Slow travel is the experience when you enjoy every bit of your trip and not follow a strict schedule. Listening, walking, eating and drinking everything at a slower place, than rushing to see as many tourist attractions within 3 days. It is about meaningful connection with the destinations, cultures, and people in a way that creates personal growth and unforgettable everlasting memories.
Slow travel is completely the opposite to fast paced traditional travel. Slow travel is experience everything with quality than quantity. As a tourist, you explore every location to the fullest.
In this blog post, let’s explore the life-changing experiences of how and what to expect when you slow travel.
Experiencing Local Cultures Naturally
While you slow travel in a city take the time to blend in with the local cultures. The experiences will be unique, fun, scary and most definitely challenging.
Slow travel also let you stay longer in a specific place, thereby making stronger connections with the locals. Experiencing everything with the locals is an amazing experience. Going to festivals, eating with the locals, or learning some local craftsmanship is a great way to learn about their lifestyle.
Living in cities longer than two weeks is when the real memories are created. The experiences, the challenges and the hidden gems of the locals are discovered. These experiences are not written in any guidebooks. For example, going to a cooking course in Italy or a dancing lesson in Brazil, are memories that lasts forever. The experiences adds to personal growth and mostly definitely stories to share.
Slow Travel To Experience Nature
Slow travel is a perfect way to enjoy nature. Stopping at any place and taking photos are priceless. Hiking through peaceful woods, strolling on the shore, or praying at a calm lake. The experience is different than rushing too see the wildlife and taking photos or having a list of things to do for the day.
Destinations like the trails of New Zealand or the rainforests of Costa Rica are worth taking the time to explore. Slower movements help you to see and experience the more detailed things. For example bird songs, rustling leaves, smelling freshly brewed coffee at your new favourite spot, or buying fresh bread from the local bakery. All these sounds and experiences are unique and can only be experienced through slow travel.
Slow Travel Must Stay Experiences
Staying in locally-owned establishments is another way of improving your slow travel because you get to know the local community. Living in boutique guesthouses, family-owned inns, or eco friendly lodges are interesting experiences. The mix of personal hospitality and local cultural knowledge is to your advantage. Travel ideas are shared and your best memories of slow travel starts with where you live. The locals become your neighbours.
The experiences in these stays tend to be more quirky. The first impression, usually resemble the character of the place. The decor, cuisine, and stories told by hosts (chain hotels lack all three things) definitely last forever.
You will feel like a local rather than a tourist in these accommodations. Traditional places to stay like Moroccan Riads or the Japanese Ryokan are examples of traditional homes.
Living with the locals creates a feeling of belonging and you get to know the culture and their customs. Experiencing the tradition of the locals is sometimes great and other times not so great. The differences create personal growth as you learn how to find a solution.
Taste Local Cuisines While Slow Travel
Slow travel is the best way to taste the local food and getting to know the culture. Eating at local street markets, visiting farm-to-table restaurants, or joining family kitchens are amazing, mouth watering and definitely not expensive.
Spending time with locals you can find out the secret ingredients, the best cooking methods, and their cooking tradition. Sometimes family stories are shared too.
If you enjoy spicy food, than try Som Tam in a street stall in Thailand. In France, take your time and enjoy a multi-course meal. Eating fresh local cuisines with the authentic spices, herbs and prepared by traditional methods will helps you understand and experience from a different point of view. It also creates a strong bond with locals because you will have better understanding of their tradition. Very often these magical moments with the locals creates everlasting memories even after you enjoyed the meals.
Slow Travel to Volunteer
Slow traveling in different cities also creates the opportunity to volunteer. Making the experience in the different cities far greater than the usual 10 days tourist travel. Getting involved in community work, like teaching English, assisting in conservation, or working on local farms are great ways to volunteer. These activities give you a chance to contribute to the community. At the same time you learn about the challenges and successes in the local community.
Volunteering in Nepal or Kenya, promotes mutual respect and being mindful. Donating your time with volunteering projects can make a big difference to the local community. Creating new ideas and help the community to improve will have a long lasting positive effect.
What happens if you do nothing?
Travel adopts the aesthetics of tranquility. Rather than keeping ourselves busy during intervals in the day, we should take time and live in the moment. Living in the moment is taking a break from the usual routine.
Doing nothing or doing something relaxing is a great way to recharge yourself. Making time to disconnect from our busy lifestyles, helps us to enjoy the simple things in life. For example, sleeping until 10 am or going out for the day without a plan.
Enjoying the slow pace experience reduces stress and removes negativity. It also changes the way you think about travel and life. Very often we are so busy creating a to do list and miss out on the smaller things in life. Like watching the sunset at the beach or watching the birds in the woods.
So, what happens when you do nothing? You get to refresh your mind, body and soul. Enjoying the smell of freshly baked muffins or simply listening to your favourite song.
Slow Travel Transport
Travelling on foot or a cycling in cities gives a different experience. Riding horses through the cobblestone streets in an European village or cycling through a countryside view also gives a different experience. Using these transports is halve the speed of a car, bus or train. Leaving you to experience the hidden treasures, which could be a small cafe or an ancient monument.
Cycling gives freedom and flexibility in any city. Cycling in Amsterdam or in the Vietnamese countryside is very popular for ever day use. Cycling opens the beauty of the different landscapes and experience of the local culture.
Local Skills and Crafts
Slow travel is an unique experience to learn the skills practiced by locals. It is also a great way to understand the culture. For example, learning pottery in Japan, textile weaving in Peru, or practicing yoga in India. These are a few skills that can be learned while enjoying slow travel.
Engaging in local skills is another way of learning of the history and tradition of a country. It makes you feel complete and also a sense of belonging with locals.
Journaling Your Travels
Journaling your travel experience is a great way to express your emotion and keeping the memories alive. Writing about the people, the smell of busy market places or the serenity of the mountain scenes.
Written in a leather-bound journal or even with an online application, your words become your cherished possessions. As you read the journal time after time, you get to relive the moments. At the same time you also get to reflect how you as a person has changed and grown. Keeping a journal of your travel experience is a good habit.
Conclusion
Slow travel focuses on making deeper connections with the locals. Learning how to be mindful towards other cultures.
Experiencing everything first hand is a great experience which you can cherish forever. Even long after you have left. The different experiences can change your life in unexpected ways. So keep traveling you never know what your next trip will lead to.
