Top 10 Tips for Travelling as a Vegan/Vegetarian

(1) Learn Useful Phrases

This tip is very important when you are travelling to countries where English is not the national language. You will have to learn some phrases such as ‘I do not eat meat, fish or cheese.’ 

Saying that you are vegan or vegetarian in the local language is not enough. In some cultures veganism and vegetarianism is still a new concept, so you will have to be extremely clear on your dietary requirements. Keep in mind that in some cultures, refusing to eat someone’s food can be seen as offensive. When requesting a vegan or vegetarian meal in the local language please be apologetic and polite and they will be happy to help you.

(2) Find Local Vegans

Before travelling to your destination, do your research on the Vegan and Vegetarian community in the country or city you are visiting. See if there are any events happening where you can meet other vegans that can further help you enjoy the local cuisine in the vegan/vegetarian way.

(3) Pack Your Emergency Food Stash

While you are out exploring, vegan and vegetarian snack options will not always be readily available. In response to this, we would suggest for you to carry around granola, dried fruits, or energy bars. So when you randomly get hungry you can quickly grab one of your snacks. In addition, always ensure you pack up a larger stash of vegan/vegetarian snacks in your luggage as back up.

Bonus Tip -

Pack a snack or two for the flight. Don’t rely on plane food, as they most likely will not have vegetarian or vegan options in their menu.

(4) Research Vegan Restaurants at Your Destination

Look up the vegetarian restaurants and cafés in your destination. There are apps/websites such as Happy Cow or Vegan Passport. These apps/websites give you a full comprehensive list of vegan restaurants in your destination.  In addition, the online platforms also have honest reviews, so this will give you a clearer idea of which restaurants to visit during your trip.

(5) Check Vegan/Vegetarian Options with Hotel

When booking accommodation remember to check to see if they provide any vegan/vegetarian options in their menu.

(6) Book Accommodation with a Kitchen

If you want to have more control over your vegan/vegetarian options. You can book apartments or hotels with kitchens. You can book this type of accommodation through AirBnB.

This will give you the opportunity to shop for your favourite ingredients and it will enable you to have more control over what you are eating. You can also pack some food for when you are going out.

Bonus Tip:- If you are going to be cooking often during your trip, you may want to book accommodation near a supermarket.

(7) Book a Vegan Friendly Hotel

Alternatively you can find vegan friendly accommodation if you want the full vegan/experience. In the hotel it is very likely that the guests will also be vegan so you will have a greater chance of meeting new people that will share advice, recommendations and tips during your trip.

(8) Be Clear and Ask for what you want

When you visit a restaurant. Please be aware that you do not have to order what is on the menu. The chef can create a vegan/vegetarian dish for you according to your request.  Please ensure that you are nice, respectful and polite and they will be happy to help you out.

(9) Eat Little Amounts Throughout the Day

Get used to eating small amounts throughout the day. Fruits, nuts, vegetables always take food with you. This will keep the hunger away and keep you satisfied.

(10) Get Involved In the Culture

Before booking your trip ensure that you research the all the national local vegan/vegetrarian dishes and make sure you try them all. See it as one big adventure and remember to fully enjoy the moment.

Launch of the High Spirit Essentials Range

We’ve been super busy, looking at our design and thinking of a better way to serve you guys with our High Spirit Bag design. We love pushing the envelope on design whilst staying simple and practical. We did some soul searching and wanted to make the bags in this range to be the bags you wear every single day. We have created the Essentials range, this range focuses on both style and function, especially for those of you that love to workout, travel frequently and also work on the go.  This is the range that can fit to all situations during your Life journey.

Each bag from the range has its own story. The first bag to be released from the Essential Range is the Essential 1.  Even though we live in a huge city, we are obsessed with the natural world. Through using that inspiration, we decided to push the boundaries a bit more and use python print to make this bag even more epic!

We will be releasing more bags from the range over the next few months. For now, here is the 1st on from range. Hope you guys love it as much as we do :-)

The Ultimate Guide To Prevent Pickpocketing

Travel is a beautiful thing and exploring other countries is a wonderful way to open our eyes and learn about the World in a fun and exciting way. In addition to enjoying the sights and immersing yourself in culture it is really important to make sure your stuff stays safe from pickpockets. Pickpocketing is a major petty crime that affects people across the world, particularly tourists. Pickpockets ruin people’s holidays so to help out we put together an Ultimate Guide on how to protect yourself from pickpockets. All the tips are below. Happy Travelling. Enjoy!

