Marseille is the second largest French city on the Mediterranean and capital of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region. Unfortunately doesn’t have the best reputation, due to high crime rates and immigration.
From my travels around France, ALL the people I meet said to be very careful in Marseille or even not to go there.
I can’t say that Marseille is very safe, I could have been lucky because fortunately, I didn’t have any problems at all as a solo female traveller.
Its great to explore the city on foot, but I also recommend you to buy a bus card because the city is quite big.
Vieux-Port (Old Port)
The Old Port is located in the heart of the city and is a very popular place. The bay is packed with boats and yacht surrounded by cafes, restaurants, bars and hotels.
It is quite busy but still picturesque, with a mish-mash of styles and influences.
Notre-Dame de La Garde “La Bonne Mère”
The Notre-Dame de La Garde sits on the highest point in the city. The best part is to walk up the hill and the 360 panoramic views.
The basilica is ornamented with coloured marble, byzantine-style mosaics, and murals.
Chateau D’If Frioul
Is an incredible landmark because of The Count of Monte Cristo from Alexander Dumas. If the weather is good, you can go by boat to the island, from the Vieux Port (old port).
The fort is nice but to be honest not much to see, although the views are great.
La Major, Marseille Cathedral
It is a beautiful and at the same time unusual roman catholic cathedral built in the nineteenth century in Romano-Byzantine style.
The Cathedral of Marseille stands on the western edge of the old town above the Quai de la Joliette.
MUCEM Museum (Museum of Civilization in Europe and the Mediterranean)
The MUCEM, is an iconic museum mostly because of the structure of the building. It’s really a magnificent place and a fantastic playground if you like photography! I strongly recommend a visit even if is just to contemplate the remarkable building.
You can access, to both the courtyard of J4 and the ramparts of the fort, for free. To visit the permanent and temporary exhibitions is 9,50€.
Vieille Charité
The Virile Charité, located in the heart of Marseille’s Le Panier quarterwas built as an almshouse, although the beauty of the building doesn’t really give that impression with its neoclassical central chapel and elegant arcaded courtyard.
Today is home to a number of cultural institutions and museums.
Fort Saint-Jean
The Fort Saint-Jean, is for me one of the best places in Marseille. The fort lies at the northern mouth of Vieux Port and was recently restored.
Its perfect for scenic strolls through its gardens, and to enjoy the views of the Mediterranean coastline.
If you go to the top of the gardens near the footbridge to MuCEM, you can see Marseille’s Cathedral, and admired the amazing views of Marseille and of the Mediterranean.
Natural History Museum of Marseille
The museum is inside the astonishing Palais Longchamp, which is worth a visit just to contemplate the architecture and the gardens. Not really worth to visit inside.
Les Docks Village
If you are into shopping Les Docks are a mid-19th century complex of shipping warehouses, that has been redeveloped and now includes shops, boutiques, galleries, cafes and restaurants.
The buildings are connected by creative courtyards. This alone can be good a reason to visit.
Street Art
The quartier of Cour Julien walls are extravagantly painted for everyone to decipher and enjoy. A wonderful area with loads of quirky stores, cafes, restaurants nice bars, and colourful street art and graffiti covering most of the facades. Make sure you have the time to explore it!
Farmers’ Market
A great place to buy fresh fruit and vegetables.
David’s Statue
For some reason, Marseille also has a copy of the famous David from Michelangelo, placed in the middle of a roundabout near the Prado beaches.
photography – all rights reserved – Ana Rocha
Have you ever been to Marseille? What other places would you include here?
Mais do que responder às mesmas perguntas vezes sem conta de familiares e amigos sobre o meu défice de proteínas e ferro, que as plantas também têm sentimentos, e se não tenho pena das alfaces, pretendo partilhar aqui contigo os desafios e os privilégios que os viajantes veganos, frequentemente, encontram em viagem.
É indiscutível que é muito mais fácil ser vegana no conforto da minha casa e na minha cidade onde já conheço todos os mercados, supermercados e lojas, do que em viagem. Principalmente quando aterro num local onde nunca estive e com tempo limitado. Mas isso, por norma, até acaba por trazer excitação e é sempre uma oportunidade para descobrir novos sabores! O “desconhecido” faz parte do encanto e da experiência dos viajantes.
