Guide to Vegetarian Travel

by Laura Chapman

were you quorn to be wild

Guide To Vegetarian Travel

Vegetarian travel is not always easy. But it is a hell of a lot of fun: wandering the globe and having adventures while discovering delicious foods made with weird and wonderful ingredients.

This guide highlights the best veggie options around the World, although we recommend taking along some dietary supplements (vitamins etc) for those situations where fresh fruit and vegetables are hard to come by. It's not impossible to stick to your convictions when travelling, but it does need a little forethought. Aren't we handy?

Top 3 veggie travel treats...

Vegetarian Thali, India

Lots of little dishes of spicy yumminess.

Real Italian pizza

Nothing like the stodgy, greasy ones back home...

Mezzes in the Middle East

Falafel and houmous-based goodness.

About the Author

Author Laura Chapman is a vegetarian who's travelled and lived all over the World, and hasn't had scurvy even once. She's convinced that veggie travel is much easier - and more rewarding - than most people think.

You Can Do It...

It may seem trifling to the carnivores out there, but veggie travellers can't last for six months on Super Noodles alone.

If the idea of chomping down on a deep-fried weevil brings you out in a rash, you're not alone. There are over four million vegetarians in the UK, with another alleged five thousand converts every week. Travel might be tricky in some countries, but you'll never find yourself without a vegetarian option, although we can't guarantee it'll be interesting (or even tasty). Expect to eat plenty of beans and nuts, and don't expect to find a 'V' next to too many options on the menu when you eat out...

Don't forget, veggie life will be much easier in the larger enclaves, since you'll be able to find western food in most large hotels, as well as the usual array of Italian, Chinese, Indian and Mid-Eastern restaurants if the local cuisine doesn't meet your veggie standards. It'll also be easier to communicate in the cities, since more people will speak English, and will understand what 'vegetarian' means.

If you're travelling with a group of carnivores, restaurants could be your biggest stumbling block. If you find yourself struggling, raid the local shops and markets for fresh fruit and veg - pizza every day really isn't that good for you. Make sure to wash, peel and / or cook anything fresh according to local health recommendations (and ensure the water you wash them in is safe too!).

Planning a veggie trip

The most important stage of planning a vegetarian trip is to decide how fussy an eater you're going to be. If you're a hardcore fruitarian (they aren't just Notting Hill fabrications, y'know), or are liable to get violent if your cheese sandwich was prepared by someone who looked at a piece of meat last week, you'll probably do better to stick to countries where they at least understand what 'vegetarian' means.

Make sure you do plenty of research! Most guidebooks will offer at least a brief overview of local cuisine at most destinations, highlighting veggie options and detailing potential restaurants. Alternatively, run yourself an internet search or check with local vegetarian organisations - these can be found in a surprising number of countries - even France!

Before you leave, make sure you know how to say you're vegetarian in the local language, and write down any unpronounceable words! If you can't find anything in your guidebook or on the net, grab the first English speaker you can and beg some assistance. Always confirm a dish is veggie, even if it looks safe on the menu. That way, you can't blame us if your vegetable soup turns out to be served in an upturned hoof.

Make sure you've got a sense of humour about yourself. Vegetarianism is increasing, but has yet to spread to many parts of the World. Plenty of patience will be required when dealing with local food providers, and in some communities, meat is considered a status symbol. Make sure you're prepared to be perceived as a bit of a freak, and leave a trail of mirth as you leave.

We've said it already, but make sure to take plenty of diet-balancing essentials, like protein bars, nuts, dried fruit, seeds and suchlike, not to mention a bottle of multi-vitamin tablets.

Vegetarian travel in Europe and the Middle East

The UK is pretty much the pinnacle of vegetarianism in Europe, so a big pat on the back for us. However, there's been a definite increase in Euro-veggie awareness over the last few years and, with health food being on the up and up, enhanced access to veggie food.

The majority of Western European countries have a meat'n'fish tradition, so you won't get to sample too much in the way of local fare. However, you should be able to ask for non-meat options in a lot of restaurants (our Gallic neighbours excepted). Watch out for soup with meat stock/meatballs and goats' cheese, which is often served with bacon.

