Team Eat.Run.See continued our exploration of Patagonia at the southern tip of South America. After a mind-blowing adventure in the Patagonia region of Chile, we crossed the border to see its Argentinian counterpart. TRAIL Magazine gave us the opportunity to write about our experiences as we ate and ran our way through this dramatic and breathtaking part of the world:

TRAIL Issue 20: Glorious Glaciers of Argentina

We also covered this region in greater detail in this blog article.

If you’d like to enjoy the full magazine packed with awesome trail goodness, pick up a copy at supermarkets or bookstores in South Africa, or buy a digital copy online via one of these links:

Zinio / iTunes / Magzter

We’re once again incredibly proud and excited that we’re featured in TRAIL, South Africa’s leading trail running publication. The latest issue continues our involvement as regular contributors, as we share and remember tales from the trails of our global adventure.

Team Eat.Run.See explored the wilds and wonders of the massive country of Australia. And crikey, it was amazing! We’ve shared our experiences running down under in the latest issue of TRAIL Magazine:

TRAIL 19: G’day Oz-trail-ia!

If you’d like to enjoy the full magazine packed with awesome trail goodness, pick up a copy at supermarkets or bookstores in South Africa, or buy a digital copy online via one of these links:

Zinio / iTunes / Magzter

We’re once again incredibly proud and excited that we’re featured in TRAIL, South Africa’s leading trail running publication. The latest issue continues our involvement as regular contributors, as we share tales from the trails of our global adventure.

Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China. Home to over 7 million people, it’s one of the world’s most densely populated cities. It’s an incredible melting pot of people, customs, and cultures seen, smelled, and heard in the myriad of streets, alleyways, and waterways. It has one of the world’s most recognizable skylines and harbours, with giant, towering skyscrapers, and row after row of tall residential buildings set perched on the edge of mountainous landscapes.

Our stop in Hong Kong was the back book-end to our incredible adventures around the world that started in November 2014. We picked this spot because of its proximity back to Vancouver, but we hoped that it would intrigue and delight us beyond its connection to our home town. We weren’t disappointed! Here’s the first of three instalments: running in Hong Kong.

The beautiful cityscape viewed from Victoria Peak

We wondered how we’d connect with nature and put foot to trail amidst this concrete jungle. Boy were we surprised! Our 6-day visit to Hong Kong blew our Injinji toe-socks off for so many reasons: incredible lush, hilly, scenic trails nestled in lush greenery on Hong Kong and its surrounding islands; the amazing range of delicious asian inspired veggie food; an incredible transport system that moves many millions of people daily; and its fascinating history with many visible remnants of its roots.

We split our time between the islands of Hong Kong and Lantau. On Hong Kong we stayed at a hostel in the Fortress Hill district. We focused our running on urban “trails” through the streets of Hong Kong and up to and around the forest land at the top of Victoria Peak. In the city we discovered a delightful urban recreation area called Victoria Park where locals jog around the running track and practice tai chi daily. A really authentic experience!

Topping out at 552m, Victoria Peak is the highest mountain on Hong Kong island. While the summit itself is off limits, this is home to a very popular lookout over the sprawling cityscape and harbour below. There are many ways up to the Peak and its access to nature, including a historic funicular railway dating back to 1926. For the avid trail runner or hiker, there are a few options to reach the Peak. Google this and you’ll be amazed at how many pathways there are to the top at both day and night – including an incredibly intricate set of stairs that run up alongside the tram. We didn’t have time to get up to the Peak on foot, but we did spend time running along the trails once at the top.

Views along the trail atop Victoria Peak

Lush green foliage strikes a stark contrast to the concrete jungle below

Breathtaking views across the bay and the many islands dotting the horizon

From this vantage point, there are views across the many bays and over Hong Kong’s neighbouring islands. The trail system criss-crosses the mountain side and top, meandering through lush jungle vines and banyan tree canopy. There’s roughly 25km of trail if you follow the Hong Kong Trail system. We ran about 10km out and back from the main Peak visitor area, stopping along the way to enjoy the views of nature and city alike. The pathway is easy to follow and mostly paved underfoot. We wish we’d had more time to get into the backcountry and explore the extensive network of trails on Hong Kong. But, it’s always good to leave something to come back to!

This qualifies as a *large* buddha statue!

