In May 2015, Francis and I went to stay at Forest Haven which is an all Vegan, Eco-Friendly Bed & Breakfast situated two hours out of Melbourne in the heart of the beautiful Pyrenees Region. It was such a peaceful and relaxing way to celebrate our anniversary/my birthday.
I wrote this post on my blog a while ago but Forest Haven is still up and running in Victoria, Australia.
It was comforting knowing we were going to a place that would provide us with healthy, vegan meals and that we could just relax in nature, detaching from all the bright lights, sounds and stresses of city life. We made sure we took plenty of yummy snacks on the drive down!
On arrival, we were greeted by the owner Jo, who had previously worked as the chef at Las Vegan in Melbourne for two years before moving to Beaufort with her partner Corey and establishing Forest Haven. Before the property was bought by Jo and Corey, it was owned by another couple who were also vegan and did not permit any animal products on their land. Jo and Corey have adopted the same principles and have been animal rights activists for years with a strong passion for the environment.
Forest Haven functions off the grid and uses solar power to run. We were educated in ways to save water, reduce our usage of electricity and conserve Earth’s precious resources that help keep our lives sustainable and ethical at the same time.
GUMNUT COTTAGE
It was such a wonderful experience falling asleep and waking up to the sounds of nature.
VEGAN DELIGHTS!
At exactly 5:30 each evening and 8:30 each morning, Jo would bring our meals plus desserts to our door and set them on our dining table. Needless to say the food was the highlight of the trip!
Friday evening: I ate the Enchiladas with V Cheese, Salad, Corn Chips and a type of Chipotle Dip. Francis ate the Roast Veggie Pizza with V Cheese. Our dessert was a delicious Raspberry and Coconut Panacotta with Pistachios on top.
Pictures do not do the actual taste justice!
For breakfast I ate a Tofu Scramble with Mushrooms, Onions, Tomato, Spinach and two pieces of Multigrain Toast with Avocado and V Butter. Francis ate the Mushroom and Spinach Pancake with Multigrain Toast.
We spent the morning exploring the gorgeous property.
It is currently being developed to one day host a sanctuary for rescued animals.
I would highly recommend visiting Mt Buangor and exploring their many walking tracks.
We ate lunch at the Beaufort Park Café which has a Vegan Coconut and Rice Dahl Curry. It was delicious!
That evening, Francis and I ate the same dinner just in reverse! I got to try the Pizza and he had the Enchiladas. She served Francis a slice of a Raw Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cheesecake and for me, a rich Pear & Rice Pudding. By the end we were incredibly full and satisfied!
FAREWELL!
I ate the Pancakes and Francis had the Tofu Scramble for breakfast. We packed our things and expressed our heartfelt gratitude for Jo and her wonderful hospitality.
I would highly recommend staying at Forest Haven to connect with nature.
Jo has provided recipes to many of her delicious, cruelty-free dishes! http://foresthavenbnb.com.au/
Peace and Love Xoxox
