My idea of slow travel

Waking up naturally, taking in the local atmosphere and creating my own memories are more important to me than visiting every must-see spot.

My idea of slow travel began last year, where I decided that I wanted to travel lesser-known places for authenticity, culture and learning something new. I even wrote a post about it, sharing some places towards culture offering. Little we did know that Covid-19 will hit the world and the whole travel industry changes by night. All our plans got cancelled, and we changed our view and attitude towards travelling (at least I hope we all do). I have also shared my view and thoughts on post-Covid-19 travelling a while back, and just recently completed my first abroad travel after lockdown. Not to mention, that Covid-19 is actually not at all over, and won't be any time soon.

I was lucky enough to go travelling to Philippines and Israel just before the whole lockdown happened. However, after months being at home I had an itch to go exploring, seeing something new and take pictures of everything around me. I have been lucky to be able to walk the central London on foot, experiencing the empty busy metropolitan city. I have been lucky to be able to work from home and not losing my job. I have been lucky to be able to go back home in Czech republic to see my family and spend quality time with them. 

All of it contributes to slow living. 

All of it contributes to exquisite beauty in life's fragile fleeting moments. 

"Slow travel is an approach to travel that emphasizes connection: to local people, cultures, food and music. It relies on the idea that a trip is meant to educate and have an emotional impact, in the present moment and for the future, while remaining sustainable for local communities and the environment." - Remote Year

Travelling slow doesn't mean necessarily boring, it is just about tailoring the activities to your leisure and mind. For some it can be joining yoga or mindfulness retreat, taking a hike, finding small villages tucked away from the urban cities, volunteering, sailing or whatever it can be for you, let's take it slow this year. Not only with what is happening globally, but also for the environment and for yourself. Here are some benefits of slow travel that you should consider:

Cultural experience

Return to the way how people travelled in the past, and give yourself a chance to lose yourself in a new place without the need to see all the must-see tourist spots. Make new friends, understand their way of living, enhance yourself with something new. It is an opportunity for development, growth and education. Avoid the "tourist burnout" from exhausting travelling from a place to place in a short amount of time. Travelling is the only thing that makes people rich, not the number of places and monuments they saw. 

Save money

You can definitely save some money for travelling slow. You don't need to pay all the tours to take you to all the places. You are taking your time and your way to explore the place. Either on your own, by local guides or making new connections. It is known that local places and stuff are much cheaper than those that are purely built to target tourists. Try to live like a local, ask around for best places to eat, have a drink, shop or just hang out. 

Be ready to grow

 

Have I already mention that travelling is the only non-physical item that makes people richer? Be ready to go beyond the self, explore your abilities and go out of your comfort zones. Create emotional connections, don't be afraid to make new rapports, learn from what life gives you and you'll be surprised by the thing you never knew you could do or face.