Leaving the hustle, bustle, and bright lights behind us, we moved on from Hong Kong Island to nearby Lantau Island. We arrived on Lantau by ferry and caught the bus to the village close to our next hostel. The village is home to the Po Lin monastery and a 34 metre tall bronze Buddha sculpture. After a bit of bushwhacking we arrived at our hostel, just before the first of many intense downpours began.

Determined not to let the rain dampen our spirits, we grabbed a break in the weather and set out on an exploratory run to get a taste of the 70+ km Lantau Trail. This is a circular hiking trail that explores the southern half of the island. The trail includes a hike up Lantau’s highest mountain, Lantau Peak, at 934 metres. With no intention of completing the full circuit (this time!), we did manage a 3-hour out and back run which included going up and down the peak. The foliage and surroundings were far more wild and jungle-like than the trails we explored on Hong King Island.

The Lantau Peak trailhead close to our hostel

Climbing up through a lush green jungle and happy with a break in the storm

Definitely a first for Team ERS – running with a giant buddha as a backdrop

The run was quite a slog, with soggy, slippery surfaces underfoot. Much of the trail was either rock stair or hardpacked earth. There was a lot of water pouring down the mountain from earlier rain showers, making for very tricky footfalls and a constant threat of slipping. Unfortunately it was very misty when we were on the trail, so our views were limited. However, on our way back, we had a brief clearing to allow a magnificent view over the island with the giant Buddha floating peacefully on a lower hilltop.

Lots of rain = lots of waterfalls on trails

Well-marked trail system on the Lantau Trail

Bev at the top of Lantau Peak. Sadly no views this time!

We wrapped up our time on Lantau with lots of inside time due to the poor weather (which eventually became a cyclone warning!), a visit to the monastery and its amazing array of vegan food and baked goods, and a stairway sprint to get up close and personal with the big Buddha.

Hong Kong and Lantau Islands were an incredible introduction to what was previously a very mystical, unknown part of the world to us both. We were fortunate enough to meet a local trail runner while on one of our outings. He happened to have run the OCC-UTMB race with us in France last year. It was great to get his perspective on trail running in Hong Kong, and this encounter reminded us just how amazing the global trail running community is. We left with positive memories and a strong desire to return to uncover much more of this spectacular, surprising place.

Helpful running resources:

http://hktrailrunner.blogspot.ca

www.irunfar.com/2012/09/trail-running-in-hong-kong.html

http://asiatrailmag.com

www.discoverhongkong.com

http://www.lantauonline.com

Organized races:

Hong Kong 100 Ultra Trail Race: January (100km) http://www.hk100-ultra.com

TransLantau: March (15km / 25km / 50km / 100km) https://translantau.com

Hong Kong Trail Race Calendar: http://marathons.ahotu.com/calendar/hong-kong/trail

In the latest issue of TRAIL magazine, Team Eat.Run.See put foot to trail amidst the concrete jungle of Hong Kong, one of the world’s most densely populated metropolises. Our six-day visit blew our Injinji toe-socks off for so many surprising reasons.

Read the article to find out why:

TRAIL 18 – Surprising Hong Kong

If you’d like to enjoy the full magazine packed with awesome trail goodness, pick up a copy at supermarkets or bookstores in South Africa, or buy a digital copy online via one of these links:

Zinio / iTunes / Magzter

We’re once again incredibly proud and excited that we’re featured in TRAIL, South Africa’s leading trail running publication. The latest issue continues our involvement as regular contributors, as we share tales from the trails of our global adventure.

The latest TRAIL magazine featuring another Eat.Run.See adventure has just been published! In this issue we share our experiences running in three regions of Croatia in Eastern Europe. If you’d like to read more about our adventures in this beautiful, diverse, and welcoming country, we cover Croatia in greater detail (and with many more stunning images!) on our blog here.

Click on the link below for our article as it appears in the magazine:

TRAIL 16 – Eat.Run.See Awed by Croatia

If you’d like to enjoy the full magazine packed with awesome trail goodness, pick up a copy at supermarkets or bookstores in South Africa, or buy a digital copy online via one of these links:

Zinio: https://www.zinio.com/magazine/TRAIL/pr-500650714/cat-cat1960090#/

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/trail-magazine-sa/id979830150?mt=8

We’re once again incredibly proud and excited that we’re featured in TRAIL, South Africa’s leading trail running publication. The latest issue continues our involvement as regular contributors, as we share tales from the trails that we explore and experience on our global adventure.