Cuba
Mexico
Contudo, em cima desse desconhecimento que se tem quando se viaja para um novo destino, acrescenta-se o facto de que muito poucos são os países que são conhecidos por terem muitas e boas opções veganas. Talvez nos venha logo à cabeça a Índia, mas provavelmente ficamos por aí.
Dito isto, tenho de acrescentar que viajo bastante e nunca passei fome. Viajar sendo vegana não só é possível como também muito interessante!
Borneo
Mozambique
Mozambique
Singapore
Thailand
Conhecimento é poder
Certos países são mais amigos dos vegetarianos/veganos do que outros. Por isso, é sensato fazer uma pesquisa sobre a culinária local antes de partir.
Saber quais são os pratos e ingredientes típicos do país, é bastante importante para além de culturalmente enriquecedor. Em todo o lado há comidas que são naturalmente veganas, ou quase veganas. Tendo esse conhecimento em mãos, vamos saber que pratos pedir e quais os ingredientes que podemos acrescentar, retirar ou substituir.
Malaysia
Mexico
A verdade é que a Internet e os guias de viagem tornam esta tarefa fácil e rápida.
Planear com antecedência
Quando viajamos de carro, autocarro ou comboio, o ideal é levar farnel para a viagem. Se a viagem for de avião, é importante pedir a refeição quando se compra o bilhete. Até hoje todas as companhias aéreas com quem voei ofereciam refeições veganas nos voos de longa duração sem custo adicional.
É importante ainda referir que as refeições especiais são sempre servidas primeiro! Mesmo assim, como sou uma pessoa um pouco para o esfomeada, levo sempre comigo montes de lanches como frutos secos, chocolate, barrinhas, sandes, fruta fresca e bolinhas proteicas.
vegan
Quando a viagem é para países desenvolvidos, não pode ser mais fácil. A aplicação do HappyCow é espectacular! Basta dizer onde estamos e quantos quilómetros estamos disponíveis para andar e dá-nos uma lista dos restaurantes veganos/vegetarianos por perto. Depois, é só seguir o Google Maps.
Aqui percebemos o quão sortudos somos por podermos fazer opções éticas até sobre o que comemos, sem grandes problemas.
Contudo, esta não é a realidade em todo o lado. Muitos lugares são bastante complicados, como é o caso de Cuba, um safari no Quénia, a Argentina ou nos desertos da Mongólia. Mas mesmo que à primeira vista pareça que é uma tarefa impossível encontrar algo vegano, é sempre possível.
Vantagens
Para quem viaja de mochila às costas, passando ao lado das estâncias, onde os cuidados de higiene são em princípio um pouco semelhantes aos que estamos habituados, existem sempre situações onde as opções são parcas e pouco apetecíveis.
Quando se viaja para países em vias de desenvolvimento e se saí da rota turística em busca de locais mais remotos, as opções onde comer podem ser muito escassas. E é um risco enorme comer uma carne que esteja abandonada às moscas na berma da estrada debaixo do sol ou um marisco num barracão sem electricidade. Parece-me sempre mais encorajador optar por vegetais cozinhados e frutas que podem ser descascadas.
Mexico
Por outro lado, acabo por ir a sítios que de outra forma nunca iria, pois aquele restaurante turístico localizado na praça central não é opção. Assim, acabo por ser obrigada a falar com pessoas locais, e a explorar bem a culinária de cada país.
Conhecer novas pessoas enriquece qualquer viagem. Muitas já foram as vezes que locais me deram boleia para aquele que consideravam ser o melhor restaurante da sua terra a servir comida vegana ou caminharam comigo até ao local.
Se viajasse de outra forma e não fosse vegana nunca teria descoberto tantos sítios típicos longe das rotas turísticas. Teria perdido imensas oportunidades que me permitiram viver e experienciar cada local de forma mais autêntica.
