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Vaughan

Vaughan (pronounced "Von") is a city of 306,000 people (2016) in York Region, in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, north of Toronto, west of Richmond Hill and Markham, east of Brampton, and south of Simcoe County. It is a vast suburban and rural area whose principal draws for visitors are the Canada's Wonderland amusement park, and the McMichael Canadian Art Collection.

Understand
Vaughan is a conglomeration of former towns that have now sprawled to become one city. Many residents identify with these smaller towns rather than Vaughan, with the exception of Vaughan Metropolitan Centre.
 * Maple - Old town is around Keele Street and Major Mackenzie, Vaughan City Hall is located near there.
 * Woodbridge - Old town is on Woodbridge Avenue between Islington Ave and Kipling Ave. Modern boundaries are Steeles Avenue in the south, Highway 400 in the east, Major Mackenzie Drive in the north, and Highway 50 in the west. Woodbridge hosts a significant Italian population.
 * Concord - Formerly a small hamlet, Concord is now mainly comprised of industrial buildings. Concord's boundaries are Steeles Avenue to the south, Highway 400 to the west, Dufferin Street to the east, and Rutherford Road to the north.
 * Thornhill - Thornhill stretches into Markham. Old Thornhill is on Yonge Street between Centre Street and John Street. Modern boundaries of Thornhill-Vaughan are Dufferin Street in the west, Highway 7 in the north, Yonge Street in the east, and Steeles Avenue in the south. Thornhill hosts a significant Soviet-Jewish population, especially along Bathurst Street.
 * Kleinburg - The old town is on Islington Avenue and Nashville Road, near Highway 27.
 * Vaughan Metropolitan Centre - VMC is the new "downtown" area of Vaughan that was carved out of Concord. It is still in development and follows the trend of suburban towns building "city centres" to strive a city in its own right, as opposed to being seen as a bedroom community. It is around Highway 7 and Jane. Many new condominiums are being built as of January 2023, most of them already sold out.

History
In the late pre-contact period, the Huron-Wendat people populated what is today Vaughan. The Skandatut ancestral Wendat village overlooked the east branch of the Humber River (Pine Valley Drive) and was once home to approximately 2000 Huron in the 16th century. The site is close to a Huron ossuary (mass grave) uncovered in Kleinburg in 1970, and 1 km north of the Seed-Barker Huron site.

The first European to pass through Vaughan was the French explorer Étienne Brûlé, who traversed the Humber Trail in 1615. However, it was not until the townships were created in 1792 that Vaughan began to see European settlements, as it was considered to be extremely remote and the lack of roads through the region made travel difficult. The township was named after Benjamin Vaughan, a British commissioner who signed a peace treaty with the United States in 1783.

Despite the hardships of pioneer life, settlers came to Vaughan in considerable numbers. The population grew from 19 men, 5 women, and 30 children in 1800 to 4,300 in 1840. The first people to arrive were mainly Pennsylvania Germans, with a smaller number of families of English descent and a group of French Royalists. This migration from the United States was by 1814 superseded by immigrants from Britain. While many of their predecessors had been agriculturalists, the newer immigrants proved to be highly skilled tradespeople, which would prove useful for a growing community.

Around the facilities established by this group were a number of hamlets, the oldest of which was Thornhill, in which was built a saw-mill in 1801, and a grist mill in 1815. It had a population of 300 by 1836. Other such enclaves included Kleinburg, Coleraine, Maple, Richmond Hill, Teston, Claireville, Pine Grove, Carrville, Patterson, Burlington, Concord, Edgeley, Fisherville, Elder's Mills, Elgin Mills, Jefferson, Nashville, Purpleville, Richvale, Sherwood, Langstaff, Vellore, and Burwick (Woodbridge).

World War II sparked an influx of immigration, and by 1960, the population stood at about 16,000. The ethno-cultural composition of the area began to change with the arrival of different groups such as Italians, Jews and Eastern Europeans.

By plane
The City of Vaughan is served mainly by Toronto Pearson International Airport. From Pearson Airport, you could use several methods to reach Vaughan. By automobile, you would take 409 East, exit onto Highway 401 East, and then take Highway 400 North, and after that, it depends where you need to go. Alternatively, if you only need to get to the west side of Vaughan, you could take Highway 427 North from the airport instead. Using public transit, you could take GO Bus 40 (Hamilton-Richmond Hill Centre), which goes from Terminal One to Highway 407 Station, and transfer onto local transit, the subway, or another GO Bus if required.

A few flights also arrive at Toronto's Billy Bishop Airport in downtown Toronto. From Billy Bishop, there are several methods to reach Vaughan. By automobile, you take Gardiner Expy West, 427 North, then 401 East, then 400 North, and after that, depends on where you need to go. Alternatively, if you only need to get to the west side of Vaughan, you could just continue on Highway 427 northbound.

Using public transit, you could take the subway, which is cheaper, or the GO commuter train, which is faster. For the subway, take Line 1 north towards Vaughan Metropolitan Centre. Vaughan is served by two stations. Vaughan Metropolitan Centre is the terminus and where the "new downtown" is, and has connections to local VIVA rapid transit as well as other local buses. Highway 407 Station has connections to regional GO Buses. For the commuter train, take the Barrie Line. Two stations are in Vaughan, which are Maple GO and Rutherford GO. When trains are not running, GO buses replace the service.

By train
The City of Vaughan is only served by GO Transit commuter rail. If a traveller is looking to arrive using Via Rail, one must transfer to either GO Transit, or other forms of transportation to get to Vaughan. Within the city of Vaughan are two GO stations: and, all part of the Barrie Line. Barrie Line goes south to Union Station or north to Barrie. From Toronto, take the Barrie Line north to either Rutherford or Maple stations. From Barrie, take the Barrie line south to either Rutherford or Maple Stations. From either east or west, one must transfer at Toronto's Union Station in order to take the Barrie line.

By car
Three major freeways run through Vaughan: Highway 400, Highway 427, and Highway 407 ETR. Highway 400 goes north/south towards Barrie and Toronto. Highway 427 goes north/south and ends in Toronto on the south side. Highway 407 ETR goes to Brampton and Richmond Hill. The Highway 407 ETR is an electronically tolled highway, and therefore there are no toll booths to collect money; your licence plate is photographed. In addition, the rates are based on mileage: rates are available on to their website.

Arterial roads in the City of Vaughan are laid out in a grid format, usually 2 km by 2 km. There are few turn restrictions, however, there are more in busier areas. Parking is generally free and readily available.

By bus
Bus service into Vaughan is provided by TTC, YRT and GO. (See York Region article for details.)

By subway
The Toronto Transit Commission's subway Line 1 Yonge-University provides service from downtown Toronto to three stations in Vaughan, York Region. The three stations are Pioneer Village (at the Toronto/Vaughan border), Highway 407 and Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, all having bus connections. A trip from Union Station in downtown Toronto to Vaughan Metropolitan Centre takes about 50 minutes. Subway service is provided by the Toronto Transit Commission and uses only TTC fares. There are no free transfers between the subway and YRT, Viva, Go Transit or Züm buses.

Get around
Vaughan is a relatively large city, however, it is sparse compared to neighbouring Toronto. Getting around is usually best with a car, however, you may cycle or take the bus.

Transit
Vaughan is served by the York Region's Transit system (YRT and VIVA) as well as the provincial GO Transit. Some ZUM (Brampton Transit) routes also enter Vaughan.

York Region Transit
York Region Transit is the main local transit agency. It operates in Vaughan, and in neighbouring Richmond Hill, King, and the rest of York Region. Click the link for an overview on bus service in York Region.

York Region Transit operates from 5AM in the morning to 1AM at night. It does depend on the route, however. It is best to check a schedule to reduce unnecessary waiting time.

The primary fare media used on the YRT is the Presto Card, which is also usable on many surrounding transit systems, on UP Express between Pearson Airport and downtown, and on GO Transit which provides regional rail and bus service (including service to Niagara Falls). Presto cards may be purchased at many local outlets, and at any staffed GO Transit station. The card costs $4.00, and can be loaded with any desired amount of money. To use the card, tap it on the green reader when entering a bus. A green light and a beep will confirm acceptance. If multiple YRT/VIVA vehicles are used to complete a one-way journey under two hours from your initial tap-on, only a single fare will be charged.

Many York Region Transit routes mostly follow major arterial roads.

A simple chart to remember the routes on major arterials:

East-West:

 * 4/4A - Major Mackenzie Drive
 * 85/85C - Rutherford Road
 * 77 - Highway 7 (use for local trips)
 * Viva Orange - Highway 7/Centre Street/Bathurst Street (use for express trips)
 * 5 - Clark Avenue

North-South

 * 7 - Martin Grove Road
 * 13 - Islington Avenue
 * 165/165F - Weston Road
 * 20 - Jane Street
 * 107 or 96 - Keele Street
 * 105 - Dufferin Street
 * 88 - Bathurst Street

VIVA
VIVA is the rapid transit branch of YRT. In Vaughan, it is only present on Highway 7, Centre Street, and Bathurst Street. VIVA and YRT use the same fare; one can transfer without paying extra charges. However, on VIVA, in an attempt to lower waiting time at stops, fare payment is done at the stop rather than on the bus. If you are caught riding without proof-of-payment, you may be fined for fare evasion. VIVA buses sometimes use rapidways, which are bus lanes situated in the middle of the road. These are present on Highway 7, Centre Street, and Bathurst Street. They include a heated waiting area.

TTC subway
In 2017, the Toronto Transit Commission opened an extension to Line 1 Yonge-University-Spadina. 6 new stations were opened, two of which are in the City of Vaughan. These stations are Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Station and Highway 407 Station. Customers using a Presto card or contactless credit or debit card on a Presto fare device are entitled to receive a free or discounted transfer when transferring between TTC, GO Transit, YRT, VIVA and Zum (Brampton Transit) buses. However customers paying by cash still require a separate fare when transferring between TTC and other transit agencies, even if they just travel within Vaughan.
 * Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Station - This station is the western terminus of Line 1 of the TTC at Highway 7 and Jane Street. It connects to local YRT Bus service and VIVA buses. There are large parking lots, however, they are privately owned.
 * Highway 407 Station - This station is mainly a commuter station and is at Jane Street and Highway 407 ETR. Many GO bus services and local YRT bus routes connect here. There are large parking lots.

GO Transit
Vaughan has two GO stations, which are part of the Barrie Line. Rutherford GO and Maple GO. During non-rush hour times, these routes are replaced by GO bus service.
 * Maple GO - near Keele Street and Major Mackenzie Drive, the GO station is relatively small. It is connected to local YRT bus service.
 * Rutherford GO - near Keele Street and Rutherford Road, this GO station has extensive parking lots. It is also connected to local YRT bus service.

