Maria Giurcan is VegDining's City Ambassador for Boston and a veteran vegan traveler. We managed to catch up with Maria to chat about her new book "How to Travel the World as a Vegan", as well as talk about her upcoming travel plans and her recently launched business "Vegan Honeymoons".

Maria:  Thank you, Dennis! My book is comprised of two sections. Chapters in Section 1 cover a vast range of "Vegan Travel Tips" including vegan foods to pack for your trip, how to prepare for your vegan vacation, how to communicate your meal requirements in other languages, what questions to ask international waiters, and how to locate vegan-friendly inns and tours.

As well, I cover what to expect with train/cruise/airport/hotel dining, vegan camping, ski trips, vegan travel products, and much more! Section 2 chapters cover the vegan dining scene in the most visited countries in each continent. This includes local fruits, beverages, and popular desserts.

Maria:  Sure! For those who don't feel comfortable with language translation guides, there is a guide called "Point It!" which contains food photos. Just point to the image and the waiter or hotel staff will know exactly what you need! Also, several online companies offer vegan, packaged, dried meals which are perfect for airports or planes. Several brands provide vegan camping meals. Just add hot water.

Maria:  Since I have traveled extensively in the USA and abroad in five continents, I realized that I gained a lot of knowledge regarding the "traveling vegan" life. I want to share my experience and travel tips to help other vegans, so that they realize that "traveling as a vegan" isn't as challenging as they may believe. Initially, I started to share my tips through my vegan travel blog "Vegan World Trekker". Then it evolved into my book.

Maria:  Yes. My book "How To Travel The World As A Vegan" is available both as a regular size e-book and in Kindle format for download. It was a wonderfully educational experience authoring an e-book for the first time!

As a software QA engineer by profession, I did not find the task to be difficult a bit. Step one was creating the content from my travels and tips. Step two was my design of my e-book cover. Step three was the publishing, which was made easy by Amazon.

At this point in time, it appears that e-book formats are surpassing traditional printed books in sales. However, it is nice that Amazon and other online sites provide both options for those purchasing the book.

Maria:  I am indeed planning both: the tours and workshops. I have been contacting vegetarian and vegan societies across the USA, indie bookstores, and vegan cafes. In addition, I am scheduled to give a workshop on "Vegan Travel Tips" at REI Sports through Hostelling International. An additional goal is to teach these workshops at local adult education centers.

Maria:  Since graduating from college a while back, I developed the desire to travel. Believe it or not, I was terrified at the thought of flying on a plane. That said, I spent my twenties on motorcoach bus tours, up and down the east coast of the United States. Then something wonderful happened! I received an invitation to visit my relatives in Romania. My desire to meet my relatives for the first time, surpassed my fear of flying! I loved meeting people from other cultures and enjoyed the international landscapes. I have been passionate about travel ever since!

Maria:  Wow! That is a difficult question! Every land has so much to offer in terms of landscape, museums, music, dance, wildlife, and of course vegan food! I would have to say that three of my most recent trips were among the most memorable. They are South Africa (penguins and baboons), Peru (Machu Picchu), and Egypt (hieroglyphics).

Maria:  Of course, I love the history and ocean view from my hometown of Boston, MA. However, I really appreciate all that Seattle, Washington has to offer! Its fresh air, mountains, forests, quaint streets, harbor islands, music scene, and art grabbed my attention and kept it!

Maria:  I have so many destinations still on my radar. My "must-go" list includes Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, India, Turkey, Israel, Russia, Alaska, Australia, and several European cities. New Zealand will most likely be my next adventure. I started the year visiting the northernmost capital city in the world: Reykjavik, Iceland and I would like to end the year visiting the southernmost capital city in the world: Wellington, New Zealand.

Maria:  Yes, absolutely! Ten years ago, I became vegan (vegetarian since age eight). My trip to Asia back then was challenging at times. Now, not only are more destinations becoming more vegan-friendly, but there are now easy ways to research and plan for a vegan journey. For example, VegDining.com can readily assist with locating vegan restaurants all over the world!

Maria:  Yes indeed! I am so excited to have just launched my new business! It's based on two of my passions: travel and vegan food! I became interested in starting a business that incorporates these two passions, in addition to serving a particular niche that is currently under-represented. I am thrilled that the vegetarian and vegan community will now have an online business that provides this "under-represented, yet desired" service and offerings. I will provide complete vegan honeymoon packages, including vegan-friendly accommodations, airfare, and adventure tours. Extra special touches such as romantic, candlelit dinners or couples massage are part of some of the honeymoon packages offered.

Maria: I also have a strong desire to be the first "vegan travel host" on the Travel Channel! They have a travel host who travels the world to find unusual, carnivore foods. I am very interested in traveling the globe in search of unique fruits and vegetables, vegan dining, and sightseeing! My goal is to record a video and submit it to the Travel Channel as my application for TV host.

Maria:  My book can be purchased on Amazon.com as a regular e-book or Kindle download. Just search on Amazon for book title "How To Travel The World As A Vegan". You can visit my vegan travel blog and website at www.veganworldtrekker.com and my new business at www.veganhoneymoons.com.

Photos courtesy of Maria Giurcan.