“The Bibbulmun Track is one of the world’s great long distance walk trails, stretching 1,000km from Kalamunda in the Perth Hills, to Albany on the south coast, winding through the heart of the scenic South West of Western Australia.” https://www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au

In the company of our two new Australian friends, Brett and Clive, we set out to explore roughly 70km of the Bibbulmun Track over four days in the first week of June 2015, walking north from the Brookton Highway access point, to the northern terminus in the shire of Kalamunda. The entire track is marked with triangular yellow metal “woggles” with the Bibbulmun signature emblem – a patterned snake (obviously, what else would be appropriate? :)). The woggles are attached to trees, posts, and metal struts and except for those instances where the marker has melted due to bush fires, grown into a tree over time, or simply fallen off, they are very easy to spot and follow! As one hiker commented, where there’s a woggle, there’s a way!

We had a grand adventure along a reasonably easy and well maintained section of the track, and lived to tell the tale, despite our fears of certain death by the fangs, claws, pincers, and teeth of the almost exclusively venomous, and deadly, creatures that call Australia home! An account of our excursion is detailed below with a packing list included at the end.

Packing the last few essential items on the night before departure – traveling light in true Eat.Run.See style!

Day 1: Brookton Highway to Beraking (26 kms)

Our trek started with an early morning pick up by Brett, Clive, and Brett’s kind father-in-law, Ken, who would drop us off and drive back into Perth at a fairly unreasonable hour! With the sun just rising and our packs snuggly on our backs, we started our first day’s walk. There was a track diversion due to controlled bush burning, so we headed along an alternate route along the power line track for the first two hours, eventually cutting back onto the main Bibbulmun Track and stopping at the Mt Dale campsite for a cup of tea and cookies. Along the way we saw evidence of the bush fire that had swept through the region a few years ago. Stark and beautiful at the same time.

At the start of the hike at Brookton Highway

Tea break near Mt Dale campsite

Remnants of a bush fire

The remainder of our first day was mostly along non-technical graded forest service roads, with a few nice climbs and beautiful views. We spent the first night at the Beraking campsite, nestled in the bush overlooking the hills. The campsites are very well structured with a three-sided shelter with built-in sleeping platforms, picnic tables, an outhouse, and fire pit. There is also fresh water at each campsite. It is recommended to either chemically treat or boil the water, which we dutifully did. We reached Beraking around 3pm and set about making lunch, a delicious lentil dahl courtesy of Brett, cooked on his very efficient methylated spirits camp stove. After our late lunch we had time to get our sleeping arrangements organized and watch the very beautiful sunset. The quiet night and crisp air were so lovely to enjoy around the warm campfire that evening!

Our first big climb of the hike – hard work with full packs!

Relaxing at Beraking campsite after a hard first day

Sleeping platforms in the shelter

The bush surrounding the campsite

Richard, Clive, and Brett debriefing the day’s events!

Gorgeous bush sunset

Day 2: Beraking to Helena (19 kms)

After a night that didn’t quite provide the quality, or quantity, of sleep we would’ve liked, we began day two at a very leisurely pace, only getting ourselves back on the trail by about 9:45am. The day saw us taking the trail from Beraking through to Helena campsite after a lunch stop at the Waalegh campsite, at roughly the halfway point. The weather, which had looked suspicious on the forecasts the week prior, turned less than ideal overnight and we spent a bit of time walking in light rain before reaching Waalegh at about noon.

Waalegh – lunch

When our hiking party was all accounted for, Brett once again provided us with a simply delicious dahl and rice meal, nicely customized with the addition of some extra curry spices. While we were enjoying lunch the weather went through several drastic changes, at times offering blue skies and brilliant sunshine, then changing into sudden and wild downpours with gusting winds, at a moment’s notice. This left us slightly concerned about the remaining 11km of walking before reaching our camp for the night. We decided not to take any chances and broke out our Machu Picchu ponchos – can’t have our sleeping bags getting wet, even it makes us look a little silly!

Have poncho, will travel

The section of track between Waalegh and Helena turned out to be one of our favorites. Mostly single track, lots of greenery, and no rain! This would have been an excellent stretch to run – our feet were itching to get going! We did encounter a fair bit of climbing with some slippery granite outcroppings and boulders to navigate. There were also a few areas where the trail was damaged due to erosion, so we had to keep our eyes open for the woggle and our feet firmly on the ground!

