vegan travel

Vegan Adventures On Gran Canaria

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I recently took a trip to the stunning island of Gran Canaria, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint.

Part of the Canary Islands archipelago, this sun-soaked spot offers breathtaking landscapes, from rugged mountains and lush countryside to vibrant cities buzzing with life. I had an absolute blast exploring everything the island had to offer, but what truly surprised me was the impressive number of vegan dining options scattered throughout Gran Canaria.

Who knew plant-based goodness could be found so easily in this island paradise?

From a cozy bakery with mouthwatering breads to a seaside restaurant dishing up creative vegan tapas, the island’s plant-based scene is thriving. Whether I was wandering through the city streets or soaking up the natural beauty of the countryside, I never had to look far for a delicious cruelty-free meal.

I’ve put together some Instagram Reels showcasing my vegan highlights from the trip. Check them out below and start planning your own Gran Canaria adventure!

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Are you ready to vegan cruise again?

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Didn’t that year and a bit just fly by?

When I think back to the beginning of 2020, I remember so much to be excited about… not least the vegan cruise I was organising to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Fat Gay Vegan.

Cabins were being booked and special guests were being organised. I was busy creating a list of vegan places to visit during each of our stops. I met with out head chef and carried out tastings.

It was my dream trip to mark my first decade as FGV.

But then reality hit. Hard.

You don’t need a recount of the past year as I’m sure you are as acutely aware of what went down as I am. The basic facts relating to the cruise are that it was cancelled and I knew I wanted to bring it back as soon as possible.

In celebration of the world rising like a phoenix from the ashes of the past year, and me marking the 11th year of being Fat Gay Vegan, please join me as we set sail for an end of the year celebration like no other.

Let’s cruise! We really deserve it this time.

Commencing in historic Nuremburg on December 20, 2021​, our unforgettable week-long celebration takes in picturesque towns and cities scattered along the beloved Danube including Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and the World UNESCO Heritage Wachau Valley (Durnstein, Melk, Linz, and Passau).

Did I mention this cruise will be 100% vegan. All food is completely plant-based and we take over the entire ship.

This unforgettable trip on the Danube has been personally curated by me, FGV, and will include:

  • Welcome night gala dinner and holiday celebration party
  • Karaoke party, disco nights, pub-style quiz, and socialising in the lounge
  • Up close interviews and panel discussions with extra special guests
  • Sumptuous cuisine crafted by our Vegan Culinary Cruises chef
  • Morning yoga classes
  • Gorgeous views of famous European landmarks from luxurious cabins, the on-board restaurant, and the lounge
  • 100% vegan toiletries in each cabin
  • Optional shore excursions, vegan food tours, and all-inclusive drink packages available at extra cost

This journey with Vegan Culinary Cruises and Fat Gay Vegan along the Danube is going to be more than just a cruise. It is set to be an unforgettable celebration of everything vegan. Think of it as your very own vegan festival on water.

The cruise will finish in breathtaking Budapest on December 27, 2021 which will give you enough time to travel home for New Year’s Eve or choose to stay a few extra days and ring in the New Year in style.

If this sounds like a wonderful way to get back into the swing of vegan travel and celebrate a brighter future, please click here to read more about the cruise and to book your spot.

Of course, you can sign up now with no financial obligation until the cruise is deemed completely safe and it has been confirmed.

EXTRA NOTE

I have also curated an extra special USA National Parks land tour for 2022 in conjunction with VCC.

Our Vegan Desert Adventure is open for bookings (which are already rolling in!) and I am extra excited for this trip as it takes in some of the most gorgeous scenery on the planet.

This is hotel based and we take coaches for day trips including the Grand Canyon. Maybe this is for you if ships are not your thing? Or perhaps you want to do both trips? I’ll be on both, so let’s hang out!

Click here to discover more about the Vegan Desert Adventure 2022.

This is a HUGE moment for me. Having to commit to undertaking these adventures after such an uncertain time in history takes a lot of belief and optimism.

Thankfully, I am working with wonderful partners in Vegan Culinary Cruises and we are fortunate to be in a position to take provisional bookings on these trips with no deposit needed.

