A few people have asked about by non-gay experiences, so here you go. I didn't even consider M/M sex until I was thirty, and it is still not at the top of my preferred list, but it's a lot easier to find, and a lot more dramatic, so most of my stories so far have included it.
Here's something from when I was in my early 20's.
* * *
My first time in Hawaii was during my first tour in the navy. I was 22, and was on a carrier headed west, toward the flesh-pits of the western pacific, and we stopped at Pearl Harbor to pick up the admiral and his staff, and the last few bits of supply before heading west. A week out from the west coast, we docked at Pearl (right next to the USS Arizona β waking up and stepping out on the sponson first thing in the morning to that vision is something that will change any man with a soul), and spent a week there. A lot of the guys on the ship knew where the hookers and strippers were, but I wanted to see more of the town.
I took the bus from the base to the Hale Koa β a hotel on Waikiki that was (and probably still is) owned by the military, and is right on the beach. The hotel itself was booked solid, even if I could afford a room on my paltry pay, but it was right on the beach, and you could walk directly from there to Diamond Head with the row of hotels on one side, and the beach on the other.
I wandered slowly down the row with a couple of buddies from the ship, starting at about ten in the morning, reading the posters in the hotel lobbies about the entertainment there, and spent some time at the "international marketplace" (which I see has now closed), looking at some of the tourist souvenirs for sale, but mostly looking at the woman on vacation there, many of whom had come off of the beach, and were wearing bikinis with an aloha shirt or something over the top. It was great. As someone who'd spent the weeks before deployment working 12 hour shifts, and the week at sea working even longer hours, just the sight of a firm body in next to nothing, was almost more than I could cope with.
My shipmates flirted endlessly with girls they found walking down the streets, and at least one of them lost all respect I might have had for a person when he stepped up to a very cute young lady and asked, direct "are you a swallower or a spitter?" I didn't defend him when she slapped him, and just told him he was on his own.
But that left me with only one buddy to walk with, and he soon peeled off to do his own thing. Which was fine with me β he was a nice enough guy, and a dependable one, but our tastes in music were very different, and I was in the mood to, at the very least, hear some good music.
About 4 or so in the afternoon, I had enough of a clue about the music scene to know where I wanted to go. I went into the bar at the Sheraton where a band that looked interesting was advertised. When I went in, they were just starting their first set (because Honolulu is such a vacation spot, bands there start early and work late). They had a vibe very like "Cold Blood", and a great singer, and I grabbed a seat close enough to hear everything, but not so close that the balance was off, and set off to listen.
The room was not large, but not small β probably seated about 100 β and was attached to a decent bar, but hardly crowded. Maybe twenty people all told.
After the first set, I went to the bar and talked to a few of the musicians β the bass player and one of the horn players β and found some points in common about music. It was too bad I'd left my horn on the ship, but we still got along.
When the band started the second set, I stayed at the bar. As the bartender was also a fan of good music and knew the band. As the place was already pretty quiet (which I found to be a disgrace, as the band was truly kicking ass), I stayed where I had someone to talk to. I ordered a Pina Colada, and the bartender made a pitcher full by cutting up a pineapple, cracking a coconut, and mixing that with rum. The remnants of the pineapple he put into a bowl on the bar, and we snacked on that while we drank and listened to the music.
About ten minutes into the set, a woman came into the bar, dressed more for a night out than a day on the beach, but still very attractive. Medium height, auburn hair, about thirty years old, with an air of class and comfort with herself. She looked around and joined us at the bar. When she saw what we were drinking, she ordered one of the same, and was as pleased as I'd been to see the fresh ingredients. We sat and listened to the band and chatted β she, the bartender, and I β for the next few sets, and I got loosened up enough by the drinks and hormones that I must admit to flirting shamelessly. And she flirted right back, and more than held her own. Enough that I hoped she'd also be willing to hold mine, but not cocky enough to hope that would be a reality.
Between sets, the band would hang out at the bar, and we got to know at least something about them. She (the redhead) was also a fan of that kind of jazz/rock, and quite knowledgeable, and we had a few... not so much 'requests' as 'mentions' played by the band, and played very well, and that gave us more to talk about.
By nine, when the band signed off, they were replaced by another group that was more rockish, less melodic, and less to our tastes, we asked each other "where should we go now?"