Vegan Travel

Most people who know me know that I’m vegan. It’s not something I broadcast, but it inevitably comes up when I hang out with people, because people like to eat! There are a lot of reasons I’m vegan, but I’m not here to discuss them. I’m here to explain what it’s like to travel while maintaining a vegan diet, since many people ask me about it and there is a lack of information on the internet. I was afraid of not being able to eat properly while abroad and spent a lot of time reading other people’s blogs looking for advice before I left. I didn’t find many useful resources, but it turned out not to be a problem. I stayed true to my vegan self when I was travelling, and discovered that it’s just something you have to figure out along the way.

For those who don’t know, veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products. That means I don’t use animals for food, clothing, entertainment, or any other purpose; so no meat, dairy or eggs, no leather or wool, and no going to the zoo or riding animals. 

I’ve been vegan for over six years. Before that I was vegetarian for probably about six years as well, and before that I barely ate any meat since the age of 7. It’s been a long journey for me, and I know a lot about the topic. As such, being vegan at home is a no-brainer. I eat what I want to eat, when I want to eat it – just like everyone else. I like to cook my own food rather than eat out (I’m an amazing cook and baker, ask anyone! :P), but if I do want to go to a restaurant, vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants are abound in Western countries. Occasionally I pass on going out with friends if they’re going to a place known for their meat, but that hasn’t been a big issue in my life. 

Travelling and eating out in non-Western countries while being vegan can be a bit tricky, particularly if you don’t speak the local language. Depending on where you’re travelling, you may or may not have access to a kitchen in your hostel. If a kitchen is available, then it’s just like being at home. You can go to the market or store and buy the foods you want to eat, and then cook them in the hostel. Most of us backpackers are super cheap and prefer to cook our own food for that reason; however sometimes a kitchen is not available and sometimes eating out is cheaper than cooking your own food. In these cases, being vegan can prove challenging.

Cooking Ratatouille in Baños, Ecuador.

The experience of ordering food and eating at restaurants is always a little bit stressful for vegans when travelling. Although vegetarianism is a fast-growing movement and it’s not hard to find vegetarian restaurants and vegetarian options in most places, even in developing countries, veganism is less well understood than vegetarianism. Therefore it was necessary to specify exactly what I wanted to eat when I went to a non-vegetarian restaurant. For example: “I would like the tofu and veggie dish, but please do not put any fish sauce in it.” Or, “I would like the vegetarian pizza with no cheese, please.” I tried to learn the words I needed to explain that I was vegan if I didn’t speak the language in the country I was visiting. Unfortunately I wasn’t very good at saying these few words in certain languages, particularly Southeast Asian languages, and I often ended up trying to mime what I wanted. If they understood me, the people working at a restaurant sometimes looked at me funny and thought I was a crazy white lady, but complied with my vegan request, no problem. If they didn’t understand me (which was often, because apparently my fish impression is terrible), they would nod their head yes and then bring me a dish with who-knows-what in it. 

One of the veg restaurants in Bagan, Burma.

If I was given a meal that was clearly not vegan then I politely returned it with an explanation. Sometimes I was given another meal, and sometimes I said not to worry and I ate somewhere else, depending on the circumstances. If I was given food that looked vegan but I wasn’t 100% sure that it was, then I still ate it because being super picky was too difficult for me. I’m satisfied with trying my hardest to eat vegan, even if I occasionally do not have complete control of a situation.

Many people are concerned that being vegan means missing out on experiencing culture, and many people like to travel just to try different local foods. Food is an integral part of culture, and it gives you information about the history of a region. Eating can be a symbolic act in many parts of the world, not just an act that breaks up the day like it often is in the West. The relationship between people and food is extremely complex, and eating local cuisine certainly gives you a glimpse into that relationship. Yes, I do miss out on a lot of the local cuisine, but there are a lot of local vegan foods! A few that come to mind are sticky rice with beans stuffed in bamboo sticks in Cambodia, quinoa soup in Bolivia, fresh fruit in Colombia and Thailand, deep-fried split pea tofu in Burma, and the list goes on. As I mentioned earlier, there are a ton of veg restaurants all over the world; the veg movement is spreading to many different cultures. One of my favourite meals while travelling was a breakfast curry from a tiny vegetarian restaurant in a small town in western Cambodia. All the locals ate there and it was obvious why! Additionally, culture encompasses a lot more than food, and I certainly believe that I have had profound cultural experiences throughout my travels whilst upholding my beliefs and maintaining a vegan lifestyle. Moreover, I don’t think being vegan makes me any less Canadian than someone who eats burgers. I have found my niche in Canadian culture, just like I find my niche in other cultures that I visit.