Beautiful views across the Helena valley

Bev and Brett

Beautiful jarrah tree

The bush is so peaceful and very beautiful

Taking a special little rest to enjoy the view

We arrived at Helena at about 4pm, happy to be dry, and totally satisfied with our day in the bush. Our camp for the night was hard earned with a few big ups and downs on the trail, but well worth the effort. The shelter at Helena is perched overlooking a valley and aside from the slog up the hill to the toilet, it was a perfect spot to spend a few hours to relax before bedtime. We made pasta and beans for dinner, followed by a few delicious squares of dark chocolate for dessert. It was early to bed for everyone, after an exhausting day!

Arriving at the Helena campsite junction

Richard getting settled at Helena campsite for the night

A beautiful fresh morning in the bush

Time to get moving!

Day 3: Helena to Ball Creek (9 kms)

We had a much better night’s rest and woke feeling well rested and ready for another day on the trail. This was to be our shortest distance day, leaving us with lots of time for a leisurely breakfast and easy walk to our next stop for the night at Ball Creek campsite. We climbed the hill from Helena and made our way back onto the track. From Helena the trail continued to wind its way through jarrah forrest against the backdrop of the Darling Range. In addition to the beautiful shapes and colours of the jarrah trees, we also loved the strange and crooked grass trees, brightly coloured wildflowers, and harsh but pretty banksia varietals. It almost seems that everything in Australia has developed the ability to defend itself in the most aggressive way imaginable!

On the road again!

More beautiful bush terrain to explore

Exquisite bark formations and colours

Almost at camp!

But not before we encountered three enormous mouse spiders – venomous of course!

We arrived at Ball Creek campsite just before noon and before settling into our bunk, conducted a full search for more mouse spiders and other creepy crawlies. Fortunately we did not encounter anything to be concerned about, and prepped our sleeping quarters for the night. We had a very lazy afternoon, forced inside the shelter at times by rain showers. It was another very enjoyable day with great conversation, many laughs, and excellent camp food, including freshly brewed espresso thanks to Brett and Clive.

Our final night’s shelter at Ball Creek

The work never ends but it’s so much fun!

Another awesome fire thanks to Brett (and Clive and Richard for gathering the wood!)

Pretty eucalyptus leaves

Time to eat again!

Day 4: Ball Creek to Kalamunda (21 kms)

Our final day on the track would take us from Ball Creek to the track’s northern terminus in Kalamunda. This would be another long day taking us away from the bush and into civilization once again. We got an early start from Ball Creek and quickly covered the first few kilometres before entering an interpretive trail close to the Perth Hills Discovery Centre. We wound our way through more lush forrest with views of the Mundaring Weir and reservoir. We also encountered a few furry friends along the way, including a fairly distressed joey who had become separated from its mother. Who knew kangaroos hissed and barked? Fortunately there was a happy ending with the baby reunited with its mother, and we did not have to endure a punch in the neck from a protective maternal marsupial.

Where there’s a woggle, there’s a way!

Starting up the hill away from Ball Creek

Furry friends along the track

Amazing spiderwebs heavy with morning dew

After a very pleasant and refreshing coffee break at the Mundaring Weir Hotel (and used their very clean bathrooms to wash our hands and faces for the first time in three days!), we crossed the weir and continued with the track onto the south bank section. This part of the track had a fair bit of climbing with stone steps to boot – plus there were multiple other tracks criss-crossing over the Bibbulmun, requiring us to keep our eye on the woggle at all times! It was obvious that we had entered a more heavily trafficked part of the track! At the 10km mark we arrived at our lunch stop at Hewett’s Hill campsite. We had a very pleasant rest in the sunshine and enjoyed some of our last bits of provisions along with a cup of tea. We were well rested and ready for the final 11km push home – and the cold beer that would be waiting for us!

At the Mundaring Weir

Lunch stop at Hewett’s Hill campsite

Gumtree nuts

The final part of our day’s hike was incredibly beautiful and varied. After following a fairly flat, wide and firm section of the track for a few kilometres alongside smallholdings and a camel farm, we walked down into a river valley at Piesse Brook and back up again, surrounded by boulders and bush, with lovely views along the way. Our packs had become gradually lighter as each day passed and our food rations were consumed. We enjoyed having a little less weight for the final stretch as our legs started to feel a little tired after the previous days’ effort.