We will only request deposits and bookings when the departures are deemed safe and secure. We won’t ask you to confirm until we have confirmed. You can dream now, pay later. We all need something to look forward to after the year we’ve had.

Help me celebrate and let’s see the world in vegan style.

Visit the Vegan Culinary Cruises website now.

FGV on a podcast

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Just dropping by to share some fun news with you all.

I was the guest on the latest episode of Two Vs & A Pod podcast!

It was a great chat that left me longing for future travels and food adventures. I can’t wait until I can get back on the road.

Here is the overview of the episode:

Join Issy and Ben this week for all things Travel! Earlier this week it was announced that we should be able to go and visit some of our favourite countries this summer, and for some of you it might be your first time going abroad as a vegan. Issy and Ben share their travel stories and top tips for eating abroad. They’re also joined a real travel expert; Sean O’Callaghan (AKA @FatGayVegan) to discuss his vegan cruises and vast experience around the world as a vegan.

Listen to the episode online here!

Toyota and Lexus helping drivers eat vegan

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This is super interesting and kinda huge news.

HappyCow is thrilled to announce that Toyota and Lexus are making vegan-options easier to find.

Huh? Big name car manufacturers and plant-based eating don’t go together, do they?

Toyota Connected North America has integrated HappyCow’s guide to vegan and vegan-friendly eating into the Destination Assist feature on select 2020 and newer Toyota and Lexus models.

USA-based Toyota and Lexus Destination Assist subscribers will now benefit from HappyCow’s dining guide by pressing the ‘Destination Button’ from the navigation menu.

When speaking with an agent, they simply mention that they’re looking for a vegan or vegetarian restaurant and HappyCow will be used to direct them to nearby vegan and vegan-friendly options.

If you are drawing a blank when reading the name HappyCow, let me fill you in.

HappyCow is the leading vegan guide on the planet. The user-driven platform helps vegan and vegan-curious people location cafes, restaurants, grocery stores, stores, salons, bakeries, markets, and bars that offer vegan and vegetarian goods and services.

I’d love to hear from any Destination Assist users who have used the feature successfully. The rest of the world will need to wait patiently for it to be rolled out globally.

Visit HappyCow online and follow the guide on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Join me for a vegan desert adventure

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Times are changing and the way we do a lot of regular activities has to change, too.

As you probably know, I recently co-created Vegan Culinary Cruises to host 100% vegan cruise vacations with our first departure was set for New Year’s Eve 2021/2022.

Everything was set and bookings were coming in and then… yep. The global crisis happened.

All cruise lines around the globe have put everything on hold. Our VCC departures will be back in the future, but in the meantime I wanted to help people plan vacations for 2022 so we came up with the idea to host land tours and vacations.

Say hello to VCC Adventures.

VCC Adventures showcases our land-only-based adventures for vegan and vegan-curious travellers looking to enjoy a 100% plant-based adventure holiday filled to the brim exciting exploration coupled with our signature delicious vegan cuisine. With exciting itineraries taking in some of the most beautiful, fun-filled destinations on the planet, VCC Adventures is the perfect vacation for compassionate travellers looking to get the most out of a vegan travel experience.

WHAT ABOUT THE 2022 ADVENTURE?

Join FGV and VCC Adventures for a vegan desert vacation in Utah, one of the most naturally breathtaking locations on the planet.

Our hotel-based adventure scheduled for May 15-20, 2022 is the perfect way to ease back into vegan travel as we all patiently wait for the cruise ships to hit the waters again.

Our 5-night, 6-day getaway is packed full of food, fun, and unforgettable sightseeing.

Nature set Bryce Canyon, Zion, and the Grand Canyon ablaze with copper-hued chasms and theatrical formations. Explore the diverse symphony of forest, desert, plateau, and canyon in this spectacular combination of National Parks. No postcard could possibly prepare you for the chiseled vastness of the Grand Canyon, the monolithic oddities of Bryce Canyon, or the stunning cliffs of Zion.

Explore the wonders of the USA‘s Southwest, known as Colour Country, with our travel experts at VCC Adventures. Through the eons, the wind and water’s harsh power has created the red-rock formations, deep canyons, and towering cliffs that have become many of the world’s most famous natural attractions. This enormous geological playground features nature’s intricate forms and brilliant colours combine to offer a Western landscape getaway of incredible diversity and some of the most exhilarating outdoor adventures on earth.

