Traveling the world and living according to your principles can be hard at times. It seems that there are certain trade-offs that need to be made when you give up your day job and hit the road.
While this is true, there are areas of life in which you do have some level of control. Your diet is certainly one of these. Being a vegan traveler in this world is possible, and it’s getting easier as the years roll on.
You’ll find that many places you go will have delicious vegan cuisine, but we’ve got some tips for times when you’re hard-pressed to find anything without an animal product.
Tips for Being a Vegan Traveler
Our hope is to give you a few tips that stick in the back of your mind when you’re struggling to find a vegan meal. Let’s begin:
1. Travel to Primarily Vegan Countries
The first thing you can do is go to places where the culturesupports vegan diets. India is a prime example of such a place.
You’ll have an easier time finding a vegan meal than a non-vegan meal there. Many Buddhist countries will serve you well in your travels.
2. Plan Ahead
Carry around a small store of non-perishable vegan foods whenever you leave your post. Sometimes you’re parched and famished while traveling, and coming upon a restaurant or store without vegan options in those moments could cause you to slip and eat meat.
Having a nutritious supply of snacks on-hand will allow you to get nutrition in those moments and move along.
3. Call Ahead
Before you even step off the plane, you can prepare by calling grocery stores or restaurants in advance. This may seem tedious or impossible, especially if you’re going to be roaming around a fair amount.
If you’re going to be stationed in one or two primary places, though, you can definitely ensure that you’ll be well fed.
4. Bring Vegan Condiments
Many times, street vendors or restaurants will garnish vegan meals with sauces containing animal products. This is especially true in South East Asia where fish sauce is common.
Having a bottle of soy sauce or whatever you prefer can help in these instances.
5. Know How to Ask
If you’re not yet familiar with the language, be sure to get acquainted with asking about vegan foods. Make sure you’re clear with speaking those words as well, as the thick accent you’re sure to have will be difficult to understand.
You can try creative exercises to learn these words. Try creating and downloading a free bingo card with the words you’re learning and play the come to solidify those terms.
6. Get Insight From Fellow Travelers
There are a number of online vegan groups, many of which deal specifically with travelers.
You can use sites like MeetUp or other sites specific to the country that will help you find like-minded individuals.
7. Explore Foods
Traveling gives you an excellent opportunity to try out new and exciting vegan foods. Just because your options are limited doesn’t mean you don’t have a lot of room to roam.
You’re going to be in new places, keep an open mind and try what you can!
8. Get Familiar with Common Ingredients
Reading through ingredient lists doesn’t do you much good if you’re not sure what the ingredients are. Do some research before you arrive and find out what the most commonly used ingredients of the area are.
That way you can ask for restaurants to hold those ingredients and be more confident in the grocery aisle.
9. Ask Your Hotel or Hostel
Your lodging will often provide meals. Many places won’t think to offer a vegan option if veganism isn’t common in the area.
Call ahead and ask if special accommodations can be made for your stay. It seems like a lot to ask, but it’s a small thing to do for a greatly improved visit.
Want to Learn More?
Being a vegan traveler is definitely doable. All that you need to do is a little research.
Explore our site for more ideas on staying healthy and living the life you’ve always dreamed of.
The Healthy Voyager, aka Carolyn Scott-Hamilton, is the creator and host of The Healthy Voyager web series, site, and overall brand. An award winning healthy, special diet and green living and travel expert, holistic nutritionist, plant based vegan chef, best-selling cookbook author, media spokesperson, sought after speaker, consultant and television personality, Carolyn Scott-Hamilton is a respected figure in the world of healthy lifestyle and travel as well as special diet cooking and nutrition. The Healthy Voyager aims to help people live well, one veggie at a time!
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Traveling the world and living according to your principles can be hard at times. It seems that there are certain trade-offs that need to be made when you give up your day job and hit the road. 
