10 gay honeymoon hotspots

Miami hosts the Winter Party Festival (pictured), one of the world's biggest celebrations for the LBGT community. The city is a top honeymoon destination as chosen by the Association of British Travel Agents. Scroll through the gallery for more of the group's picks.

Sun. Wine. Food. Penguins. Cape Town, Africa's most gay-friendly city, attracts LBGT vacationers from across the continent and beyond.

Brighton is widely recognized as Britain's gayest city. The sun may not always shine, but there's a vibrant arts, music and culture scene. Plus great clubs.

Some of the beaches on the Greek island of Mykonos get noisy at night -- and somewhat naked during the day.

The Thai island of Phuket has a raucous reputation thanks to open-air cabaret clubs. But tranquil escapes to nearby Andaman Sea islands are an option for honeymooners.

Tel Aviv doesn't have a gay village. The whole city is considered so gay-friendly, it doesn't need one.

Sydney's Bondi Beach hosted the first ever gay surfers' group surf. The city also has one of the world's biggest and brashest gay pride events.

Sitges, near Barcelona, was once a haven for artists, including Picasso. It now welcomes an international gay community.

• Association of British Travel Agents has named its top 10 destinations for same-sex honeymoons


• An increasing number of destinations are catering to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender travelers


• Top same-sex honeymoon spots include Cape Town, Sydney and Tel Aviv


• Miami hosts three of the world's biggest LGBT events, among them the Winter Party Festival

(CNN) -- Gay couples can now legally marry in 18 countries -- a statistic that increasingly raises an important question: Where's the best spot for a same-sex honeymoon?

More and more destinations are now catering to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) travelers.

John Tanzella, chief executive of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association, says it's an encouraging trend, but he worries there's a risk of gay vacationers being targeted as a "niche."

"When you're planning that dream trip it's still important to work with travel professionals who understand the needs of gay travelers as individuals," he adds.

Among travel organizations that seem to be getting the message is the Association of British Travel Agents, which is the latest to compile a list of destinations offering same-sex honeymooners a friendly atmosphere and catering to a broad range of tastes.

Here's its 10.

MORE: Tel Aviv's gay pride parade

Cape Town, South Africa

The dramatic backdrop of Table Mountain rises above this gorgeous city bathed in almost year-round sunshine.

It's a great place to relax for a couple of days, then travel out to the numerous wineries in the lush green countryside close to the city.

Where else can you see penguins sunning themselves on a beach?

Cape Town is considered the most gay-friendly city in Africa and attracts LGBT people from across the continent, adding to an interesting local cultural mix.

The gay village, with its range of clubs, bars, bathhouses, cafes and guesthouses is in De Waterkant.

Honeymoon hotspot: The lively Cafe Manhattan (74 Waterkant St., Cape Town; +27 21 421 6666).

MORE: Insider Guide: What to do in Cape Town

Lesbos and Mykonos, Greece

We get the word "lesbian" from the island that was home to Sappho, who wrote erotic poetry to other women in the 6th century B.C.

It's now a popular destination for modern-day Sapphists.

Mykonos: Noise and nudity.

The island's main town, Mytilini is charming old world Greek, with winding streets and quiet churches.

Mykonos has a vibrant gay scene for men and women, with lots of clubs and hotels.

Honeymoon hotspot: Many gay travelers hang out on Super Paradise and Elia beaches, which can get noisy at night -- and somewhat naked during the day.

MORE: Which Greek island is best for you?

Miami and the Florida Keys

Miami's Caribbean climate sets it apart from the rest of the United States.

The city also has some of America's most interesting architecture, plus world-class art galleries and classical music performances.

A day in Little Havana, the center of the not-so-little Cuban community, can feel like a visit to another country.

Couples can time their trip to coincide with one of three of the planet's biggest gay events.

There's the White Party in November, the Winter Party in March and Aqua Girl Weekend in May.

In April, the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival is a huge draw.

Honeymoon hotspot: The gay section at Haulover Beach (10800 Collins Ave., Bal Harbour, Florida; +1 305 947 3525) is a popular post-party place to unwind.

MORE: Insider Guide: Best of Miami

Tel Aviv, Israel

The city's annual gay pride, which is sponsored by the government, draws gay men and women from all over the world.

In 2012, travel guide Gaycities.com named Tel Aviv the gayest city on the planet -- at least 100,000 gay men are expected to visit this year.

