Why sustainable luxury vegan travel is nearly impossible to plan yourself (and what working with me looks like)

Earth Day looks different every year. As we continue to break records every summer, and see catastrophic weather events more, our footprints have never been more important.

Part of the challenge I faced when going vegan was the internal dialog I had over changing the way I traveled. In 2016 when I went vegan, I had already stopped eating meat and buying products with anything containing or being tested on animals, and was conscious of my footprint and how I traveled.

But, I struggled with the idea that I could maintain my core beliefs and values and still experience the world on my terms as my income went up and the ability to travel on the more luxurious side increased,

All this to say, I get it.

Planning a luxury trip that's fully aligned with your values, including plant-based, sustainably run, ethically sourced, and still luxurious, is a hard travel problem to solve yourself. The information is scattered. Deciphering greenwashing can feel incredibly overwhelming. Digging through hotel websites to learn about their sustainability practices camouflaged with flowery marketing copy requires critical thinking, when (let's be real) it's for ... vacation planning. Menus change. Plus, some amazing properties don't have the keyword bulk or spend to get on the first page of search results.

So for this Earth Day, instead of another generic "travel greener" post, I want to walk you through what it takes to plan a sustainable luxury vegan trip, and where the DIY option isn't the best one.

The gap between "vegan-friendly" and vegan-friendly in practice

The one thing I've noticed in my years of travel and planning trips is that a hotel calling itself "vegan-friendly" can mean almost anything. (Also, finding a hotel that calls itself that is an entirely different challenge that requires connecting with concierge, restaurants, spa directors and so on.)

It can mean a single pasta marinara on a 40-item menu. It can mean the chef "will try" if you ask 48 hours in advance. It can mean a Beyond Burger, oat milk for coffee, and nothing else.

Or it can mean a property like Six Senses Ninh Van Bay where the executive chef has designed an entire plant-based tasting menu because it is a part of their sustainability ethos.

You can't tell the difference from a hotel website. Not reliably. Which is why I've spent the last decade building direct relationships with properties and vetting them in person (when I am able to) and also with the power of Fora Travel for access to even more properties and thousands of other travel designers to connect with, so I know which ones are putting their money where their mouth is.

The same goes for sustainability.

"Eco-friendly" gets slapped on everything now. Properly sustainable properties, including the ones running on renewable energy, sourcing from farms down the road, paying living wages to local staff, and protecting surrounding land through conservation, exist.

To find them, you've got to do a lot of digging, unless you know how and where to look.

What I do when I plan a luxury vegan trip

Anyone can Google "best vegan hotels." Free itinerary downloads are everywhere. What I offer is different in ways that matter when the hard-earned money you're investing and a once-in-a-lifetime trip are on the line.

My process goes pretty deep to make sure I'm not setting anyone up for failure, be it disappointment in not being able to eat, or frustration at supporting something they normally would not have had they been empowered with more information.

I vet every property through direct contact with chefs, concierges, and sustainability leads, not through review aggregators. I confirm what's on the menu in the month you're traveling if it's possible. I ask questions I want to know as a vegan, so you can have the information. If it matters to you, I make sure it matters enough to them to ensure you're good to go.

And then there are the negotiation of VIP amenities.

As a luxury travel advisor, I have access to preferred-partner rates and perks at properties like Four Seasons, Relais & Châteaux, Aman, Belmond, Rosewood, Mandarin Oriental, and Leading Hotels of the World. That can include upgrades, resort credits, early check-in, late check-out, and often complimentary breakfast. These aren't available to the public.

Together, we book Michelin-starred plant-based tables months out. Restaurants like Bonvivant in Berlin, Plates in London, De Nieuwe Winkel in the Netherlands, Seven Swans in Frankfurt, and Légume in Seoul can have waitlists that are brutal.

If you don't know you want to dine there two months in advance, you're probably not going to be dining there. Part of my job is getting your table secured as soon as possible.

I handle the logistics most people underestimate or don't even think about like train routes between cities, airport transfers that aren't scams, local guides who won't take you to a roadside zoo masquerading as a sanctuary. you even get dietary requirements translated into the local language.