Na grande maioria das grandes cidade é geralmente muito fácil encontrar comida vegana. Em Los Angeles, New York, Portland, San Francisco, em Londres, Toronto, Tel Aviv, Bengaluru, Chennai, Singapura, Hong Kong, Berlim, e Taipei. Estes são alguns exemplos onde é extremamente fácil tropeçar num bom prato vegano.
UK
UK
O que não dispenso
Independentemente do país que visito, viajo sempre com uma pequena mala de cabine. Por isso, nunca posso levar um canivete ou uma faca comigo, mas é logo uma das primeiras compras que faço. É fundamental ter algo cortante para descascar e cortar frutas e vegetais, e uma colher para comer algumas frutas, como mamão, papaia, kiwi, maracujá… Eu tenho um kit da To-Go Ware Utensil Set, que contem uma faca, garfo, colher e pauzinhos chineses tudo feito de bamboo, são espectaculares, duradouros, leves e muito práticos.
Ter uma pequena mochila para quando se anda a passear é essencial. Carregar alguns lanches, não só é uma forma de poupar dinheiro e tempo, mas também de nos mantermos alimentados e saudáveis ao longo de toda a viagem. E claro que não dispenso a minha garrafa da Vapur, é reutilizável evito as garrafas de plástico e quando está vazia dá para enrolar e não ocupa espaço nenhum, é mesmo excelente para viagens.
Shampoo em barra é outro item essencial. É leve, ocupa pouco espaço, não conta como liquido nos aeroportos e dura muitíssimo tempo.
Para lavar os dentes, levo uma escova e pasta mas também um pauzinhos de miswak. Apesar de não ser nada fã do sabor faço o ‘sacrifício’ quando estou em viagem. Eles são espectaculares, não precisam de água ou pasta dos dentes por isso dá para lavar os dentes em qualquer lado.
Já disse adeus aos pensos higiénicos e tampões à muitos anos, e quando estou em viagem não há excepções. O copo menstrual é muito prático, e leve, e pode-se ter o copo colocado até a um máximo de 12 horas, por isso a questão da limpeza não é grande problema, pois pode ser sempre feita ao fim do dia quando estamos de volta ao alojamento.
Bar Shampoo
Menstrual Cup
Miswak Stick
Menstrual Cup
Miswak Stick
Bar Shampoo
Ir aos mercados
A ida a mercados não é só um excelente meio de imersão cultural, mas é também um óptimo local para comprar e abastecer com fruta fresca, sandes, vegetais, manteigas de frutos secos, doces, frutos secos…
Turkey
Turkey
Vietnam
Thailand
Thailand
Cambodia
Cambodia
Aprender a comunicar os básicos
Da experiência que tenho existem sempre opções, umas melhores outras piores, nos restaurantes típicos das localidades. Em alguns países saber falar inglês chega, mas noutros, torna-se imperioso conhecer algumas palavras-chave na língua nativa. É importante memorizá-las ou tê-las escritas num papel para explicar o que queremos.
Regra geral os restaurantes satisfazem os nossos pedidos facilmente. “Quem tem boca vai a Roma”! É importante contudo ser paciente e cortês, pois nem toda a gente sabe o que significa vegano ou vegetariano.
Já perdi a conta dos pratos que vieram com camarões e frango… Por isso, é preciso ser específico e paciente.
Uma vez no Borneo, expliquei bem o que queria. A senhora, muito atenciosa e simpática, disse: “sim, sim sei perfeitamente o que quer, esteja descansada…”. Quando o prato chega, digo: “mas isto tem carne…”. Ao que ela responde, confusa: “isso não é carne.., é frango!” Aqui aprendi mais uma lição: é preciso ser muito específico. Sem carne, sem frango, sem porco, vaca, sem peixe ou marisco, nem camarões!
Outra opção é fazer o passaporte vegano, que contêm palavras e frases em cerca de 80 línguas diferentes. Este livrinho pode ser comprado na página The Vegan Society ou noutros sítios web.
Onde Dormir
Uma boa opção são os albergues/hostels e airbnb que permitem a utilização da cozinha. Ou ficar com locais veganos em couchsurfing. Outra opção, é procurar alojamento 100% vegano. Eles existem, mas são por norma um pouco mais caros.