By taxi
Taxis are generally not found on the roads; therefore they cannot be hailed from the street. In order to acquire a taxi, it is best to pre-book a trip using a phone or using the internet.

Ride-share applications such as Uber and Lyft can also be used and are easier to acquire a ride compared to traditional taxis.

By bicycle
Unlike the neighbouring City of Toronto, it is completely legal to cycle on sidewalks. Due to this, it is very safe to cycle as you are separated from the vehicles. Some routes also have dedicated bike paths on the side (Dufferin Street from Rutherford to Major Mackenzie). In addition, some roads also have bike lanes on the side of the road.

It is a provincial law that cyclists under 18 must wear a helmet, and all riders must have a bike with reflectors and a bell. This is almost never enforced due to the low number of cyclists.

The YRT has taken measures to be welcoming of bicycles. All YRT/VIVA buses have easy to use bike racks, and bicycles are allowed onto the TTC subway during off-peak hours. This allows you to be able to take your bike almost anywhere in the city.

Beware of right-turning vehicles when you enter an intersection. Drivers usually do not expect cyclists or pedestrians due to the low number of peds and cyclists. Therefore they may not look before they turn, as they only look for other cars.

See https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1UtUsyG3R54vtWe2a38Bn3TZbiTA for Vaughan's official cycling map, which indicates which routes have bike lanes, where trails are located, etc. Note that "Bike Routes", whether signed or unsigned, does not necessarily mean there is extra infrastructure in place for cycling; it could just be a normal road.

By car
As a suburban community, driving is the easiest, fastest, and most convenient way to get around. Arterial roads are in grid format and are 2 km apart. Some of the busiest routes include Highway 7, Bathurst Street, Rutherford Road, and Highway 27.

There are 3 major freeways in Vaughan:
 * Highway 400 runs north/south and is situated in between Jane Street and Weston Road. Highway 400 heads to Barrie and Sudbury going north, and to Toronto's Black Creek neighbourhood going south. It ends at Highway 401 on the southern end. Highway 400 has exits at Steeles Avenue, Highway 407 ETR, Highway 7, Langstaff Road (partial), Bass Pro Mills Drive (partial), Rutherford Road, Major Mackenzie Drive, and Teston Road in Vaughan. A short drive north of the Teston Toad interchange, there are travel plazas in both directions.
 * Highway 407 ETR runs east/west north of Steeles Avenue and south of Highway 7. After Keele Street, the highway runs largely parallel to Highway 7. The 407 is an electronically tolled freeway; therefore there are no toll booths. Your licence plate is photographed. Rates vary depending on the time of day, and is based on mileage. Rates are available on their website. The 407 ETR has agreements with several provinces and state governments (notably Quebec and New York); therefore just because you might have an out-of-province plate does not mean you will not be charged. Highway 407 ETR has exits at Highway 427, Highway 27, Pine Valley Drive, Weston Road (partial), Highway 400, Jane Street, Keele Street, Dufferin Street, and Bathurst Street in Vaughan.
 * Highway 427 runs north/south and is situated between Highway 50 and Highway 27. As of Nov 2020, Highway 427 ends at Highway 7, but the freeway is being extended north to Major Mackenzie Drive. Highway 427 goes south to Etobicoke in Toronto and ends at the QEW/Gardiner Expressway interchange. Highway 427 has exits at Highway 407 ETR and Highway 7 in Vaughan. Beware of the large number of trucks on Highway 427, as the freeway passes through mostly industrial lands.

Do

 * Boyd Conservation Area, a park between Woodbridge and Kleinburg southeast of the intersection of Islington Avenue and Rutherford Road.
 * Boyd Conservation Area, a park between Woodbridge and Kleinburg southeast of the intersection of Islington Avenue and Rutherford Road.

Learn
Vaughan has no public post-secondary institutions. However, Vaughan is home to the Canadian Campus of Niagara University, a private Catholic University, and offers programs in Education. It is located east of Jane and Highway 7, in Vaughan Metropolitan Centre. York University, a full public university in Toronto, is located on the Toronto-Vaughan border, at Steeles and Jane.

Buy
Vaughan has been called Canada's best shopping city numerous times.

Maple
There are no hotels in Maple.

Vaughan Metropolitan Centre
A cluster of hotels are located around the Highway 400 and Highway 407 interchange. They are near Vaughan Metropolitan Centre subway station and Viva Rapidway.

South
These two hotels are at the southern border of the city with Toronto. They also happen to be in different communities (one is in Woodbridge the other in Concord) but are literally right next to each other.

Stay safe
Vaughan is a very safe city. There is organized crime in Vaughan, however, those rarely affect regular people. Pickpocketing is also rare due to the sparse nature of the city.

There are a few homeless people in Vaughan. They may ask for money at the side of the road.

Pedestrians and cyclists should beware of vehicles making right turns.

Weather
Avoid river/creek banks or bridge underpasses during periods of excessive rain, during/after heavy thundershowers or melting snow. Recent flooding can soften the soil and cause it to suddenly collapse into the water under any weight.

Occasionally, Vaughan will be hit with a severe winter storm accompanied by significant snowfall (quite often mixed with freezing rain, ice, or sleet). Avoid driving during and immediately after the storms if at all possible. This is especially true for those unfamiliar with winter driving and controlling a car in a skid. Take public transit, walk, or stay inside.

Calling
For an emergency, dial 911 (you can dial it at the pay phone without inserting any coins).

Vaughan has three overlapping area codes, 905, 365 and 289. However, area codes from Toronto (416, 437, 647) are common in Vaughan. As a result, Vaughan has 10-digit local dialling. You must always dial the area code as part of the number you are trying to reach.

Internet
Complimentary internet is available at Vaughan Public Libraries. Internet is also available at many private establishments, such as malls, fast food restaurants, etc.

News
yorkregion.com has local news. Most news does come from Toronto. Tune to 680 AM to hear Toronto's all-news radio.

Stay healthy
is at the northwest corner of Major MacKenzie Drive W and Jane St intersection. It is just north of Canada's Wonderland.

Police stations
York Regional Police serves as the city's law enforcement. There is only one police station that serves the City of Vaughan. Due to Vaughan's size, sometimes a station from a neighbouring municipality may be closer.

Radio
There is only one radio station that operates in Vaughan, being CFU758 (frequency 90.7 FM), which is a high school radio operated by Vaughan Secondary School. It does not broadcast very far and can be only heard in the vicinity of the school.

All other radio heard in Vaughan is broadcast from across the Greater Toronto Area, with most being from Toronto. CityNews 680 is Toronto's all news radio, and reports breaking news, weather, and traffic.

Go next
West:
 * Brampton, another suburban community of Toronto
 * Caledon, a rural municipality north of Brampton

East:
 * Richmond Hill
 * Markham

North:

 * King

South:
 * Toronto

Take public transit to Downtown Toronto or take local flights from nearby Brampton airport. These may include aerial tours.

The region is a gateway to Southern Ontario with tourist attractions including Niagara Falls, Ontario Wine Country and the Niagara Escarpment. Take a day trip to Lake Simcoe or Lake Wilcox. Many parks are located nearby.

title: Vaughan


text:
Vaughan (disambiguation)

There's more than one place called Vaughan or Vaughn:

Canada

 * Vaughan — a city in York Region, in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario

United States of America

 * Vaughan (Mississippi) — a town in Yazoo County, Mississippi
 * Vaughn (Montana) — a town in Cascade County, Montana
 * Vaughn (New Mexico) — a town in Guadalupe County, New Mexico
 * Vaughn (Washington) — a town in Washington (state)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Vaughan (disambiguation)


text:
Vava'u

Vava’u is a group of more than 50 islands in Tonga, about 250 km (150 miles) north of Tongatapu. They are either raised coral limestone or coral atolls. The beautiful harbour opposite the main town of Neiafu (known as the Port of Refuge Harbour) is a common destination for yachties sailing the South Pacific. The waters of the islands are known for their clarity, it being said that you can see the bottom at 40 metres. The area attracts many humpback whales between June and November and there are lots of companies organising tours to see them. There are numerous places to stay, to suit most budgets.

Understand
Findings of Lapita pottery suggest that early Polynesians were on these islands close to 3000 years ago. These days there are around 20,000 people living in the Group. Neiafu and surrounding villages are home to about a third of the Group’s overall population of around 20,000, with the majority of the population living in small villages on the other islands. Neiafu is the official port of entry for yachts coming to Vava'u, which attracts over 500 yachts every winter sailing season between June and October. A string of islands and reefs along the eastern edge of the Group shelters the area from strong winds and ocean swells, and humpback whales come to these protected waters to give birth. This is the high season for tourism; between December and April few people visit and many tour companies and restaurants close down. Neiafu town is the centre of activity. It is on the southern point of the main island of 'Utu Vava'u and has an attractive setting on one of the world's most beautiful harbours. Neiafu offers all the usual amenities including banks, schools, tour companies, restaurants, cafes and bars, supermarkets, a market and a hospital. It doesn't have a beach, but boats to one of the nearby coral atolls with superb sandy beaches are easily available.

Climate
Vava'u has a tropical climate with average temperatures up to 29ºC in January and down to 24ºC in June. It is sunny throughout the year. Between November and April, it is more humid and thunderstorms and cyclones do occur. From May to September there are southeast trade winds but during the summer months the winds are from the northeast.

Orientation
The main islands are:

 * 'Utu Vava'u. This is the largest island, where Neiafu is found. It is a limestone island with heights up to 213 m in the west. The island provides a home to eleven indigenous bird species and contains Mt. Talau national park, with some of the limited remaining native vegetation. Tropical vegetation includes the pandanus or screw pine, the casuarina, and the mulberry tree, the bark of which is used to make tapa cloth.
 * Pangaimotu. This is the second largest island in the Group. It can be seen across the water from Neiafu and is connected by land bridge at the most southern point of ‘Utu Vava’u. There are some good beaches and plenty of secluded cove beaches and protected bays with good snorkelling. Avai'o'vuna Swamp is a small coastal wetland on the island.
 * Hunga Island. This is 35 minutes from Neiafu Harbour and provides the main concentration of humpback whales. The island lies in deep water and has sheltered waters and bays which provide a resting place for humpbacks with calves.

By plane
International flights arrive in Tongatapu.

Vava'u airport is international and therefore private aircraft and charter are welcome to avail themselves of the custom and immigration services. Scheduled international services to Vava'u from Fiji are available twice a week on Wednesday and Saturday from Nadi.

By ferry
The new ferry MV 'Otuanga'afa is running fairly regularly now. Information about cost and schedule can be found at the ferry company's web page.