MORE: Best places to celebrate gay pride

Tel Aviv calls itself a 24-hour city because you can spend all night clubbing then snooze all day on one of its beaches.

If you've time to spare, you can squeeze ancient and Biblical sites such as the Dead Sea, Masada and Jerusalem into one- or two-day trips.

Honeymoon hotspot: Tel Aviv doesn't have a gay village because the whole city considers itself gay-friendly, but Rothschild Avenue is a particular focus, where as many same-sex couples walk hand in hand as straight couples.

Brighton, England

Brighton is, without doubt, Britain's gayest town and has an anything-goes reputation not just for romance, but also for art, clubbing and all kinds of culture.

The beach may be rainy outside of summer, but even in winter there's a certain beauty to the place, and it's only an hour by train from London.

Brighton town also sports some exotic-looking buildings, such as the Royal Pavilion, an 18th-century regent's folly built in a classical Indian style.

Honeymoon hotspot: Club Revenge (32-34 Old Steine St., Brighton; +44 1273 606 064) has been a fixture of gay Brighton's nightlife for two decades.

MORE: Cotswold Way: Is this England's most English walking trail?

Phuket, Thailand

Thailand's raunchiest island is a nonstop merry-go-round of bars and nightlife catering to the traveler who wants it all and wants it cheap.

The Thai islands are great for those who want luxury but have blown the budget on the wedding.

Tel Aviv: Gay and friendly.

Phuket and other nearby Andaman Sea islands are also a paradise for scuba divers and offer plenty of peaceful alternatives away from the clubs.

Honeymoon hotspot: The Paradise Complex (Rat-U-Thit Road, Patong, Kathu, Phuket; +66 76 341 804) in the town of Patong hosts outdoor drag shows at places such as the Kiss Bar.

MORE: Old Town Phuket: Finally, a reason to leave the beach

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

There are more than a dozen gay-friendly hotels in Puerto Vallerta, the town on Mexico's Pacific coast that's home to the country's biggest gay scene.

The place has more history than many Mexican resorts and there are hideaways in the surrounding jungle for those who need to unwind after the wedding.

Honeymoon hotspot: The gay village centers on the Blue Chairs (Malecón y Almendro No. 4, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco; +52 322 222 5040) resort section of the beach, where there's raucous entertainment at night.

MORE: 7 luxury vacations in Mexico

Sydney

Sydney's gay pride march is the biggest and brashest in the world.

The city is famously LGBT-friendly, nowhere more so than the center of gay Sydney: Taylor Square on Oxford Street.

The city's bars and restaurants are some of the best in the world, so it's a great place for foodie couples -- particularly the pricey venues in the Rock's area.

Honeymoon hotspot: As a harbor city, Sydney offers opportunities to polish surfing skills on some of the local beaches, such as the world-famous Bondi -- which claims to be the location of the first ever gay surfers' group surf.

Let's Go Surfing, 128 Ramsgate Ave., North Bondi; +61 9365 1800

Sitges, Spain

The center for Spain's gay scene is 20 miles (32 kilometers) along the coast from the stunning architecture and cultural life of Barcelona.

Once just a fishing village, in the 20th century it became a haven for artists including Picasso, and now welcomes an international gay community.

The town has a calendar of annual events including the town carnival, a film festival, a classic car rally and the full range of traditional Spanish village religious festivals.

Honeymoon hotspot: Parrots (Carrer de Joan Tarrida, 16, Sitges, Barcelona; +34 938 94 13 50) one of the city's best-known gay hotels, also has its own popular gay cafe.

Gareth Rubin is a London-based journalist and travel writer. He's written two books, including a guide to Britain's worst tourist attractions.

The 'world's craziest, beautiful cars'

• Art exhibit celebrates car designers, the auto industry's "rock stars"


• Concept cars on display include Bugatti, Chrysler, Buick, BMW, Cadillac


• Experts wonder if America's love affair with its car culture is fading


• Bizarre cars range from fighter-jet-on-wheels to tiny electric bubble car

Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Italy has David, Paris has the Mona Lisa and now, Atlanta has the Firebird I XP-21.

Don't laugh gallery snobs and car-haters: The automobile has vaulted from the streets to the lofty art world.

Even if automobiles aren't your thing, the Firebird's bizarre wings and bubble cockpit are worth a peek. It's among 17 "concept cars" on exhibit at Atlanta, Georgia's High Museum of Art. Many of these are one-of-a-kind.