Clive and Richard getting going after lunch

A sunny break next to another beautiful tree on the trail

We’re on the right track!

Bev having a special little rest

Gorgeous fresh fruit for sale along the way!

Brilliant colours courtesy of the setting sun on our final day

Once we reached the entrance to Kalamunda National Park we knew that we were close to the northern terminus of the Bibbulmun Track. A few kilometres on, through parkland and along paved roadways, we arrived at the end of the track around 4pm. Feeling elated by such a good time in the beautiful bush but sad that our adventure was over, we set down our packs and enjoyed a well earned cold beer and potato chips! A short while later we welcome Brett and Clive as they arrived from the track, and all set off to enjoy a celebratory dinner before hailing a cab to take us back into Perth, where our warm showers and comfy beds waited for us!

We made it!

Thanks Richard for running into town for cold beer and potato chips!

Packing list for three-night/four-day hike

Backpack (Richard – 38L / Bev – 34L)

Sleeping bag and liner

Large garbage back for waterproofing sleeping bag and clothing

Compact thermarest sleeping mat

Headlamp

First aid kit

Water purification tablets and water bottles

Toilet paper

Baby wipes

Hand sanitizer

Toothbrush and toothpaste

Hand towel

Playing cards

Phone

Bibbulmun Track Northern Section Guidebook

Plastic bag for garbage collection (hikers must carry all garbage off the track)

Clothing: two technical fabric shirts, one pair shorts, warm layer for evenings and sleeping (track pants, base layer and fleece), toque, buffs, gloves, socks, underwear, and warm outer jacket

Rain poncho and rain jacket

Hiking shoes

Hat

Sunglasses

Collapsible bowl

Spork (spoon and fork combo)

Plastic cup

Meals – breakfast: granola, bananas, soy milk (250ml tetra pack containers)

Meals – lunch: dahl and rice (provided and carried by Brett and Clive – thank you!), pita bread, peanut butter, and jam

Meals – dinner: cous cous, packaged beans (3 kinds), pasta, nutritional yeast sprinkles

Snacks: Clif Bars, trail mix, cookies, rice crackers, fruit (apples, plums, grapes), and dark chocolate

Drinks: water, tea, and coffee (provided and carried by Brett and Clive – thank you again!)

Note: we would typically also carry a portable stove, fuel and pot, but our friend Brett provided these items for our group for this hike

Click me to read our article as it appears in the magazine

The latest TRAIL magazine featuring another Eat.Run.See adventure has just been published! In this issue we share our amazing experience in Chilean Patagonia; running and hiking through pristine wilderness in Torres del Paine National Park in the far south of Chile. If you’d like to read more about our adventures in Patagonia, we cover Chile and Argentina in greater detail (and with many more beautiful images!) on our blog.

Click on the link below for our article as it appears in the magazine:

TRAIL 15 – Eat.Run.See Loves Life in Breathtaking Patagonia

If you’d like to enjoy the full magazine packed with awesome trail goodness, pick up a copy at supermarkets or bookstores in South Africa, or buy a digital copy online via one of these links:

Zinio: http://ca.zinio.com/www/browse/product.jsp?rf=sch&productId=500650714

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/trail-magazine-sa/id979830150?mt=8

We’re once again incredibly proud and excited that we’re featured in TRAIL, South Africa’s leading trail running publication. The latest issue continues our involvement as regular contributors, as we share tales from the trails that we explore and experience on our global adventure.

Walking through the arrivals hall in Christchurch airport offers a clear understanding of two main sources of revenue in New Zealand – sheep and cows. Pictures and sounds of these friendly farm animals greet you at almost every turn. And as a vegan, it becomes clear that life might soon be very difficult!

A common sight in New Zealand – pity we couldn’t save these woolly friends from their fate

However, despite the tremendous amount of dairy produced and milk products consumed, and the presence of many, many sheep farms producing wool and lamb, it is a very easy place to thrive as a plant-based consumer. There appears to be an increasing awareness of alternative dietary requirements and small businesses are blossoming to meet the demand. Since our visit five years prior, the choice and range of products available to vegans has increased dramatically.

