vegan Vietnam

Vietnam is on the South China Sea is known for its beaches, rivers, Buddhist pagodas and bustling cities. Hanoi, the capital, pays homage to the nation’s iconic Communist-era leader, Ho Chi Minh, via a huge marble mausoleum. Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) has French colonial landmarks.

Our vegan tour of Vietnam

Our last tour of Vietnam took 21 days and went from north to south. The first time I wen to Vietnam was over 30 years ago, when the country was still in recovery. Our plane landed in Hanoi, where passport control was not much more than a hut. Everyone rode bicycles and the road up to Halong Bay was just a dirt track. Tourist were few and far between, but could always be identified easily as they were clutching their copy of Lonely Planet, which was the only documentation available.

Vietnam has seen a meteoric rise since then and the tourism industry is well developed with many more locations easily accessible. See our list of top sights

Amazing Vietnam

This 24 day Vietnam Package Tour will make sure you get the full view of Vietnam including Culture, Scenery, History and never forgetting Local amazing vegan Foods.

If you have a long time to travel in Vietnam here is your most memorable holiday ever.

Vietnam Adventure

To see most of the many interesting places, take our 21 day tour which runs from Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) in the south, to Hanoi in the North. For those who want a shorter Vietnam experience, we offer the first leg of the tour as a 10 day alternative.

Chengdu - Hanoi

We are adding a tour bewteen Hanoi and Chengu; It's am amazing route with some of the most spectacular scenery in China and at the end of the road we get to pandas in their natural environment.

Slow Eco Tour

We are creating a set of small tours of 3 to 5 days that can be linked together to see the whole country or combined with other travels. We are making partnerships with some new vegan restaurants to bring culinary workshops to learn vietnamese cuisine.

Vegan Vietnam

How vegan friendly is Vietnam?

Vietnam has a long tradition of great vegan friendly cuisine based around tofu, noodles, nuts and exotic vegetables and fruits. There is a wide variety of styles and techniques, beautifully presented often as a mixture of different side dishes.

Buddhism has an influence and many people eat a vegan diet a couple of times a month. This can be hard to predict because it is linked to the full moon, so in many areas they simplyfy things by eating vegan on the 30th,31st,1st of the month and then again on the 15th,16th. It's a good idea to ask about the dates, because you may suddenly find vegan restaurants unexpectedly overflowing. As a former French colony, you may be able to start the day with a fresh baguette and a strong coffee.

Vegan restaurants and cafes

Vegan restaurants and veggie food stalls are to be found in most places, unless you get well away from the beaten track. In Ho Chi Minh City, you will find around 100 places to choose from and in Hanoi around 50. Other hot spots for vegans include Da Nang, Hue, Phu Quoc and many more.

In Vietnamese Chay means vegan. Watch for stalls saying quán chay or com chay.

In major travel destinations, tourist cafes will offer something that is vegan-friendly. The thing to watch out for is fish sauce, which seems to wind it's way into everything. Many are not aware of the distinction between vegetarian and vegan, so dairy products may well be served to you, so you need to be vigilant.

Vegan friendly accommodation

There are not many vegan friendly B&Bs in Vietnam, so your main choices are in the luxury end hotels, which often have a vegan menu. There are also some homestays that can prepare vegan food with enough advance warning. Another option is to find accommodation with a kitchen and go food shopping in the local market

Vegan shopping

Vietnam is full of local markets with a great variety of exotic fruits and vegetables. It is best to ask a local for a list of prices as you will need to haggle.

Vietnam Cuisine

Herbs, spices and condiments

Vietnamese food packs a taste punch, which combines plenty of interesting herbs and an exotic blend of spices, sauces and just enough chili not to be overpowering. With an abundant variety of tofu and other mock meats, which leave even meat eaters totally satisfied. There is a dazzling variety of herbs, which often come served on a side dish, so it's worth taking the time to learn about the varieties and their flavours and experiment with adding them to your meals. Fish mint is one of the stranger herbs that you’ll encounter in Vietnam. It tastes sour and smells rather fishy. It will probably be a bit off-putting when you encounter it for the first time. More details here

Their are no particular rules for spice blends and each region and chef is creating their own style. Spicier in the north and sweeter towards the south. Garlic, ginger, lemongrass, cinnamon, fresh turmeric, star anise are among the favourites you can expect, not forgetting of course a moderate amount of chili. Sauces are generally made with fish ingredients, so you need to be careful.