Sticky rice with "Cambrodia" before river dolphin watching on the Irrawaddy, outside of Kratie, Cambodia.

I am aware that turning down food can be perceived as extremely rude and disrespectful in many cultures. I definitely didn’t enjoy that awkward moment when you try to seem appreciative while handing back food, but I didn’t become vegan because it’s easy. I don’t think I really offended anyone by returning a meal that wasn’t what I ordered. In fact, I found that explaining myself to the locals was an interesting and rewarding experience. I also think there are a lot more offensive actions that most travellers perform on a daily basis, such as getting drunk and naked on a beach in a modest religious area. In my opinion, you have to act according to your own moral compass, no matter where you are.

Some people were concerned with my health when I was travelling, because if I’m always eating pizza without cheese then how do I get any protein and other necessary nutrients? Well, that pizza thing only actually happened once. It’s very rare that I am not able to eat a variety of foods while travelling. Just like being vegan at home, there are so many options out there in the rest of the world. Many developing countries rely on  plant-based food staples that we don’t use at home that are in fact super nutritious. I sought these out in every country I went to, and I would argue that I got to try a lot of foods that other foreigners never even heard of. For example, I found an old woman selling some kind of bean salad out of a bucket on a street corner in a small town in northern Peru. I asked to buy some and she first offered me a sample… from a spoon that she used to offer everyone samples! I tried a spoonful - It was delicious and nutritious! I became much more mindful of nutrition when I became vegetarian, and I’ve never had a problem with my health. I had a full check-up when I returned to Canada after my two years abroad, and I am perfectly healthy in every regard. So don’t worry, being vegan while travelling is not detrimental to your health.

Reed from the Uros floating islands in Lake Titicaca. They use this stuff for everything, even to make the islands! They compared it to ice cream... I would have to disagree.

Displaying local foods eaten on the floating islands in Lake Titicaca. They made their lives out to be a bit of a spectacle for tourists, but it was still interesting!

Despite almost never having a problem finding food to eat, I liked to be prepared in case one of those rare instances did occur. I guess you could say I have trust issues? (jks!) I usually carried nutritious snacks with me to make sure I never went hungry... Aaand I didn’t! In fact, my preparedness usually backfired and I ended up eating my snacks on top of my regular meals. So here’s a tip for any other travelling vegans: if you don’t want to gain weight, trust that you will find food to eat at your next destination!

Peanut butter in a bag. Perfect snack! PB was hard to find in South America, so I was pretty proud when I sniffed it out in a small shop. We ate it while hitching a ride in the back of a pickup truck down the coast of Ecuador. Life doesn't get much sweeter than this!

Here are some other vegan travel tips:

       ·         Bring a Tupperware container with you. It’s so useful for mixing up and carrying guacamole, as well as other foods. Just make sure it doesn’t leak!

       ·         Indian restaurants are great sources of nutritious vegan food, and they are everywhere! Order something spicy and have the locals laugh at you while you sweat, cry and blow your nose over a yummy meal.

       ·         Nuts. Also, avocados.

       ·         There are a lot of mock meat Chinese restaurants in the world as well. I once ate vegan “sheep heart and intestines” at a veg restaurant in Burma. A little disturbing, but tasty nonetheless.

       ·         Don’t ever drink goon in Australia. Aside from getting tremors and a wicked hangover, this cheap backpacker option has fish, eggs, and milk in it! Some regular wines do too.

       ·         Where there are Israelis, there is falafel. Tons of Israelis go backpacking after they finish the army, and as such there are a ton of Israeli restaurants in popular backpacker areas. Mmmm… falafel!

       ·         You can get food poisoning even if you’re vegan. Trust your instincts and don’t eat food if you’re feeling a sketchy vibe.

       ·         Guide books have key phrases about food at the back of them – definitely useful! These phrases are right next to the sex section for some reason.