Although New Zealand is an isolated country, there is a tremendous variety of fresh produce and fruit sold at both supermarkets and farmers markets across the country. Most of this is grown locally and is beautifully fresh and delicious. There are imported options, but the prices reflect the hefty surcharge to bring these goods into the country from far away lands. An exception to this is perhaps bananas, which are comparable in price to what we pay in North America.

All the larger supermarket chains carry a wide variety of products to support a plant-based diet. These include non-dairy milk and yoghurt options, grains, legumes, nut butters, cereals, soy products, meat substitutes like tempeh and veggie sausages, and breads. In larger cities and towns you’ll find at least one health food store offering everything you could possibly wish for from kombucha to flax seeds. Prices are more expensive than supermarket sundries but many of these products are locally produced and organic. Here are a few options in key centres, many offering freshly prepared vegan food and baking too:

Piko (Christchurch)
Organic Green Grocer (Nelson)
Commonsense Organics (Wellington/Auckland)
Chantal Organics (Napier)
Ceres Fresh Market (Auckland)

Generally we shopped at the Countdown supermarket chain for our regular groceries and did not have any trouble finding everything we needed there. Fruit and vegetables seem to be of better quality and cheaper price at produce markets, but the supermarkets are perfectly fine too for variety and freshness. Whenever possible we purchased fruit and vegetables at road side stalls and even had the chance to pick our own cherries! We also were treated to gorgeous fresh vegetables, herbs and berries from my brother’s garden in Christchurch, making us long for a garden of our own!

Bucket of cherry goodness from PYO (pick-your-own) farm near Nelson

We mostly cooked for ourselves during our three months in New Zealand as we had wonderful kitchen facilities when staying with family and friends on both North and South islands. When we were travelling and camping we usually had access to communal kitchens or used the camp cooking gear we borrowed from my brother. We had a lot of fun trying out new recipes with our family and we especially had fun baking vegan pies, cookies and muffins with our little nephew.

Family baking time!

Yummy homemade pizza

Fresh berries from the garden + vegan waffles = bliss!

Cooking up gourmet vegan chow on one of our camping trips

We did enjoy a few meals out as well as the odd take-out feast with the ethnic flavours of Thailand or India being quite common. Most restaurants are familiar with what vegans eat and are happy to accommodate. Eating out in New Zealand is quite expensive, and our backpackers’ budget struggled to cope with the high cost. In an average restaurant, it’s not uncommon to pay $18-25 for a main meal. Lunch items are a bit cheaper, with coffee and pastry items running around $4 each.

We were also afforded the opportunity through my brother’s generosity and interest, to sample a variety of wonderful local vegan wines. It was very impressive to see that wine makers in New Zealand include information on the component used in the fining process to make wine. Often these components are animal-based, but sometimes a synthetic or plant-based option is utilized. It was very refreshing to find such a wide variety of wines that were vegan and labelled as such.

In summary, New Zealand was an incredibly easy country to navigate as vegans. It would be even easier to enjoy if budget was not a consideration, as there are many wonderful dining options that could easily cater to plant-based requirements, from lunch time food carts through to boutique bistros.

Local resources:

http://www.vegansociety.co.nz

http://www.vegans.co.nz

http://vegetarians.co.nz

www.happycow.net/australia/new_zealand/

We had reservations about visiting India for a few reasons, but food wasn’t one of them! We eagerly anticipated the rich spicy flavours, the soft warm breads and the tender slow roasted vegetables and pulses. And we weren’t disappointed!

India is one of the easiest countries we’ve travelled as vegans. With a small amount of enquiry (English is very common in the bigger cities and tourist routes), one can efficiently bypass the elements in a typical Indian restaurant menu that don’t fit within a vegan framework. The most common items are ghee (clarified butter) and paneer (soft white cheese). These ingredients show up quite frequently on any self respecting Indian vegetarian menu, but there are also many other options such as vegetable, lentil and chickpea dishes that can be made (and are often readily offered) without ghee or paneer.

As food is generally very inexpensive in India, and as our self-catering accommodation options were very limited in this part of the world, we were able to try many different restaurants and flavourful dishes which took on a new character in each region we visited. For breakfast we ate muesli and soy milk, with generous helpings of fresh fruit such as banana, papaya and mangoes. Lunch and dinner were usually restaurant based and depending on the location, included thalis (a platter with small servings of various dishes), dosas (wafer thin lentil crepe often filled with vegetables and potatoes), and other regional fare with the odd western style meal to change the flavour a bit.

