Veggie-Trails: Online Resources for the Meatless Crowd

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Veggie-Trails: Online Resources for the Meatless Crowd

By Maureen Clarke

March 10, 2005

 

(Link to article)

http://tinyurl.com/4m4l8

 

We have five words for vegetarian travelers in the Basque region of

Spain: " Ba al duzue barazkijaleentzako platerik? "

 

That would be Euskara for " Do you have any vegetarian dishes? "

 

It's one of many critical phrases -- translated into almost 70

languages, from Magyar to Nepali -- on the International Vegetarian

Union's website (www.ivu.org). Founded in 1908, the IVU is now one of

many organizations with websites designed to assist non-meat eaters

who don't want dietary restrictions to limit their travel options.

 

The best, in our humble opinion, is Happy Cow (www.happycow.net), a

database of more than 3,500 vegetarian restaurants and health food

stores throughout the world. You'll learn here that Bilbao actually

has eight 100% meat-free dining establishments. The beef-mecca of

Buenos Aires has four, and Happy Cow mentions additional places in

three other Argentinean cities as well. North American listings are

the most extensive, numbering almost 2,000, but every continent save

South America, Africa, and Antarctica shows hundreds of places. For

the less orthodox, Happy Cow lists vegetarian-friendly restaurants as

well.

 

For $14.95, Vegdining.com (www.vegdining.com) sells an international

discount card, good for 10% off in more than 100 vegetarian

restaurants in the U.S., Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, and

Australia. Vegdining also publishes an international roster of

meat-free places to eat. Far less extensive than Happy Cow, the

database is best for heavily traveled cities in Europe and North

America, and it lists only venues that are exclusively vegetarian.

 

Vegetarian Vacations

(www.vegetarian-vacations.com/veggie-friendly.html) posts a variety of

tour operators that offer strictly meatless getaways, as well as trips

that meet the needs of vegetarians with meat-eating travel partners.

Vegi Ventures (www.vegiventures.com), for example, specializes in

trips to the U.K., Turkey, Peru, and Africa. Another, called Bicycle

Beano Tours (www.bicycle-beano.co.uk), runs " veggie cycling holidays "

through Wales and England. See the Vegetarian Vacations website for a

full listing.

 

Maryland-based Green Earth Travel (tel. 888/246-8343; e-mail

greenearthtravel;

http://content.onlineagency.com/c/4/4263/553789_4263.htm) provides the

broadest array of options. Owner Donna Zeigfinger books escorted and

independent tours, as well as hotels, cars, and airline tickets, for

vegan and vegetarian clients. Her preference is for avowedly

vegetarian hotels, spas, B & Bs, and tour operators, but she'll make

special dietary arrangements on trips run by standard tour companies

as well. She also provides clients with lists of vegetarian

restaurants in their destination cities.

 

Veg Voyages (tel. 888/834-9297; www.vegvoyages.com) leads two guided

tours, with meat-free meals included, through the vegetarian paradise

of India. The Desert Kingdoms of Rajputana tour takes travelers on a

14-night, 14-city loop for $975, not including airfare. The tour

begins and ends in Delhi, passing through Bikaner in the north,

Jaisalamer in the west, Udaipur in the south, and Agra in the east.

The package price includes 14 nights' accommodations, daily breakfast

and lunch, 11 dinners, admission fees, and all transport within India

-- via rickshaw, Jeep, and boat, as well as more conventional

vehicles.

 

Veg Voyages' Buddhas, Beasts, Badlands, and Beaches tour takes you on

a 23-day tour of 17 cities in Rajputana and Gujarat for $1,495,

without airfare. This trip also begins and ends in Delhi. The price

includes 21 nights accommodations, daily breakfast, 20 lunches, 18

dinners, admission fees, and all Indian transport, including a sleeper

train. If you don't eat meat because of your love of animals, the

highlight of this trip will be the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary. Just hope

the lions reciprocate your consideration!