Level 5 — Difficult

Hidden ingredients everywhere

Animal products are deeply embedded in cuisine through sauces, stocks, pastes, and seasonings. Economic constraints, limited retail infrastructure, or geographic isolation further restrict plant-based variety. Vegan travel requires active strategy, constant vigilance, and flexibility.

Veganism not widely understood. Every ingredient needs checking.
35
Destinations
Constant
Vigilance

How we verify Level 5 rankings

Every destination verified through multiple independent sources including HappyCow, VegOut Magazine, WalletHub, and on-ground intelligence.

View all sources

Good Retail, Difficult Dining

Supermarkets work; restaurants are a minefield of hidden animal products

3
Destinations
Rank
Destination
Why Here
Self-Catering
Vegan Hotspots
#121
Armenia Eastern Europe
Dairy/meat heavy rural diet
Good
Yerevan · Gyumri · Vanadzor · Dilijan · Tsaghkadzor
#122
Azerbaijan Eastern Europe
Animal fats dominant; Baku supermarkets help
Good
Baku · Ganja · Sumqayit · Sheki · Lankaran
#123
Suriname South America
Fish/stock common in multicultural cuisine
Good
Paramaribo · Nieuw Nickerie · Albina · Brownsweg · Moengo

Organised but Limited

Capital cities have options; variety is constrained and fish dominates coastal areas

5
Destinations
Rank
Destination
Why Here
Self-Catering
Vegan Hotspots
#124
Rwanda East Africa
Kigali organised; limited variety
Poor
Kigali · Musanze · Huye · Rubavu · Nyagatare
#125
Ghana West Africa
Accra improving; rice/beans workable
Poor
Accra · Kumasi · Cape Coast · Takoradi · Tamale
#126
Senegal West Africa
Dakar options; fish dominates cuisine
Poor
Dakar · Saint-Louis · Saly · Ziguinchor · Thiès
#127
Saudi Arabia Middle East
Meat-centric cuisine; limited vegan awareness
Poor
Riyadh · Jeddah · Khobar · Dhahran · Medina
#128
Côte d'Ivoire West Africa
Abidjan improving; hidden stocks
Poor
Abidjan · Yamoussoukro · Grand-Bassam · Bouaké · San-Pédro

Safari & Island Constraints

Lodges accommodate requests; extreme meat cultures or sanctions limit everyday options

6
Destinations
Rank
Destination
Why Here
Self-Catering
Vegan Hotspots
#129
Botswana Southern Africa
Safari lodges accommodate; sparse retail
Poor
Gaborone · Maun · Kasane · Francistown · Palapye
#130
Fiji Melanesia
Indian population helps; resort-centric
Poor
Nadi · Suva · Denarau Island · Coral Coast · Lautoka
#131
Paraguay South America
Landlocked; livestock-centric diet
Poor
Asunción · Ciudad del Este · Encarnación · San Bernardino · Areguá
#132
Uruguay South America
Extreme meat culture; Montevideo limited
Poor
Montevideo · Punta del Este · Colonia del Sacramento · Piriápolis · Salto
#133
Cuba Caribbean
Sanctions affect supply; beans/rice fallback
Poor
Havana · Trinidad · Viñales · Varadero · Santiago de Cuba
#134
Algeria North Africa
Import limits; animal fats common
Poor
Algiers · Oran · Constantine · Annaba · Tlemcen

Hidden Ingredients Ubiquitous

Fish sauce, lard, and animal stocks are embedded in staples; constant checking required

6
Destinations
Rank
Destination
Why Here
Self-Catering
Vegan Hotspots
#135
Philippines Southeast Asia
Fish sauce ubiquitous; constant checking
Poor
Manila · Cebu City · Quezon City · Davao City · Baguio
#136
Bolivia South America
Lard common; altitude limits variety
Poor
La Paz · Santa Cruz de la Sierra · Cochabamba · Sucre · Uyuni
#137
Guatemala Central America
Lard in staples; urban areas slightly better
Poor
Guatemala City · Antigua Guatemala · Lake Atitlán · Quetzaltenango · Flores
#138
Honduras Central America
Similar constraints to Guatemala
Poor
Tegucigalpa · San Pedro Sula · Roatán · La Ceiba · Copán Ruinas
#139
Guyana South America
Meat/fish default; veganism poorly understood
Poor
Georgetown · New Amsterdam · Linden · Bartica · Lethem
#140
Bangladesh South Asia
Fish embedded in staples and spice mixes
Poor
Dhaka · Chittagong · Sylhet · Khulna · Rajshahi

Economic & Infrastructure Barriers

Instability, import constraints, or traditional cooking methods limit plant-based variety

10
Destinations
Rank
Destination
Why Here
Self-Catering
Vegan Hotspots
#141
Zimbabwe Southern Africa
Economic instability affects imports; sadza + veg viable
Poor
Harare · Bulawayo · Victoria Falls · Mutare · Gweru
#142
Zambia Southern Africa
Limited retail; traditional cooking animal-based
Poor
Lusaka · Livingstone · Ndola · Kitwe · Kabwe
#143
Namibia Southern Africa
Desert geography; game-meat culture
Poor
Windhoek · Swakopmund · Walvis Bay · Otjiwarongo · Okahandja
#144
Benin West Africa
Bouillon culture; minimal vegan awareness
Poor
Cotonou · Porto-Novo · Ouidah · Abomey · Parakou
#145
Togo West Africa
Fish/meat in most sauces
Poor
Lomé · Kpalimé · Atakpamé · Sokodé · Aného
#146
Republic of the Congo Central Africa
Meat/fish default; bouillon culture; weak distribution
Poor
Brazzaville · Pointe-Noire · Dolisie · Nkayi · Impfondo
#147
Gabon Central Africa
Meat/fish traditions; expensive imports
Poor
Libreville · Port-Gentil · Franceville · Oyem · Moanda
#148
Angola Central Africa
Post-conflict infrastructure; seafood-heavy influence
Poor
Luanda · Benguela · Lobito · Huambo · Lubango
#149
Mozambique East Africa
Seafood-heavy Portuguese influence
Poor
Maputo · Tofo · Vilankulo · Beira · Pemba
#150
Madagascar East Africa
Zebu cattle culture; limited retail
Poor
Antananarivo · Nosy Be · Antsirabe · Toamasina · Fianarantsoa

Bouillon & Fish Paste Cultures

Animal extracts are infrastructure, not ingredients; fish paste and bouillon cubes are in virtually everything

5
Destinations
Rank
Destination
Why Here
Self-Catering
Vegan Hotspots
#151
Cameroon Central Africa
Bouillon cubes ubiquitous; language barriers
Poor
Douala · Yaoundé · Buea · Limbe · Bamenda
#152
Nigeria West Africa
Bouillon cubes contain meat/fish extracts
Poor
Lagos · Ibadan · Abeokuta · Akure · Benin City
#153
Cambodia Southeast Asia
Shrimp paste (prahok) fundamental to cuisine
Poor
Phnom Penh · Siem Reap · Battambang · Kampot · Sihanoukville
#154
Laos Southeast Asia
Fish paste (padaek) embedded in most dishes
Poor
Vientiane · Luang Prabang · Vang Vieng · Pakse · Savannakhet
#155
Brunei Southeast Asia
Conservative food culture; fish/meat dominant
Poor
Bandar Seri Begawan · Kuala Belait · Seria · Gadong · Tutong

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