You get to go about your life while I am the point of contact and managing your reservations and bookings. This is the part no free itinerary can replicate.

If prices drop on your hotel rate before you travel, I rebook it for you. I follow up with your hotels to make sure the red carpet is rolled out for you and the welcome snacks in your room are vegan. We have conversations throughout the creation of your trip, and throughout your journey because it's important to me that you have the best experience possible.

The types of trips I plan most often

Most of my clients fall into a few categories, and they all share one thing: they're planning a trip that's a big deal.

For instance, milestone birthdays. Like many with a milestone birthday, when I turned 40, I took myself to a luxury resort in Thailand after leading a vegan tour in the country.

Often, milestones means doing something special to mark the occasion, like going on safari or hitting up an island like I did. And, the entire experience is orchestrated to be aligned with vegan values.

Then, there are vegan honeymoons and anniversaries. This is the one where clients are most nervous about compromise, which I totally understand.

Fortunately, I handle properties like Six Senses and Four Seasons, that incorporate so many of the vegan values into their core principles. Their customer service and attention to detail is elite, so I know while clients are nervous, between me and the properties, they are in good hands.

Of course, ethical safaris are a big deal because of the investment. Often, the destinations for going on safari are South Africa (so good for first-timers), Botswana, Rwanda for gorilla trekking, Namibia, and Tanzania.

I love the conservation-driven properties like Singita, Wilderness, and andBeyond, where your nightly rate actively funds anti-poaching and wildlife protection, and the chef will happily build your stay around plant-based cooking using their own garden.

Group trips are another big one. Celebration travel for mixed-diet groups like a vegan with non-vegan in-laws. or, a bachelorette where the bride is plant-based and the bridal party isn't. Multi-generational trips where grandma wants her steak and the grandkids are vegan.

I design itineraries that make everyone feel taken care of and like no one is missing out on the culinary experiences offered in a destination.

A favorite of mine is slow travel in Europe.

I spent almost a year backpacking solo through the continent and slow travel really opens your eyes to local life, culture and like a book, every page you turn unfurls something new. The most popular destinations for slow travel tend to be Italy, Portugal, or Spain.

Unlike in the States, a massive rail system connects countries together, veins from major cities expanding in every direction. One trips like these, it's one or maybe two bases for a week or more each. You're going to markets and cooking in kitchens, and also enjoying Michelin tasting menus. Stepping into history, and wandering in to today.

Finally, there are the responsible luxury travelers who aren't vegan. A growing number of my clients aren't plant-based themselves but want sustainability and ethical tourism baked into their trip. If that's you, you're welcome here too.

What you get with me that you don't get from a free PDF

You can download a free PDF itinerary from plenty of travel blogs or use AI.

They're a reasonable starting point for research. They don't book your hotels, they don't negotiate supplier amenities, they don't have access to perks or the support of a travel company behind it. They likely aren't experts in responsible tourism, or have access to a large group of travel experts who are sharing ideas and experiences so we can ensure we're only suggesting the best. And they don't fix problems when something goes sideways mid-trip.

My planning includes a fully booked itinerary, VIP amenities layered in at the property level, pre-arranged Michelin-starred reservations. For a milestone trip, a honeymoon, or any trip where the stakes and the spend are high, the difference in what you get is significant.

Sustainability without the sacrifice

Remember this:

You don't have to choose between a trip that aligns with your values and a trip that is luxurious. Luxury vegan travel is more indulgent than conventional luxury travel. The food is more creative. The properties are more thoughtful. The whole trip feels is aligned with who you are and what you want from an experience.

You just need someone who knows where to send you, which restaurants will fit the bill and who to talk to about it, what sustainable and ethical activities exist, and how to build a trip around it.

That's what I do.

Ready to plan your Earth Day-inspired trip?

If you're thinking about a sustainable luxury vegan trip this year, whether that's a honeymoon, a milestone birthday, an anniversary, a family celebration, or a long-overdue slow-travel escape, I'd love to plan it for you.

Start your trip inquiry here and I'll be in touch to talk through the kind of experience you're looking for, the destinations on your list, and what "luxury vegan" means to you.

The best trips feel like they were built around you ... because they were.