I recently interviewed Donna Zeigfinger, the president of Green Earth Travel(Green Earth Travel) in Maryland. Her travel company, which caters to animal lovers and vegetarians/vegans, has been around for over 20 years. As an animal-loving vegan myself, I was excited to ask her the following questions.

1. What inspired you to start a travel group for vegetarians and vegans?
Donna: Actually I do mainly independent packages for clients. The groups started because I felt a need to help animals and enjoy vacations. That is how I started my trips to Best Friends and the Grand Canyon.

2. What are some of your clients main concerns? Why do they decide to travel with you?
Donna: Independent clients their main concern that either they or their spouse will not be able to have vegan food or it will become a hassle. They travel with me because they know my ethics when it comes to travel.

3. Can you provide some examples of some of the venues where your travelers are provided vegan meals options
(eg. in India, I’ve read that you dine one evening at a maharaja’s palace which provides the accommodations and cooks meals for the group).
Donna: In Zion National Park we have stayed at a place called Flanigans which is a spa/hotel. Because the tour is vegan they have started to implement vegan meals as a daily routine now for their every day clients!

4. What are some of the veggie-friendly and animal-friendly activities in which your tour group participates?
Donna: We volunteer with the animals by walking them, cleaning their litter boxes, feeding them and just making sure they feel loved. We also have speakers come with us and discuss animal issues or this year will be having someone doing cooking demos (vegan of course)

5. Where are some of your favorite, veggie-friendly travel destinations for your group?
Donna: Obviously the first one is Kanab Utah, Grand Canyon and Zion National Park when we travel to Best Friends and then go off on a camping or spa trip. After that would probably be San Francisco and then New York City. But my all time favorite place is Ireland! We do plan on doing a culinary tour to Ireland in 2012.

Thank you to Donna Zeigfinger, the president of Green Earth Travel(Green Earth Travel)! Please consider having Green Earth Travel arrange your travel needs complete with vegan meal options and volunteer projects to help animals in need!