriek in pain and cry doing the stomach crunches, but he did not skip a single day. Every week his body used to show results and that kept him going," added Satya.
Getting eight-pack-abs was not a cakewalk for "perfectionist" Aamir. Other than rigorous workouts, the actor also had to go through the pain of "a disciplinary regime of following a proportionate balanced diet."
"He had to give up on oil, sugar and alcohol consumption and late night parties as I strictly asked him to sleep for eight hours at a stretch before the workouts," said Chaurasia.
Releasing Dec 25, "Ghajini" is the much-hyped Hindi remake of director A.R. Murugadoss' Tamil hit with the same name. The film was simultaneously released in Telugu in 2005.
While the original "Ghajini" featured southern actor Surya Sivakumar along with actress Asin Thottumkal, Murugadoss cast Aamir to play the main lead in the Hindi remake and repeated Asin in the remake.
Apart from his physique, what has also been the talk of the town is Aamir's scarred and buzzed off hair in the forthcoming film.
"The buzzed hair style is given to suit both Aamir's character and him as a person. It's basically for the second half of the film where he has a situation that requires him to shave off his hair.
"It took us around an hour and a half to give him the look and get the scar lines on his head with thickness variations as per the director," revealed Avan Contractor, hairstylist for the actor in the film.
"We took liberty with the lines on his head and tweaked the look a little bit from the original 'Ghajini', where the actor has only one big scar," she added.
On being asked how she managed to give the actor numerous hairstyles for the song "Behka behka", Contractor said: "The song was shot over a period of five days and we had to work with Aamir's hair, whatever he had at that time. We just dressed it up differently and played around with it."
To spice up Aamir's multiple avatars in the film, stylist Arjun Bhasin was roped in to design "realistic" but "fashionable" costumes for him.
"He plays a corporate executive who is very rich. So his corporate look is stylish. However, at the same time, it is very realistic. He sports a casual office look, but with a quirky edge to it," Bhasin said.
The stylist also predicts that Aamir's business look from the film will inspire people to change their wardrobe.
"There are many elements from Aamir's corporate look that people are going to adapt in their lives like short sleeves, slim ties and waistcoats with lapels," he said.
"His other looks in the film are only in a song that are fantasies," he added.
Bhasin also said the film didn't require much going into books for Aamir's dresses.
" 'Ghajini' is one of my few films where not much research has gone into the costumes. It was a very organic process that Aamir and I went through. We read the script and decided to just work upon it. All we knew was that his looks should be attractive and at the same time meaningful."

Thursday, December 11, 2008

World's Top 10 futuristic luxury hotels




The fast changing modes of travel would certainly one day make a big dent on the hotel industry. Only those will survive who have something special to offer or, at least, I would never settle down at a place with belts of my flying car or jetpack intact.
The designers of the hotels of tomorrow, perhaps, have kept this in mind while creating futuristic hotels to lure the global nomads, of course, in case the Time Machine doesn’t becomes a reality.
Before moving ahead, please check ‘The lost notebook of Leonardo da Vinci’ - Hotel rooms of the future.
However, for now, here is a brief introduction to ten futuristic hi-tech luxury hotels, which are a living proof of the remarkable change we’re witnessing. Welcome aboard!

10. The Apeiron island hotel



Designer: Sybarite
Status: Concept
Estimated project cost: $500million





The ‘Apeiron’ island hotel is a seven star resort with a total floor area of 200,000m?. It is 185-m high and boasts of over 350 luxury apartment suites. The hi-tech futuristic hotel screams of luxury and comfort with its own private lagoon, beaches, restaurants, cinemas, retail shopping, art gallery, spas and conference facilities. Its out of the world design is magnetic enough to deliver a spell-bounded experience to visitors. (Photo Credit: Sybarite)

9. Foldable hotel pods




Designer: m3 Architects, London
Estimated project cost: $72 to $104 million

The foldable and fully transportable pods are for those traveling geeks who find it hard to shun all the amenities of their luxurious life. You can move the pods to exotic locations around the world and the amazing concept abodes will come with ‘Active’ walls and floors where guests can focus images of their choice and a disposable unit to care of all waste. (Photo Credit: m3architects)

