What is Slow Travel? — Traverse Journeys

Do you find it overwhelming and exhausting when you travel with a sightseeing bucket list? Instead of being present and enjoying the moment, jam-packed trips can cause us to overplan and rush towards what is next. For many, part of the reason to go on vacation is to destress and relax, so how come so many people end up coming back more tired than ever? Travelling to all the main tourist locations may be part of the experience when visiting a new location, however, have you ever wondered what is really the best way to truly enjoy a country’s culture? Well, the answer is to slow travel.

Slow Travel Trend

Slow Travel came to life as an off-shoot of the Slow Food Movement which was founded back in the 1980’s in Italy, which in turn was when McDonalds tried to open up a couple of locations in Rome. The Slow Movement looks to address how “time poverty” has governed our society, which goes in hand with the “quantity over quality” concept. To fight our rapid consumer society, which has negatively affected and neglected many cultural traditions worldwide, implementing a “slow” mindset will help individuals become more immersed in the present, and help prevents an encroaching sense of anxiety or stress.

Over time, the movement has spread to different industries that are looking to provide individuals with better connections to places, their people, food, culture, and traditions. It is easy to say that this movement models off the Italian way of doing things, referred in the book (and follow-up movie) “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert as “La Dolce Far Niente”, which translates to “the sweetness of doing nothing”.

In the slow travel philosophy, it is more important to truly immerse oneself into a particular region than it is to explore a little bit of many different regions. It is ascribing to a mindset that travel is far more meaningful and memorable when exploring remote towns and off-the-beathen path sites, perhaps renting a cozy cottage, moving around by bike, and no matter what - engaging with locals all along the way. Following this mindset will provide more unique and genuine experiences of the culture.

Maito Meal by Edison Tanquino in Ecuador

Slow traveling is not:

There are a couple of wrong misconceptions that people have about traveling slow, especially because this movement is also a bit of a backlash against travel trends like bucket list sightseeing, Instagram travel, and the general priority of seeing/doing as many places/activities in one trip as possible.

1. Expensive

Due to the fact that sustainable practices are often mistakenly associated with wealth, many people think that travelling slow will break the bank. In fact, seeking homestay options, local Airbnbs or guesthouses with a shared kitchen can be the perfect way to stay on a budget. As most accommodations like these come with a kitchen, cooking homemade meals with local ingredients is a great excuse to visit local markets, try cooking a traditional meal and therefore avoid eating out every day.

2. Restrictive and boring

Slow travel does not refer to travel being physically slow and boring, it refers to the inner and conscious attitude towards how and what to spend on while traveling. As well, when you immerse yourself in a particular location, many new activities and nearby gems will become apparent - places that you likely wouldn’t have found out about through typical interenet research!

3. Only for older travelers

Even though a slower pace adventure can be easily targeted to older travelers (which goes in hand with the previous misconception), it can also be a great way for people of all ages to explore. Slow travel is about mindfulness and truly connecting with your surroundings when traveling, which is something everyone, no matter the age, can do… and enjoy!

4. More time consuming

Many think that slow travel refers to traveling for a longer period, which could also explain why many believe traveling slowly is more expensive, however, it doesn’t necessarily have to be an extended long vacation. From a weekend getaway to a month-long holiday in some of the best slow travel locations, what matters is the immersion and full presence of the experience, no matter how long the adventure lasts.

5. Anti-technology

Although it is not a surprise that technology tends to distract us from staying present and mindful, it is not a synonym for slow travel. Slow traveling does not come with rules, it is just a mindset that can be followed as pleased. As well, slow travel is increasingly going hand-in-hand with remote working and the digital nomad lifestyle, so the two can be a great fit!

Slow Travel Benefits

Setting aside all the misconceptions of what slow travel is not, here are some of the benefits that slow travel has, both for the traveler and the environment and communities at each destination:

1. More Eco-friendly:

Have you ever stopped and thought about the environmental cost it takes to travel? Yet air travel does not have to be the enemy, if the choices we make once we arrive are mindful and create positive impacts. Small changes, such as renting bikes or walking around, are great alternatives to reduce the carbon footprint impact you make. Plus, slow travel gives you time to engage with local conservation efforts, avoid tourism leakage, and benefit the destination in myriad more ways.

2. Less Stressful:

What is with the increasing desire to travel until burnout? What is the point of pushing ourselves to exhaustion for having that sense of accomplishment while traveling? As traveling slows down, so do we, which is essential to reduce the sense of overwhelming anxiety and stress when what we really want is to enjoy our vacation.

3. Culturally Immersive:

Seeing how locals behave and live their lives is a great way to learn how to adapt to a new culture. Stepping outside of your comfort zone will help you grow and learn more about yourself, along with meeting new people, discover local foods and hangouts, gain insight into the culture, and even learn a new language.

Slow Travel Tips

If this is your first time learning about Slow Travel and you are inspired to turn your getaway dreams into a reality, here are some tips to follow:

Listen to yourself - There are so many destinations to travel to, however, be honest with yourself. What are you really excited to explore? Do things that make you happy and go along with your passions. That is the magic of slow travel, it is is fully customizable and can be self-guided.
Do some research - Being more knowledgeable about the destination will make it easier for you to avoid any culture shock while traveling. Considering reading or watching blogs, books, and movies set in the destinations you are craving to travel to and get inspired by potential activities.
Avoid traveling in high-season - There is a completely different vibe when traveling during the off-season. With the streets being less crowded, the locals are calmer too. Being able to admire any destination turns less of a hassle, which is something we all wish for when traveling.
Walk around - Once you reach your destination, don’t be afraid to wander around by foot. We all know that the best way to discover a city, not only will you become extra aware of your surroundings but you will sense a city’s true essence.
Ask locals - Locals are the try experts of where to find the best places to eat, wander and explore. They tend to have the best insights you won’t be able to find on the internet. Be curious and ask around once you reach your destination, you won’t regret it.

What slow travel has showed us is that less is more – for our mental and physical health, for locals, and finally, for the planet. Surrender to what the world has planned for you, be spontaneous about what each destination has to offer, and avoid having a list of things to do, for once. Get inspired with some of the best slow travel destinations, and get your adventure going!