When you first walk into the exhibit, it's clear these cars aren't designed for mere mortals. Every car has a price, and these are worth millions. But in reality, the unique nature of this collection makes them priceless in a growing market. Collectible car sales last year in the U.S. topped $1 billion.

The 1953 Firebird I XP-21 is among the spectacular concept cars featured at an Atlanta's High Museum of Art exhibit titled, "Dream Cars." This one-of-a-kind, plane-like automobile was created by legendary General Motors designer Harley Earl. Curators describe it as a "rolling rocket." Click through the gallery to see more of the exhibit.

The 1959 Cadillac Cyclone XP-74 stops you cold when you see it in person. It looks like a silver rocket from a 1950s B movie. And it has futuristic safety features too. A radar-based anti-collision system is tucked inside the Caddy's cone-shaped so-called "dagmar" headlights.

In 1942 Nazi-occupied Paris, French artist, industrial designer, and engineer Paul Arzens created this tiny, electric-powered, Plexiglas, bubble-on-wheels. On a single battery charge, it ran for 60 miles, up to 37 mph.

The 1970 Lancia (Bertone) Stratos HF Zero measures only 33 inches from its rooftop to the floor. Its twin seats are positioned so far forward they're located between the front wheels. Climbing inside is a challenge because there are no doors. As the steering column simultaneously moves forward, its windshield, which is made of Perspex, raises up to allow entry.

This is a replica of the 1935 Bugatti Type 57S Compétition Coupé Aerolithe. The original was designed by Jean Bugatti himself. Steampunk fans will dig this elegant machine. It looks like something out of Disney's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."

"People were more interested in their cars looking fast than actually being fast," said exhibit curator Sarah Schleuning. For this car, Chrysler partnered with Italian firm Carrozzeria Ghia and desiger Giovanni Savonuzzi, who nicknamed it "Gilda" after actress Rita Hayworth's character in the famous 1946 film.

This 1951 GM LeSabre XP-8 was the personal car of legendary GM designer Harley Earl. Innovations included a "rain sensor, which could activate the disappearing power top," according to the museum.

Designed by Ralph Roberts, the Chrysler Thunderbolt was "the first American car to feature an electrically operated, retractable hardtop and disappearing headlights, which were controlled by push buttons on a leather-covered dashboard," according to the museum.

In the late 1960s, designer Carrozzeria Pininfarina joined the industry trend to create the "ultimate wedge." His creation measures 37 inches high.

Buick unveiled its Centurion XP-301 at the 1956 Motorama car show. It sports a rear-mounted safety camera for backing up. Inside, the camera can be monitored on a 4-by-6-inch dashboard screen.

This Edsel Ford Model 40 Special Speedster debuted in 1934. Designed by Henry Ford's son Edsel Ford and Eugene T. "Bob" Gregorie, it features a "shapely alligator-style hood with louvered side panels," according to the High Museum.

A Voisin C-25 Aérodyne was named for its designer, Gabriel Voisin, who was also a pioneer French aeronautical engineer. "He was not interested in bowing to popular aesthetics, particularly the American streamlined look of the late 1920s and early 1930s," the museum said. That's quite a hood ornament there.

Here's what happens when a mechanical engineer designs a car. Norman Timbs created this vehicle for his personal use, the museum said. Have fun trying to get in the driver's seat. This thing has no doors. It's made from two hand-formed aluminum shapes.

Tasco stands for The American Sports Car Company, which built it. Designed by Gordon M. Buehrig, its front fenders turned with the car's wheels. Its T-top roof design with removable panels was the first of its kind. The Tasco's roof eventually influenced the design of the 1968 Corvette.

This BMW GINA -- designed by Christopher Bangle features an exterior made from "flexible tensile fabric stretched over a moveable body frame of aluminum and flexible carbon fiber," the museum said. "The fabric comprised two layers: an under layer of wire mesh and an outer layer of polyurethane-coated Lycra that was resistant to water, heat, and cold."

The Porsche 918 Spyder Concept Car, designed by Michael Maurer, is the fastest car of the exhibit, said consulting curator Ken Gross. "It combines high-tech racing features with electric mobility options selected by a push-button control on the steering wheel," the museum said. "The driver chooses between the four options, -- from the fully electric -- to the maximum, which uses all systems for optimum performance."