8. The hotel Burj al-Arab






Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Designer: Tom Wright (WS Atkins PLC), Khuan Chew
Status: Complete
Estimated project cost: $650 million
Cost per person: $1,000 to over $28,000 per night, $75 to have a glimpse from inside



Considered, unofficially, the world’s first and only 7-star hotel, the Burj al-Arab is a truly the most luxurious hotel imaginable and hence we couldn’t help including it in this list of futuristic hotels, which also perhaps triggered architects around the world to look beyond the fence.
The tallest, 321-metres (1,053 ft), hotel, designed as a sail of a dhow, is constructed on an artificial island 280-metres (919 ft) out from Jumeirah beach. The hotel boasts of the world’s tallest atrium, which is 180-meters (590 feet) tall.
The suspended helipad on the top adds to the grandeur of the hotel. The lavish interior skillfully mingles the best of design ethics from both the east and the west. The 8,000 square meters of 22-carat gold leaf and 24,000 square meters of 30 different types of marbles give the hotel an enigmatic touch.



The 28 double-story floors of the hotel accommodate 202 luxury suites with prices ranging from $1,000 to over $28,000 per night (for the Royal Suite). The hotel also features 8 restaurants, including bars and lounges, latest business, conferencing, fitness and recreational facilities. Carved in the midst of white beaches and the blue waters of the Arabian Gulf, the Burj Al Arab is a dream come true.




7. Waterworld





Location: Songjiang, China
Designer: Atkin’s Architecture Group
Status: Concept









This spectacular design by Atkin’s Architecture Group deservedly won the first prize award last year in an international design competition. The 400-bed resort hotel features underwater public areas, guest rooms, cafes, and restaurants. The major attraction is the extreme sporting facilities including a luxurious swimming pool, rock climbing and bungee jumping.
What more to say, the pictures are screaming BLISS. (Photo Credit: TheCoolHunter)

6. The Poseidon Undersea Resort






Location: Fiji, The Poseidon Mystery Island
Designer: Bruce Jones
Status: Under construction, will be completed by September 2008
Estimated project cost: $105 million
Cost per person: $15,000 per week


Our pursuit of unique spaces now goes straight 1,200-square feet under the sea in the lap of Poseidon undersea resort. The world’s first underwater resort will be ready by the end of next year with breathtaking coral reefs where you can literally immerse yourself.





Surrounded by 5,000-acre lagoon, the Bruce Jones’ Poseidon Mystery Island offers luxurious 550 square feet large suites.
Not only this, the Poseidon Resorts website says, ‘the first 1,000 guests will have their names permanently inscribed on two monuments one on the island, and one on the floor of the lagoon.’ Now, that’s incredible!





Tourists can indulge in submarine piloting, deep reef excursions, scuba diving, sea track on the sea floor, water sports, para-sailing, cave exploration, and much more.

5. The Hydropolis: A self-acclaimed 10-star underwater hotel







Location: Dubai
Designer: Joachim Hauser, Crescent Hydropolis Resorts
Estimated project cost: $500-million



The Hydropolis Undersea Resort, especially designed keeping in mind that we’re around 60% water, endeavors to deliver the serene beauty of the ocean in its true colors. The one of its kind resort will encompass a whopping 1.1-million-square-foot of area offering shopping mall, ballroom, island villas, restaurant, high-tech cinema and surprisingly, a missile-defense system for your security 60-feet underwater.
Tourists can enjoy their stay in 220 theme suites within the submarine leisure complex. It is one of the largest contemporary construction projects in the world, covering an area of 260 hectares, about the size of London’s Hyde Park.
The resort is designed with a petal-like retracting roof to organize open-sky events






Around 150 firms are involved in the project, which is expected to complete this year if all technical, land, and financial challenges are met, but it’s delayed as per the latest reports. Following the line and determined of the success of the Hydropolis, Crescent-Hydropolis is now planning a chain of underwater hotels around the world.