Tofu is often the star of the show, with many varieties and cooking methods. “Chao” is a kind of fermented tofu, is a very popular Vietnam local food, especially in the center and the south. It is often considered as Asian cheese, as it has a mold skin like Roquefort or Camembert. There are two types of Chao: dry and wet. For wet Chao, they add salt water and rice alcohol after 2-3 days of fermentation. On the contrary, dry Chao is kept away from water. It has a far stronger flavour, which may take some getting used to.

Bánh mì chay

This Vietnam/French fusion style baguette sandwich, is a must try experience. It's freshly baked baguette with the meat replaced with tofu or mushromms and filled with fresh chillies, pickles and herbs.

Pho chay

Traditional phở soup is a meat-based broth often eaten for breakfast, with phở noodles. Look out for teh word "chay" and you will know it's been cooked in a vegetable stock instead. Then it's the same, with piles of vegetables, herbs, fresh chillies and limes.

Nộm đu đủ

A crunchy and fresh Vietnamese salad, made with thinly sliced green papaya, carrots, loads of peanuts, sesame seeds, basil and coriander. Check that the sweet and sour source is free from fish.

Bánh ít trần

These traditional bean-filled dumplings are often eaten as a snack. The dough, which is made from glutinous rice flour and water, is rolled out and stuffed with a mixture of cooked and mashed mung beans, fried shallots and fresh spring onions.

Bánh cuốn chay

Made from a rice flour batter, which is spread into a large, thin sheet and stuffed with a variety of ingredients, similar to a crepe. The vegan option is stuffed with tofu and mushrooms. It’s then topped with crispy onion and served with herbs and a spicy dipping sauce.

Xôi gấc

This is a sticky red rice dish, which is often eaten during the Lunar New Year. It gets its uniquely red and sweet flavour from gac, known also as baby jackfruit.

Đậu sốt cà chua

A favourite dish for vegans in Vietnam. It’s made by frying some thickly sliced pieces of tofu, which are then added into a simmering garlic and tomato sauce. Once the sauce has reduced down, the tofu is served up with a sprinkling of spring onions and a portion of steamed rice.

Hotpot

Often found in eat all you like restaurants, you have your own hotpot stove, containing a clear broth to which you can add the ingredients of your choice and let them simmer away to your satisfaction. Spice it up as you like and then go back for seconds.

Spring rolls

Vietnamese spring rolls can be either deep fried or are often made with a rice flour pancake wrapped with herbs and then another rice flour pancake and stuffed with tofu, noodles and vegetables.

Nature and wildlife

Vietnam can boast some 3,000km of coastline including pristine islands and archipelagos. Halong Bay is world famous for it's impressive limestone pinnacles. Inland we find mountain ranges and pristine forests, with 30 national parks and protected areas.

Vietnam is one of the world’s hot spots of biological diversity and is home to approximately 16% of the world’s species. With parks and government programs to protect the wildlife, this should be a prime safari destination. However, a study by the WWF has reported that nearly 10% of the wildlife in the country is threatened with extinction. Vietnam is placed 16th highest among 152 countries studied in terms of the proportion of its wildlife species found to be in danger. In fact there is little eco tourism in Vietnam which has become a world center for criminal wildlife trafficking. Poaching and corruption are massive problems, as well as massive construction programs that are squeezing the wildlife and leading to empty forrests. Learn more about animal organisations here

Water Buffalo

The water buffalo is the traditional symbol of Vietnam. It represents bravery, happiness and prosperity. Buffalos played a very important role in Vietnamese agriculture. They were a farmer's most valued possession and were often treated as a part of the family. You can see them in any rural area across Vietnam, where they till the rice paddies and haul carts of supplies. In Vietnam alone, there are approximately three million Water Buffaloes.

Pygmy Slow Loris

These petite nocturnal creatures are found in the marshy riverlands around Hanoi and eastern Vietnam. Victim to poaching and hunting either for medical purposes or to simply own them as a pet. Pygmies are one of the must-see wildlife of Hanoi.

Bears

In Vietnam, more than 1,000 bears — mostly the Asiatic black bear and the sun bear — live on farms across the country. ... There numbers have been falling fast.

Snub-nosed Monkeys

One of the world's rarest primates, the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey, found only in northern Vietnam has made a recent resurgence.

Great Hornbill

Elevated areas around Hanoi see this migrating bird. Watch out for quail, ducks, pheasants, Ibis and cranes.

Elephants

Yok Don National Park is now running ethical elephant tours where tourists can come and observe the park's four elephants from a distance as they roam freely around the forest

Crocodiles

There are two species of crocodile that can be found throughout Vietnam: the Siamese crocodile and the saltwater crocodile. However, due to overhunting and habitat destruction, both species are rarely found in the wild.

Page updated

Report abuse