Not bad for a first attempt!
4 steloj
I was excited to be offered the opportunity to review this first edition of Lonely Planet's new Vegan Travel Handbook and am glad to say that it didn't disappoint. The successful Lonely Planet formula of gorgeous photographs combined with local information and insider tips works well with a vegan angle. I'm now eager to travel to countries that I might never have considered before and am confident of at least starting off on the right foot when I get there! Suggested countries are grouped by vacation style so Adventure, for example, gives us Argentina, Ethiopia, Taiwan and Vietnam suggestions while Culture leads us to Eastern Europe, India, Israel and my current location (at the time of reading) of Spain. (I can confirm that southern Spain at least is proving to have plenty of vegan eating options, even in smaller towns!)
Within each suggested country's entry we are given ideas for …
I was excited to be offered the opportunity to review this first edition of Lonely Planet's new Vegan Travel Handbook and am glad to say that it didn't disappoint. The successful Lonely Planet formula of gorgeous photographs combined with local information and insider tips works well with a vegan angle. I'm now eager to travel to countries that I might never have considered before and am confident of at least starting off on the right foot when I get there! Suggested countries are grouped by vacation style so Adventure, for example, gives us Argentina, Ethiopia, Taiwan and Vietnam suggestions while Culture leads us to Eastern Europe, India, Israel and my current location (at the time of reading) of Spain. (I can confirm that southern Spain at least is proving to have plenty of vegan eating options, even in smaller towns!)
Within each suggested country's entry we are given ideas for accommodation, eateries and entertainment. I loved the little language sections which explain how to say 'I am vegan' in each local language and list the words for taboo foods. This is a nice touch and I imagine will prove helpful to travellers. However, the novelty of The Vegan Travel Handbook does show in some of the suggested activity and accommodation choices. Several can be 'veganised on request' which, admittedly, is great but implies that these businesses aren't vegan in themselves. Strict vegans may also disapprove of mentions of horse riding excursions and aquarium visits. With the blossoming of veganism globally I imagine future editions of this book will be able to pick and choose from a much wider variety of completely vegan businesses.
The Vegan Travel Handbook, I think, provides a great overview of global destination options for vegans who want to get a bit off the beaten track, but not feel completely isolated for the duration of their vacation. It's reassuring to know ahead of time where pockets of vegan-friendly culture can be found in Berlin or Stockholm or Rio De Janeiro. With so many countries included, individual entries are understandably brief, but were easily enough to whet my appetite for many vacations to come. If you're planning your vegan holidays, I think this book will be a valuable and inspirational resource.