4. The Lunatic Hotel: Hotel on the Moon




Designer: Hans-Jurgen Rombaut, Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG)
Status: Blueprint ready, will take real shape by 2050




Orbiting in space seems more thrilling but Moon brings in a nostalgic aura. Perhaps, the Lunatic Hotel concept will serve it all with spectacular views sprinkled with joys of low gravity and an alien feeling. Designer Hans-Jurgen Rombaut of the Rotterdam Academy of Architecture in the Netherlands is quite optimistic to complete the dream project by 2050.
The ’sensation engine’, as the designer calls it, will allow tourists to indulge in low-gravity games with the help of two 160-meters high slanting towers. The towers will be equipped with teardrop-shaped ‘habitation capsules’ which will serve as spaceship like suits for tourists.
The 50-cms thick hull made of Moon rock and layers holding water will protect inhabitants from the harsh lunar environment including extreme temperatures and lethal cosmic rays and solar particles. If the whole concept comes out successful, we can expect a real lunar village too. (Photo Credit: NASA)

3. Aeroscraft: The flying luxury hotel of tomorrow



Designer: Igor Pasternak (Worldwide Aeros Corporation), Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG)
Status: Prototype under development






The ‘Aeroscraft’ is a gigantic 400-ton blimp designed to carry passengers in its spacious luxury cosmos onboard. The flying hotel with an area equal to two football fields hangs in air with 14 million cubic feet of helium, huge electric and hydrogen fuel cell powered propellers and six turbofan jet engines. The hotel can accommodate 250 passengers driving them at a speed of 174 miles per hour up to 6, 000 miles.
Flying 8,000 feet above in the air, the 165×244x647 feet airship will provide tourists hi-tech amenities including casino, restaurants and staterooms.
Designer Igor Pasternak has also plans to float a cargo-carrying version too once the project takes off. (Photo Credit: WATG)

2. Galactic Suite

Designer: Xavier Claramunt of ADD+ARQUITECTURA
Status: On hold, prototype is ready







Designer Xavier Claramunt has tried to imbibe things especially to whet a adventurer’s dream with the Galactic Suite which will have around 22 rooms, measuring 7X4 meters, free of straight lines or angles and huge windows. It is termed as the first global project of its kind, next to Robert Bigelow’s space hotel. Different capsules will act as bars, restaurants, reception, and more.








The prototype is still waiting for investors to shell out their fortunes to make this project a reality.


1. Commercial Space Station Skywalker: The inflatable space hotel






Designer: Bigelow Aerospace, Las Vegas
Location: 515-kms above Earth
Status: The human space complex will be accessible by 2015
Estimated project cost: $500 million
Cost per person: $1 million a night






Certainly, we’ll have to stop this constant to and fro journey and make space our permanent base. And to make this a reality, the assembling of ‘CSS Skywalker’ kicked off with the launch of ‘Genesis I’ from Russia mid last year. Solar cells will power the inhabitable complex made of various sections that will inflate to take their real form in space. The sections or rooms of the CSS will allow rockets to dock. In future, the modules will be used as basis for space yachts and moon cruisers.
With a volume of 1,500.00 m3 and mass of 100,000 kg, the CSS Skywalker will have a maximum diameter of 30.00 m (98.00 ft).
The concept is a big challenge while it tests inflatable technology and fights to survive in hazardous conditions. Hope it’s made to face the wrath of the meteorites, though the hull of each module is made of three protective layers with an outer 18-inch-thick shield made of alternating woven graphite composite and foam to protect against orbital debris. (Photo Credit: CNet)
Passing reference:

The Diamond Ring Hotel

Location: Abu Dhabi






The Diamond Ring hotel is just a concept right now and all we’ve are these images for you to feed on. If anybody reading this has more info, please share with our readers

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

LA Auto Show: Quick! Hide the Guzzlers!


Nissan 370ZThe Nissan 370Z is one of the anticipated production cars at the Los Angeles show.

LOS ANGELES — Against a backdrop of tumult in the automobile industry, the Los Angeles auto show kicks off this week at the downtown convention center. Press previews begin early Wednesday morning with a keynote address by Carlos Ghosn, chief executive of Nissan and Renault. The show opens to the public on Friday, Nov. 21, and continues through Nov. 30.