Get around
Bicycles, mountain bikes, motorbikes and boats can be rented from several hotels and agencies. Taxis are available. Neiafu is small enough where you can easily get around on foot. Boat trips are organised by several companies.

See

 * Vanilla. Vava'u is a major production area for high quality vanilla and wandering around the countryside on the main island will give you a chance to see how the vanilla bean grows. The plant, a member of the orchid family, has a small cream or yellow flower which must be hand pollinated. The bean then takes nine months to grow, after which it is dried and cured, which develops the flavour and turns the pod dark brown or black. It is said to be the most labour-intensive agricultural product in the world. The value of individual beans means that farmers go to great lengths to protect them from theft, including pricking their individual code numbers on each bean with a pin.

Do

 * Walks. There are several good walks from Neiafu including the climb up 131 m high Mt Talau (see above) which has excellent views over the harbour. Toafa Church on the west point of Vava'u has good views of the cliffs of Hunga island and other islands. Past Holonga in the North, you can walk up to the 'Utula'ania Point/Lookout or hike down to "Secret Beach".

 * Boat tours. Day trips around the islands are available from several companies for about $50 per person. These tours visit Mariners Cave (which is accessible through an underwater tunnel), Swallows Cave (excellent for snorkelling) and one or two of the many secluded beaches around the Group. Vava'u Island Express offers day tours and snorkelling trips
 * Diving. Visibility is excellent and the diving is great. Lots of dive sites, offering hard and soft corals, sea fan grottos, wall diving and magnificent caves. Equipment can be rented and diving tours arranged. There are several PADI qualified dive instructors. Companies include Beluga Diving, Dive Vava’u, Tongan Expeditions, and Dolphin Pacific Diving,
 * Sailing. Vava'u is one of the most popular yacht cruising areas of the South Pacific. You can charter boats without provisioning or fully provisioned with a skipper and a cook. Short or long duration charters can be arranged. Companies offering charters include Sailing Safaris, Melinda Sea Adventures, Orion Charters (day charters only), and Moorings International (moorings@tonfon.to).

 * Whale watching. From June to early November humpback whales calve and mate in the calm waters. It is not only the sight that is fascinating: the male whales sing. Whale songs vary according to location: each year the song at each location changes. The effect of their singing on humans swimming with them is magical with the sound vibrating through your entire body. Whale watching excursions are available from Sailing Safaris, Endangered Encounters,Melinda Sea Adventures (which offers whale tours under sail), Whale Watch Vava'u and Vava'u Adventures.
 * Snorkelling. There are some great beaches throughout Vava'u. Snorkelling and reef viewing opportunities abound. Vava'u Island Express offers snorkelling trips
 * Kayaking. Guided tours of six and eight days to remote islands are available between May and December from the Friendly Islands Kayak Company You may run into turtles, porpoises, whales, flying foxes and many sea birds.
 * Fishing.Vava’u offers Blue Marlin, Black Marlin, Striped Marlin, Sailfish and Short-billed spearfish, as well as pelagic species such as Yellow Fin Tuna, Dog Tooth Tuna, Mahimahi, Wahoo and Giant Trevally. Fishing trips are organized by Target One and Ika Puna Game Fishing and Kiwi Magic. Specialized GT fishing charters are available with Poppin' Tonga
 * Kava (for men only) located across from Saint Joseph's Cathedral, the Nazareth House Nasaleti is good for cultural immersion for only T$3 it's all you can drink. Another option is just asking any local man to steer you in the right direction.
 * Jump off the pier, join the local youth in jumping off the pier across from Coconet. It's completely acceptable to jump off (the left side) fully clothed. Be careful: the lowest tier of the pier can be very slippery.
 * Jump off the pier, join the local youth in jumping off the pier across from Coconet. It's completely acceptable to jump off (the left side) fully clothed. Be careful: the lowest tier of the pier can be very slippery.

Buy

 * Tapa. Items made of tapa make an original souvenir. For details of Tapa making techniques see Tonga.
 * Baskets. Perhaps a bit big as a souvenir, unless you are on a large yacht, but the women of Vava'u make some excellent baskets, woven from coconut fronds and pandanus leaves.
 * Woven Goods. Woven pandanus mats (fala) are traditionally status symbols, but at the market you can find some as small as key chain souvenirs or table place mats. This can be a potentially expensive buy, but goes to support traditional local handicrafts. Another way to purchase pandanus weaving is as a fan, this is recommended if you plan on attending a church service.

Eat
Most restaurants have ship-to-shore VHF radio so passing yachties can order food or book a table.

 * Basque Tavern, next to Saint Joseph's Cathedral. This restaurant/bar has mouth-watering tapas and delicious main meals. The food can be bit on the pricy side, but is usually worth it (quality occasionally varies).
 * Panda, in the small marina between Dancing Rooster and Coconet. Lovingly referred to as "Cheap Chinese" by volunteers and missionaries, it's the best bang for your buck if you don't want to spend a lot of money. The quality is iffy, some days are better than others, but it is usually pretty good. You get more food if you order to stay (eat a bit and box the rest up for later).
 * Bella Vista, above Dancing Rooster across from the BSP ATM. Owned by a relocated Italian, Bella Vista boasts some of the best Italian food on the island and a stellar view. That being said, it's pricey especially for what you get.
 * Basque Tavern, next to Saint Joseph's Cathedral. This restaurant/bar has mouth-watering tapas and delicious main meals. The food can be bit on the pricy side, but is usually worth it (quality occasionally varies).
 * Panda, in the small marina between Dancing Rooster and Coconet. Lovingly referred to as "Cheap Chinese" by volunteers and missionaries, it's the best bang for your buck if you don't want to spend a lot of money. The quality is iffy, some days are better than others, but it is usually pretty good. You get more food if you order to stay (eat a bit and box the rest up for later).
 * Bella Vista, above Dancing Rooster across from the BSP ATM. Owned by a relocated Italian, Bella Vista boasts some of the best Italian food on the island and a stellar view. That being said, it's pricey especially for what you get.
 * Panda, in the small marina between Dancing Rooster and Coconet. Lovingly referred to as "Cheap Chinese" by volunteers and missionaries, it's the best bang for your buck if you don't want to spend a lot of money. The quality is iffy, some days are better than others, but it is usually pretty good. You get more food if you order to stay (eat a bit and box the rest up for later).
 * Bella Vista, above Dancing Rooster across from the BSP ATM. Owned by a relocated Italian, Bella Vista boasts some of the best Italian food on the island and a stellar view. That being said, it's pricey especially for what you get.

Drink

 * Mango Cafe, next to Aquarium, has a good happy hour 16:00-17:00 $4 beer & 5-6pm $5 beer.
 * Basque Tavern, has happy hour from 16:00-18:00 with $5 cans of Carlsberg and $8 sangria (which is the best). Has a pool table with no charge to play and karaoke on Friday and Saturday nights.
 * Moteli, by the old harbour, is the only dedicated "night club" in Vava'u populated mostly by locals. Usually has a $5 cover charge.
 * Moteli, by the old harbour, is the only dedicated "night club" in Vava'u populated mostly by locals. Usually has a $5 cover charge.

Budget

 * Basque Tavern, three separate rooms above the bar, one ensuite and two bedrooms that share a bathroom. Check in at the bar. Has hot water and a washing machine. Kept clean. T$80 a night.
 * Basque Tavern, three separate rooms above the bar, one ensuite and two bedrooms that share a bathroom. Check in at the bar. Has hot water and a washing machine. Kept clean. T$80 a night.
 * Basque Tavern, three separate rooms above the bar, one ensuite and two bedrooms that share a bathroom. Check in at the bar. Has hot water and a washing machine. Kept clean. T$80 a night.
 * Basque Tavern, three separate rooms above the bar, one ensuite and two bedrooms that share a bathroom. Check in at the bar. Has hot water and a washing machine. Kept clean. T$80 a night.
 * Basque Tavern, three separate rooms above the bar, one ensuite and two bedrooms that share a bathroom. Check in at the bar. Has hot water and a washing machine. Kept clean. T$80 a night.

Connect
In Tonga, Wi-Fi hotspots are the typical way of getting online.

There are a couple of Internet cafés on the Vava’u islands. Places where you can get connected include, Cafe Tropicana (T$6 an hour), Mango Cafe (free as long as you're eating/drinking but very slow internet), Basque (free as long as you're eating/drinking very slow) and Bella Vista (first 30 minutes free and very slow). Accommodations advertise Wi-Fi Internet availability. However, connection is slow and if there's more than a few people online don't expect to download anything large.

If in doubt ask to test the speed and then you will buy something...

Respect
Tonga is a very conservative Christian country: Sunday is strongly revered, the vast majority of the population will attend religious services, very few shops will be open and there is very little to do. Flights do not operate on Sundays and tourist services may not be available. Try taking the time to attend a church service (6AM or 9:30/10AM). The singing can be beautiful.

Men should avoid going around topless other than on the beach, or you could be arrested. Dressing conservatively is always best, keeping from your shoulders to knees covered (for both genders) is a good rule of thumb. While Tongans are adopting westernized clothing styles, skirts above the knee are still frowned upon. If you insist on shorts/skirts above the knee wrap a lavalava (Tongan sarong) around your waist to cover yourself in public spaces.

Go next
To really get away from it all head to Niuatoputapu and Niuafo’ou, which are the northernmost islands of the Tonga group. They are reachable by weekly flights from Vava’u.

 * Niuatoputapu is 240 km north of Vava’u and has 18 km² with a population of around 1,400. Tradition is still important here with conservative ways of dressing and behaviour. It has beautiful white beaches, particularly on the north-west side of the island. Niuatoputapu was severely damaged by the September 2009 tsunami that also devastated southern Upolu in Samoa.
 * Niuafo’ou is the northernmost island of Tonga. Other names for the island are Good Hope island and Tin Can island. The latter originated from the fact that in earlier times mail was delivered and picked up by strong swimmers who would retrieve packages sealed up in a biscuit tin and thrown overboard from passing ships. Stamps from that time have become a collector’s item. It is the tip of an underwater volcano created by sub-oceanic eruptions. The last eruption was in 1946, after which the whole island was evacuated for ten years. Fields of lava are still evident. The island ring encloses two lakes.

title: Vava'u


text:
Vác

Vác is a town in the Danube Bend region. It is located on the eastern bank of the Danube near the magnificent Danube bend. Though not visited nearly as much as either Szentendre or Visegrád it can be a pleasant and enjoyable stopover between the two.

By boat
MAHART Ship that departs from Budapest Vigadó tér stops at Vác. }

By car
From Budapest take road #2 or 2/A (E77).