Concept 'Dream Cars' on display

1959 Cadillac Cyclone XP-74

1942 'L'Œuf électrique (Electric Egg)'

1970 Lancia (Bertone) Stratos HF Zero

1935 Bugatti Type 57S (re-creation)

1955 Chrysler (Ghia) Streamline X 'Gilda'

1951 General Motors Le Sabre XP-8

1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt

1970 Pininfarina (Ferrari) Modulo

1956 Buick Centurion XP-301

1934 Edsel Ford Model 40 Special Speedster

1934 Voisin C-25 Aérodyne

1947 Norman Timbs Special

2001 BMW GINA Light Visionary Model

2010 Porsche 918 Spyder Concept Car

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Gallery: Concept 'Dream Cars' on display

Money aside, this exhibit really exemplifies America's long and fiery hot love affair with cars.

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These rolling masterpieces were never intended to be mass produced. They were meant to be romanced, idolized, even worshipped.

Concept cars are marketing tools designed to trigger buzz and spur sales. You can be sure the Da Vinci of General Motors -- legendary designer Harley Earl -- put just as much imagination into his jet-plane-looking Firebird as old Leonardo did with that smirking Mona.

"These have got to be some of the world's craziest, beautiful cars," a visitor says to me with a grin as big as the grill-work on a stunning '51 GM LeSabre XP-8 sitting a few feet away.

Beautiful, yes. Crazy? VERY.

A few examples:

-- Not a clown car: The 1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero measures only 33 inches from its rooftop to the floor.

-- Electric Egg: A tiny electric-powered, plastic, bubble-on-wheels was created in Nazi-occupied Paris in 1942.

-- Fabric exterior: A 2001 BMW Gina wrinkles when you open its doors.

See photos of these sweet cars

Parked against a wall in another exhibit room sits a green replica 1935 Bugatti Type 57S. Steampunk fans will dig this elegant machine. It looks like something out of Disney's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."

You can fetishize just about any detail on the Bugatti you like.

Museum patron

"You can fetishize just about any detail on the Bugatti you like, from the grill to every bolt," a man standing nearby says to me.

This guy gets it! We're like kids in a candy store -- but nobody's letting us have any candy.

Instead we're hypnotized by the cars and their dramatic, sweeping lines and their chrome-spangled cockpits.

Related: Gorgeous art cars auctioned

Days of future past

These vehicles were designed to look like the future. Take for example the '59 Cadillac Cyclone XP-74. It stops you cold.

The thing looks like a silver rocket from a 1950s B movie.

And it has futuristic safety features too. A radar-based anti-collision system is tucked inside the Caddy's cone-shaped so-called "dagmar" headlights.

Car designers are the rock stars of the automobile industry and they always have been.

Ken Gross, exhibit curator

Two of the exhibit's creators -- Ken Gross and Sarah Schleuning -- showed me around a little. "In the past, the future was really cool," joked Gross, who's also been Playboy Magazine's car writer for more than 25 years.

Gross, the exhibit's consulting curator, says these vehicles were imagined and built by designers with one goal: to get attention. Harley Earl's been dead for 45 years and and he's still turning heads. That's called being way ahead of your time. As Gross puts it: "Car designers are the rock stars of the automobile industry and they always have been."

When it came to car design, Earl pushed the industry to put style as a top priority, says Schleuning, the museum's curator of decorative arts and design. "It wasn't just about the cars' technological marvels, but also about their aesthetic appeal."

Related: Teeny cars worth big bucks

The rolling rocket

The rule breaker -- the bad boy of this bunch -- Gross says, is the Firebird. This rolling rocket gets its own chamber in the exhibit.

And it's no wonder.

-- It's the first two-section gas turbine powered car to be built and tested in the U.S.

-- It's one of the first cars with four-wheel disc brakes.

-- Its body is made mostly of expensive and super strong titanium.

In 1954 GM toted the Firebird around the country as part of a traveling car show called the Motorama.

The car "was so fast they only had one or two engineers who drove it at the proving grounds," Gross says. "They used Mauri Rose, who was an Indy 500 winner, to test it -- and even he never took it to its full potential."

It's been suggested that America's century-long obsession with driving may die with the aging Baby Boomer generation. Some experts say that Millennials now in their 20s and 30s have little interest in owning cars, although sales among that group shot up in 2012.

Are we falling out of love with our cars?

The Atlanta museum is by no means the first to celebrate automobile design. Back in 1951, New York's Museum of Modern Art opened an exhibit featuring eight cars described as elegant and exotic. More recently, Gross says, the idea has become a national trend, taking hold in places like Nashville, Tennessee, and Raleigh, North Carolina.

Maybe increased interest within America's art community will stoke the fire, and keep the romance burning a little longer.