For the average wanderer, traveling to a new part of the world offers the exciting (and sometimes traumatizing) opportunity to try new regional dishes. While travel can provide many tasty experiences, finding foods for specialized diets on the road can be a daunting challenge. Fortunately for vegetarian and vegan travelers, there are numerous resources available addressing this issue, including several comprehensive websites.

HappyCow (www.happycow.net) has a full index of vegetarian and vegan restaurants and health food stores across the globe. Additionally, HappyCow offers links to travel guides, including HappyCow's own guide to vegetarian bed and breakfasts (also listed on a global basis). VegGuide.Org (www.vegguide.org) also provides a comprehensive listing of vegetarian and vegan establishments, as well as free restaurant reviews, and as a community-sponsored site, is not plagued by the margin ads some of the other sites contain.

VegDining.Com (www.vegdining.com) also provides a global listing of veg-friendly establishments. The site also offers a US$4.95 annual membership, which gains access to city-specific vegetarian travel guides and restaurant reviews. Vegetarian-Restaurants.net (www.vegetarian-restaurants.net) also offers an index of vegetarian restaurants and health food stores across the world, although this site features more advertisements than some other sites and is a bit less user-friendly as a result.

Finally, the Vegetarian Resource Group offers a limited restaurant guide in their travel section (www.vrg.org/travel/), and has also published a print guide to vegetarian restaurants in North America, Vegetarian Journal's Guide to Natural Foods Restaurants in the US and Canada, which can be ordered from VRG's website.

There are also a variety of tour companies who specialize in vegetarian and vegan travel packages, including Adventure Health Travel (www.adventurehealthtravel.com), Green Earth Travel (www.vegtravel.com), Vegetarian Journeys (www.vegetarianjourneys.com), Vegan Travel (www.vegantravel.co.uk) , and Veg Voyages (www.vegvoyages.com).

If you didn't plan ahead, try the local phone book or ask at the front desk of your hotel. If you are really unsure as to the available offerings in the area to which you are traveling, it is recommended that you pack some food you know will travel well with you, such as nuts, trail mix, energy bars, etc., in case you aren't able to find anything in your area. The more remote the area you are traveling, the less food options you will find, although depending on the country you travel to, vegetarian fare may be offered as the regional or cultural norm.

Safe travels!

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