What Tourists Should Know About Animal Cafes with Sooz Shanker

Is trophy hunting really helping conservation or is that just a convenient myth?In this episode of the Veggies Abroad Podcast, Rebecca sits down with Downton Abbey actor and wildlife advocate Peter Egan to unpack the global trophy hunting industry. From the shocking killing of Cecil the Lion to the economics behind hunting safaris, Peter explains why trophy hunting is far from the conservation solution many claim it to be.They explore where the money from trophy hunts actually goes, how wildlife populations have been impacted, and why photographic safaris and responsible tourism can generate far greater benefits for both animals and local communities.You’ll also learn how travelers can avoid unknowingly supporting exploitative wildlife experiences - from cub petting to canned hunting—and what actions individuals can take to help protect animals around the world.If you care about ethical travel, wildlife conservation, and using tourism as a force for good, this conversation is a must-listen.To find out more about the campaign head to https://bantrophyhunting.orgLearn more and book your own vegan adventure: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.veggiesabroad.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Don’t forget to check Instagram for photos from the trip!Want to join a future adventure? Keep an eye on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠veggiesabroad.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for upcoming vegan group tours and travel resources.

Vietnam is a country of contrasts buzzing scooter-filled streets, peaceful limestone bays, lantern-lit ancient towns, and a café culture that never sleeps. But what is it really like to travel there, especially as a vegan?In this destination deep dive, Rebecca is joined by her part-time travel partner Matt to unpack her recent trip through Vietnam, including time in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Bai Tu Long Bay (part of Ha Long Bay), and Hoi An.From coconut coffee confusion to cultural nuance, this episode explores how Vietnam’s layered history (Chinese influence, French colonialism, the Vietnam War, and modern socialism) shapes daily life today and what respectful travelers should keep in mind.If you’ve been curious about Vietnam, are considering joining a future Veggies Abroad tour, or want to better understand how to travel thoughtfully in Southeast Asia, this one’s for you.Learn more and book your own vegan adventure: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.veggiesabroad.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Don’t forget to check Instagram for photos from the trip!Want to join a future adventure? Keep an eye on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠veggiesabroad.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for upcoming vegan group tours and travel resources.

In this episode, Rebecca and her Matt recap Rebecca’s recent trip to Cambodia through a Veggies Abroad lens, from the energy and intensity of Phnom Penh to the calmer, tourism-driven streets of Siem Reap. They talk candidly about the country’s recent history under the Khmer Rouge and why visiting memorial sites requires care, respect, and a willingness to listen.You’ll also hear about one of the most hopeful stops of the trip: APOPO’s work training ‘hero’ rats to detect landmines, helping communities reclaim land for homes, farming, and safe movement. Plus, Rebecca shares the reality of vegan travel in Cambodia, including the spots that surprised her most for plant-based food and coffee.Learn more and book your own vegan adventure: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.veggiesabroad.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Don’t forget to check Instagram for photos from the trip!Want to join a future adventure? Keep an eye on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠veggiesabroad.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for upcoming vegan group tours and travel resources.

In this interview, Susanna “Sooz” Shanker, founder of Curiosity Saves Travel, shares disturbing findings about exotic animal cafés in Japan and their wider impact on wildlife.Recent studies show that around 60% of the animals found in Japanese animal cafés belong to species listed on conservation concern registers, with 50% classified as threatened with extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.While many of these animals are bred in captivity through wildlife breeding schemes, 14% were found to be wild-caught, meaning they were taken directly from their natural habitats and placed into café environments. Even more concerning, these cafés have been linked to an increase in wildlife trafficking and a growing demand for exotic pets, both in Japan and internationally.Sooz explains how seemingly harmless animal attractions can fuel a much larger system of exploitation and why travellers need to look beyond the surface when choosing ethical wildlife experiences.Petition people can sign: https://www.change.org/p/end-the-support-for-wildlife-cafes-in-japan-that-cause-animal-harmVideo of the animal market - warning it is upsetting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqDrrINjN3YEthical cat cafés in Tokyo: https://www.tokyoweekender.com/japan-life/ethical-cat-cafes-tokyo/Curated and vetted animal cafe experiences: https://giveback.guide/search/?q=animal+sanctuariesAnimal Cafe Guide: https://curiositysavestravel.com/are-animal-cafes-in-japan-and-asia-ethicalLearn more about Sooz: ⁠Curiosity Saves Travel⁠Join a Veggies Abroad Tour: ⁠veggiesabroad.com⁠Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Music Unlimited⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bloody Vegans Productions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ part of the ⁠⁠Creative Content Studio⁠⁠ family

Happy New Year and happy Veganuary. In this first episode of 2026, Rebecca is joined by her part-time travel partner and now official accounting manager, Matt, to share a fresh list of veggie-friendly cities to put on your radar this year.From Ho Chi Minh City and its unexpectedly large vegan scene, including the search for vegan coconut coffee, to Bogotá’s creative plant-forward food culture and Colombia’s often overlooked travel appeal, this episode is packed with practical tips and genuinely useful recommendations.Matt brings his trademark chaos and donut priorities to Berlin, a city where vegan living is fully woven into everyday life. Rebecca then makes the case for Bangkok as one of the easiest places in the world to travel vegan, thanks to deep cultural traditions and an enormous food scene.You will also hear an honourable mention for Puerto Rico, home to multiple vegan and vegetarian hotels, plus a quick look at what is still on their personal bucket lists for 2026.Learn more and book your own vegan adventure: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.veggiesabroad.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Don’t forget to check Instagram for photos from the trip!Want to join a future adventure? Keep an eye on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠veggiesabroad.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for upcoming vegan group tours and travel resources.