Even as Detroit automakers, led by cash-short General Motors, are pleading their case in Washington for bailouts from the federal government, here they are again unveiling the latest in tire-smoking sports cars, weighty luxury liners and gas-guzzling S.U.V.’s and trucks. But yes, there will also be a number of alternative-fuel, hybrid and electric vehicles, intended to prove how deeply the industry cares about the environment and how it is starting to break its profligate reliance on fossil fuels.

The show marks the beginning of a stretch of four major American auto shows that will play in the coming months, with stops after Los Angeles in Detroit, Chicago and New York. By the time the circuit hits New York in April, it’s a good bet that the industry will have undergone historic changes: G.M. and Chrysler may resume discussions about a merger; federal money may be awarded with some form of government ownership of the Detroit Three; and heads may roll in Detroit’s boardrooms.

But the shows, as they say, must go on. So let’s rev up the fog machine for the rollout of the $200,000 Ferrari California! Shine the spotlight on the race-ready Lotus Evora!

At one point, this year’s show looked to be on shaky ground as an unusually small number of world premieres were scheduled, and then cancellations started coming even among those.

Volkswagen scrapped its planned introduction of a significant sports car concept. G.M. pulled the plug on the debut of the next-generation Buick LaCrosse, as well as the unveiling of a high-horsepower Cadillac CTS sport coupe. Then G.M. withdrew its invitation to a large contingent of Asian journalists for whom the automaker had planned to play host at the show. Later G.M. called off a press conference it had scheduled to unveil a new Saab. And finally, G.M. canceled an address by its vice chairman, Robert A. Lutz.

Despite those setbacks, however, show organizers denied that the event was wobbling, or shrinking.

“Automobile manufacturers have not reduced the space they occupy,” said Andy Fuzesi, a co-owner of the Los Angeles show, in response to a question about published reports of a 20 percent decline in the square footage for exhibits. “All manufacturers that participated last year are doing so again. We made a calculation that there is only a 5 percent reduction in space occupied at the show and all of it is in Kentia Hall. Kentia Hall is devoted to aftermarket and accessories products.”

Indeed, there are still significant production introductions scheduled for Los Angeles. Nissan is unveiling the next version of its hot Z sports car, the 370Z. Infiniti is showing a G37 convertible.

Though neither G.M. nor Chrysler is now planning any significant introductions, each still has a full display of its existing vehicles. Ford is hoping to make a splash with an enthusiastic party built around the debut of its revised 2010 Mustang, and it also plans to introduce updated Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan midsize sedans. Most notably, hybrid versions of each will also be shown; Ford says their fuel economy beats the Toyota Camry Hybrid, by a good five miles a gallon. The Lincoln brand will show an updated MKZ midsize sedan.

Ford Fusion HybridFord Fusion Hybrid.

Audi will have a refreshed A6 sedan and engineering upgrades for its Q5 and Q7 turbodiesel. VW is unveiling a Touareg S.U.V. with a turbodiesel engine.

Diesels also dominate the BMW offerings here, with a lively 335d leading the display. The 335d is one of the finalists for the prestigious Green Car of the Year Award given here annually; other finalists are the VW Jetta TDI, Fusion Hybrid, Smart Fortwo, and Saturn Vue 2-Mode Hybrid.

Hyundai will introduce the first hybrid powertrain that is likely to be marketed by a Korean automaker. The system could reach consumers in the 2010 Sonata midsize sedan. Kia is showing a fuel-cell concept version of its big Borrego sport utility, but that is not as likely to make it into production.

Lexus is updating its best seller, the RX line of luxury crossovers, including a new hybrid version that is engineered to achieve better fuel economy. Lexus is also showing an IS with a retractable hardtop.

Finally, proving that green vehicles need not be bitter medicine, Mini is taking the wraps off an electric version of its popular three-door hatchback wagon. The Mini-E is aimed at urban dwellers vehicle and is said to have a 160-mile electric-only range. The gas-free Mini may not be offered for sale right away — at least not in the United States -– but the company is trying to find 500 electric-car pioneers in Los Angeles and New York City who might be willing to lease one for a year, to help Mini gather data about how well it works.

