Japan is famous for Buddhism and tofu but it’s definitely not the best destination for vegetarians. When we arrived in the country, I very quickly felt frustrated that I was missing out on Japanese specialties. It happened several times that my lunch ended up being a slice of cake because that was the only thing without meat on the menu and I might surprise you but even I, sometimes, need more than sweets!
Whether you are a local or a tourist, no matter how long you may have lived in Paris or how many times you have visited it, this city will always have surprises for you. Every time I go visit my best friend there, we find new, unusual things to do, adding up to the ideas I’ve shared before.
We arrived in Sri Lanka without knowing much about the food there except for the idea that I should be ok as a vegetarian. Well, it is absolutely not difficult to be a vegetarian in Sri Lanka. Unlike in other countries, I didn’t have to spend time researching vegetarian restaurants in the areas we visited, if such restaurants even exist. I knew for sure there would be several meat-free options wherever we would go. The country is actually so vegetarian friendly that when we took a cooking class in Ella, we were surprised to see that all dishes were vegetarian by default.
Who wouldn’t agree that food is one of the best ways to discover a new culture? I’m French and a vegetarian, which usually don’t go together at all. Luckily for me, other countries are more open to vegetarianism than my own, like South-East Asia. Once we found out that our diets restrictions were no obstacles, we took cooking classes in Chiang Mai, Thailand and Ella, Sri Lanka. In Vietnam, no cooking class but we had the amazing last-minute opportunity to take a food tour in Hanoi the night before leaving the country.
Mirissa is a very pretty area in the South of Sri Lanka. Let’s be honest, there is not much more to do there than relax on the beach unless you’re willing to drive away from the little town. As much as we loved Mirissa, its beach and its atmosphere, we were also happy to go explore the area.
After a bit of a rough start in Thailand during our few days in Bangkok, we set off for Chiang Mai. The city being mainly known for its temples (after 5 months in Asia, Simon was getting a bit tired of temples), we almost skipped it entirely. Everyone we spoke to about it kept praising it so we decided to go and we were not disappointed.
Asia is a paradise for tea lovers and I am definitely one. So when Simon had the idea of going to a tea tasting, I was all in.
The Kyoto Chocolat Organic Tea House is not really being advertised, which is definitely for the best or I’m sure the waiting line would be endless. I can’t remember how I heard about it, probably thanks to the magic of Pinterest.
