Here's a one-stop survival guide for vegetarians travelling to 'meaty' countries

Ajit Balgi in AmmanLearn to love falafelDestination JordanThough his online search only threw up falafel hummus and shawarma as vegetarian options Ajit Balgi ventured on a culinary trip to Jordan last December The research prepared me for the worst recalls the 32yearold founder of wine consultancy The Happy High His eightday itinerary packed Amman the coastal city of Aqaba historic Petra and the wilderness of Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea For breakfast he relished Ful Medames comprising mashed fava beans seasoned with the indigenous spice sumac and the vegetarian version of Galayat a tomatogarlic gravy dish usually cooked with meat or eggsLearn to love falafel because wraps are your only hot vegetarian street food option says Balgi He shares a tip Ask vendors to smear it with Moutabal a dip of smoked aubergine He also suggests bingeing on desserts like Warbat akin to baklava and semolinacoconut sweet cake Hareeseh Also try Kunafeh a layered dessert soaked in rosescented sugar syrup at Habibah in AmmanCool TipEnjoy eating on the streets of Amman and Aqaba as theres nothing around the Dead Sea Buy your wine at the airport it is expensive in the city to pair it with veg foodVegan spread that Ritika AryaMy meal was bread with a spreadDestination SwitzerlandVegan for the past six years 27yearold Ritika Arya Waldorfcertified educator and spiritual scientist embarked on an 11day trip to Switzerland last March which included attending a fiveday conference in Dornach a countryside fairytale town The few restaurants that served vegetarian options would shut by 6 pm she says So she stocked almond milk hummus vegan pesto rice crackers and baked vegan breadEnjoyed in BaselMy breakfast was almond milk and cereal I would have bread with different spreads for lunch and dinner says Arya Her advice Learn to read local language to interpret labels correctly In the neighbouring more popular town of Basel she enjoyed a hearty meal at vegan restaurant TitBits After facing so many challenges it felt like heavenCool TipAdventures in smaller towns require perseverance and bigger towns demand research and scouting Take help from localsDivyakshi Gupta in MyanmarKhaw Suey is a term for snacksDestination MyanmarKnowing that she would be in a country for nine days where fish is omnipresent 28yearold travel blogger Divyakshi Gupta carried thepla as backup But using the miracle word Tathaloo meaning lifeless helped me sail through the trip says Gupta who discovered local options in Mandalay Yangon Lake Inle and BaganMont Lin Ma YarThese included Mont Lin Ma Yar fried rice pancakes known as husbandandwife snack because twin pancakes are stuck together and salads made using fresh tomatoes plucked from floating farms at Lake Inle Her favourite was a meal with mock meat yellow tofu assorted mixed vegetables and rice at Burmese restaurant Little Bit Of Mandalay I also searched for the famed Burmese Khaw Suey only to find my guide explaining that Khaw Suey is a generic term for snacks laughs GuptaCool TipLearn phrases like Atha ma sa bu I dont eat meat Its easy to find Fried Rice and Shaan NoodlesRita Theobald fourth from left with her family and the tribes of Maasai MaraUgali tasted exactly like idliDestination KenyaWhile Peter and Rita Theobald usually plan their own trips they opted for a local tour by Gamewatchers on their visit to parts of Kenya in 2011 They took care of our safaris and food It also turned out to be cheaper shares Rita who turned vegan in 1996 In Maasai Mara and Serengeti National Park we stayed in tents Our meals comprised couscous or quinoa salad that the operator had organised along with localstyle vegetable stew with carrots potato and peas cooked in tomato We enjoyed it with Ugali a Kenyan dish made of mixed flour sorghum cornmeal millet which tasted like idli recalls Theobald adding that betweenmeal snacks largely comprised fruits like pineapples and banana found abundantly in the regionCool TipSince Africa has a large Gujarati population restaurants know that vegetarian means no egg too Opt for a local tour for an authentic experience Stock up on fruit and fruit juices from a local supermarketKomal Lath in Cascais PortugalFish is considered vegetarianDestination PortugalWith dried salted cod and grilled sardines making up the base of most dishes one naturally assumes that finding vegetarian cuisine in Portugal would be tough However 31yearold Komal Lath sailed through Lisbon and Cascais for six days in 2014 Being an eggetarian made it simpler but they use duck eggs so the flavour is drastically different says the head of a communications consultancy Instead she relished Caldo Verde a traditional green soup Broa de Milho corn and rye bread Pasteis De Nata an egg tart pastry which she recommends having in the neighbourhood of Belem Main courses are meatheavy but we found types of cheese olives wines and breads along with pizza and spaghetti Restaurant owners are friendly and will customise especially if they offer live cooking I did carry fruits on day trips to Cascais and Sintra We found an interesting shawarma shop and tried Arroz Doce rice pudding that tasted like kheer But ensure you mention no pesca because fish is considered vegetarian shares Lath who would enjoy buttermilk pancakes for breakfastCool TipBe open to eating egg or carry energisers like bars and dry fruit Try sweets and cheeses from nearby villages and areas like the Docks and Cascais which is the last point of Europe Locals are high on hospitality and feel awful if you dont have a good time Tip well