I need a vacation, but don’t we all? We actually took a “workation” a few weeks ago — to the lovely Provincetown, MA — but it wound up being a lot more “work” and a little less “ation” than I had hoped. Still, it was divine to get away. (But next time, I hope I can actually get away.)
With vacations on my mind and the onset of summertime already making us all schvitzy, my ears are perking up every time I hear about a new vegan getaway service, resource, idea, yadda yadda. Last week, someone emailed me telling me about Veggie Hotels, a list of “more than 350 exclusively vegetarian and vegan hotels, Bed and Breakfasts, [and] seminar and health centers in 52 countries!” The search feature allows you to check things like “100% vegan,” “raw food diet available,” and more. That’s how I found out about the Bodrum Detox Center in Turkey. Don’t mind if I do …
What I love about this site — aside from the fact that it provides endless fodder for my vegan pie in the sky list — is that it provides an incredible platform for the vegan travel industry to showcase the many ways that vegans can travel, while easily remaining true to our ethics and lifestyle choices. Creating this kind of site is in and of itself an effective form of advocacy, and I would bet — given the fact that you’re reading this — that you’re just as stoked about it as I am.
There are, of course, a ton of vegan-cations for us to choose from. Though this is certainly not intended to be a comprehensive list, it will at least give you an idea of what’s out there (because there’s a lot out there). Apparently I’m not the only one daydreaming about vacations, because here are some of the things that I’ve heard about just in the last few days:
- Someone emailed me about a “Vegan Vacation Weekend” being held at the Black Swan Inn in Tilton, NH, from July 26-28. It looks incredible, and includes food, yoga, music, workshops, cooking classes, food tastings, and more.
- And — literally as I am writing this — I got an email from someone else about a Vegan Spirituality Retreat coming up on July 20 in Philadelphia.
- I couldn’t make this up, you guys. A few hours ago, I got off the phone with a pal who is planning an R&R trip to Rhinebeck, NY’s Omega Institute (which is vegetarian, not vegan), where she plans on doing little else than sitting in a hammock. She’s then traipsing over to nearby Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, staying at their B&B, and cuddling with a cow or two.
- Speaking of which, Catskill Animal Sanctuary also has a guest house — The Homestead — and if you visit, you might even get to meet founder Kathy Stevens, who was just on our podcast.
- Of course, you could also take an animal-friendly volunteer vacation. Remember when guest writer Laurie Johnston told us about her visit to Aruba’s Donkey Sanctuary? Or when Kyle Knies told us about his time visiting and volunteering with animals in India?
- The OHH blog has covered vegan vacations in the past, including telling you about the vegan vacation service Your Time Travels, which is truly a one-stop-shop for all your vegan vacation needs — whether you want to volunteer or just chill.
In an article we wrote three years ago, we ruminated on being a vegan on vacation. Here’s what we said:
Well, summer is just about upon us. We are, thus, inspired to think about vacations and how to best enjoy them as a vegan. Not to mention the fact that, even on vacation, it’s important to do your part for the animals by supporting vegan businesses, eating vegan food, having a great ol’ vegan time, and letting everyone know about it. We have actually found that being vegan, rather than limiting our enjoyment of a city, can enhance it, since it gives us a goal (finding all the best vegan food) and, often, a reason to go exploring in interesting out-of-the-way neighborhoods that we might not have visited if it hadn’t been for hearing about some great vegan restaurant. Sometimes it gives us a chance to hook up with some great animal activists in a brand new place.
Do you have any favorite vegan vacation spots, services, or resources?