Five Ideal International Destinations for the Health Conscious Traveler

I’m admittedly a difficult person to travel with for one main reason: I have a lot of dietary restrictions. As a very health conscious traveler, it can be difficult to maintain my lifestyle abroad.

Traveling full time for two years means I have often had to eat things that aren’t the best for me, and I’ve managed to survive. But being a health conscious traveler does not mean I haven’t been able to enjoy most things.

One of the biggest questions I get from friends at home is how am I not forced to eat meat while abroad, and my answer has always been, “It’s surprisingly easy.”

I may have had to do some research to ensure that I can still try delicious unique local food everywhere I go, but I have yet to go to a city where the choice was to starve or eat meat. 

While there were some places like Marrakesh and Kyoto where the food scene was difficult to say the least, overall, there have been more places than not where the health food scene was unbelievably amazing. 

Health and Wellness Scene Abroad

I am also a fitness fanatic and nature enthusiast, so I highly value places where I can go hiking or have a vibrant fitness scene. I also use only natural beauty products so being able to buy natural lotions, oils, deodorants and make up is important to me. There are definitely some things you should pack before but with a little work, you can find the rest abroad.

I could go on about the best vegetarian or gluten free food scenes, but for the purpose of this article I’m going to focus on cities with the overall best health and wellness scenes. These cities are ideal for the health conscious traveler. They may have tons of vegan and gluten free restaurants, but overall these cities have options for everyone at everything.

These cities also have to have awesome health food stores and natural products, amazing nature or high quality fitness centers and access to a local community that values wellness and health. 

If you’re looking to travel without giving up your routine, or to explore the things you value while abroad, within a new culture, then you should absolutely add these cities to your list. 

1. Mexico City, Mexico

Not only is this one of my favorite cities in the world, it’s also one of the easiest places to live in. Mexico City has everything. Yes, it’s a massive, sometimes smoggy metropolitan city but it is also as green as can be. 

Areas like Condesa and Roma, which are the best for tourists, have green parks and trees everywhere. You can jog and exercise in ample space, with Chapultepec Park rivaling the wonders of Central Park. 

Surrounded by geographical diversity, you’re driving distance from mountains and lakes including a few former volcanoes that are absolutely stunning. You’re also only an hour flight from some of the best beaches in the world. 

Mexican Food is Delicious AND Healthy

The best part of Mexico City is undoubtedly the food. With a plethora of options and creative fare, you can find something for just about anyone. I rarely struggled at group dinners here, as most places had plenty of choices for any food restriction. CDMX might be a foodie’s paradise, but it is also surprisingly pleasant for the health conscious traveler.

A major plus is the ambiance and architecture of the city; many restaurants are set in gorgeous former estates or colonial little mansions. Few places feel so lavish as the Mexico City dining scene. 

I was also stoked to discover that the street food offerings definitely included vegetarian options (not so much vegan, i.e. queso). While many local taquerias may only have meat and queso options, just as many offer fish and vegetarian ones. 

They even have a fully vegan taco cart that my meat eater friends became equally obsessed with. For about two dollars you could have a delicious meal. Additionally, almost everything is typically gluten free here as corn is their staple grain.  

Wellness Scene: Try ALL the Gyms

The fitness scene is amazing, with one of the best barre studios I’ve ever been to, as well as tons of yoga, pilates, boxing studios and gyms littered around the city.

If you’re staying for a month or more, you should absolutely try FitPass. For about $30 you can try out hundreds of studios. 

If all of that isn’t enough, grocery shopping was also pretty stress free. There are plenty of little boutique health food stores and organic markets where I could buy all the healthy snacks and natural cleaning and beauty supplies I could ask for. Though with the restaurant scene being what it was, I ate out more than I care to admit. 

2. Da Nang, Vietnam

I had never heard of this city in my life before spending five weeks living up north in Hanoi. The long California shaped country is home to a ridiculously diverse geography and Da Nang City is smack dab in the middle of it.

This coastal city in Central Vietnam is a fast-growing expat hub and once you’ve been, you’ll know why. It is also surprisingly great for the health conscious traveler.

Da Nang is surrounded by mountains and set right on a coast line that looks strikingly similar to Miami beach, with it’s white sand, huge boardwalk and built up beach side high-rises. 

Although it’s a metropolis, it’s still pretty spread out so the air feels clean and you get a nice beach town vibe despite the size. 

Vietnam: Home to Some of Healthiest Food Ever

Vietnam in general was one of the easiest places to visit in Asia as a pescatarian. Their diet is centered around carbs and veggies with almost more fish options than meat. 

They also have a huge vegetarian scene, with incredibly trendy vegetarian and vegan cafes. You don’t know cafe culture until you go to Vietnam. Vietnam is also great for vegans, as they aren’t a dairy heavy society (except for the condensed milk they prefer in their iced coffees). 

Vietnamese food in general is extremely fresh, with very little sauces and added ingredients. It’s also extremely cheap, so eating out with the locals is great for your health and your wallet. 

Wellness Scene: Get Creative

While there are some small health food stores, usually a few shelves attached to vegan cafes, finding natural beauty products in Vietnam is pretty tough.

Besides coconut oil and some good soaps, you can expect to find mainly just chemical loaded and whitening beauty products. That’s really the only downside. 

There are several little shops though that sell refillable beauty supplies and that’s the best way to get natural beauty products. You’re also making great use of your old containers, so it’s a very sustainable way to travel.

To stay fit, you have options. You can scooter all along the coast, go cliff jumping or sunrise paddle boarding. The next day, you can head into the mountains and go hiking or waterfall searching. It has something for every health conscious traveler, not to mention the sheer plethora of yoga studios and gyms in one city.