Mini EMini E.

So, if you’re keeping score: That’s 10 world premieres (13 counting hybrid versions) and two “concept” vehicles — the Borrego FCEV and the soon-to-be-produced, high-mileage Honda Insight hybrid. For now, the hot rods still outnumber the hybrids.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Review: Fashion(November 2008 Bollywood Movie of the month:Editor's choice)

Are you ready for an expose on the fashion industry? Where designers pass off ‘Indira Market, Bangkok’ stuff as their own creation. Where ad agency/fashion mag honchos call the shots. Wild lifestyles, backstage dramas, wardrobe malfunction, casting couch… ouch, ouch, ouch!



Madhur Bhandarkar, the undisputed king of realistic fares, comes up with yet another hard-hitting film that enlightens you, moves you, motivates and deflates you, even shocks and surprises you and of course, entertains you.

But let’s not give the subject material all importance, for Madhur’s handling of the subject is exemplary. Madhur dresses up his mannequins well, but most importantly, infuses life in those prime bodies. A number sequences leave you tongue-tied [more on that later].

But there’s a hitch. And this problem tones down the impact considerably. The running tine of almost 2.40 hours makes you restless, especially the penultimate 25-odd minutes. Yet, all said and done, FASHION has all it takes to be the showstopper this Diwali!

FASHION tells the story of a small-town girl with a dream and the determination to make it a reality. Meghna [Priyanka Chopra] is ambitious, she wants to attain the status of a supermodel. She realises her dreams and rises to walk the ramps for leading designers across India.

But Meghna has to pay the price for her fame and her journey to the top. Her career starts sliding downwards. In this journey of Meghna, she encounters a number of people. Most importantly, Shonali [Kangna Ranaut] and Janet [Mugdha Godse]. Also, Abhijit Sareen [Arbaaz Khan], a tycoon who controls the fashion industry.

CHANDNI BAR, PAGE 3, SATTA, CORPORATE, TRAFFIC SIGNAL — every Madhur Bhandarkar film has a new story to tell and he tells it most convincingly. In fact, Madhur strikes a fine balance between realism and entertainment in every film. Given the fact that FASHION is all about the fashion industry, the narrative is inevitably filled with lots of glam-n-glitz moments. The fashion shows, the stunning models, the superb styling, the vibrant colours and the behind the scenes drama is worth every penny spent on the ticket.

But it’s not just ramp shows and style-n-fashion here. There’s a story running concurrently — of three models. One, the rise of an unknown into a supermodel. Two, the fall of a supermodel to dust. Three, the ambitious model not achieving success, but opting for a marriage of convenience.

While Madhur has handled the theme as if he were an insider, this review would be incomplete if you ignore two major sequences that are simply outstanding. One, Kangna’s wardrobe malfunction and two, when Priyanka exposes Arbaaz to his wife [Suchitra Pillai].

Mahesh Limaye’s cinematography captures every aspect of the fashion industry to the fullest. The screenplay [Madhur Bhandarkar, Anuradha Tiwari, Ajay Monga] is perfect, except for the penultimate portions. Niranjan Iyengar’s dialogues are fantastic. Nitin Chandrakant Desai’s production design is truly upmarket. The costumes and styling are top notch, a feast for the eyes. Salim-Sulaiman’s music is well synchronised as well. ‘Mar Jaava’ and ‘Jalwa’ are lilting creations.

Madhur places immense trust on Priyanka and she is remarkable all through, more towards the second hour. Post AITRAAZ, FASHION is another medal that shines the brightest when you look at her body of work. But the real star is Kangna. Her role may not be as lengthy as that of Priyanka, but the actress pitches in an awesome performance. Her confidence at the very start is infectious and her overall performance deserves an ovation.

