Traveling Vegan?

An estimated 3% of the world’s population embrace a vegan diet, and this number is gradually increasing year by year. A rise in veganism across the world makes travelling as a vegan much

simpler. The higher the demand for vegan food is, the easier it is to eat on the road.

However, some parts of the world are harder to navigate as a vegan than others, so it’s important to plan your trip carefully to make sure you have plenty of dining options available.

Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

Here are four important things to consider when planning your vegan holiday itinerary:

1. How vegan-friendly is your destination?

Some parts of the world have long been incredibly vegan-friendly due to local religious or cultural practices. For example, around 14% of people in Taiwan don’t eat meat, primarily due to the popularity of Buddhism which teaches that taking the life of an animal is prohibited. In other regions, particularly Europe, veganism isn’t traditional but a shift in culture has led to a boom in its popularity over the last decade.

The first step in planning your vegan holiday itinerary is to investigate the popularity of veganism in your destination and understand how hard or difficult it will be to find vegan food. In areas where veganism is less popular, you’ll need to plan more carefully to find adequate food options.

2. Are there many dedicated vegan eateries?

If there’s a good range of dedicated vegan restaurants and cafes in your destination, you can center your itinerary around these and rest assured you’ll get good, hearty meals with ease. If there aren’t many vegan spots to choose from, you’ll need to look for vegan options in normal restaurants.

Check restaurant menus online before you visit to discover places with vegan dishes available. You might assume large, chain restaurants are more likely to have good vegan options than small, independent ones – but it’s always worth checking. Phuket in Thailand is the most vegan-friendly city in the world in terms of dedicated eateries, with 39.7 vegan restaurants for every 100,000 residents.

Photo by Ivana Milakovic on Unsplash

3. Do you know enough of the local language to communicate your dietary needs?

When visiting non vegan restaurants, it’s vital that you can communicate your dietary needs to check that you won’t accidentally be served a dish that contains animal products. In parts of the world where veganism is uncommon, the word ‘vegan’ may not directly translate into a word or phrase that is universally understood. It’s helpful to learn enough of the local language to explain that you don’t eat

meat, dairy or eggs. You might also find it useful to learn about common ingredients in local dishes. This can make it easier to avoid animal products or to request dishes without specific ingredients.

4. Can you cook for yourself?

A great way to travel as a vegan in destinations that are less vegan-friendly is to use self-catered accommodation. This allows you to buy your own fresh ingredients and cook for yourself, giving you complete confidence that you’re not consuming any animal products. Be sure to identify local markets and factor these into your itinerary so you can stock up on produce.