Segue blogs de viagens veganos
Esta é uma das melhores formas de encontrar informação. É dada por pessoas que estiveram no local para onde vais e, como tu, têm uma dieta vegetal.
Espero que este artigo te deixe um pouco mais relaxado/a se em breve fores embarcar na tua primeira aventura vegana. A realidade é que nada é impossível, muito longe disso. Tudo o que é preciso é um simples processo de preparação, seguir as dicas que aqui dei e as de outros viajantes que já estiveram no país para onde vais.
Mozambique
Vietnam
Resumindo, na prática, verduras, frutas, cereais e leguminosas estão em todo o lado com mais ou menos abundância, diversidade ou acessibilidade.
Namibia
Boas viagens e bom apetite ??? deixa um comentário se tiveres alguma, questão ou se quiseres partilhar algo comentário ou dica.
You ever notice that when you come back to work after a nice vacation you are calmer, more focused and even happier? There is a reason for that – travel is good for your mental health. While you may think that putting off your use of those vacation days may help you look good at work, chances are you would be better off using them and reaping the benefits of a better work performance spurred by your good mood.
Travel Gets You Out of Your Head
One of the ways travel helps with mental health is through its endless distractions. When you get too caught up in the one or more of the many traps of negative thinking, the result is often disappointment or anxiety. We aren’t supposed to constantly ponder ourselves, our choices and our status in the world. Learning to let these thoughts and judgments go as soon as they appear is a cornerstone of meditation. However, it can be helpful to just live your life to avoid overthinking and travel is just that – life lived at its fullest!
Travel Boosts Your Confidence
When we get stuck in a rut, it is easy to start doubting yourself. You lose your enthusiasm for the things you do throughout the day and things can start to feel hopeless. Shaking things up by going on a vacation can help give your confidence the boost it needs if you’re feeling weighed down by your routine. Traveling allows you to get to know yourself again in an unfamiliar environment.
You can celebrate your small victories while on vacation, whether they are making your flight on time or effectively communicating your needs in another language. Travel is a great way to remind yourself about the limitless potential of the world and yourself. This can be especially helpful for people who are in recovery for addiction. As a supplement to clinical treatment, a journey of self-discovery can be a great way to start out a new, sober life.
Travel Improves Your Communication Skills
So much of the conflict we have to deal with in life is a direct result of poor communication. People tend to be bad communicators when they are unable to see past their own point of view and speak beyond their own personal language. Traveling helps you to see the world from several points of view. Furthermore, breaking out of your comfort zone and having to communicate with strangers when you are on vacation is a great way to reduce anxiety when it comes to dealing with people at home and work. Travel more and watch your relationships in all areas of life improve thanks to your well-rounded communication skills.
Travel Makes You Adaptable
Adaptability may be the key to happiness missing from your life. When we fail to adapt, we fail to live in the present. When we don’t live in the present, we get bogged down by the “shoulds” and “coulds” and fail to appreciate what is happening right in front of us. Traveling instills adaptability at every twist and turn of the journey. From rolling with a departure time change to having to figure out what to do when a plan in the itinerary falls through, you have to take those setbacks and work to not let them ruin your entire trip. When you know that things don’t always go as planned and sometimes a complication can lead to something better, you are less likely to unnecessarily stress out and stew in negative feelings. Instead, you learn to live in the moment and appreciate what you have for increased overall happiness.
Don’t hoard your vacation days. Taking the time to travel can be seriously beneficial for your mental health. Hitting the road helps get you out of your own head and boosts your confidence. Being in a different environment and trying new things can also improve your overall communication skills. Most importantly, travel teaches you to be more adaptable – a key component for a happier life.
Henry Moore is passionate about travel and health, and he writes about how to get the most out of both on his website FitWellTraveler.
Have a look at his page and find more articles with tips and exciting destinations.
Henry believes travel can change you, and good health preserves you.
If you are planning to travel as a vegan / vegetarian follow this link for some great practical tips.
