How to prepare for an island trip as a vegan
Grenada 08/2021
Islands tend to be a food paradise for seafood lovers. For the traveling vegan, however, it can pose some difficulty. Prior to traveling to any island, I often get a bit anxious as a key part of experiencing foreign culture for me is to try the local food.
So to combat this anxiety, I try to research restaurants with vegan options prior to traveling. It takes the anxiety out of the trip, especially if you’re traveling with nonvegans. Furthermore, I love to experience traditional cuisine as a part of my traveling experience. Planning ahead allows us to do just that.
If you love spontaneity, the idea of researching your restaurants may seem unappealing. But think of it this way, planning your food frees up time for you to be spontaneous with your activities :). Additionally, some restaurants require reservations and so it prevents you on missing out on such locations.
Researching restaurants are simple. I use the following platforms:
1) TRIPADVISOR
It should come as no surprise that I use TripAdvisor. In addition to looking at the overall rating of a restaurant, I shift through the reviews. This also aids me in what to select when I visit said restaurant. Additionally, I love the map view of Tripadvisor as when I travel alone, I prefer to select restaurants closer to my hotel.
2) SOCIAL MEDIA
I use both Instagram and TikTok to find restaurants by searching hashtags. A popular hashtag I use is #veganfood[insert country] or #[insert country]veganfood. Not only does this technique provide restaurant options, but it tends to help you find aesthetically pleasing locations which you can then verify with a quick google search/ Tripadvisor review.
3) RECOMMENDATIONS
When you arrive, it is a good idea to ask the receptionist/ host for advice on vegan restaurants. It’ll be an added bonus if they know and can guide you on the places you have selected.
Now that you’ve found your go-to restaurants don’t forget to leave room for spontaneity ;).
- The traveling vegan