The Scandinavian diet centres on fish, with meat coming a close second (including whale meat in Iceland and Norway - insert disapproving look). You may soon find yourself sick of salads and crispbreads, but as eating out is pricey anyway, you'll be happy to frequent the cheaper 'foreign' restaurants.

The concept of vegetarianism is a little lost on Southern Europeans. Your best option is veggie-heaven Italy, although less so for vegans (pizza, pasta, cheeses and so on). In Greece some of the mezédhes are bean/vegetable based, not to mention the ubiquitous Greek salad, but in Spain and Portugal you'll struggle (especially if you're no omelette and chips type!)

Central & Eastern Europe is a veggie low. Meat, meat and more meat (and anything veggie is often cheese-based so even lower for vegans). There is plenty of fruit and veg knocking about (it's just rarely served unaccompanied in restaurants). Try bean stew in Georgian restaurants in Russia, spinach pie in Bosnia,

pancakes in Lithuania and cheese wrapped in breadcrumbs in Slovenia. Beware stews, which are often cooked with meat stock.

In the Middle East you should have more luck finding nourishment. Although main courses generally involve lamb / chicken, you can happily get by on the mezzes, enjoying such local delicacies as falafel, houmos, tahina and fuul (vegan-friendly and full of protein).

Star player: Italy (God bless the Italian resto, which in a lot of countries will be your mainstay)

Must try harder: France (for eating horses and trying to pretend chicken is a vegetable)

Veggie anecdote: ''Say in your best French: 'I am vegetarian, I don't eat meat or fish, I would like a vegetarian crêpe please' and sit back and wait for a crêpe decorated with strips of bacon... (bacon bits get into everything!)'' - Jess on France.

Vegetarian travel in the Americas

Although generally perceived as an uncivilised wilderness, the US of A is not too bad for the wandering herbivore. Traditionally the land of burgers and steaks the size of your head, a healthy-eating backlash against the wobbly-arse brigade has left room for veggie products. Some of the junk foodists in US and Canada will also have non-meat options, and there are the usual Indian/Mexican/Chinese fallbacks.

The further south we move, the murkier things become. But even if the cuisine is not to your taste, cocktails are an exceedingly nutritious diversion (just think of all that fruit juice).

Mexico is get-by-able: the three main staples are tortillas (ask for non-animal fat versions), chili peppers and beans. In Central America, most main dishes are meaty but rice, beans and corn feature prominently. Costa Rica is a junk food fan's paradise (so pizza/chips for you). Guatemala is similar to Mexico but with a meatier emphasis (Chinese restaurants abound for a break from the rice/bean combo). Honduras has dairy thrown in (cream and cheese). In Nicaragua non-vegans can substitute eggs for meat (and the concept of salad has caught on!) In El Salvador, go for pupusas (cornmeal with cheese and refried beans.) The Caribbean is far too diverse to cover here; suffice to say there'll be lots of fish but the larger tourist facilities should offer the occasional vegetable.

South America has pockets of herbivore-friendly eateries but overall is a low point for vegetarians. Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana will be easiest (they mix Creole, Indian and Chinese cuisines) - try afada (interesting peanut butter/plantain affair) or vegetable roti (veggies in flatbread). Further south, you will have to be more inventive (especially vegans), although rice and beans are generally available. Try cheese/bean empanadas (cornmeal turnovers) in Venezuela, arepas (corn flat bread) with cheese in Colombia, patacones (fried plantain - super for the waistline) in Ecuador, quinoa (protein-rich seed) in Bolivia, black beans with rice in Brazil, yams and noodles in Peru (if you're not up for guinea pig on a spit), mazamorra (mashed corn) and chipas (manioc flour, eggs and cheese) in Paraguay, cassava in meat-mad Uruguay, corn tamales and fresh veggies in Chile and Italian gnocchi in Argentina where beef is a synonym for food.

Star player: El Salvador, if you've had enough of testing the veracity of the childhood rhyme beans, beans, good for the heart, you'll be over the moon to rediscover dairy (non-vegans)

Must try harder: Argentina. Beef, beef or (you got it), beef. Anyone?