Mugdha Godse is, again, supremely confident. She has dum. Arbaaz Khan is first-rate. Arjan Bajwa does well. Harsh Chhaya, the gay designer, stands out with a realistic performance. Ashwin Mushran, Priyanka’s confidante, is top notch. Samir Soni is good. Suchitra Pillai and Kittu Gidwani are effectual. Raj Babbar and Kiran Juneja are seasoned in such roles.

On the whole, FASHION has tremendous curiosity value and also shock value for the Indian audiences. Its subject — the behind the scenes working and drama of the fashion industry — is its USP. At the box-office, the pre-release hype and buzz will ensure a successful run for the film. Its business at multiplexes mainly should be bountiful. However, trimming the film will only help; not only will it enhance the film, but also its business. Must watch! Bollywood actress

Review: Quantum of Solace(November 2008 Hollywood Movie of the month:Editor's choice)

Quantum of Solace ((AP))









Quantum of Solace ((AP))
Rating: B-

“Will leave you shaken and stirred”.


In Quantum of Solace, Daniel Craig has established himself as a great James Bond. If he continues to keep up the good work with his gritty and serious demeanor, he just may become everyone’s favorite Bond. This Bond movie is under the direction of Marc Foster, known for such films as Finding Neverland and Stranger Than Fiction. Even though he hasn’t touched action genre before, he proves that he is off to an extraordinary start as well.

Quantum of Solace picks up exactly where Casino Royale left off with James Bond searching for whose to blame for Vesper Lynd’s death, the woman he loved who was blackmailed by an organization to betray him. Full of vengeance, he has captured Mr. White and interrogates him to learn that this organization called Quantum is larger than imagined with agents even in MI-6 (the British Secret Intelligence Service). Through his investigation, Bond is paired up with (Bond girl) Camille who has her own contention with the same villain, who is conspiring to take control of one of the world’s most important natural resources.

If you haven’t already done so, you should definitely see Casino Royale before you check out Quantum so you can get a real sense of Bond’s vendetta here and the raw emotion he has that you just don’t get here with him. One-liners have trickled their way back, but with a little more subtleness. Olga Kurylenko’s Camille is not the Bond girl you might expect and the villain isn’t as unique as in other Bond films, but the dynamic intensity of the film will indeed captivate its audience. Quantum is darker and bloodier than the previous film and will leave you shaken and stirred.

BITS OF HEAVEN ON EARTH!!!! THE BEST BEACHES EVER!!!

Summertime approaches, and the living is easy on the world's great gay beaches. Sure, there are the well-known, suntan lotion?slick scenes of Laguna Beach in Southern California and Fire Island in New York, but what about just visiting a gay beach for the pure, raw scenery (of the natural setting, that is)? Here's our list of the most dazzling gay-popular beaches in the world

1 Little Beach, Maui, Hawaii



Our number 1 pick is cozy Little Beach at Makena, on an arid corner of Maui. With no development, a horizon dotted with isles, and humpback whales breaching offshore, you couldn't ask for a more perfect setting. The boogie boarders, straight couples, hippie naturists, and local gay boys always mix happily in the sun-kissed social atmosphere. Don't leave the Aloha State without catching some cosmic rays here.

2 Sandy Bay, Cape Town, South Africa



Eleven miles from the center of lively Cape Town is otherworldly Sandy Bay. It feels like a thousand miles from nowhere despite the upscale neighborhoods nearby. Huge granite slabs separate different parts of this roomy beach, and the surrounding virgin forests cascading to the sea are part of the Table Mountain Nature Reserve. The magical spirit of Africa is felt everywhere here.

3 Elia Beach, Mykonos, Greece




Although its next-door neighbor Super Paradise Beach is one of the gayest beaches in the world, we prefer quieter Elia Beach, just over the hill from its more famous sibling. This secluded stretch is home to electric-blue waters that contrast with the rugged Mediterranean landscape dotted with whitewashed Greek homes. You'll want to make like Shirley Valentine and never leave.

4 Black's Beach, San Diego, Calif.



Although its steep cliff trail is a sweat-inducing chore to get up and down, the effort is well worth it, since this wide and spacious beach is lined with dramatically carved cliffs. Hang gliders soar above while dolphins and seals frolic offshore. Families, bears, couples, surfers, and lovers of the outdoors commingle in Californian peace.

