A lot of my best travel buddies have chosen the vegan lifestyle and I was talking to one of them recently about our experiences across the world in terms of which countries are the most accommodating for vegans. There are many cities which I have visited which really promote veganism and have wide options for restaurants and cafes, today however I want to take a look at which countries are the best to visit for vegans, which aren’t actively trying to remove meat from the menu, because it they already have.
India
India has one of the largest populations of vegetarians on the planet and this in turn lends itself to a an easy-to-find vegan lifestyle. Animals are sacred in the religions throughout India and as such, meat features very rarely on the menu, the only watch outs therefore for vegans are the uses of cheese, butter and cream in the cooking process. Thankfully, such is the beauty of the curry, almost all of these are either vegan by design, or can easily be turned into vegan meals. The approach to India food is more about the flavor of the ingredients and the use of vegetables and potatoes is enhanced with a wonderful blend of herbs and spices. The sheer amount of grains, pulses, lentils, cereals, beans and vegetables gives a vegan more than enough options to get live a tasty and fulfilling lifestyle here.
Taipei, Taiwan
Taipei has really cemented itself as a vegan mecca in recent years and the culture here just continues to grow year on year. Speaking to all of my vegan buddies, they tell me that this is the place which they would happily keep going back to in order to enjoy not only a beautiful island, but also a wide range of outstanding vegan food. The food choices here range from the locally cooked, and mightily delicious vegan street food, right the way up to high-end restaurants who are constantly striving to put new and exciting vegan dishes on the menu, in fact, Taipei offers over 6,000 vegetarian and vegan establishments! Because of the abundance of ingredients in Taipei, vegans can also count on some pretty cheap options, vegan food on a budget is very easily done here, perfect for the conscious traveler.
Morocco
Throughout my travels around northern Africa, I found so many countries which offer plentiful options for vegan travelers and Morocco is most definitely a favorite. Even raw food vegans can find a wide range of options here and whilst there is plenty of meat about, the meals do not depend on it by any stretch of the imagination. Fruits and nuts are regularly used in cooking, so too is a vast range of vegetables as well as beans and lentils being heavily depended upon. The key to great Moroccan food is often plenty of veg, rice and most importantly, a tasty blend of local spices. If you are looking for a great vegan lifestyle then Morocco is a great place to consider.