Veggie anecdote: ''As I'm not a pizza fan, it was almost impossible to eat out in Buenos Aires. You can't go to a regular restaurant and ask for vegetables or a salad as their idea of a good meal is a slab of meat with bread on the side.'' - Jan on Argentina

Vegetarian travel in Africa

Africa's cuisine is nothing if not diverse, including a wide variety of crawling, swimming and flying beasties. For veggies, there are root vegetables (yam, manioc), grains (rice, millet, maize) and lovely fruit, but not a lot else! A colonial legacy has left a few 'western' foodstuffs and you should find more veggie-friendly things in big cities and tourist resorts.

North Africa is the best African region for veggies, with a cuisine similar to that in the Middle East (flat bread, pulses etc)

In West Africa, try aloco in Ivory Coast (fried banana with onion and chilli), latcheri (pounded millet) in Gambia, fufu in Ghana (cassava balls), French patisseries in Guinea, couscous in Mali and Senegal, efo (vegetable soup) in Nigeria, and in Togo, which is a lot better for veggies, try riz sauce arachide (rice with peanut sauce).

In Central Africa, Cameroon cuisine is based on manioc leaves (feuille), in the Central African Republic they use a lot of gombo (okra) and in Niger you can get by on couscous.

In Eastern Africa, you can eat well in Djibouti and Ethiopia, where lentils and flat bread (injara) are a speciality, in Eritrea, go for nai tsom (selection of non-meat dishes), in Uganda, try the motooke (kind of mashed banana porridge) with a non-meat sauce and in Rwanda, you will find imported 'western' (junk) food, as well as Ethiopian fare. Kenya isn't wonderful for veggies, similarly Tanzania (although Zanzibar is better) - beans, beans and more beans.

Southern Africa - Zambia will be another porridge and veg sauce affair (nshima), Zimbabwe is short on fresh fruit and veg, but try gem squash, in Namibia you'll be stuck with mielie (the same porridge stuff again - different name though), but also pumpkins and peppers. In Botswana, it will be just miele with sauce outside the cities and in Swaziland most meals are based on maize, milk and vegetables, with not much meat. South Africa is far from gastronomic paradise for veggies - lots of meat (from sausages to crocodile) and junk food - try pumpkin fritters.

Star player: Ethiopia offers a little haven for veggies in an otherwise fairly barren desert (warning - avoid Easter, which is a bit of a meat fest)

Must try harder: Plenty of choice for the wooden spoon here but the award goes to.... Botswana - fried mopane worm anyone?!

Veggie anecdote: ''My first African jaunt started off on the wrong culinary foot when, despite calling twice pre-holiday, Ms Grumpy Check-in informed me I hadn't booked my veggie meal. After becoming embroiled in several lengthy arguments with lots of arm-waving, I ended up with a bread roll (empty). On the return flight, they tried to bribe us just to scan our luggage, so I decided to quit while I was ahead and make the most of my roll!'' - Laura on Tanzania

Vegetarian travel in Asia and the Pacific

At first sight, Asia may strike you as a veggie-ideal, but in reality a lot of countries spice up their tofu-vegetable-rice combos with meat stock, fish sauce, shrimp paste and the like (except India and Nepal). Peanuts and tofu are a good way of keeping up protein and Buddhist/Indian restaurants a good recourse.

In Japan, home of raw fish and harpooning whales, the few dependably vegetarian dishes include vegetarian tempura, veggie sushi (cucumber, avocado etc), and onigiri (rice balls).

Despite the liberal interpretation of the term 'edible' in China, you should get by as noodles, rice and fresh veggies are in abundance (similarly in Taiwan). Watch for animal fat in stir fries/soups.

Things are looking up in South Asia - in Nepal, daal bhaat is the local staple (rice and lentils with a few green veggies thrown in for good measure) and you can often

find macaroni/noodles. India is a clear favourite for vegetarians and vegans as around a third of the population is veggie (although more meat is eaten in the North). Try a vegetarian thali, a selection of veggie dishes with chapatti/rice. Bangladeshis are fond of their meat but veggie fare includes eggs and dal (lentil slop) with rice. You can rely on Indian cuisine to get you by in Sri Lanka and, in the vegetable-poor Maldives, tourist resorts import greenery from outside.