It’s the final Veggies Abroad Podcast episode of 2025 and Rebecca’s pulling back the curtain on what this year actually looked like behind the scenes.Fresh off three months of travel (including tours in Portugal, Iceland, and Thailand), Rebecca and Matt break down the realities of running a values-driven travel business in a shifting landscape: post-election uncertainty, Google search volatility, AI overviews changing traffic, and the constant challenge of building “travel that gives back” without pretending it’s simple.You’ll also hear what changed inside the business this year from hiring support to a major milestone Rebecca’s been working toward since day one: paying herself for the first time…plus a preview of what’s ahead in 2026, including tours to Costa Rica, Thailand, Vietnam, Iceland, Kenya, and Ecuador (Galápagos).Learn more and book your own vegan adventure: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.veggiesabroad.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Don’t forget to check Instagram for photos from the trip!Want to join a future adventure? Keep an eye on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠veggiesabroad.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for upcoming vegan group tours and travel resources.

Rebecca pops in from her temporary home office—a hotel room in Bangkok—to share a quick update on Veggies Abroad’s Thailand adventures. After wrapping the first of two vegan group tours through Thailand, she recaps the highlights: incredible food (hello, khao soi!), thoughtful local guides, meaningful elephant experiences, and the joyful community that forms on every trip.Rebecca also reads traveller feedback from the November tour, talks about the realities of working while travelling, shares tips for eating vegan in Thailand, and explains why this itinerary keeps winning people over year after year.She gives a behind-the-scenes look at why tour design isn’t always easy, what happens when activities don’t go as planned, and how much it means when travellers recognise the care and ethics behind every experience. Plus, she teases upcoming episodes covering Cambodia and Vietnam and gives a quick update on 2026 trips—including Thailand’s likely return as an annual staple.If you want to follow the current tour in real time, check out Veggies Abroad on Instagram!Learn more and book your own vegan adventure: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.veggiesabroad.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Don’t forget to check Instagram for photos from the trip!Want to join a future adventure? Keep an eye on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠veggiesabroad.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for upcoming vegan group tours and travel resources.

In this episode of the Veggies Abroad Podcast, Rebecca sits down with Jenny and Melissa to talk about their recent vegan group tour through Portugal, followed by their own adventures in Paris and London. They share what it was like navigating Lisbon’s steep hills in surprising autumn heat, the joy of making traditional Portuguese tiles, their favorite cities on the itinerary, and the vegan dishes they loved (including unforgettable pastéis de nata and plenty of creative desserts). The conversation explores how group travel with like-minded vegans changes the experience, from connecting over meals to forming friendships that carry far beyond the trip.After Portugal, the pair continued on to Paris and London, where they wandered iconic neighborhoods, sampled vegan croissants and pastrami sandwiches, discovered 3D-printed salmon at a London’s Unity Diner, and clocked more than 30,000 steps a day exploring both cities. They break down what surprised them, what they’d do differently next time, and the highlights that stood out in each destination. The episode also touches on traveling solo, tips for choosing a vegan-friendly group tour, and where they hope to travel next.Learn more and book your own vegan adventure: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.veggiesabroad.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Don’t forget to check Instagram for photos from the trip!Want to join a future adventure? Keep an eye on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠veggiesabroad.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for upcoming vegan group tours and travel resources.

When you think of the Caribbean, you might imagine turquoise waters, palm trees, and tropical drinks—but what about vegan food? In this episode of the Veggies Abroad Podcast, host Rebecca Gade Sawicki and co-host Matt explore the most vegan-friendly islands in the Caribbean: Puerto Rico, Aruba, and St Lucia.They share where to find outstanding plant-based meals, sustainable resorts, and unique eco-adventures across each island. From vegan mofongo and callaloo soup to carbon-neutral hotels and chocolate festivals, this episode is your complete guide to planning a plant-powered Caribbean getaway.Discover why Puerto Rico stands out for its diverse vegan restaurants and hotels, including tips from these guides:Vegan-Friendly Caribbean IslandsVegan Puerto Rico Food GuideVegan Restaurants in San Juan, Puerto RicoVegan Resorts in Puerto RicoYou’ll also hear about Aruba’s growing vegan hospitality scene and its best places to stay and dine:Best Restaurants for Vegan Food in ArubaBest Vegan-Friendly Resorts in ArubaRebecca also shares updates on Veggies Abroad’s 2026 tour lineup, including return trips to Iceland and Thailand, plus upcoming adventures in Costa Rica and Colombia that combine exploration with community impact.Whether you’re a vegan traveller, eco-conscious foodie, or simply craving sunshine without compromise, this episode will help you plan your next Caribbean escape that’s as compassionate as it is unforgettable.

Get ready to toss some biodegradable confetti — it’s our 50th episode! Join host and chief veggie pusher Rebecca Gade Sawicki and her partner-in-travel Matt as they celebrate this milestone and explore the surprisingly vegan-friendly side of Greece.Forget what you’ve heard about feta and seafood — Greece’s mainland is filled with compassionate adventures, mountain villages, ancient history, and plant-based eats. Rebecca shares insider tips from her travels through Athens, Dimitsana, Nafplio, and Crete, including must-try vegan restaurants, scenic road trip routes, local wineries, and responsible tourism experiences that support family-run businesses.Whether you’re dreaming of a romantic seaside town, a hike through quiet mountain trails, or a taste of authentic Greek olive oil, this episode is packed with ideas to help you plan an ethical, veggie-powered trip to Greece. Listen now and start planning your next plant-powered adventure.Learn more and book your own vegan adventure: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.veggiesabroad.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Don’t forget to check Instagram for photos from the trip!Want to join a future adventure? Keep an eye on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠veggiesabroad.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for upcoming vegan group tours and travel resources.