Get around
The train station is a 10-minute or less walk along Széchenyi u. to Március 15. tér. From there you can reach all of the main attractions without any need for public transportation, though if you need here can be found Citybus lines network map. (PDF)

Around Március 15 Square

 * Március 15 tér. Visit the nicest Square of Hungary, all houses of its are national level protected monuments. The main square of Vác is a blend of Rococo and Baroque mansions, but you'll also note the archaeological diggings that dominate the area. The Dominican Church is the baroque cathedral dominating the south side of the square.

Events

 * 'Váci Tavaszi Fesztivál'
 * 'Váci Humor- és Karikatúra Fesztivál'
 * 'V4 Visegrádi Négyek Fesztivál és Színházi Találkozó'
 * 'Váci Lecsófesztivál'
 * 'Szüreti Felvonulás'
 * 'Váci Óévbúcsúztató Forraltbor-főző Verseny'
 * 'Váci világi vigalom'
 * 'Európa fesztivál' - early May
 * 'Mária napi búcsú'
 * 'Gyalogtúrázók Országos Találkozója'
 * 'Őszi Művészeti Hetek'

Go next

 * Börzsöny and the Danube-Ipoly National Park (north from Vác)  Börzsöny has a large number of hiking routes which goes through beautiful landscapes. During the winter months the ski resort of  Nagy-Hideg hill awaits its guests.
 * Budapest (By bus, boat or train)  capital of Hungary
 * Esztergom (Take a ferry, further a bus)  home of the biggest basilica of Central Europe
 * Fót  home of a major cathedral
 * Visegrád (Take a ferry, further a bus)  a former royal city featuring a castle and citadel on the Danube Bend.
 * Vácrátót  home of one of the best botanical gardens in the country

title: Vác


text:
Vágar

Vágar is an island in the Faroe Islands, the island is also called Vága in combination with other words.

Villages

 * - an ancient settlement mentioned in writing as early as 1350 AD.
 * – a tiny village of 18 people.
 * – the first village reached with a bright red-roofed church.
 * – between Sandavágur and Sørvágur. There is a War Museum there.
 * – where the ferry runs to the bird island of Mykines.

Other destinations

 * – the westernmost island. It can be reached by boat from Sørvágur or by helicopter from the airport in Vágar or one of the helicopter places in Tórshavn or Suðuroy. Mykines is known for its puffins and charming village with turf roofed houses.

Talk
The Faroese language is descended from Old Norse but apparently only Icelandic offers mutual understanding with it. Visitors are advised never to assume that a place sounds like it is spelled and Vágar is pronounced something like Vau-er with au as in fraud (á is generally pronounced like that, in opposite to a).

By plane
The Faroe Islands' only airport,, is on Vágar; see Faroe Islands for details.

By road
Vágar is connected by a sub-sea tunnel with rest of the country; for the applicable toll, see Faroe Islands.

By ferry
If you took the helicopter to go to Mykines, you can choose to take the ferry (summer only, check the schedules) onwards/back to Sørvágur on Vágar's western side. See Mykines for the specifics.

Get around
See "Get around" on the country's main page.

In order to reach Bøur, follow the road beyond the airport, drive through Sørvágur and continue towards west. Gásadalur is connected to Bøur by Gásadalstunnilin, a road tunnel.

Sørvágur is reachable on foot from the airport (2 km downhill). If the luggage is not too heavy, you can walk there, see the town and then take the bus to Tórshavn.

See
The views from Bøur of Tindholmur and nearby stacks are as good as anything in the Faroes. In Gásadalur you can watch puffins get the closest mainland view of Mykines and of the tiny but extremely shapely island of Tindholmur and the nearby stacks.

Do

 * Football: 07 Vestur play soccer in the Premier League, Faeroes' top tier. Their home ground á Dungasandi (capacity 2000) is in Sørvágur. The playing season is April-Oct.

Buy
There are no shops in Bøur. The nearest shops are in Sørvágur.

Sleep
There are a few holiday homes for rent in Bøur. Ask the Tourist Information in Miðvágur, phone, e-mail: vagar@vagar.fo@undefined, website: visitvagar.fo.

Giljanes Hostel & Campsite, 8 á Hillingatanga, Sandavágur,, around dkk250 for a dormitory room, on main road & bus route from the airport to Torshavn.

Stay safe
Call 112 in case of emergency. There are doctors in Vágar. After normal work hours people need to drive to Tórshavn, if they need medical help. The medical help phone after working hours is 1870. It is the same for almost all of the country. The local doctor's phone in working hours M–F is.

title: Vágar


text:
Vänersborg

Vänersborg is a city in the county of Västra Götaland and the historic province of Västergötland. It is located on lake Vänern, the largest lake in Europe outside Russia. It has 22,000 inhabitants.

Tourist info
The main tourist information office is on main square, at the corner of Kungsgatan and Edsgatan.

By plane
Trollhättan–Vänersborg airport is 10 km south of the city and has daily flights to Stockholm. Göteborg-Landvetter airport is 100 km south of Vänersborg and has flights to major European cities.

By train
There are trains from Gothenburg to Vänersborg every hour during the daytime, and trains from Herrljunga on the Stockholm–Gothenburg railway.

By car
Vänersborg is on the E45 main highway.

By bus
There are bus connections within the city and to villages in the district and neighboring towns, all departing from the railway station transport hub (resecentrum/centralen).

Eat
There are many restaurants, Thai, Chinese, kebab and so on, but for Swedish classics that the whole family will enjoy,

Sleep

 * Quality Hotel is 4km from the city center
 * Strand Hotell next to the railway station
 * Strand Hotell next to the railway station

title: Vänersborg


text:
Värmland

Värmland, archaic spelling Wermland, is a province (landskap) in the Svealand region in Sweden. It borders the provinces of Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland and Närke. It also borders Norway (Östfold and Hedmark) in the west and Sweden's largest lake, Vänern.

Cities

 * , seat of Värmland County, and the largest city.
 * , seat of Värmland County, and the largest city.
 * , seat of Värmland County, and the largest city.
 * , seat of Värmland County, and the largest city.
 * , seat of Värmland County, and the largest city.
 * , seat of Värmland County, and the largest city.

Other destinations

 * , A region surrounding lake Fryken, known as the childhood home of author Selma Lagerlöf, including the cities Kil, Sunne and Torsby.

Understand
A mountain range along the Swedish-Norwegian border is called the Fjäll (though the word fjäll is used in middle Sweden for any type of mountain, cognate to northern English 'fell'). Typical for the Fjäll mountains are their rounded tops, usually lacking any well defined peaks. The upper part of the mountains usually rises above the tree-line and only shrubs grow there.

By plane
Karlstad Airport has daily flights to Stockholm and Copenhagen. Tickets are purchased from the airline Skyways. Another option is to fly to Oslo airport (Gardermoen) and go to Sweden from there.

Torsby Airport, Hagfors Airport.

By rail
SJ connects Värmland's cities with the rest of Sweden. On the website you can also buy tickets to Oslo in Norway, which is about three hours from Karlstad.

By car
The main arteries are the E18 road, which connects Karlstad with Stockholm and Oslo, and road 45 (Inlandsvägen) leading south to Gothenburg. Road 45 crosses the E18 just west of Karlstad.

Get around
Klarälvsbanan is a very good and level bike path to the north from Karlstad, in total 90 kilometers along the Klarälven river. It is a former railway track, so it is car-free. It is also very good for by roller skating.

Local and regional buses and trains are managed by Värmlandstrafik. Schedules and a travel planner is available at their site. Cash is not the best way to pay but prepaid cards which gives discount. Always buy advance.

Fryksdalsbanan, train, is considered very beautiful.

See
Museum Sandgrund in Karlstad. Contemporary art.

Do
Rent a kayak in Karlstad. Get close up with beavers, see birds and the fresh water delta. Iceskating on lakes. Mariebergsviken in Karlstad prepares a track when weather permits.
 * Safari. It's not Serengeti, but with a little luck you may encounter beavers, moose or even wolves. Wildlife safaris are organised from several towns. If you're lucky, you might even spot a rare white moose.
 * Rafting on the river Klarälven is an interesting way of seeing the countryside. Slow wooden rafts, 4 by 4 meters, take you through the forests on 1-, 3- or 6-day trips. The trips start near Sysslebäck in the north of Värmland and go south from there. More info at the website of Sverigeflotten.

Eat
Moose meat (älgkött) is a widely available regional specialty. A dish served on special occasions, especially outdoors, is nävgröt med fläsk och lingon - porridge with pork and lingonberries - to be eaten with your hands. Värmlandskorv is a sausage bought at supermarkets. Most small villages have a "pizzeria". Locally adapted pizzas served with cabbage. Pizza with kebab is popular for example.

The berries of the forest are free to pick, and they are abundant in season. Mushrooms - you can pick your own (if you know what you are doing) or buy them at local markets. Mushrooms at supermarkets are typically imported from other countries.

Drink
Drink water straight from the tap. It has good quality. Not from taps on trains or buses though. Buying bottled water is a waste of money. Alcohol with local flavours are sold at Systembolaget. Flavours are cloudberries and other kinds of "snaps". Syrups made from local berries can be found at supermarkets. Brand Torfolk is local from Torsby. Popular flavour is black currant. Check content for amount of berries. You get what you pay for..

Stay safe

 * Like the rest of Sweden, Värmland is calm and you're not likely to be exposed to crime.
 * You will need to wear a reflective clothing or badges if you walk or cycle along a road in the countryside in the dark, because of traffic.
 * Bears can be dangerous although the risk of encountering one by accident is extremely small. Wolves are rare and no attack on a human has been recorded in living memory. Dogs however can be at risk.
 * Ticks are probably the most dangerous wildlife, and carry infections. Use special tools to remove if bitten.

title: Värmland


text:
Västerås

Västerås (pronounced roughly Vester-ohs) is in the southern part of central Sweden.

Understand

Västerås is by Swedish standards a quite large city, with 107,000 inhabitants in the city proper, which makes it Sweden's fifth largest, and a total of about 134,000 inhabitants in the municipality as a whole. Once in Västerås, almost every attraction is well within walking distance or can be reached in no time by public transportation. The city is not very touristy, which could be considered a good thing if you want to see a more "real" picture of Sweden. This is one of the larger industrial cities in provincial Sweden, situated 110 km to the west of the capital. Västerås is also one of Sweden's oldest cities, having been established in the year 990.

The city name is derived from Västra (west) Aros (old Swedish name for river mouth), which relates to the estuary of the small river (creek) "Svartån" (Black River) crossing the city towards Lake Mälaren.

Västerås is known in Sweden as Gurkstaden, i.e Cucumber city. From the 18th century and during the 19th century cucumbers were cultivated in large quantities in Västerås area. It was a type that was well suited for pickling, and it also got the trivial name "Västeråsgurka". According to tradition cucumbers in large quantities were cultivated in the open areas and soil after a great fire in 1741, establishing the nickname and produce.