On the Southeast Asian mainland, Myanmar has a plethora of Chinese / Indian eateries. Alternatively try the local spicy vegetable salad. Dishes in Thailand and Laos almost invariably contain fish/shrimp seasoning - try pad thai (noodles, beansprouts, eggs), without the dried shrimp. In Cambodia, things are even

graver, with vegetable fried rice/noodles and the occasional salad as your only options. Vietnam has a few meat-substitutes and the French have left a welcome baguette legacy, but you'll have to be clear with your no meat / fish demands.

As for the Southeast Asian archipelago, you'll do better to stick to Indian/Chinese food in Singapore - and try the curry puffs (veggies in puff pastry). Things are easier in Indonesia, you can usually find noodles/pasta - try gado gado (vegetables with peanut sauce). Being veggie in Malaysia is also fairly painless - try rojak (salad of pineapple, cucumber, bean curd, and boiled egg with peanut sauce - ask for

no prawn fritters). The Philippines is quite meat-based but good English is widely spoken so at least your veggie rice/noodle requests will be understood!

Vegetarian travel in Asia and the Pacific (cont'd)

In Australasia, many of the Pacific islands use a lot of fish but also grow delicious fruit and veg, and some will import 'European' food.

Papua New Guinea caters for vegetarians and cannibals alike - you can get rice, fruit and greens in the sticks and imported wholefoods in town. Australia is not renowned for its culinary delights, particularly if 'shrimps on the barbie' is not your thing. Outside the big cities, where you should stumble upon a few veggie-friendly restaurants, you may find yourself dining on pizzas, cheese toasties and Hungry Jacks veggie burgers (similar problem in New Zealand).

Star player: India, the hands-down über destination for any discerning veggie, with a cuisine so good Fat Les felt inspired to write a song about it.

Must try harder: Cambodia for its somewhat 'fishy' cuisine, which left poor Nicola with cornflakes for dinner as a culinary highlight.

Veggie anecdote: ''Vegetarian nightmare! Be prepared to eat vegetable fried rice and more vegetable fried rice! Sometimes fried noodles! Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville (obvious tourist spots) did have more options - I even found Heinz beans advertised as a sort of delicacy (and I treated them as one!)'' - Nicola on Cambodia

Useful Phrases

A little word of hope after all this 'you will be doomed to a life of dry bread and water' stuff. As long as you're sensible and inventive, and stop off in a few touristy areas/big cities to refuel, you won't starve, no matter where you are. You may have to work harder than at home (but that's what travelling is all about right?!) Fear not, there is life beyond the vegetable lasagne...

Getting the message across:

Afrikaans: Ek eet nie vleis, hoender of vis nie (I don't eat meat, poultry or fish)

Czech: Jsem vegetarian(ka) (I'm a vegetarian)

French: Je ne mange pas de viande, ni de poisson (I don't eat meat or fish)

German: Ich bin Vegetarierin (I'm vegetarian)

Greek: Ime chortofagos (I'm a vegetarian)

Hungarian: Vegetáriánus vagyok (I'm a vegetarian)

Hebrew: Ani tsimchonit (I'm a vegetarian)

Italian: Sono vegetariana (I'm a vegetarian (f))

Indonesian: Saya tidak makan daging (I don't eat meat)

Japanese: Saishoku-shugi ryori wa arimasuka? (Have you any vegetarian meals?)

Mandarin: Wo chi su (I'm a vegetarian)

Malaysian: Saya hanya makan sayuram (I eat only vegetarian foods)

Nepalese: Ma sakahari hu (I'm a vegetarian)

Polish: Jestem wegetarianka (I'm a vegetarian)

Russian: (phonetic) - Ya ve-ge-ta-ri-aa-nyets (ve-ge-ta-ri-aanka) (I'm a vegetarian)

Spanish: Yo soy vegetariana (I'm a vegetarian (f))

Thai: Chan thaan mangsawirat thawnan (I only eat vegetarian food)

Turkish: Hic et yiyemem (I can't eat any meat)

Vietnamese: Toi la an chay, khong an thit (I only eat vegetarian food)

Right, that's me off to master the phrase 'use that shrimp paste and suffer the consequences' in 10 different languages...

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