Activities include park walking, bus and hiking tours, outdoor nature and wildlife lecture series, vegan inspired evening programming, and a special behind the scenes day and actives at the world-famous Best Friends Sanctuary.

THE PROGRAM

Our exclusive VCC Adventures tour program is perfect for every activity and ability level. On touring days clients can choose from two levels of walks/hikes in the National Parks:

  • Moderate: Easy walks and/or park bus tours with guided interpretation perfect for all ability levels
  • Adventure: More adventurous hikes with guided interpretation over varying terrain and elevation gain

You will also enjoy:

  • Education & Guiding: All tours are accompanied by our full-time naturalists and educators who bring to life the natural wonders, geology, ecology, Native American history, and so much more!
  • Special Guests: Sean O’Callaghan of Fat Gay Vegan oversees a unique line up of special guests. These experts and personalities from the vegan world will be on hand to regale guests via up close and personal storytelling, Q&A sessions, and insights into everything plant-based. These special guest sessions are unique to VCC Adventures and will conveniently take place during our bus trips, making our time on the road fun, informative, and engaging.
  • Vegan Cuisine: Our VCC Adventures staff bring to you our 100% plant-based signature vegan dining experience all from our very own on-site private kitchen and meeting dining facility, all included for the duration of your tour. Just as we do on all Vegan Culinary Cruises and VCC Lite journeys, our culinary team ensure the highest standards of vegan cuisine. All products are specially sourced, and our menus are created to be fun, unique, nutritious, and delicious.
  • Accommodations: We are based at our hotel in St George, Utah for the duration of the stay so there is no need to pack and unpack. St. George is the perfect location, centrally located for all nearby National Parks. We will enjoy our own beautiful private meeting space for all meals and programming.

If this desert land tour adventure sounds like the vacation for you, click here to find out more information about the itinerary and book your spot.

This is going to be a dream vegan vacation in the desert and a trip of a lifetime that you (and I) will never forget. I hope you can join me for a wonderful week.

Book now.

Ten years of FGV celebration cruise

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Ten years is a long time for a blog. A really long time.

I can hardly believe that in December 2020 I will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of being Fat Gay Vegan.

It has been a wild ride of a decade and to look back in a positive way, I am hosting a week-long vegan cruise on the gorgeous Danube river.

Wanna celebrate ten years of FGV with me?!

Prices start from $1,499 USD per person.

Join me and Vegan Culinary Cruises for a week-long 100% vegan cruise on the Danube traveling from Budapest, Hungary to Passau, Germany between December 31, 2020 and January 7, 2021.

Full details of the cruise are online here.

As the cruise is a celebration of the 10th anniversary of Fat Gay Vegan, it is set to be a vegan experience like no other.

The cruise will feature:

  • morning yoga classes
  • incredible vegan cuisine served across three meals a day
  • special guests involved in cooking demos and panel discussions
  • disco and karaoke nights in the lounge
  • 100% vegan toiletries in each cabin
  • Wi-Fi access
  • 24h coffee and tea station
  • Teatime and cake
  • Midnight snack in the lounge
  • All day water and ice-tea in the lounge
  • Electrically assisted bicycles

Optional extras on the cruise will include:

  • city and vegan food tours
  • drinks packages
  • airport transfers

Cruise schedule

  • Day 1 December 31 Budapest
  • Day 2 January 1 Budapest
  • Day 3 January 2 Bratislava
  • Day 4 January 3 Vienna
  • Day 5 January 4 Villages of the Wachau Valley – Durnstein & Melk
  • Day 6 January 5 Linz
  • Day 7 January 6 Passau
  • Day 8 January 7 Passau: Depart

We take over the complete ship meaning this is a fully vegan cruise.

Help me celebrate my 10th anniversary as Fat Gay Vegan. I have met thousands of vegans and vegan-friendly people over the past decade and it would be wonderful to share this huge milestone with familiar faces.

Click here to get all the details and if you like what you see, book a cabin!

