We, Seyka and Brian, are on a 21 country vegan voyage over 5 months to enjoy vegan food from all parts of our planet, connect the vegan community, spread the vegan mission, report plant based news, create ethical consumer guides, and have a blast while doing it. After a wonderful stay in Malaysia, we head towards our tenth stop of this life-changing trip. Welcome to Vegan Voyage United Arab Emirates, and thank you for joining us!
Vegan Voyage United Arab Emirates: An Overview
Abu Dhabi and Dubai were our stops of choice on this trip. We went in late May when it was very hot, so we needed to be inside most of the time. This definitely wasn’t a hard task, mostly because there are such beautiful buildings for this purpose.
Adapting to cultural norms
The United Arab Emites is a conservative Muslim nation. One of your priorities should be to plan appropriate clothing. In the heat, this can take some extra thought! Men should have shirts that cover their shoulders. Collared shirts aren’t necessary, but you wouldn’t feel overdressed either. They should also wear shorts that cover their knees or ankle length pants.
Women in the UAE should wear loose fitting clothing that doesn’t show cleavage, breasts, shoulders, upper arms, midriffs, or knees. It can be a bit tricky at first, but figuring it out is absolutely possible!
Getting Around In The Cities
Abu Dhabi and Dubai are big places. When it’s hot outside, getting a taxi to go from place to place remains the safest option. Hotels have access to them, or you can wave them down on the street. Not everyone speaks English, so try to learn some phrases that will get you to your destination before going. And don’t forget Google Translate is your friend!
There are also very inexpensive quality public buses that are easy to take between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. They take about 3 hours and cost around $5-10 USD each.
Vegan Voyage United Arab Emites: Accommodation Guide
There’s no travel without accommodation, and we were very pleased with our choices in both cities! Here’s an overview of what they had to offer.
Novotel Abu Dhabi Al Bustan Hotel
We stayed at the Novotel Al Bustan in Abu Dhabi and really enjoyed our stay. They have a vegan-friendly breakfast buffet, an outdoor pool with city views, a great gym, and generally a lovely ambiance. They’re also very well located and will allow you to do all the visiting you like without relying too much on taxis and public transports.
Novotel Video Coming Soon!
Four Seasons Dubai
For a true luxurious treat, The Four Seasons Dubai is the place to go. They have an awesome Get the Glow vegan menu for lunch and dinner. Their breakfast buffet has many vegan options and kind chefs to help you determine exactly what those options are. And to make a nice thing even better, you can have all of those delicious meals by the pool!
The Four Seasons bath products are cruelty free! Their spa is incredible, they have an excellent gym, a beach attached to their resort, and multiple pools for playing or lounging. What more could you ask for?
Vegan Voyage United Arab Emites: The Food
We said it before and we’ll say it again: local food is a huge part of appreciating a country’s culture. Discovering a country’s vegan scene is something we won’t ever tire of! Here were our favorite stops during our exploration of the Arabian cities.
Simple Café
What better place to start than the only 100% vegan café in Abu Dhabi? Simple Café is exactly that – and it’s also Gluten Free! This shop has smoothies, bowls, sandwiches, salads, muffins, coffee, and more. And everything is 100% plant based (yes, even the nuggets and tikka masala)! You can also get these goodies on your way to a game or practice as this is located just outside a sports complex.
We had a muffin, green smoothie, nuggets and sushi – all were plant based and healthy!
302 Café
Located in the lobby of a hotel, 302 Café was a surprise and a joy! The ambiance is lovely, the employees were friendly, and the food was AMAZING!! We had the great joy of getting the Vegan High Tea treat which came with tea and a two-tier serving of small bites. We had crumpets, sandwiches, chocolate covered fruits and more yumminess. A bowl and a burger completed this amazing meal. Everything we ordered was fabulous. This is definitely a must try!
Pizza Di Rocco
Looking for something that isn’t a café? Pizza Di Rocco is an awesome pizzeria with a full vegan menu! The pizza is fabulous with many unusual flavors like pumpkin or guacamole. They also have more classic margheritas and vegetable pizzas if you don’t feel like experimenting! You can either dine in at their adorable venue or grab food to go on your own adventure.
Bleu Blanc by David Myers at the Renaissance Hotel Downtown
And now for our favorite Dubai picks! We can’t recommend the Chef’s Table at Bleu Blanc enough. Their vegan Chef’s Table is fun, entertaining, educational, and absolutely delicious! They have a charismatic chef who describes the dishes and then makes them with you while you dine. This is fun as a romantic date or as a group with friends.
Four Seasons Dubai
We just have to give another mention to Four Seasons’ incredible vegan menu. Even if you aren’t staying with them, I recommend stopping in for a meal. Their plant based options are great! If you don’t believe us, just let pictures speak for us…
Some in room treats:
A sneak peek into the Get the Glow Menu:
A true Breakfast Feast:
The Glow Menu by the poolside:
Vegan Voyage United Arab Emites: The Conclusion
Before bringing this post to an end, I need to mention our visit of The Grand Mosque. I am not usually someone who is impressed by architecture but I am so incredibly in awe of The Grand Mosque! I was moved to tears by the beauty of the place. This is a MUST visit.
What’s next?
Thank you for coming along on this Vegan Voyage United Arab Emites with us! We loved our time here and hope our advice will help you out in your own journey. Our next stop will be in Tanzania! If you want to come along with us, make sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube! And for the aspiring travelers following us, check out our previous posts and advice on how to make the best out of your own Vegan Voyage:
- Our travel packing guide
- Our advice on travel clothes
- Wellness while traveling
- Learn more about our Vegan Voyage adventure
For the sake of goodness,
Seyka & Brian
Seyka vegan plant-based “resort review” “hotel review” “vegan hotel” “ethical travel” “sustainable” “ethical” “plant-based menus” “vegan friendly” “around the world” “How to travel uae” “how to visit dubai”
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