Fruit stands are common and well stocked

We drank only bottled water while in India. Bottled water is cheap and available everywhere. This, along with a strict hygiene regimen (including frequent hand washing followed by hand sanitizer), and very selective eating choices (picking slightly upmarket restaurants with good local patronage, not eating from street carts and vendors, washing fruit well, and packing food for travel days) allowed us to travel through India for over a month without having any stomach or other ailments.

Here is a summary of the regions we visited, the typical food we discovered and some of our favourite dining and grocery shopping experiences:

MUMBAI

Our brief stay in Mumbai did not give us a lot of time to explore the local cuisine. We had a few excellent light meals at pure vegetarian restaurants close to and recommended by our accommodation. We also had a terrific pizza (no cheese!) and very cold Kingfisher beer at Pizza by the Bay on Mumbai’s famous Marine Drive in Churchgate. We found an excellent whole/natural foods store near Churchgate called Nature’s Basket which stocks a wide range of locally produced and imported food items including soy milk. This is a great reference to other natural food stockists and resources in Mumbai, including a number of vegan resources. We’re sure there are many wonderful culinary delights to be discovered in Mumbai, our two-day stopover simply didn’t allow for too much exploration – especially since it was our first introduction to India and we were feeling a little cautious and a bit overwhelmed!

Pizza and cold Kingfisher beer at Pizza on the Bay

 
GOA

We chose to stay in north Goa on Mandrem Beach at a quiet laid-back beach resort called Dunes Holiday Village. There is a fantastic restaurant on the premises at Dunes, offering an extensive selection of Indian as well as western choices, along with juices and smoothies. We ate most of our meals here as we found it to be very affordable, excellent in quality and a very comfortable place to while away the time while looking at the gorgeous ocean view. Another favourite spot was Lamuella Cafe, just across the road from Dunes. The freshly ground coffee, homemade rice milk, oatmeal, and granola hit the spot on more than one occasion! We visited once for dinner and found their food portions, while very tasty and plentiful in vegan options, to be quite small and overpriced.

North Goa is well known for its beautiful beaches, yoga retreats, and bohemian lifestyle. There is an abundance of restaurants from Arambol Beach down the coast to Anjuna Beach with vegan options, from local flavours through to fresh salads, falafel, veggie burgers, raw delights, and more. Most of the yoga retreats cater to alternative lifestyle and dietary choices, and offer enticing menus with vegan options. There is also an amazing and plentiful collection of fresh fruit stands, along with well stocked grocery stores. Come with a good appetite as you’ll be a well fed vegan in these parts!

Waiting for our dinner to arrive while watching the sunset at Dunes

 
DARJEELING

Oh Darjeeling, how we miss you! In this high Himalayan mountain station we discovered a delightful assortment of cultures and flavours due to Tibetan, Nepalese, Indian, and English influences. Over our 10 day stay we feasted on a wonderful range of excellent food with vegan options galore. Here are a few of our favourite eating experiences:

Glenary’s Cafe and Bakery is a Darjeeling institution. The wonderful enclosed porch with amazing views over the town and mountains is the best spot to sit on a sunny morning with a cup of tea. The cafe menu offers fairly standard fare, with options like oatmeal, wholegrain toast, veggie burgers and other snack items. The bakery has a wide range of breads and some sweet and savoury vegan baked goods.

A cute Glenary’s teapot

Kunga is a tiny family-run restaurant that makes the best vegetarian momos (tibetan dumplings) in town! With seating for roughly 20 people, it’s not easy to get a table, so come ready to wait or arrive before peak meal times.

Waiting for table outside Kunga

Vegetarian momos at Kunga – well worth the wait!

Lunar is an Indian restaurant under the Dekeling Hotel (where we stayed in Darjeeling). It’s a more upmarket option, but still within a reasonable price range. We liked the clean, smart dining room with lovely views and enjoyed the vegetable pakoras, chana masala, and naan bread a few times during our stay.

Excellent Indian fare and fantastic views at Lunar

Sonam’s Kitchen is a small hole in the wall that is mostly frequented by travellers. Known for its coffee and chunky toasted wholemeal bread (from Glenary’s of course!), it’s a lovely spot to sit for a while. We dropped by a few times for a late breakfast. We’d hoped to try the dinner options as they came highly recommended, but the restaurant was closed in the evenings during our stay in Darjeeling.

