Review: Lonely Planet's The Vegan Travel Handbook

I don't get out much. I rarely travel anywhere further than a few hours' drive from Memphis. Paid-for work trips are about the only times I fly anywhere. Paul and I did go to Florida this year, but his work paid for almost everything! I've only left the U.S. once when my parents and I spent a few hours in Mexico on a cruise. But I'd like to see the world one day. It's just hard when you have so many pets.

But hey, a girl can dream! Paul and I are hoping to travel to Holland, where his maternal family lives, within the next year. But we've been talking about that trip for years, so we'll see. Whenever we do finally get out into world, Lonely Planet Food's new vegan travel guide (coming December 2019), The Vegan Travel Handbook, will come in handy.

Lonely Planet, the travel guide company, sent me a review copy of their new vegan travel book, and it's a beauty! This illustrated guide is filled with fun graphic elements and full-color photos that make one feel as though they're jet-setting from Ethiopia to Bali to Spain and beyond.

It opens with tips on packing (they suggest always including a jar of peanut butter for emergency PB sandwiches in places where vegan options are hard to find), budgeting (eat breakfast in your hotel room), and vegan apps and travel blogs to help plan your trip. There's even a section on how to tell people you're vegan in 10 languages.

From there, the book breaks down into different countries, which are categorized based on whether you're seeking adventure, relaxation, culture, wildlife & nature, a tropical vacation, or a road trip. Countries include Argentina, Ethiopia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Bali, Japan, Nordic nations, Switzerland & Northern Italy, Eastern Europe, India, Israel, Spain, Brazil, British Columbia, New Zealand, South Africa, Cambodia, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Malaysia, Austria & Germany, East Coast Australia, the UK, and the West Coast USA.

Each section suggests hotels, experiences (such as places to see local music, shop, hike, etc.), ways to order vegan versions of the local cuisine (very cool!), and vegan restaurants.

I will definitely use this book when we finally make that trip to Europe. I was a little sad to see The Netherlands wasn't included, but other nearby areas, like Germany, are. And I imagine we'll be taking the train around Europe while we're there.

The Vegan Travel Handbook is a great resource! It's coming out in December and is currently available on pre-order from Amazon. It'd make a great holiday gift for your jet-setting friends!