Vacances VG

[Animal 0]

Monday, March 7, 2005


Plan trips to meet your particular taste

Vegans can find vacation spots that will gladly cater to their specific needs.

Washington Post


Tired of asking, "Is there meat in this?" Then book a hotel, cruise or trip that caters to vegetarians. Among the options:


Vegetarian accommodations


(VANCOUVER)• White Pig B&B (5120 Irish Road, Schuyler, Va., 434-831-1416, www.the whitepig.com) is run by a vegan couple and is home to 13 pigs -- that you can pet, not eat. The three rooms run $150 to $230 per night and include a vegan breakfast and afternoon treats, such as vegan brownies. Chef/innkeeper Dina Brigish also will prepare a gourmet dinner for $45 (basket) or $60 (full meal) per person; lunch is $10.


(VERMONT-USA- À UNE HEURE 1/2 DE MONTRÉAL) • Sweet Onion Inn (Route 100, Hancock, Vt., 800-897-6490, www.swee tonioninn.com)
and its sister property the Sweet Thyme Inn (Route 92/28, Green Bank, W.Va., 304-456-5535) offer lodging with vegan and vegetarian meals, respectively. Rates for Sweet Onion: $135 per night for two, including breakfast and dinner. Rates for Sweet Thyme: $60-$100 per night double; meals extra.

• Golden Guernsey (www.thegol denguernsey.com) is a vegetarian barn-and-breakfast 90 miles from New York City in Cochecton. Doubles from $80, including veggie or pescatarian (no meat, but eats fish) breakfast.

• Hidden Valley Farm (888-624-0315, http://hiddenvalleyfarm.8k.com/in dex.htm) is a three-room farmhouse near Owen Sound in Ontario, Canada. Breakfast is vegetarian and organic when possible. Rates from about $60 per couple include breakfast; other meal plans available as well.

For a list of other vegetarian lodgings, check Vegetarian Vacation's Web site, www.vegetarian-vaca tions.com/usbandb.html, or VegetarianUSA.com, www.vegetarianusa .com. The United Kingdom also has many vegan and vegetarian B&Bs; check with Visit Britain (800-462-2748, www.visitbritain.com) for details.


Resorts / spas:


• Rio Caliente (800-200-2927, www.riocaliente.com), about 45 minutes from Mexico's Guadalajara, pairs rejuvenating activities (i.e., nature hikes, hot springs, yoga) with gourmet vegetarian meals. Nightly rates from $128 per person double include three veggie meals a day, lectures, exercises, etc.

• Regency House Natural Health Spa, near Fort Lauderdale, Fla., stresses fitness and healthy (meat-less) eating; a five-day package ($799 per person double until April 23), for one, includes room, three vegetarian meals daily, vegetarian cooking demos, etc. Info: 800- 454-0003, www.regency healthspa.com.


Active / cultural vacations:


• Wanderbird Cruises (866-SEA-BIRD, www.wanderbirdcruises.com) is a 90-foot Dutch fishing vessel that sails along the Maine and Canadian coastline. Besides catering to vegetarian sailors, its captains (one is vegetarian) also plan a handful of vegetarian cruises, such as the Sept. 5-9 "Sail With Whales Featuring Vegetarian Fare" for $1,150 per person.

• Bicycle Beano Cycling Holidays (011-44-198-256-0471, www.bicycle-beano.co.uk) organizes cycling holidays in Wales and England with vegetarian meals. The three-day Wye Valley trip on July 1, for example, starts at $453 per person for camping and veggie meals.

• Mama Margaret and Friends Cooking Adventures in Italy (800-557-0370, www.italycookingtours.com) has a vegetarian tour of Umbria, Italy, that includes cooking lessons and tours of foodie sites, such as an olive oil mill. The April 17-23 trip is $3,165 per person double, land only.


Travel agencies:


• Green Earth Travel, of Cabin John, (301-229-5666, www.vegtravel.com) specializes in vegetarian vacations. Vegan owner Donna Zeigfinger can also supply a list of meat-free restaurants in various destinations (free for clients who book with her agency; otherwise $10 per city). • On the International Ecotourism Society's Web site (www.ecotou rism.org), click on Travel Choice to find travel operators worldwide who specialize in environmentally aware trips and organic and/or vegetarian cuisine.

• Specialty Travel Index (888-624-4030, http://specialtytravel.com) has a vegetarian tours category, such as a retreat in Hawaii.

• Vegan Tours (877-233-0146, http://vegantours.com) offers trips to some of Costa Rica's top natural attractions. Cost: $350 per person double, for lodging, three meals a day and tours.