Follow Vegan Culinary Cruises on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

RSVP and invite friends via the Facebook event page.

7 amazing vegan dishes I recently ate

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If you have been taking notice of my ramblings lately, you’ll know that I have teamed up with a Seattle-based travel company to launch a brand new vegan cruise company.

Vegan Culinary Cruises is dedicated to luxurious 5-star travel. Everything about the cruises we design is for vegans and vegan-curious people and our adventures are 100% vegan.

The alcohol we serve. The toiletries in the cabins. The shore excursions we organise. And of course the cuisine. It’s all designed to be 100% vegan.

I recently teamed up with our chef Tobias for a week of workshopping our menus and I have to say it was not exactly tough work for me. I got to eat some truly delicious dishes.

I’ve picked my top 7 items Tobias and I developed (and my contribution was mostly tasting) for your viewing pleasure. I’d love to know your favourite:

First up in my cavalcade of deliciousness is this stunning omelette. I haven’t eaten a non-vegan omelette in more than 20 years so I can’t place myself as an expert, but this vegan version was incredible. It was so good, we are considering having an omelette bar at breakfast on our upcoming cruises.

Dense and sweet. That’s how I like my brownies and this one didn’t disappoint. The gooey topping was perfect.

If fried spring rolls are on a menu, I order them. I’m so happy Tobias put this starter together for me and the slightly charred bok choy was the perfect accompaniment.

When Tobias told me that he wanted to cook something for me that featured multiple types of beans, I was a bit suspicious. Beans aren’t that exciting, right? I was wrong! This casolette served with crunchy garlic bread and fresh radishes was one of the highlights of the week.

Moussaka is a little bit rare to come across when you eat vegan, so I was thrilled to be served this plate during our menu workshop week.

Here is my favourite dish from the week. Seitan strudel is now the love of my life thanks to this gorgeous creation. The flaky pastry was perfectly matched by the savoury seitan filling. Not shown were some crunchy roasted potatoes in a side bowl. I mean, come on!

I couldn’t possibly end this list without the inclusion of this delicious and decadent Crêpes Suzette. I am a sucker for fancy desserts and this knocked it out of the park. The ice cream you can spot in the photo was caramel flavoured and I fell in love with it.

There you have it. What do you think about these dishes we workshopped for Vegan Culinary Cruises?

You can see both of our 2020 cruises on the VCC website. First up is the LGBT-focused (although all are welcome) cruise on the Mekong through Vietnam and Cambodia in July, followed by a Rhone cruise through the South of France during the first week of November.

We currently have a huge special for early bookers of a US$1,000 discount per person for bookings before January 31, 2020.

Click here for all cruise information.

Follow Vegan Culinary Cruises on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Vegan business in Sri Lanka

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I recently enjoyed a wonderful email exchange with a vegan business owner in Sri Lanka.

Instead of me trying to give you all the details, I’ve asked Tashie Roberts to give you all the inside information on her venture called Smokey’s – The Brownie Bar:

Three and half years ago I became a vegan and because I missed cake and goodies, I learnt to bake vegan brownies. My non-vegan family and friends loved the brownies I baked and many people suggested that I sell a few brownies from home. The rest is history. Smokey’s – The Brownie Bar was born! It took off and people (not just vegans) loved my brownies and it got bigger and I realised I could no longer do it from home. I took a small place and decided to start up my own café. I invested every last cent I have in to opening up the café. Now, even though I do have a regular amount of business coming in from people that order my brownies and cakes for delivery, it isn’t nearly enough to run the café. Sri Lanka is a fairly poor country meaning not many people simply walk into the café off the streets. In the past month (34 days to be exact) that I have been open, I have noticed to my surprise that the majority of customers walking in have been vegan tourists that have found me on HappyCow. I am also the admin of Vegan Sri Lanka, the vegan community here in Sri Lanka where we discuss veganism, help vegan tourists with where to eat, what to eat and how to order, and many other things. The vegan community in Sri Lanka is tiny but there a lot more of us than when we first started our Vegan Sri Lanka journey three years ago. It is growing and we are seeing so much progress in Sri Lanka!

What an amazing story.