(1) Stay vigilant in crowds and stay away from commotions

Whenever there is any type of commotion or a sudden surge of crowds, BE ALERT as it is the perfect situation for pickpockets to create a distraction for their target. It can happen very quickly, so make sure you keep an eye on your belongings.

(2) Spread your valuables instead of keeping them in once place

Put your money, valuables and important documents in different compartments and pockets. This is so it decreases the chance of all your valuables being taken away at once.

(3) Watch your bags and luggage on trains

Keep a close eye and hold onto your bags and luggage on the train/bus. Also check they are not accessible through open windows or train/bus doors because thieves will reach through and grab items as quickly as they can.

(4) Avoid rummaging through your wallet or counting money in public

This is important, so you don’t make yourself more visible to be targeted by pickpockets. If you feel you need to count your money and sort out stuff in your wallet or bag, make sure to do it in the safety of your hotel room.

(5) Keep purses/backpacks strapped tightly to your body

Tighten the straps of your bag to your shoulders or arms, this will ensure extra safety with your possessions as it will be easier to detect any tampering and it will be harder for thieves to snatch your bag away.

(6) Secure your bag to an immovable object 

When you are at a restaurant or cafe, loop your bag’s strap around the leg of your chair, the leg of your table or your leg. This ensures that thieves can’t come by and quickly snatch your bag. 

(7) Keep your phone off the table

Smartphones and tablets are very popular for pickpockets to steal. Many people leave their devices on the table while they’re socialising and eating, which makes it easy for a thief to snatch it and run away.

(8) Limit what you carry

When sightseeing you do not have to carry a lot of stuff. It is advised to not carry a lot of cash or valuables on you at any given time during your vacation. It will be much safer leaving it in your hotel room.

(9) If you have a heavy coat you are at more risk

BE AWARE because it will be a lot easier for a thief to insert his or her hand in your pocket without you feeling anything. In order to increase protection of your stuff, make sure you put your things inside hidden pockets and compartments. This is very useful for tourists that will be travelling to colder destinations.

(10) Put both hands in your pockets when in highly crowded areas

Keep your hands covering critical pockets such as your front pockets when in crowds to prevent external access to your contents such as wallets, cash or ID.

(11) Don't carry your wallet or smartphone in your back pocket

By putting your wallet or smartphone in your back pocket, it leaves you open to be an easy target for pickpockets. Keep these high valued items concealed and out of sight completely.

(12) Be wary of any strangers approaching you

Ignore beggars and random individuals that approach you. It is more than likely they know you are a tourist and their approach will create a smokescreen leaving you vulnerable to being a victim. Please be aware that pickpockets can sometimes work in twos or threes against a target. So if you are approached, please ignore them and keep going.

(13) Leave your passport at the hotel

Your passport is the single most important document you will carry on your vacation, so if you don’t need to carry it everywhere with you, just leave it in your hotel room.

Just for extra pre-caution, you can create photocopies of your passport and keep them in various bags and pockets.

(14) Keep your hands in your pockets when walking through large crowds.

Putting your hands in your pockets when you are walking through large crowds creates a blockage to prevent any pickpockets from slipping their hands into your pockets to take your small valuable items.

(15) Do not speak with anyone while using the ATM/Cash machine

While withdrawing cash do not accept anyone's help in making a withdrawal. Whilst typing in your PIN number cover the keypad with your free hand so the PIN cannot be viewed. Also, watch out for an extra card reader at the front of the machine or where you swipe your card. These card readers are called skimmers and can capture the information from your credit card if you swipe or insert it. In order to ensure safety, go to a bank and withdraw cash from the check-in section or get assistance from the bank employee.

(16) Carry your theft-proof bag

Pickpockets like to target people that clearly look and dress like tourists. One of the telltale signs that make a tourist a target is when they wear their backpack on their front. That lets pickpockets know that you are a tourist and you are unfamiliar with your current environment. In order to avoid this, you should get a theft-proof bag that has hidden anti-theft zips that enables you to wear your backpack on your back without worrying about being a victim of pickpocketing. The bags are also made of strong sturdy material that prevents slashing. Here is the link http://www.highspiritbags.com/shop

(17) Final Tip

Most people assume pickpockets are dodgy looking men, but a large number of pickpockets are actually young girls and boys — usually around 10-18 years old. Most tourists don’t suspect that a young child would steal from them, so they’re less defensive around them. Sometimes, pickpockets are well dressed and you’d never expect them to be thieves. So as you are enjoying your holiday, just try to stay vigilant and aware and you will be totally fine.