More than answering the same questions over and over again from family and friends about my protein and iron deficiency, that plants also have feelings, and if I ‘don’t feel sorry for the lettuce’, I want to share here with you, the challenges and privileges of being a vegan traveler.
It is undeniable that it is much easier to be vegan in the comfort of my home and in my city where I already know all the markets, supermarkets, and shops, than on the road. Especially when I land in a place where I’ve never been before. Although this can bring excitement and an opportunity to discover new flavors! The “unknown” is part of the experience of traveling.
Mexico
On top of the lack of knowledge of a new destination, few countries are known for having abundant vegan options. Probably only India will come to mind…
That said, I must add that I travel a lot and I never starved. Being a vegan traveler is not only possible but also very interesting!
Borneo
Mozambique
Mozambique
Singapore
Thailand
Knowledge is power
Some countries are more vegetarian/vegan-friendly than others. So it is wise to do some research on the local cuisine before you leave.
Knowing what are the typical dishes and the common ingredients of the country, is quite important as well as culturally enriching. Everywhere in the world, there are foods that are naturally vegan, or almost vegan. With this knowledge in hand, you will know what dishes to order and what ingredients you can add, remove or replace.
Malaysia
Mexico
The truth is that the Internet and travel guides make this task easy and fast.
Plan ahead
When traveling by car, bus or train, it’s always better to take a packed lunch for the trip. If the trip is by plane, it’s important to order the meal when you buy the ticket. To date, all the airlines I have flown with offered vegan meals on long-haul flights at no additional cost (plus special meals are always served first ? )! Even so, since I’m a person that gets hungry easily and very often, I always carry lots of snacks like nuts, chocolate, bars, sandwiches, fresh fruit and protein balls.
vegan
When traveling to developed countries, it can’t be easier. The application HappyCowis awesome! You just need to write where you are and how many miles/ kilometers you can walk and the application gives a list of vegan and vegetarian restaurants close by. Then just follow Google Maps.
Unfortunately, this is not the reality everywhere. Many places are quite complicated, as is the case of Cuba, a safari in Kenya, Argentina or in the deserts of Mongolia. But even if it seems at first that it is going to be an impossible mission, you’re wrong, it is always possible.
Benefits of traveling as a vegan
For backpackers, and travelers that don’t go to the major resorts, where hygiene is probably somewhat similar to what we are accustomed to, there are always situations where the options are sparse and unappetizing.
When traveling to developing countries and getting off the touristic path in search of more remote and authentic places, the options scarce. True to be told that is a huge risk to eat meat or shellfish that is left to the flies on the roadside under the sun or from a shack without electricity. It seems to me that is always more encouraging to choose cooked vegetables and fruits that can be peeled.
Mexico
On the other hand, I end up going to places that otherwise would never go, because that tourist restaurant located in the central square is not an option for me. I end up meeting lots of local people because I need to ask for informations and to explore well the cuisine of each country.
Meeting new people enriches any trip. Many have been the times that local people gave me a ride to what they considered to be the best restaurant in their city/village/town serving vegan food or walked with me to the place.
If I wasn’t a vegan I would never have discovered so many typical places off the beaten path. I would have lost lots of opportunities that allowed me to live and experience each place more authentically.
In the vast majority of big cities, it is usually easy to find vegan food, ( Los Angeles, New York, Portland, San Francisco, London, Toronto, Tel Aviv, Bengaluru, Chennai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Berlin, and Taipei), are some examples where it is extremely easy to stumble into an excellent vegan dish.
What I do not dispense
Regardless of the country I visit, I always travel with a small cabin luggage. So I can never carry a small switchblade or a knife with me, but it is one of the first purchases I make.
It is essential to have something sharp to peel and cut fruits and vegetables, and a spoon to eat some fruits such as papaya, dragon fruit, kiwi, passion fruit …
I have aTo-Go Ware Utensil Set, which contains a knife, fork, spoon, and chopsticks all made from bamboo, and don’t worry the bamboo is very nice to eat from. The set is absolutely spectacular, really compact, light and easy to clean even on the road, I don’t go anywhere without it, I even take it to work. They’re very slim so it is easy to slip into my backpack. I can’t really recommend it enough.