Bishop Johannes Rudbeckius founded Sweden's first high school (gymnasium) here in 1623.

Västerås has preserved a selection of older buildings, both by the creek and around (and north of) the city's small cathedral. They all give the town a bit of a small town atmosphere. Hundreds of old houses were demolished, roughly between 1950 and 1975, during one of the country's most thorough city modernization projects. There are however several modern buildings of some architectural interest. The downtown area is generally considered to have an "urban" feel, especially around Stora Gatan, mainly because of the skyscraper (nicknamed "Skrapan") with surrounding business, commerce and residential buildings.

Västerås is known for the Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) electrical industries (formerly ASEA).

By plane

 * Stockholm Arlanda Airport between Stockholm and Uppsala. Nettbuss has direct buses from Arlanda to Västerås although not that frequent, so travelling via Uppsala or Stockholm can be an alternative to the direct bus.
 * Skavsta Airport in Nyköping using Ryanair.
 * Skavsta Airport in Nyköping using Ryanair.

By train
is in city centre. The rail operator is SJ.

By bus
Bus station in city centre, next to train station. The main bus operator is Swebus Express.

By car
Main road E18 from Stockholm.

Get around

 * Västerås' city center is really small, so it is quite easy to walk.
 * The suburbs by VL bus or car.
 * By bicycle. Västerås is famous for its cycle paths, 340 km of asphalt only for bicycling.
 * You can rent an electric scooter from several companies (the most popular being Voi, Qick, and Bolt) by-the-minute or get a pass for a specified period of time. Easy to use on the aforementioned bike paths.

By taxi

 * For 100 kr, you cover the town. (Taxi Exact +46 21 170000)
 * Uber
 * Uber
 * Uber

Do

 * Djäkneberget close to the Cathedral has a nice park featuring hundreds of stones with inscriptions (quotes and names of people) from the enigmatic Sam Lidman that founded the park in the 19th century.

Eat

If you have a tight travel budget and also want to avoid famous hamburger chains, try to grab a Kebab on a plate at either Hemdals or Sippan. Otherwise choose the vegetarian lasagna at Cafe Gränden, Sturegatan in the city centre.

Some of the city's most classic and oldest restaurants are restaurant Stadskällaren at the Stora Torget square and Piazza di Spagna on Vasagatan. The latter is worth a visit just to meet the always friendly staff.

Sleep
If you are planning on staying the night and want to experience something slightly different, one of the special hotels by the artist Mikael Genberg is recommended: The Hotel Woodpecker is a single room tree house in the middle of the Wasa Park. The cost per night is around 1000 kr. The same artist is also responsible for a unique one-room hotel in the lake! The bedroom is underwater.

Connect
As of Sept 2021, Västerås has 5G from 3 Tre, and 4G from TeliaSonera and Net4Mobility / Tele2.

Go next
If you walk along the river down to the lake you will find a little ferry port on your left side. Boats take you to some of the islands in the lake such as Elba or Ridö. It's a nice way to spend a day or a half.

Björnö is the city's main island. It's easy to find, as there are signs everywhere. It's connected to the main land with a little bridge. There is a nice beach, walking tracks and the possibility to hire kayaks and other boats at Björnögården. In the winter you can rent skies and skates.

Another really nice island is Ängsö, 15 km out of town. Take E18 West, towards Stockholm till the Airport Exit, from the roundabout just follow the signs saying "Ängsö". It's a beautiful island with a little castle, a church, a small cafe where you sit right by the water, and lots of hiking and bike tracks through the beautiful landscape. There's tons of space to relax on the cliffs by the water all by yourself, have a barbecue or swim. A must, when you're in town!

If you have half a day or so and transportation is arranged, you can visit the silver mine in Sala about 32 km to the north on 67. Just follow the signs to Sala and the "Silvergruvan" is on the left. They give tours each day down into the mine. It's quite an experience for adults and kids.

Eskilstuna is not too far away, with several trains a day leaving from Västerås Centralstation.

title: Västerås


text:
Västmanland

Västmanland is a province in the Svealand region in Sweden, consisting of farmlands, forests and lakes. Västerås is the largest city.

Municipalities
While Västmanland County makes up the eastern part of the province, the western part belongs to Örebro County.

Västmanland County

 * , a city founded in year 990, now one of Sweden's largest. Medieval artifacts and high-tech industry.
 * Kungsör
 * Skinnskatteberg
 * Surahammar
 * Kungsör
 * Skinnskatteberg
 * Surahammar
 * Skinnskatteberg
 * Surahammar
 * Surahammar

Örebro County

 * Lindesberg
 * famous for its preserved wooden town centre
 * Hällefors is an industrial town; Grythyttan is famous for its restaurant academy
 * Kopparberg

Other destinations

 * Bergslagen
 * Nostalgibyn between Frövi and Fellingsbro, a 1950s village with dining and entertainment.

Understand
For Västmanland, the industry has been an important factor for the development over many centuries, and it still is. For example Engelsbergs Bruk, built in 1681, is since 1993 on the UNESCO's world heritage list. It is the only one in Sweden still intact, in machinery and buildings. Today the industrial heritage has put Västmanland in the front row regarding technical knowledge, with ABB in Västerås being world-leading in robotics and electric power transmission.

The county is a mix of nature, with interesting and lovely environments. In the south is Lake Mälarens wide and beautiful landscape which hosts a variety of birds and flowers. In the north you can find the hilly mountains, the valleys and the deep forests. The county is between the Swedish lowland and the hilly country of the north.

By bus
Local transport is provided by VL.

By taxi
Uber works in eastern part of Västmanland.

title: Västmanland


text:
Växjö

Växjö is the largest city in Kronobergs län in the region Småland in Sweden. In April 2013 Växjö's Smålandsposten reported a municipal population of 84,800 inhabitants.

Understand
The town itself is a small university town with many beautiful lakes. Växjö is in glass country. There are many glass works in the small towns surrounding it, and they produce both functional products and works of art.

By train

 * is in the Southern part of the city centre. There are direct trains from Copenhagen and its Airport (Kastrup) in Denmark. Furthermore, there are trains from Malmö, Gothenburg and Stockholm (change in Alvesta).

By car
Several car routes intersect at Växjö. Route 23 connects to Malmö South-West of Växjö, Routes 25 and 30 connects with the E4 highway in west and north-west, Route 37 carries traffic to Northern and North-Eastern Småland, Route 25 continues eastward towards Kalmar and Route 27 South-East towards Karlskrona.

Get around
Växjö is a small town, so your feet will be sufficient for the center of town with main street Storgatan as the artery. The rest of the city can be reached by bicycle or bus. City buses and buses to the country side can be found at the railway station and are operated by Länstrafiken. Växjö owns a University with many international students. It is a steady growing city and a centre in Smaland. Växjö airport (VXO) make it easy to fly in from Germany (Weeze/Duesseldorf) and Netherlands.

Do
Walk around the lakes, if the weather is nice. Växjösjön lies near the train station just south of the cathedral.

Some of the glass works in the region are worth visiting. They produce functional glass and glass-based products, as well as works of art. An example being Kosta Boda. They offer a paid, guided tour of their workshop in English (takes a little less than an hour). Visiting any of the glass works will require a car, as they are not well-reached via public transport.

Visit the relaxing Teaterparken park or the park around the cathedral.

 * Åsnen runt is a 4+ day bicycle route that goes through Växjö and round the lake Åsnen some 20 km south of town.

Buy
Almost all shops in center of town are on the main street, Storgatan. Nothing that you can't buy everywhere else in Sweden though.

Two larger centers of shopping malls lies in the east of town called Samarkand and I11 after the former regiment. Both reachable by bus nr 3.

There is a Swedish army surplus store not too far from the city center. Follow Liedbergsgatan to the south, cross the railway tracks and take right on the first crossing.

Go next

 * Jönköping - A city on the shore of lake Vättern.
 * Kalmar - An old city by the coast of Småland.
 * Karlskrona - Is a naval town in Blekinge.

title: Växjö


text:
Værøy

Værøy is a small island in the Lofoten archipelago. The island has a mountainous ridge running through the center and flat farmland below the mountains. It is famous both for its scenery and the abundance of puffins who nest here over the summer.

Cities
There are less than 800 inhabitants on the island, and most of them live in the town Sørland, in the flat farmland between the mountains.

Understand
Værøy is known to be the North-most point on Earth without a meteorological winter (i.e., the average temperature does not go below zero during winter). This said, it does freeze occasionally in winter. Most important, the weather can change very fast, and you can experience two seasons a day (fall and winter — do not expect any summer around here).

Talk
Norwegian of course. Most people speak English, though a little less than in the rest of Norway.

By helicopter
Plane flights are discontinued since a plane accident in 1990. However, helicopter flights are still possible from Bodø (total flight time: 25 minutes). Return flights depart from Værøy 20mn after arrival (i.e., at 9h45 and 17h15) Booking: Lufttransport (phone: 75431800).
 * Departure 9h from Bodø, arrival 9h25 in Værøy
 * Departure 16h30 from Bodø, arrival 16h55 in Værøy

By ferry
Værøy is located around 1h30 by ferry from Moskenes and 5h45 from Bodø (via Røst). Ferries are operated by Torghatten Nord. There is no ferry terminal strictly speaking, but a small waiting room, toilets, and a tourist information that is only open during the first 30 minutes following the ferry arrival. From the ferry, it is a 2km walk to Sørland.

From Moskenes (Rute 18-782)
Less connections outside of the summer. Price: 83 NOK (one way) for car, free for people.
 * Departure 8h15 from Moskenes, arrival only 10h45 at Værøy (everyday except Sunday, as of summer 2020).
 * Departure 22h15 from Værøy, arrival 23h59 (!) at Moskenes (everyday except Saturday, as of summer 2015).

By ferry from Bodø (Rute 18-782)
Two boats per day from Bodø:
 * Departure 4.30am from Bodø, arrival 11.30am in Værøy (everyday except Sunday, as of summer 2015)
 * Departure 4.30pm from Bodø, arrival 10.15pm (or 7.45pm on Tuesday), everyday except Saturday, as of summer 2015

By public transportation
There is no public transportation on Værøy. Taxi service:

By car
A large part of the island (in the West) is not reachable by car, and can be reached by foot only after a long walk passing by Nordland in the North of Værøy. As of 2015, the road to the summit Heia is closed for cars. Hence, a car is quite useless on Værøy.

By foot
Certainly the best way to explore Værøy. An alternative is to cycle up to Nordland, and explore the rest of the island on foot. But this rules out the possibility to then climb to Heia and go back to Sørland, which can only be made on foot.