5 Wreck Beach, Vancouver, Canada



Right under the verdant cliffs below the University of British Columbia, fans of the long gray-sand Wreck Beach have fought developers for years, which has kept this beach fun and social. You may even find nudist vendors selling everything from gourmet falafel to hand-crafted jewelry. The deep forests of British Columbia stand guard in the back.

6 Farme Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil



Although the beach in front of the landmark Copacabana Palace Hotel attracts gay volleyballers, Ipanema Beach--just east of the Rua Farme de Amoedo--is the more happening gay sand spot in Rio. Farme Beach attracts muscle heads, smooching lesbian couples, chatting twinks, and the odd closeted Brazilian TV star. The hazy mountains and city skyline add to the drama.

7 Tamarama Beach, Sydney, Australia



Although Sydney's Bondi Beach has its trademark hunky lifeguards with their Speedo wedgies (a practice that keeps the left and right side of their brains separated, according to the Aussies) and is the better-known gay hangout, Tamarama (a.k.a. "Glamarama") just to the south is more intimate and picturesque. Tamarama is lined with massive sandstone boulders holding up a shelf of attractive beach homes and bungalows.

8 Patong Beach, Phuket, Thailand



The gayest beach resort in all of Asia can be found on Phuket Island at Patong Beach, where gay flags flap in the breeze, drag queens are on the bill at every bar, and the flamboyant annual Gay Festival puts some American pride parades to shame. The town fronts the graceful arch of Patong Bay, lined with nearly two miles of pearly white sand populated with colorful umbrellas and lots of friendly gay Thais.

9 Bassa Rodona Beach, Sitges, Spain




The beach at this cobblestoned coastal town (popular with gay European vacationers) is wonderfully scenic, despite the gay section at Bassa Rodona Beach having wall-to-wall chaise lounges covering every grain of sand in high summer. But beyond them you see virgin hills, and just north of the beach a picturesque little church watches over the gay and lesbian sun worshippers.

10 Oval Beach, Saugatuck, Mich.





While not technically a beach, this series of rolling dunes next to a river lagoon is still quite handsome, snuggled along the eastern shores of wide Lake Michigan. The mellow gay twin resort towns and artist's communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, with their down-to-earth queer Midwestern vacationers, are just a short drive away.


World's Sexiest Beaches

From the girls of Ipanema to the wild life in St. Tropez: a photo tour of the globe's hottest beach scenes.
Italy


Walk this way: Heading off for the world's sexiest beaches

Travel photo: Concierge.com


Tall and tanned and young and lovely: A standard-issue Brazilian beach beauty


Travel photo: Concierge.com


Bright lights, big city: Rio's dazzling Ipanema beach

Ipanema beach

Travel photo: Concierge.com

Travel photo: Concierge.com

Old Bahama Bay

Travel photo: Concierge.com

Travel photo: Concierge.com


Arrested development: Handcuffs signal louche behavior at St. Tropez's notorious beach bar La Voile Rouge.
Travel photo: Concierge.com
.

A view from the top: Monterosso, the largest of Italy's Cinque Terre

Travel photo: Concierge.com


A view from the top: Monterosso, the largest of Italy's Cinque Terre
Travel photo: Concierge.com

Umbrella organization: Rows of man-made shade on the beach at Monterosso

Newquay Beach



Brave new world: Brits in bikinis hit Newquay Beach in Cornwall.

Travel photo: Concierge.com

Smells like teen spirit: A youth movement on the Greek island of Mykonos

Travel photo: Concierge.com

Your own private Zakynthos: This Greek isle is tough to get to, but privacy on its beaches is practically guaranteed.

Travel photo: Concierge.com
Easy riders: Surfers on Bondi Beach prepare to take their lifeguard exams. (We feel safer already
Travel photo: Concierge.com

Lush life: The tropical foliage of Bali's Sanur Beach

Travel photo: Concierge.com

Malibu modern: Let's hope they have home owner's insurance.