Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
EATING PRICE RANGES
Lonely Planet's price guides indicate the cost of a main dish. The categories:
£
less than £9
££
£9-18
£££
more than £18
Gay & Lesbian Travellers
The southwest generally mirrors the UK's relatively tolerant attitude to lesbians and gay men. Gay (and gay-friendly)
clubs and bars can be found in the cities and bigger towns (such as Exeter, Torquay, Truro and Plymouth), although
there is often not a huge range to choose from and sometimes gay venues do not exist at all.
The usual instincts about how open you want to be about your sexuality are the best guide; you can be the victim of
homophobia, or not, in the most surprising places.
Even in the southwest's deepest rural areas, individual gay businesses, be they lesbian-owned B&Bs or exclusively
gay hotels, are thriving - see the
Turing Network
(
www.turingnetwork.org.uk
), which has a wide-ranging, searchable
database. Gay accommodation based in Devon and Cornwall also appears repeatedly in
Gay Times
(
www.gaytimes.co.uk
)
and
Diva
(
www.divamag.co.uk
).
The
Intercom Trust
( 0800-612 3010;
www.intercomtrust.org.uk
) runs a lesbian and gay switchboard for Corn-
wall, Devon, Plymouth and Torbay.
Health
Adders
Britain's only venomous snake is not uncommon in the region's hills, moors and coast paths. Adders will only attack if
harassed or threatened and although their venom poses little danger to a healthy adult human, the bite is very painful and
does require medical attention. If you are bitten, don't panic. Immobilise the limb with a splint (eg a stick) and apply a
bandage over the site firmly. Do not apply a tourniquet, or cut or suck the bite. Get the victim to medical help as soon as
possible.
Sunburn
The coastline and outdoor lifestyle in Devon and Cornwall are often blamed for some of the highest malignant skin can-
cer rates in England and Wales. Experts remind UK nationals they still need sunscreen even if they're holidaying at
home. Stay out of the sun between 11am and 3pm, cover up, use factor 15+ sunscreen and UV sunglasses and take extra
care of children.