       ·         Don’t be afraid to tell locals that you’re vegan – sometimes you get great advice on where to go, or people will make special food for you. Basically, people can be awesome.

Delicious pie from a veg restaurant in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

I feel that veganism has actually enhanced my travels in some respects. It has brought me to places and people that meat-eating backpackers will never encounter. For example, I had to spend four days in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, waiting for a flight at one point. I’ve mentioned before how much I dislike KL for various reasons, but one thing it’s got going for it is food! The amount of vegetarian restaurants in that city is astounding, so I made it my mission to try a new one each of the four days I was there. I ended up in some really cool spots, but I also met some really cool people! There were three Indonesian women on vacation in KL the time I was there, and I ran into them three out of the four days at different vegetarian restaurants. They talked to me the first time they saw me and we discussed reasons for being vegetarian. By the third time I saw them we were old friends and ate together. They tried to pay for my food and told me I had to come visit them if I made it to Indonesia. Despite them being older than me (ages ranged from 40 to 80 years old), I had a wonderful time connecting to them, and would definitely have gotten in touch with them if I had decided to go to Indonesia.

Blue Boy vegetarian hawker centre (kind of like a food court) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 

Food from Mrs. Popcorn in Hsipaw, Burma. She was the best!

Talking to other travellers about veganism was inevitable in my travels. I am proud to be vegan and would like more awareness about the reasons I am vegan, but I don’t bring the topic up unless it is forced on me. The reason for this is that while I whole-heartedly believe in veganism, I also believe that everyone has the capability to make their own decisions about these kinds of things. I don’t like it when people shove their ideas down my throat, so why would I do that to anyone else? That said, if someone has questions for me then I am happy to answer them. Believe me when I tell you that I’ve had the vegan conversation thousands of times. By now it’s easy for me to predict how people will react to the news, and what they’ll say. 

Just for fun, I’ll break it down into three different common reactions for you: (1) My favourite reaction is when people think it’s cool and then move on quickly. Maybe they’re veg or dabbled in it, or have a relative who’s veg. Either way, they understand it and respect it. That happens often enough, but (2) more often I get the standard questions about what I eat. No, I do not just eat salad (although I do love my salad!). Following these questions are the standard responses of, “I could probably stop eating meat, but I love cheese too much to be vegan,” or “I dunno, man. I couldn’t do it,” or, “What’s your superpower?” My answer to that last one is that I’m a level five vegan ninja and I have the gift of flight (seriously). Also, sometimes a really dirty question is thrown in there, but I’m going to keep this blog post PG! (3) Finally, the third major reaction to the news that I’m vegan is people interrogating me and trying to prove why I’m stupid/that I’m not completely vegan. I’ve given up engaging with people who feel threatened by my choices and attack me unprovoked. I just tell these people that I’m too tired to talk about it and I then change the subject.

I told you I could fly! But all jokes aside, I really can.

I’d like to end this post with a little spiel about privilege. I am vegan partially because I am privileged. I have a choice when it comes to what I eat, as I have a choice about most things in life; e.g. if I want formal education, where I’ll travel to next, what kind of cell phone to buy, etc. I understand that not everyone in the world has so much choice, and that many people will eat whatever they can in order to survive. Hell, I have relatives who sucked on thrown away chicken bones, or drank donkey piss because they were starving during times of war. Similarly, I have met many people who don’t know how they’re going to put food on their family’s table in my recent travels. I often think about a young girl I befriended in Cambodia who told me that even though she didn’t like it, her family ate dogs and rats. Of course I understand the circumstances that lead to those situations and I am in no way judgmental. I feel deeply for those who are hungry and I try to help when I can, but that doesn’t change the fact that I still have the freedom of choice when it comes to my food. I am going to exercise that freedom for as long as I have it to make the most positive choices that I can. I choose to be vegan.

So there you have it. Vegan travel has its ups and downs, but you just gotta ride the wave. Isn’t that what life’s all about? Being vegan can lead to some awkward restaurant situations, but I personally like a challenge! That awkwardness is no reason not to travel if you’re vegan. Indeed, there is a lot of yummy vegan food in the world, and you should make it your personal mission to find it! Spread the love. Eat, live, and travel vegan! :D