The Travelling Vegan
In my life, and in my career, I have had the amazing opportunity to travel the world, and as a vegan, I am very grateful. I have experienced many new and exciting cuisines I may have not discovered if I hadn’t travelled as extensively as I have. Delicious, deep and rich experiences. There is always something to eat out there in this vast cultural world and I’ve got some tips for you.
When I travel, I always take my own condiments and foods, just in case. I’m not sure if you are like me when you travel but I always bring things like tamari, chilli, stock cubes or dashi from mushroom, noodle cups, dehydrated vegetables, Vegemite and will always purchase an avocado, cucumber and some nuts all before I jump on a plane - all under 100ml of course. All of the above will add creature comforts to your journey, and when you arrive at your destination. Especially if you are not sure if the country you are visiting is vegan friendly or even understands that word. Whether it be pure vegetarian or plant based or I don’t eat dairy, meat or eggs - whatever the dialogue that translates the most.
Ok, now back to the condiments. I was in Malawi, Africa learning earthship building. We had very limited options food wise, as the villagers that we volunteered for provided food for us throughout the day. Meat is only ever eaten with a sacrifice and for special occasions thankfully, so we mostly ate ingira, white gluten from rice. After eating this three times a day, and being quite bored of it, I remembered I packed my tamari (winner!) I was able to mix up our lunch each day, which didn’t change at all for 10 days. Everyone was eyeing off my tamari and my supply was limited. I shared this glorious condiment with my fellow co-workers and camping buddies. I was rationing my supply to spread out, what a lifesaver that was. We still laugh and talk about me being the condiment queen.
If travelling by air, bus or train I find that the attendants will always try to look out for you if you have forgotten to order a special meal on your flight before your departure. If you are going down that path and want to order your VGML meal, order it well in advance (at least 72hrs before your departure). Also, if possible, follow it up 24hrs before your departure. Depending on what airline you travel with, some have a vegetarian option on board and others don’t unfortunately, so as a rule, I always find something in the terminal that makes me happy on board and others jealous.
I find when travelling to Asia, especially Thailand or Singapore, the culture definitely understands our whole food plant based diet, which they understand as ‘Pure Vegetarian’. Western countries will always understand the word vegan or plant based. But then again they may not really understand what that actually looks like. If you are on your own I usually discuss this with the wait staff but if I am with a bunch of friends or family I will usually have a little conversation away from the table and have all my dietary needs met without making a big fuss in front of my mates. I do it stealth like. Sometimes I will ring ahead to organise and prepare the chef, otherwise I will just take a bag of shredded plant based cheese or nutritional yeast with me for pizza or pasta just in case.
From my experience when it comes to ordering at a non-veg restaurant I always start off with the veg options and then add some sides if worse comes to worse. I’m a fan of potatoes, so that’s usually my go too or noodles. I must say that the most luck I have had is with Asian restaurants. Noodles, soup, stir fry, rice, and tofu. Just ask for no fish sauce, oyster sauce and make sure it is vegetable stock as they mostly use a pork base and your set. I stick to traditional dishes and create a vegan twist.
My go to app when travelling is Happy Cow. This app uses your GPS and navigates you to stores, restaurants and more according to your preferences and dietary requirements. I have found some really great places and been on some adventures finding them. It really let’s me explore and get out there and it makes me brave and confident whilst on the way exploring the country by foot, bike, bus or tram. I get to see other parts of the country as well as meet the locals whilst out and about. There is a newcomer app called A Billion Veg that I have just discovered. I use these app’s for choosing a restaurant that is either vegan or vegan friendly. I find this useful if I am visiting a friend that is carnivore, we can both dine together and order from the menu without having to make any adjustments. I found a great restaurant in Dallas not long ago where both my friend and I were super happy with our choices and had a great experience; the service was amazing and drank some great wine together. There will always be something nearby even if you are in the middle of no-where. I live on the mid-north coast of NSW and have discovered little truck stops that make the best salad sandwiches the old school way heading either north or south on the Pacific Highway. These are my little joys in life when I’m back home travelling and sharing it with friends.
Recently I have started joining Meetup groups as well as Facebook groups in each country that I plan to visit. It gets me out there and away from my comfort zone and gives me the opportunity to mingle and explore and learn about other vegans and what other countries have to offer.
So get out there and mix it up, spend some time in a supermarket on the other side of the world and check out what they have to offer. Jump on and write some reviews to help other vegans find these treasures. Network, make some friends, speak to chef’s from around the globe and build relationships and find out what’s going on with veganism around the world.
I can’t wait to get back on a plane and share more travel stories and adventures.