We can help Tashie and the vegan movement in Sri Lanka by liking and sharing the Smokey’s Facebook page. You can also follow them on Instagram.

If you are in the area, the exact address of Smokey’s – The Brownie Bar can be seen here thanks to Google Maps.

Vegan food in Gdańsk Poland

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Guest post from my amazing friend, Mirel.

I had heard the vegan food in Poland was amazing so when I found a particularly irresistible deal on flights, I gathered up some loved ones and headed to the port town of Gdansk.

We only had limited time during our visit but after narrowing the restaurant choice down to one winner, we headed off to Vegan Pizza Port. The whole menu looked amazing.

It was incredible! Between us, we had the seitan chops served with mash, two absolutely giant portions of lasagne and two different pizzas.

None of us could stop raving about the food. We could see pizza dough being expertly hand thrown in the open kitchen and whicheve cheese they were using was one of the best we’ve ever tasted.

The restaurant itself is lovely; warm and cosy but bright and welcoming too. The staff were really attentive and able to answer any questions we had. It’s well worth visiting Gdansk just to dine at this total gem of a place.

Follow Vegan Pizza Port on Facebook and Instagram.

Vegan in the Canary Islands

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Guest blog post by my fabulous friend, Gabi.

Vegan Surprise in the Canaries

So much for my detox holiday. I have just demolished a Jamaican beer stew, some grilled veg with Aioli and instead of dessert a delicious dumpling with mushrooms. So, now it’s just a cortado…I think. The tiramisu looks good though.

The London weather and all the snotty nosed people on the tube were getting to me, so I escaped to Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands for a spot of sunshine. Having booked an all-inclusive deal in a tourist resort my food expectations were extremely low and I thought it might be a good opportunity to do a bit of a detox. I thought my options were limited to salad, nuts and fruit with the occasional canary potatoes bathed in red and/or green mojo (delicious by the way).

I was in Corralejo on the very northern tip of the island, a smallish tourist town, with a strong surfer vibe. And it’s got no less than FOUR vegan restaurants! I couldn’t believe it. Particularly since two of these really made this slightly jaded Londoner’s palate sing. The first was Baobab, a little homely family run restaurant that’s open from 11 am – 4pm, so a perfect lunch spot. Home-made bread sandwiches with an array of veggies, spreads, sprouts and tofu. Also, fresh juices and salads. But the stars of the show for me were the specials. The first day I had fried marinated tofu with a potato bake and fresh organic salad, simple, great ingredients and I nearly licked the plate. The second day I couldn’t make up my mind between home-made cashew cheese with figs and other yummy things and some croquettes. The croquettes (Spinach I think, won). Yummy again. Followed by a delicious raw chocolate and pistachio cake. Sitting in the sun, by a square, I was happy. Their English was rather basic so I didn’t get the full lowdown on this family run enterprise.

It was another restaurant though that sounded the death knell to my detox. Past & Future only opened a few months ago, and I ate there four times. And always way too much because I really wanted to try as much as possible. As much as I love street food, it was so nice to sit in a proper restaurant, have good food and wine not get totally fleeced. Even though there are some Indian/Indonesian/Jamaican outliers on the menu, to me the food is European soul food. Proper home-made pasta (Ravioli with truffled cream sauce, really good lasagne), German/Austrian dumplings, fresh crisp salads, Canarian stews, Tiramisu and parfait for dessert.

The restaurant is owned and run by the vivacious polyglot Aida Le Pesqueur who can rattle off her menu in what seems like 15 languages and gave me a bit of an insight into the Canary Island vegan scene. She is helping to organise the island’s first vegan festival on May 19th-20th in the capital Puerto del Rosario. Le Pesqueur moved her restaurant from Cologne to Corralejo last year and credits the arrival of a number of Italian restauranteurs in recent years with the sudden flurry of vegan activity in the town. Her own ambition is either to franchise Past & Future or to open a vegan hotel on the island.

The other two vegan spots are H20, a daytime café which is really good too. It has the standard vegan fare of juices, salads and burgers, and does a full English breakfast, hence I wasn’t as excited. D Sanchez is a burger bar that gets a lot of love online for its fresh food and craft beer, but I didn’t make it there. It does look good from the outside though.