Hello Vegan World Travelers!
Everyone likes to be happy and healthy during their travels. We are filled with excitement at the thought of visiting an interesting site or a new restaurant. Unfortunately, sometimes illness takes over while we are on holiday. This misfortune happens to vegans and non-vegans alike. What to do?! Do not worry. You need not be concerned about lack of vegan medical care.

When packing for your trip, be sure to include bandaids, sunscreen, bug repellant, antacid, aspirin, cough drops, antiseptic wipes (for scrapes and cuts), and cold medicine. As far as I know, the only issue of concern to vegans is the coating on pills or aspirin. Be sure to read the ingredients to verify that it does not contain a gelatin coating. Other than that, you should be fine!

Although I do not get ill often, I am indeed prone to clumsy falls. I just get too excited at the view of an ancient ruins or breathtaking landscape or cute, fuzzy animals. I run up close with my camera and in my excitement manage to fall and get a bit banged up with scrapes and bruises. Antiseptic wipes and bandaids do the trick and do not compromise my requirement for vegan ingredients.

While trekking through rainforests for example, you need to be protected by sunscreen and bug repellant. Several brands of vegan products can be purchased which do not contain deet and were not tested on animals.

Anyone can get a cold while switching between time zones or hemispheres or being around other sick people on the airplane. Most cold medicine is vegan as are cough drops(just check that it does not contain honey). If you get a headache or migraine, check that the ingredients do not include a gelatin coating. It is easy enough to find aspirin which does not contain gelatin.

The MOST IMPORTANT thing is to try your best to prevent food poisoning and illness from drinking local water overseas. I got ill only a couple of times. The first instance was somewhere between my last evening in Rio and the flight which took me to Santiago. I called the hotel front desk to get a doctor for me. Using my rudimentary Spanish language skills, it appeared that my physician stated that my nausea and fever were not from food poisoning, but most likely caused from poor air quality. He gave me an inoculation and some antibiotics. If you do not have traveler’s health insurance, you need not panic. Health care in South America generally seems to be inexpensive. The doctor and assistant come directly to your room and give you a prescription for a local pharmacy.

In Mexico, travelers commonly get “Montezuma’s Revenge” of their intensines. Eyptian’s refer to it as “Pharaoh’s Revenge”. This is caused by food posoning, contaminated or uncooked foods. I remained perfectly healthy in both countries, even after drinking lemonade made with local water on the Nile River cruise ship. However, I did get ill in Costa Rica but did not feel the effects until I arrived home the next day. Even when you are careful regarding what you eat and drink, you never know what one ingredient could cause illness. That is why it is critical to purchase some medicine prior to your trip.

My visit to Peru was absolutely beautiful! However, I got ill from drinking fresh orange juice made with local water. At least, that is my guess. I was nauseous on the train excursion to Machu Picchu. Upon arrival, I threw up at the entrance and could not walk in with my tour group. Fortunately, there is a doctor’s office at the entrance. It probably exists for those who get altitude sickness. I was fine with the altitude as I took the proper medication prior to my trip. The physician gave me an exam, some antibiotic pills, and an inoculation near my hip, all for only $35US. Within fifteen minutes I was able to get up and run through the entrance and catch up with my tour group. I was ecstatic to be able to see Machu Picchu!

The only other time I had a medical situation arise during my travels was in South Africa. Cape Town is a very clean, healthy city. However, I somehow managed to get my foot infected, red, and swollen, possibly from a bug bite. The city’s best hospital was located near my hostel. For $50US, the emergency room physician was able to see me around midnight and give me an exam. He then wrote a prescription for some antibiotics and ointment for my foot for a mere $13US.

Remember to only eat cooked foods, peel your fruit, and do not drink international water. Use insect repellant, sunscreen, and antiseptic wipes when necessary. Following these precautions should keep you healthy during your journey. If you do get ill, ask your hotel which hospital is closeby and inexpensive for travelers. You may instead want to ask the hotel concierge if they could call a doctor to come to see you.

Yes. I’ve had a few medical situations arise during my travels. The medical care was inexpensive and decent. My medications were seemingly vegan and did not include gelatin or any other animal products. It is best to arrive at your travel destination prepared with a well-stocked suitcase full of vegan medical supplies.