First rule that we are going to banish before continuing reading this article. The "vegan" label does not guarantee that a product, a meal or a trip will be more expensive . always remember that a plate of lentils or chickpeas is one of the cheapest meals in the world . In addition to healthy.
That tells us the same Elizabeth White , journalist and writer of the new book 'Travel vegan' (Anaya Touring, 2021) when we asked him what he would say to those who think that eating vegan is a higher cost.
“You can travel in many ways and planning has a lot to do with the budget. If you want to spend less, you can look for accommodation with a kitchen, it is worth remembering that legumes are the cheapest proteins out there and that there are expensive vegan products, but they are not essential, they usually fall into the category of whims”.
Elisa, vegan by conviction and founder of the Madrid Vegano platform, has published a guide, suitable for all audiences, in which she helps those who want to embark on a journey from the vegan philosophy of life. Because being vegan is not only about stopping eating products of animal origin , but to be aware of the environment and carry out in our day to day a minor impact on all the nature that surrounds us. From the purchase of a shoe to the use of a toothpaste.
Travel Vegan.
This guide, with illustrations by Pilar Roca (The Wild Rocks), covers everything from planning your trip, to where to stay, how to prepare a vegan travel kit, how to travel without polluting , how to choose the best restaurants to eat or how to prepare a vegan family trip.
"travel vegan It is a recommended book for all those people who enjoy traveling , but they want to do it from a different perspective: kinder and more respectful of animals, the environment and the destination and its inhabitants”, she adds to Traveler.es.
This story, which she has written from her own experience, was born after making several travel guides for the publisher. So it is a guide made almost like a field notebook, where the author has been able to experience each piece of advice she gives in her own skin.
And one of those tips is that you can travel anywhere in the world even if you are vegan. . Although, yes, when we ask her about the destinations that she would recommend, she is quite clear. You always have to go to the rankings of top vegan destinations. “To me, not only because of the issue of veganism, but because of its cultural offer, they seem fantastic London, Berlin and New York . As far as the most complicated destinations are concerned, I would not say that they are not recommended, it is Africa where, in general, it is difficult to find vegan options and I would add a country where it seems that eating vegan is easy, but it is not so, Japan”.
And he adds: “If we go beyond food, there are certain countries in which the mistreatment of animals is more visible, it is in the streets, in view of anyone, and this must be taken into account depending on the degree of sensitivity that we have because it can ruin a trip”. Curiously, she would be pleasantly surprised with bathroom , in England, where the vegan option is “spectacular”.
Traveling as a vegan is easier than you think.
APPLICATIONS AND INTERACTION WITH ANIMALS
To travel vegan, he recommends using applications such as Happy Cow, which allows us to quickly find vegan, vegetarian and restaurants with options around the world . Also Abillion, because it has a solidarity aspect. “It feeds on the opinions of its users about vegan dishes from restaurants, vegan products that are bought in stores... The only condition is that it is vegan and for each review you earn a dollar whose destiny is to be donated to any of the organizations and animal sanctuaries attached to the application”. And of course, to travel around Spain, specifically to Madrid, ** Madrid Vegano ** of which she is the founder.
In the book she also dedicates a section to traveling in nature . And in this section to the relationship that tourists have with animals. At Traveler.es we have already dedicated an article to it, but How can we know that we are dealing with a case of animal tourism exploitation?
“It's as simple as using common sense. If you see that an animal allows itself to be fed, given a bottle, picked up, poses for photos..., something is wrong and you also have to keep in mind that animals are not vehicles. To access this type of subjugation, most of them have suffered terrible torture. Ideally, you should avoid any interaction with them where they ask you for money.”.
She recommends visit shrines when we want to see animals in freedom, go to shelters making donations, or buy in charity shops (charities) of animal organizations, very common in countries like the United Kingdom.
“In the "good" sanctuaries, the priority is its inhabitants and not the income they obtain from visits . Obviously you can see the animals, but without stressing or disturbing them and their routines are always above visits. In a sanctuary they will never perform or be forced to act in a certain way to satisfy spectators or be seen locked in cages.