Travelling Abroad as a Jain: How to Eat Well in Japan, Thailand, the UK, Dubai and More

By the TripRai team · 11 October 2026 · 7 min read

Jain food (no meat, fish or egg, and no onion, garlic or root vegetables such as potato, carrot and ginger) is easy at home and hard on the road, mostly because ingredients hide in stocks, sauces and pastes. With a little planning it works almost anywhere. This guide covers what to say, what to carry, and how each country we plan compares.

Before you go

The biggest difference comes from planning meals, not from finding food on the spot when everyone is hungry.

Write a short food card in the local language: no meat, no fish, no egg, no onion, no garlic, no potato or other root vegetables. Show it when ordering; it works better than explaining.
Find Indian and pure-vegetarian restaurants near where you will be each day, not just near the hotel.
Pack sealed, dry snacks for travel days (khakhra, thepla, roasted chana). Fresh fruit and vegetables, and anything with meat or dairy, are restricted in many countries; sealed dry food is usually fine. Declare food when the arrival form asks.
If you keep chauvihar (no food after sunset), check sunset times: in northern Europe in summer the sun sets after 9 pm, in winter before 4.30 pm.
At hotel breakfasts, fruit, bread and cereals are usually safe; ask before anything cooked.

Country by country

How easy Jain food is in the countries TripRai plans, from easiest to hardest. These are general notes; restaurants change, so check before you go.

IndiaHow easy: EasyWhat helps: 'Pure veg' and Jain thalis almost everywhere; ask for 'no onion, no garlic'
UAE (Dubai)How easy: EasyWhat helps: Many Indian vegetarian and Jain-friendly restaurants, especially in Karama and Bur Dubai
SingaporeHow easy: EasyWhat helps: Little India has vegetarian and Jain-friendly restaurants
United KingdomHow easy: Easy in citiesWhat helps: Wembley and Southall in London, and Leicester, have many Gujarati vegetarian restaurants
ThailandHow easy: MediumWhat helps: Bangkok has Indian vegetarian restaurants around Pahurat; Thai 'jay' (เจ) food is vegan and traditionally leaves out garlic and onion, but check for root vegetables
Indonesia (Bali)How easy: MediumWhat helps: Plenty of vegetarian and vegan cafes in Ubud and Seminyak; ask for no onion and garlic, which are in most sambals
Netherlands, SpainHow easy: MediumWhat helps: Vegetarian food is common, Jain food is not: rely on Indian restaurants and simple dishes
VietnamHow easy: MediumWhat helps: Buddhist vegetarian ('chay') restaurants near pagodas; check for garlic and fish sauce
JapanHow easy: HardWhat helps: Fish stock (dashi) is in most dishes; look for shojin ryori (Buddhist temple food) in Kyoto and Indian restaurants in big cities

Country	How easy	What helps
India	Easy	'Pure veg' and Jain thalis almost everywhere; ask for 'no onion, no garlic'
UAE (Dubai)	Easy	Many Indian vegetarian and Jain-friendly restaurants, especially in Karama and Bur Dubai
Singapore	Easy	Little India has vegetarian and Jain-friendly restaurants
United Kingdom	Easy in cities	Wembley and Southall in London, and Leicester, have many Gujarati vegetarian restaurants
Thailand	Medium	Bangkok has Indian vegetarian restaurants around Pahurat; Thai 'jay' (เจ) food is vegan and traditionally leaves out garlic and onion, but check for root vegetables
Indonesia (Bali)	Medium	Plenty of vegetarian and vegan cafes in Ubud and Seminyak; ask for no onion and garlic, which are in most sambals
Netherlands, Spain	Medium	Vegetarian food is common, Jain food is not: rely on Indian restaurants and simple dishes
Vietnam	Medium	Buddhist vegetarian ('chay') restaurants near pagodas; check for garlic and fish sauce
Japan	Hard	Fish stock (dashi) is in most dishes; look for shojin ryori (Buddhist temple food) in Kyoto and Indian restaurants in big cities

How TripRai plans Jain meals

Choose Jain in TripRai's food step and every meal in the plan is chosen for Jain food. Where a restaurant's Jain or vegetarian food cannot be confirmed, the plan does not name it and suggests looking nearby instead of guessing. For trips abroad, the packing list reminds you to carry a food card in the local language, and on the day you fly home, dinner is planned at the airport rather than back in town.

Questions

Which country is easiest for Jain food abroad?

Among the countries TripRai plans, Dubai, Singapore and the big UK cities (London and Leicester) are the easiest, thanks to their many Indian vegetarian restaurants. Japan is the hardest because fish stock is in most dishes.

What should a Jain food card say?

Keep it short: no meat, no fish, no egg; no onion, no garlic; no potato, carrot or other root vegetables. Have it written in the local language and show it when ordering.

Can I carry Jain snacks on an international flight?

Sealed, dry snacks are usually fine. Many countries restrict fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and dairy, so check the rules of the country you are flying to and declare food when the arrival form asks.

Plan it with TripRai

Free, no sign-up: your whole trip day by day, with rides, meals around what you eat, estimated costs in your currency and a packing list made from your days.

Plan a Jain-friendly trip →Japan packing list Dubai and Abu Dhabi itinerary