See

 * Several Viking-era ruins on the island.
 * Puffins, who nest here over the summer; however, they will be gone by early August.
 * Several Viking-era ruins on the island.
 * Puffins, who nest here over the summer; however, they will be gone by early August.
 * Several Viking-era ruins on the island.
 * Puffins, who nest here over the summer; however, they will be gone by early August.
 * Puffins, who nest here over the summer; however, they will be gone by early August.

Beaches
Swim on the numerous white sand beaches of the island. Do not forget that the water is quite cold, even in summer...
 * Sørlandshagen beach
 * Sørlandshagen beach
 * Sørlandshagen beach

Hiking
Many hiking paths on the island, e.g.: Paths are clearly marked, and generally in good state. This said, some paths are not easy at all, as they can become very steep, especially between Nordlanshagen and Hornet. In any case, expect much wind! Also note that the maps given by the tourist information (and available at several points in Værøy) are quite erratic.
 * Going to the Nordlanshagen beach following the road (6km from Sørland)
 * Hiking to the Heia peak (2h one way from Sørland, 2h one way from Nordlanshagen).
 * Going to the Western (and much less reachable) part of the island (> 2h starting from Nordlanshagen), up to Måstad.

Buy
Due to the limited choice and the high prices, better bring your own food from the mainland.

Eat
No real restaurant, except the Cafè Supern (see below).

Drink
There is a single café on the island.

Stay safe
The most likely undesired event is to fall while hiking, or to catch a cold due to the bad weather. Other than that, the island is perfectly safe.

Connect
Mobile phone networks do not cover the entire island. Concerning Internet, only edge network is available, and only in parts of the island (as of 2015). Free Wi-Fi is available at the Cafè Supern.

Go next

 * Røst, another island further south-west
 * Moskenes, on the island of Moskenesøya in the Lofoten archipelago
 * Bodø, on the mainland

title: Værøy


text:
Vík í Mýrdal

Vík í Mýrdal, also known as Vík, is a village in South Iceland. The area is dominated by Mýrdalsjökull, the glacier which is home to Katla, one of Iceland's fiercest volcanoes. It's about half way along the south coast, the largest settlement in the surrounding area and it's one of the few villages on the sandy beach that makes up most of the south coast of Iceland.

Understand
Vík is a very small village, with about 300 inhabitants.

The village and the surrounding countryside are in constant danger of floods that might result from a potential volcanic eruption, which has been expected for many years now.

On the other side of the village lies the Atlantic Ocean which is treacherous in these parts, waves can be big and small boats easily get swallowed up if the crews are not experienced enough. While there is no reason to worry about the volcano if you're a tourist, you should be very careful going into the ocean — there have been cases of tourists drowning when caught by waves on the beach near Vík.

Get in
Vík is located on Iceland's famous Ring Road. There are few other roads in the area.

Vík is located 187 km (116 mi) east of Reykjavík, and Vík is 270 km (178 mi) southwest of Höfn. The drive from Keflavik International Airport, which has rental cars available, is about three hours.

Strætó operates buses from Reykjavík to the. The trip is about 3 hours 40 minutes, including a 50-minute layover in Selfoss (departs 12:00, arrives 15:42) or, in the summer, Skógar. The bus generally operates seven times a week, although weekend and holiday schedules sometimes vary. Bus fare is 38-70 kr.

There are no airports located near Vík.

Get around
Vík is absolutely tiny (1.5 km/1 mi at its widest point), so walking around the village is easy. For the many amazing sites in the surrounding area, however, it's a good idea to have a well-equipped car, preferably with four-wheel drive, because many of the interesting sights are only accessible via gravel tracks. Alternatively, most hotels can help arrange transportation to many of the popular sites around the area.

Do
There are many activities to be enjoyed if you are visiting Vík í Mýrdal. If you are into hiking you will find endless routes to take advantage of — there isn't another settlement in a radius of over 60 km so you will not be disturbed by much on your walks. Jeep tours are available as well as different types of guided tours for those who enjoy bird-watching, want to look at geologic formations, explore a glacier or even see a crashed U.S. Navy airplane.

Buy
You can stock up on food from the local grocery store here because there are no other nearby supermarkets. If you want to buy any alcohol head up for the state-run liquor store.

Eat
There is a good choice of eateries in Vik suitable for most tastes and budgets. Fish and lamb are some of the more popular items on most menus. Vegetarian options are available at nearly all restaurants.

Drink
As most restaurants also serve beer and wine, you can have a drink in a variety of settings in Vik. From the more informal and easy going atmosphere of the Strondin Bistro and Bar to the more formal surroundings of some of the hotel bars like the Icelandair Hotel. A few have happy hour specials with cheaper drink prices in the late afternoon.

Sleep
You can find a variety of accommodation options here, however it can get very busy during the summer months so it's a good idea to book well in advance.

Connect

 * Free wifi is often available at hotels, restaurants, and stores.

Stay safe

Do not go into the ocean at the black sand beach. The ocean waves and the undertow are much more dangerous than they appear. The beach itself is perfectly safe if you stay on the sand and keep a distance away from the water's edge. Tourists have died in the ocean.

Go next
From Vík it's only about 140 km (87 mi) by the ring road to Skaftafell, the most popular entry point into Vatnajökull National Park. Kirkjubæjarklaustur is the nearest village to the east, similarly small but with 4x4s it's possible to drive up into the highlands from there. To the west lies Hvolsvöllur, 80 km (50 mi) away, and further afield are the more popular destinations of South Iceland such as the Golden Circle.

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title: Vík í Mýrdal


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Võru

Võru is a city in Southern Estonia. The surrounding Võrumaa (Võru county) covers 2,305 km².

Understand
The Võro language ("võro kiil") is the main language spoken but Estonian is universally spoken as well. Russian and English are also understood by many people. Despite the picturesque location on the shore of the lake, Võru does not inhibit much of a medieval history. The central landmark is the cosy house-museum of Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald, the collector of the Estonian epic poetry and one of the founders of Estonian literature. From 1944 to 1953, the Estonian Forest Brothers (anti-Soviet partisans) were most active in Võru County.

Get in
There is a railway line and station, but passenger trains do not go here.

By bus
There are buses from/to Tartu every hour, taking a little more than an hour. At least half of them are direct buses from Tallinn, 3.5-4 hr.

From Valga there are apparently only two buses a day, slowly and taking about two hours.

Bus schedules are easily available online—read more under Estonia.

By car
Route #2 passes through Võru, and it is 80 km to Tartu.

Get around
Võru is small and all its attractions can be explored on foot.

See

Also, see South Estonia for destinations close to Võru for day trips and such.

Do
Võru has a small but enjoyable beach.

Drink
Try also one of the above mentioned Pubis.

Go next

 * Obinitsa – Part of the settlements of the ethnic Seto minority in the border region of Estonia and Russia.
 * Sangaste and the nearby Sangaste Castle, about 40 km northwest.
 * Otepää – A small town set in the hills of south Estonia and best known winter sports centre in the Baltics, and the Winter Capital of Estonia. Surrounded by lakes, hills and ski jump towers.
 * Karula National Park – The hilly landscapes of Southern Estonia. Estonian’s smallest national park on the way to/from Valga.
 * Valga – A town on the border with Latvia, where it literally grows into the Latvian town of Valka.

title: Võru


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Võsu

Võsu is a small beach village in North Estonia inside Lahemaa National Park.

Understand
The village is one of the oldest summer resorts in Estonia, founded in the 19th century.

By bus
To travel between the villages of Lahemaa National Park and from the highway, or from Tallinn or Rakvere, not so frequent buses are available. See Estonia, which also covers connections with interchange, especially Paetus.ee. It makes sense to first take a bus to Rakvere and then on to Võsu.

Get around
Võsu is small enough to be covered by foot.

See
No much to see except for the beach. Relax and enjoy the untouched region.

Do
Võsu has a beautiful 3 km long beach area with a belt of dunes behind it. Swimming, sailing, windsurfing, beach volleyball and football are all options. There are interesting hiking trails with good roads, its possible to rent a bike from local manors.

Go next

 * Check out the various sights nearby, within Lahemaa National Park as well as North Estonia.
 * Käsmu – A coastal village inside of Lahemaa National Park.
 * Rakvere – Estonia's fifth largest city, east of Tallinn, famous for its Punk and Rock festivals and spirit.

title: Võsu


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Vöcklabruck

Vöcklabruck is a small (approximately 12000 inhabitants) town in Upper Austria. Vöcklabruck is the capital city of the region with the same name. To a visitor the city may appear neat, proud, superficial and conservative.

Understand
Vöcklabruck has many shops as well as services and schools. It was chosen for Europäisches Schützentreffen (the European Meeting of Marksmen) in 2003, and has played host to other events such as the Internationale Musiktage (International Music Gathering), Landesgartenschau (provincial garden show) 2007, and an Erdbeerfest (strawberry festival).

The flea market for antiques, materials, etc. is usually held on Fridays. Alongside this, food markets selling bread, fish, flowers, fruit, meat, sausages and vegetables, take place every Wednesday and Saturday morning.

Get in
You can arrive by train from Attnang, Linz & Salzburg. The station is located in Bahnhofstrasse 17, 5 minutes walk to the town center and is serviced by ÖBB (Austrian Rail). Arriving by car is easy too, you can leave the highway A1 Regau if you drive from West Linz, or Seewalchen if you drive from East Salzburg.

Get around
You can easily walk or cycle around town. There are two sorts of buses: Some called Stadtbus stay in town, the rest goes to other places in Upper Austria. A ticket for Stadtbus costs €0.90, a ticket that is valid a day €1.80. Reduced tickets for elderly people, people under eighteen and for families are available. Dogs need a reduced ticket.

See
Situated on a small hill inside the town there is the church of Schöndorf, a somewhat interesting a unique mixture of different styles, maybe interesting to geeks of architecture. Maybe you want to visit the town park, hey, they even have a pond with ducks! Main sights: In the town square's tower, frescos discovered in the 1960s. They date from 1502 and were painted by Tyrolean Jörg Kölderer. Dörflkirche/Ägidiuskirche' (St. Giles' Church), Baroque church constructed between 1688–1691. Schöndorfer Kirche, an early medieval fortified church, built before 824. Museum Heimathaus with Wolfsegg Iron

Do
You can do walks in the surrounding forests, also mountainbiking is a valid option. Better still, in summer, take a bus to the surrounding lakes Attersee and Traunsee.

Eat
There are some local restaurants, gasthaus, cafes and bars. Espresso am Stadtplatz, Hotel Auerhahn, Cafe zur Brücke, Pizzeria Venezia, City Cafe-Restaurant, Vöcklabruckerhof, Schillerhof, McDonald's, Leiner-Cafe, Resto-Lutz. There are some pizza delivery services, too.