A friendly place with the best coffee in Darjeeling

Foodsteps offers a number of healthier options like smoothies, granola, wraps, and homebaked vegan cookies. Friendly staff and lovely views from the upstairs dining room make this another sweet spot to while away some time.

Fresh, healthy fare at Foodsteps

Nathmulls Tea Shop is one of the nicest locales in Darjeeling to experience tea culture. As a purveyor of fine teas from across the Darjeeling region, the range and quality of teas is outstanding. A small cafe attached to the tea sales room offers a full range of tea tasting as well as a food menu with one or two suitable vegan options.

Sampling the best of Darjeeling’s tea at Nathmulls

Hasty Tasty is the best spot for cheap and fast Indian food. The masala dosa and vegetarian thali are a must!

Aaah, the amazing dosa at Hasty Tasty!

Our one day hike across the border into Nepal included lunch in a mountain refuge. We were treated to an amazing range of lentil and vegetable dishes, rice, papadums and the potent tongba – a millet-based fermented alcoholic beverage that is served warm.

The potent millet drink called tongba

 
JAIPUR

Jaipur is the capital city of the state of Rajasthan, located in northwest India. We spent two nights here as part of a “golden triangle” tour which included a visit to Agra (home of the Taj Mahal). On our first night we discovered a wonderful rooftop restaurant called the Peacock on the top floor of the Hotel Pearl Palace. We returned here on our second night too as we enjoyed our first visit so much! Our favourite dish was the Dhal Makani enjoyed with ice cold Kingfisher beer.

Loving the vibe and amazing food at Peacock

A sweet treat!

Down a narrow alley to find a local treasure

 
DELHI

The sprawling and congested city of Delhi crams in every conceivable restaurant, street vendor, kiosk and food cart. It’s a full frontal sensory overload! Our three days in Delhi gave us a very quick glimpse of what the city has to offer, with most of our exploration on the food front centered on Connaught Place. We had two really amazing meals at Saravanaa Bahvan – well worth the wait in the long line up. Here the specialty is a variety of dosas, and their excellent thali – beautiful flavours and a fun hands on food experience.

A delicious onion dosa – more than enough to share!

We were surprised that grocery stores were limited in the city. There were a few convenience stores selling the typical range of supplies like bottled water, candy and toiletries, but we couldn’t find a supermarket in the area that we were staying near the main railway station. We were able to find soy milk and muesli at the TwentyFourSeven convenience store in Connaught Place to meet our breakfast needs.

Here’s a delicious and healthy vegan adaptation of a traditional favorite!

Ingredients:

1 tsp water
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp dried Italian herbs
1 head broccoli
2 zucchinis
3 carrots
1 butternut (small)
Pinch salt and pepper
3 cups fresh spinach, shredded
1/4 cup water
2 blocks firm tofu, drained
1 large can tomato paste
750ml pasta sauce
1 box lasagne sheets (egg-free)

Method:

Lightly grease a large rectangular (10 x 13 x 4 inches or so) glass baking dish with a small amount of olive oil. Spread  1/3 can of tomato paste onto base of dish. Preheat oven to 350 deg F or 180 deg C.

Fill base with one layer of lasagne noodles.

Lightly fry garlic in water in a large pan. Add herbs.

Thinly slice broccoli, zucchinis and carrots. Peel, de-seed and cut butternut into small cubes.

Add vegetables, salt and pepper to garlic and herbs. Cook until vegetables are soft. Add pasta sauce and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.

While vegetables are cooking, blend spinach with water. Add tofu and blend gently to create a chunky paste resembling ricotta cheese.

Pour half of spinach/tofu mixture onto first layer of noodles. Top with half of vegetable/pasta sauce mixture.

Add another layer of noodles and repeat the layering once more. Finish with a layer of noodles and top with the remainder of the tomato paste.

Cover dish with foil and place in pre-heated oven and cook for 1 hour. If the noodles are cooked after 1 hour, remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes before serving. If the noodles are not tender after an hour, leave in for another 20 minutes and check again. Remove when ready and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy (for dinner, and lunch the next day!) with a crisp salad and a glass of red vegan vino!

** This recipe can easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free lasagne sheets available at health food stores or well-stocked local supermarkets **