3. Ubud Region, Bali, Indonesia

Bali in general is the mecca of wellness communities for tourists. No other region in Bali reflects this more than Ubud. Ubud is the lush, jungle region about one hour inland from the airport. 

In recent years, it’s become the yoga capital; attracting thousands of tourists to come visit for wellness retreats or yoga training. Since so many people come here from all over the world and there is such a big expat community, it’s really easy to tap into women’s groups or yoga communities and find people interested in the same things you are. 

I preferred this region greatly over Canggu because Canggu is essentially over taken by expats at this point. Ubud is still holding on to some local culture.

While Ubud is my favorite area in Bali, it’s still not too far from the coast line or nearby islands so there’s plenty to do if you want to get out of the hot jungle and experience a change of pace. 

Wellness Scene: Shop Local

While the yoga community isn’t exactly reflective of balinese culture, Ubud is still home to many locals and provides plenty of Balinese run businesses with local products.

I was always finding little storefronts selling oils, soaps, dry brushes and crazy awesome natural snacks and foods. Most of the stuff was made right there on the island with different herbs and flowers than I had seen before. 

They are also home to some of the best spas and massages for such an affordable price. We tried out several different spas and practitioners while we were there and it was the highlight of our trip. 

For staying there, there aren’t exactly gyms around. Ubud does, however, have numerous trails and areas to go hiking. You can trek along the rice paddies, climb some of the most majestic volcanos or explore waterfalls. 

Bali: A Vegan’s Paradise

Lastly, the food was unbelievable. After our month in Bali, you could say that we left with glowing skin and smaller waistlines. With vegan and raw restaurants abound, you can find some of the best meals and creative concoctions you’ve ever had. My two housemates voluntarily adopted a vegan diet with me since it was so easy.  

This was also the best international destination I’ve found where you can get drinks and desserts that have no sugar added and every type of herb, tea, or milk alternative you could dream of. 

4. Cape Town, South Africa

When I decided to spend almost two months in Cape Town I was a bit nervous for one reason: the food. When I think of Africa, I think of meat heavy braai’s and lamb curry. I was nervous that the food would be a struggle. Well. Boy, was I wrong. 

This city is incredible. The nature alone took my breath away; it’s like an unpolluted version of California where everything is bigger, brighter, and less crowded. A coastal city surrounded by mountains, the western cape has just about everything you could want.

Each area in Cape Town is strikingly different, and it is a place of extreme contrasts for better and for worse. For better though, is what Cape Town offers the health conscious traveler. 

Wellness Scene: Naturally Beautiful

The supermarkets are incredible and I could find just about anything I needed. I think they topped the list of best international supermarkets by far.

There were also so many outdoor markets, with fresh food and unique local finds. You could find an outdoor market almost any day of the week around the city. 

What was even more incredible though, was the fitness scene. I took some of the best yoga classes I’ve ever had with some of the most beautiful people I’ve ever seen.

Despite having an incredible indoor workout scene, the great outdoors was any nature lover’s dream. With a ridiculous amount of hiking trails and mountains to climb, right in the city, you could do a hike before work any day.

South African Food: Not Only Lamb Curry

There were more trendy cafes and vegan friendly spots to try than I could possibly cram in in two months.

Just like Mexico City, group dinners were actually not difficult at all here and the architecture and vibe of each place was fantastic.

Even when we did a weekend safari in the middle of nowhere, I didn’t have to stress at all. The restaurants on the way had plenty of things I could eat and the resort had loads of gluten free and veggie options at each meal. 

5. Chiang Mai, Thailand

This list would not be complete without Chiang Mai. While not my personal favorite city in the world, it attracts a ton of expats for good reason. It is so easy to live here because you have access to everything. 

While there are no beaches in Chiang Mai, you can access the islands easily, with a short and very low cost flight. It’s a great weekend getaway and a chance to recharge and get fresher air.

Chiang Mai does have quite a few waterfalls and trails surrounding the city, which makes it a popular choice in contrast to the crazy crowded metropolitan of Bangkok. 

Wellness Scene: Whatever You Need, You Can Have

One of the best things about the city was the shopping. You can find vintage, non-profit thrift stores, massive local night markets as well as giant malls.

The supermarkets themselves for absolutely glorious. Finding my whole grocery list and then some was not an issue. They were also huge and resembled Whole Foods.

You can get just about any natural beauty product you could dream of as well. Jade facial rollers, essential oils, natural deodorant and air purifiers. I restocked on everything while I was there.

The best part, was discovering how plentiful and reliable their pharmacy’s were. Thailand is one of the few places I could find real, quality vitamins and herbs. From probiotics, to Tiger balm, it was the jack pot for a health conscious traveler.

Gimme All the Papaya Salad + Cafes

The cafes in our neighborhood were straight out of LA, with every trendy superfood ingredient I had and had never heard of. It’s Thailand, so eating out costs you an average of $5 per meal and there were so many options. 

For those vegans and lactose intolerant health conscious travelers out there, fear not. Chiang Mai had all the alternative milks and ALL the vegan ice cream. My favorite was their fresh coconut ice cream- everything from the ice cream, to the whipped cream, to the shredded coconut on top was made from just coconut.

While chicken was more common than I thought, making most street food and traditional food stands more difficult, there were so many amazing things, like papaya salad, that I could eat instead.

Most sit- down restaurants will be able to provide and offer vegetarian options, and of course, there are some completely vegetarian restaurants to devour.

If you’re in Chiang Mai, you have to pay a trip to Elephant Nature Park, if not for the elephants, for the insanely delicious vegan buffet and sustainable local garden.

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