Drink
Nightlife in the town is worth to spend. You can find some actual shows at Stadtsaal Voecklabruck, is in Stadtplatz 22. Every year there is about 50 events have been held there.

If you want a night out, there are some local bars, cafes and restaurants. You can try to find something in the surrounding countryside, too.

Connect
The phone area code of the town Vöcklabruck is 07672. The time zone is CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2). The licence plate is VB. The postal code is 4840.

Go next
Vöcklabruck is a good starting point if you want to discover the countryside around lakes Attersee, Traunsee,Mondsee, Wolfgangsee and other cities Gmunden, Wels, Bad Ischl, Steyr. The city is located between Linz and Salzburg, about 239 km from Vienna.

title: Vöcklabruck


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Veenendaal

Veenendaal is a town in Utrecht, with around 63000 inhabitants.

By car
Veenendaal is easily reached by car from the A12 (Utrecht - Arnhem).

By train
If you're coming from Utrecht or Amsterdam you can take the Intercity train to Veenendaal-De Klomp (2x/hour). Alternatively, you can take a regional train (Sprinter) from Utrecht to Veenendaal Centrum (2-4x/hour), which is a 5-minute walk from the city centre.

If you're coming from the east (Arnhem or Nijmegen), the only good connection is the Intercity train to Veenendaal-De Klomp (2x/hour).

From Veenendaal-De Klomp bus route 80 or 81 will take you to the city centre in about 10 minutes (direction Wageningen/Driebergen-Zeist, bus stop 'Raadhuisstraat').

Get around
The town centre is quite small and thus very walkable on foot. The main streets are blocked off for car traffic, and there's no bike rental in the town centre.

Buy
Veenendaal has one long shopping street ('Hoofdstraat') with many small to medium-sized shops and a few cafés. At both ends there are shopping centres (Scheepjeshof and Corridor) with larger national chain stores like V&D and Hema, along with supermarkets and more cafés.

title: Veenendaal


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Vega

There's more than one place called Vega.

 * Vega (Texas) – a town in the Texas Panhandle.
 * Vega (Norway) – a town, archipelago and world heritage site in Norway

title: Vega


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Vega (Texas)

Vega is a town of 930 people (2019) in the Texas Panhandle on the historic Route 66. It is home of the Oldham County Roundup, a small town rodeo held every August.

History
In 1879, the area was opened by the state for homesteading. The first settler, N.J. Whitfield, arrived in 1899. In 1903, Whitfield sold a 100-foot strip of land that extended across the southern part of Oldham County to the Choctaw, Oklahoma, and Texas (later Rock Island) Railroad as a right-of-way. He then sold portions of land on the south side of the right-of-way to other settlers. A.M. Miller and Howard Trigg surveyed the town site that eventually became Vega in 1903. The name Vega, which is Spanish for "meadow", was chosen because it reflected the vast prairie and surrounding countryside of the area. Soon after, Miller opened a store, and a post office, saloon, and a school that doubled as a Masonic Lodge were built in the community. In 1907, ranchers Patrick and John Landergin purchased a part of the LS Ranch from Swift & Company. Working in association with the Amarillo-based Pool Land Company, the Landergin brothers brought more prospective settlers to the community. The following year, they established a bank in Vega. When the railroad was completed, Vega began to thrive. There were several stores, a blacksmith, two churches, and a newspaper operating in the community by early 1909.

Modern amenities, such as telephone service, were introduced during the 1920s. In 1926, Route 66 was commissioned as a link from Chicago to Los Angeles and ran through Vega along the Old Ozark Trail. The arrival of Route 66 provided an economic boost for the community. The Route 66 heritage is honored by a restored Magnolia gasoline station next to the courthouse, which appears as it would have in the 1920s or 1930s. Route 66 was superseded by Interstate 40 in the 1960s.

Get in

 * I-40 between Amarillo and the New Mexico border. Vega straddles old Route 66, which I-40 replaced.
 * US 385 between Hereford to the south and Dalhart to the north.

Get around
You wouldn't be here if you didn't already have a car.

See
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 * {{see
 * name=Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum | url= | email=
 * address=409 S Main St {Corner of Hwy 385 and Old Route 66) | lat= | long= | directions=
 * phone= | tollfree= | fax=
 * hours=Dawn-Dusk | price=Free
 * content=Early farming and ranching machinery and equipment.

Boys Ranch
Tascosa is 25 miles (40 km) N of Vega on US385.

Go next
Just to the east of Vega, and also to the west between Vega and the New Mexico border are a number of ghost towns and near-ghost towns which have Route 66 remnants.
 * Adrian is a tiny community 23 miles west on I-40/US66 which bills itself as the "midpoint of Route 66". There's a café, a souvenir shop, a small motel and a museum.
 * Glenrio, a ghost town divided by the Texas-New Mexico border and abandoned when a freeway bypassed the village in the 1970s. Remains include the First/Last Motel in Texas, dilapidated fuel stations, an abandoned café, water tower and a post office.
 * Wildorado and Bushland, both east of Vega have a few picturesque run-down cafés and gas stations from the Route 66 era.

title: Vega (Texas)


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Travel as a vegetarian

Vegetarians and vegans can eat quite well in most countries. While the traditional cuisine and style of eating in many countries can make it a bit difficult for vegetarians or vegans to find food without animal products in it, most cultures have at least a few vegetarian dishes, and restaurants are often willing to leave out or substitute animal ingredients. Although plant-based diets are increasingly common, several locations lack a strong cultural basis for vegetarian eating or understand "vegetarianism" differently. Being informed before you go abroad is necessary to maintain an animal-free diet.

Planning

If your diet is important to you then it is imperative to take it into consideration when planning your trip. As a conscientious traveler, it's much better to put the work in beforehand to avoid stressing yourself trying to find food while traveling, as well as avoiding placing the burden of feeding you on a people and culture that may not know how to accommodate you. Where will you be going? There will be a greater variety of food available in big urban centers than there will be in rural areas. If you want to visit a tiny village in rural Brazil, fine, but expect that it may greatly limit your diet.

Research the cuisine for the places where you are going. There will be a couple of vegetable/grain dishes almost everywhere, so you'll have something to order in restaurants. This will also give you an idea of local cooking techniques; oftentimes, innocent-looking vegetable dishes will be cooked in a meat stock, or contain fish sauce (see "Non-vegetarian items in vegetable dishes" below).

Check Wikivoyage destination guides for the area where you'll be going and look up lists of vegetarian restaurants and grocery stores there. Also look for local vegetarian organizations.

It's wise to bring some emergency snacks with you in case you find yourself in a situation with no vegetarian food available. This is especially likely to happen when you're in transit, for instance at a bus station or on a long train ride. Pick something non-perishable, filling, and easy to transport. One option could be energy bars (most Clif bars and Luna bars are vegan).

In the West

Among countries in which vegetarianism and veganism is not the norm, those in the West tend to be the most accommodating, and even non-veg restaurants, particularly in the Netherlands, Denmark, the US, Canada and the UK, generally offer several vegetarian options and the staff are likely to be better prepared to answer questions regarding what dishes are vegetarian-friendly. Mediterranean countries such as France, Italy and Greece are known for making delicious composed salads. Some of them have ham or anchovies in them, but many do not. Vegetable side dishes (contorni) in Italy are usually vegan and can make a very satisfying meal. France overall is quite vegetarian-, and moreso vegan-unfriendly by Western standards, but Ratatouille and lentil stews are often vegan, as are many couscous dishes.

Regardless of where exactly you are in the West, you'll generally find far better options the more urban you go. A country pub in the United Kingdom will usually have little more to offer to vegetarians than a bowl of chips (and even then, they may have been fried in animal fats), whereas dining districts in London will have whole restaurants dedicated to vegetarian and vegan cuisine. However, some rural locations (and some small cities dominated by a college or university) may have a significant community with an "alternative" lifestyle that includes veganism, and restaurants catering to their preferences.

In Romania and other places where the Orthodox Church is strong, a "fasting" or "Lenten" diet is generally vegan and alcohol-free, although in some countries, such as Serbia, the diet may be interpreted as including fish or shellfish and beer (but never meat, eggs, or milk).

Middle East
In the Eastern Mediterranean, North Africa, and places like Yemen, you can easily make a satisfying meal out of mezes (mezedes in Greek)—small plates and spreads such as falafel; tabbouleh; baba ghanouj; ezme; pickled turnips; hummus; spicy carrots; Arab, Greek, Turkish, Israeli, or Moroccan salad; foul (fava bean paste); etc.

Israel has a pretty high share of the population who are vegetarian or vegan, which may in part be due to the limits on meat consumption imposed by kashrut and the rules of halal food – and most Israelis are (culturally at least) Muslims or Jews. In general you'll be spoiled for choice in places like Tel Aviv, but there is still a good selection in other parts of the country.

Asian options

India has a long tradition of vegetarianism among Jains and some Hindu sects, so finding vegetarian meals will not be a problem. However, veganism is not widely understood, and Indian vegetarian food makes extensive use of dairy products, so finding food that is suitable for vegans is going to be a challenge.

In mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, seek out Buddhist vegetarian restaurants, including those that are attached to Buddhist temples. Some Buddhist temples may also serve free vegetarian food in their dining hall to feed the poor. You can partake as a tourist and won't be turned away, but it is considered polite to donate an appropriate amount of money to the temple if you can afford to do so. Buddhist vegetarian food has a long history in China, and is known for its creative ways of imitating meat using only vegetarian ingredients like tofu, mushrooms and gluten, making it worth trying even if you are not a vegetarian. However, don't assume that a vegetable dish at ordinary restaurants will not include non-vegetarian ingredients like oyster sauce, pork, lard, or dried shrimps (see below). Also be careful about soup dishes as even vegetable soups can be made with meat stocks.

Similarly, due to a long history of Mahayana Buddhist influences in Japan, South Korea and Vietnam, there are vegetarian restaurants to cater to more devout Buddhists. In the rural parts of Vietnam, the nearest Buddhist temple will generally be your best bet in seeking vegetarian food. In Japan and South Korea, Buddhist vegetarian food is considered to be a form of fine dining, meaning that it is mostly very expensive. Temple stay programmes in Japan and South Korea usually include vegetarian meals as part of the package. However, don't assume that all food served at temples in Japan is vegetarian: vegetarianism was largely abolished for Buddhist monks in Japan following the Meiji Restoration, and today, the vegetarian tradition is mainly preserved as a homage to the past, rather than as a regular diet for monks.