Having a small backpack with you is also essential. Because you can carry snacks and water. What is not only a way to save money and time but also to keep you fed and healthy throughout the trip, of course, I do not dispense to have a good reusable water bottle. The plastic problem is real and we all need to do better choices as consumers.
My favorite ones are the ones from Vapur, they are absolutely fantastic. They roll up really well and can easily fit into the pocket on my backpack, or even into my pocket. They come with a carabiner attached which aids in keeping them compressed when rolled up, plus they don’t have any taste taint.
So for traveling, they are perfect, they come in deferent size and they are really light, great quality, BPA free and when empty the Anti-Bottle can be easily tucked away, conveniently fitting anywhere. For me is simply the most portable, reusable water bottle I know 🙂
Bar shampoo is another essential item for me. It is light, takes up little space, does not count as a liquid at the airports and lasts for a very long time.
To brush my teeth, I carry a toothbrush and toothpaste but also a miswak stick. Although I am not a fan of the taste, I make the ‘sacrifice’ when I am traveling. because the true is the miswakstick is veryconvenient, no toothpaste, no water, no rinse or spit, which means you can use it anywhere, anytime.
I’ve said goodbye to the sanitary pads and tampons many years ago, and when I’m traveling there are no exceptions. The menstrual cup is what I use all year round. Becauseis practical, and lightweight, and you can have the cup placed up to a maximum of 12 hours, so the issue of cleaning is not a big problem, as it can always be done at the end of the day when we are back to your accommodation.
Bar Shampoo
Menstrual Cup
Miswak Stick
Go to markets
Going to markets is not just a way of cultural immersion, but it is also a great place to buy and stock up on fresh fruit, sandwiches, vegetables, nut-butter, sweets, nuts and other vegan yummy goods.
Turkey
Turkey
Vietnam
Thailand
Thailand
Cambodia
Cambodia
Learn to speak the basics
From my experience, there are always vegan options everywhere, some better than others. In some countries to know how to speak English it’s enough, but in other countries, it’s imperative to know some keywords in the native language.
It is important to memorize them or to have them written on a piece of paper so you can explain what you are looking for.
Most of the time restaurants can fulfill our requests. It is important, however, to be patient and courteous, as not everyone knows what vegan or vegetarian means. I’ve lost count of the dishes that came with shrimps and chicken … So again being specific, patient and kind is the key.
Once in Borneo, I explained what I wanted. The waitress very attentive and friendly said: “yes, yes I know exactly what you want, don’t worry …“. When the dish arrived, I said: “But this has meat …”. To which she answered, confused: “that is not meat .., it’s chicken!” Well, another lesson learned!! Always be very specific. No meat, no chicken, no pork, no cow, no fish or shellfish, no prawns.. ?
A great option is to buy a Vegan Passport. The booklet contains words and phrases that include the languages of over 96% of the world’s population and can be purchased on The Vegan Society page or you can download their app to your phone. The Vegan Passport works really well and has all situations covered. This will ensure that you have no problem explaining what you eat and what you don’t eat, no matter where you are in the world.
Where to sleep
Hostels and Airbnb are great options because they allow the use of the kitchen. As it is Couchsurfing where you can look for Vegan hosts. Some countries are starting to have 100% vegan accommodation, they are normally amazing but a bit pricey.
Follow vegan travel blogs
Following blogs from Vegan Travellers is one of the best ways to find good information. Because it is given by people with the same values than you and that have been before where you want to go and had explored how to have a plant-based diet in that country.
I hope this article will leave you a little bit more relaxed if you are going to embark on your first vegan adventure. The reality is that nothing is impossible, far from it.
All you need is a little bit of preparation and to follow my tips as of the other travelers who have been to the countries you want to go.
Mozambique
Vietnam
Mozambique
In practice, vegetables, fruits, cereals, grains, seeds, and legumes are everywhere with more or less abundance, diversity or accessibility.
Namibia
Happy travels and a good appetite ?? let me know if you have any questions, comments or tips.