In East Asian cuisines (except for those of some ethnic minorities), dairy is traditionally not used. Thus most non-dessert Buddhist vegetarian food is essentially vegan, but make sure your dish does not contain eggs or honey. Veganism per se is not widely understood.

In most of Southeast Asia, your best bet at finding vegetarian food is generally among the ethnic Chinese or Indian communities. For vegans, Chinese Buddhist vegetarian restaurants are generally the safest bet.

In Oceania

Sydney, Melbourne, and the regions surrounding both cities have good vegetarian and vegan options, and other major cities like Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart have a decent bit to offer. Outside of major cities, options are more limited; in most places in Australia, restaurants provide few if any vegetarian options apart from a bowl of chips. However, the fast food chain Hungry Jacks (Burger King) has vegan burgers.

In Auckland, vegan options aren't hard to find, but outside of major cities, options in New Zealand are very limited. The same is true to a greater degree in New Caledonia.

In Fiji, with its very large Indian community, you won't have a problem finding vegetarian food most of the time.

For other countries in the Pacific, there's little to offer since vegetarianism and veganism is not the norm, and if you're a vegetarian, you might find it really hard to find a proper meal here.

Non-vegetarian items in vegetable dishes

In many countries, seemingly vegetarian dishes can actually contain meat, in the form of sauces, seasonings, broths, lard and even just pieces of meat mixed in to add flavor. Don't assume that a dish doesn't have meat just because the menu doesn't mention it. Something innocuous-looking like sauteed vegetables or even bread may have meat added in some parts of the world, and it's hard to tell if a soup has meat broth without asking. Learn what types of hidden animal products are common in the country you're visiting, and if in doubt, ask before ordering.

In parts of Southeast Asia, it can be challenging to find completely vegetarian food. Belacan—shrimp paste—is generally an ingredient in the rempah (spice paste) of Malaysian dishes, even when you can't taste it separately. Similarly, in Thailand, Vietnam and some parts of China, there is very often some fish sauce in an otherwise vegetable dish. In those countries and also Indonesia, it is common for little dried shrimp to also show up in vegetable dishes. So finding strictly vegetarian food in these countries may require extra effort, and where you can find South Indian vegetarian or Chinese Mahayana Buddhist vegetarian food, you may want to avail yourself of the opportunity.

In China, where tofu was invented, it is not considered only as a meat substitute, but can share a dish with meat, so don't assume a tofu dish will be vegetarian. Be particularly wary of the popular dish mapo tofu which usually uses a little pork. Just as Tex-Mex cuisine mixes meat and beans, so too does Chinese food mix meat and bean curd. Also, many traditional Chinese pastries that otherwise seem vegetarian may use lard as one of their ingredients, in much the same way that butter is used in many Western pastries: a prominent example is Hong Kong's famous wife cakes.

Japanese food often uses dashi, a stock which is commonly made from bonito flakes but can be made from kombu (kelp). Sometimes, sardines or mushrooms are used, instead. If you are not a pescetarian, try to determine to your satisfaction whether exclusively vegetable ingredients were used to make the dashi.

In Korea, the basically vegetable staple kimchi usually uses dried shrimp in its preparation, and may use other non-vegetable ingredients, depending on regional traditions within Korea. It is possible to find kimchi that is strictly vegetarian (e.g. at restaurants serving Buddhist temple cuisine), but do not assume the kimchi that is put in front of you is truly vegetarian unless you have done due diligence.

In Europe—France and Spain especially—make sure when you order composed salads that you know whether they include ham, bacon/lardons, salami/mortadella, anchovies, and also eggs or/and cheese if you are a strict vegan.

In the United States, especially the South, cooked vegetables are often made with lard or butter. French fries are often deep fried in animal fat.

Language and cultural issues

In some countries and cultures (especially developing countries) vegetarianism/veganism is rare or even nonexistent.

Food culture is very important in many countries, and refusal to participate fully in the meal may make you appear culturally insensitive and snobbish. In any country, it's possible that you will insult your hosts when you turn down their food, especially if it was prepared specially for you. If you know you will be received as a guest somewhere, make your diet known to your hosts in advance. If you know of any local dishes that you can eat, it may be helpful to name them as examples.

In many places the word "vegetarian" (let alone "vegan") is not known or commonly used and thus you will have to use different expressions. You may also run into a language barrier, as sometimes the word you think means "meat" does not mean "all edible things derived from dead animals". E.g. the English word "meat" is usually understood to exclude (nearly) all seafood and some varieties of Spanish don't include chicken in the word "carne", either, your dictionary saying "carne" means "meat" notwithstanding. It may be less ambiguous to (if you are able to) say you don't eat animals or use one of the local cultural equivalents (i.e. "Buddhist diet") to say what you want to say. If you don't eat eggs, you should mention this specifically – in most countries, unfertilized eggs are considered vegetarian. In India, "vegetarian" is generally understood to exclude eggs, but typically makes extensive use of dairy products, as cow's milk is sacred in Hinduism.

The International Vegetarian Union has very brief listings of what vegans eat and don't eat, in many different languages. All you have to do is to show the right page to the restaurant staff.

Still, sometimes things happen that you cannot anticipate or in spite of your efforts to make your restrictions known, what is prepared is not vegetarian-friendly. Have an explanation with you and be prepared to repeat it. If you did mention your diet ahead of time, politely referring back to it can at least assure your hosts that you are not refusing because of the way the food looks, smells, etc. Be polite and apologetic as you would anywhere, but also be prepared to accept that your host may still be offended or hurt.

If you're a vegetarian for non-religious ethical reasons, in places with a language barrier or strong food or host tradition it's usually best to refrain from explaining out your beliefs and go with something inarguable (medical reasons, something vaguely religious or cultural). Be very careful with making up fake reasons if you know you will or hope to see your hosts much in the future. In some cultures, there may be a vegetarian tradition of some kind that you can compare your diet to. In countries with Mahayana Buddhist sub-populations, some vegetarian travellers find that calling their diet "Buddhist" is the simplest way to explain it.

Be as considerate as you are in your home country. Language and cultural barriers can turn what is a "simple request" in your home country into a big (or even impossible) ask in your host country. If a restaurant does not have any vegetarian dishes or you realize that your attempts to explain are simply not getting anywhere, kindly apologize for taking up their time and move on. Your diet is your own responsibility, and acting upset would just reinforce the stereotype of the angry vegetarian (or the troublesome tourist).

When all else fails, find a grocery store or local vegetable market. You can make a meal yourself with a camping stove or kitchen.

Also be careful if you want to invite local vegetarian friends out for a meal. For instance, vegetarianism in Mahayana Buddhism does not only exclude meat and seafood, but also the "five fetid vegetables", namely garlic, onion (including closely-related vegetables such as shallots), leeks, chives and spring onions, as they are believe to have aphrodisiac effects and hence, inhibit one's ability to meditate and think clearly. Thus, even food that is suitable for Western vegans may not be suitable for Mahayana Buddhist vegetarians.

Making concessions
Some vegetarians make the decision to "leave their diet at home", meaning they make concessions while traveling. These may range from permitting a single dish just to get by to a complete vacation from one's usual diet. There are a variety of reasons for making this choice. In social situations and especially when you are being hosted, you can make a very bad impression (as outlined above) by refusing food. If you are trying to make the world a better place, offending people is seldom effective. Even if you are alone, some vegetarians prefer to forego their diet while traveling so that they can fully immerse themselves in the culture, including food culture, or simply because they want to try famous dishes, which will often contain meat.

There are many different levels of concessions. Some vegetarians stick with their diet when traveling, but in a more easygoing way than usual. At restaurants on the road, you might consider going "don't ask, don't tell" about ingredients like fish sauce and lard, even if you would always check back home. This can ease a lot of practicalities, especially if there's a language barrier.

If you follow a plant-based diet in your home country partly due to opposition to factory farming or excess meat consumption, you may find that these issues are less severe in your destination. In some parts of the world, people still breed and raise animals in a pre-industrial fashion, without genetic modifications, feeding them steroids, penning them up in small quarters, etc. While in the end the animals are unwillingly killed anyway, it may be that locals depend on eating animals for survival, so it can be unwise to judge people.

While a hiatus from your diet is something to think about, it is certainly not for everyone. There are a wide variety of reasons to be vegetarian, some of which permit this sort of thing and others that do not. Consider your own reasons and weigh them against your travel wishes to reach your own decision regarding whether this option may be viable for you.

Air travel
Most full service airlines that serve meals on-board offer a vegetarian choice. You should request the vegetarian meal at the time of your reservation, and to be sure reconfirm with the airline 72 hours before departure. If you book online and there is no option to select your meal, you should call the airline. If you forget at the time of booking, there is little prospect of requesting one at check-in; however, it always pays to ask on the plane, as often there can be a spare meal that meets your requirements. If not, the meal without the heated component can often be vegetarian. Be warned that in economy class, vegetarian meals served on airplanes are often nothing but overcooked steamed or boiled vegetables without seasoning.

Full service airlines use codes internally with their caterers to select meal types. The codes applicable to vegetarians and vegans are:

 * VGML – Strict/Pure Vegetarian (Vegan) – Usually the default vegetarian special meal.
 * VLML – Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian / Western Vegetarian
 * AVML – Asian Vegetarian – Spicy Indian food (no eggs, but may contain dairy)
 * VJML – Vegetarian Jain Meal (no eggs, mushrooms or root vegetables, but may contain dairy)
 * VOML – Chinese Vegetarian (Vegan, no root vegetables)
 * RVWL – Raw Vegetarian (Vegan)
 * FPML – Fruit Platter (Vegan).

At airports removed from the airline's home ports, the food can depend more on the catering available at the remote airport than the airline. Sometimes the different vegetarian styles will give different meals, but it is quite common for a VGML to be served, even if you order a VLML.

Discount airlines, and some full service airlines on short sectors do not serve food or have food sold from a trolley. Usually there is a vegetarian option, but you can usually check the inflight menu in advance on the website, or third party sites that have meal information.

It is an unfortunate fact of flying that sometimes the full service airline loses a meal order, or the salad sandwich on the discount airline is sold out, or not available on a flight. It's always a good idea to take snacks on board just in case.

Other information
There are a few cities in the world that are completely vegetarian, including the Indian holy cities of Haridwar and Rishikesh. Non-vegetarian food is prohibited in those places, but sometimes eggs and products containing eggs can be sold in the outskirts. As well, if you buy cheese, it may contain rennet, and some beverages/yogurts/ice creams may contain coloring agents from insects. Cosmetics and similar products may be tested on animals while clothing and footwear made from leather are commonly sold, too.

Some apps and websites such as HappyCow and VeggieKarte can also be helpful when finding vegan and vegetarian restaurants where you go. In Japan, Vegewel is also a valuable resource.

title: Travel as a vegetarian