I’ve been in Taiwan for almost a year now and while I don’t think that you necessarily need to stay in a place for that long in order to get to know it well, staying at a place for a longer period of time, let’s say 3-6 months, definitely has its benefits.

What Is Slow Travel?

Slow travel is an intentional approach to travel that includes staying at a specific destination for a longer period of time. It prioritizes connection and experiences rather than seeing a place solely for the purpose of saying that you’ve been there.

Have you ever taken a trip with an itinerary so packed that ironically, you needed a mini staycation at home afterward just to unwind and relax? Yeah, well, slow travel suggests an alternative to that.

Slow travel literally means slowing down the pace at which you’re traveling. So for example, if you’re visiting a city that would normally take one day to explore, maybe you choose to stay there for an entire week instead. Or maybe a traditional two-week itinerary through Europe can be extended for six months.

I know that slow travel is often associated with additional monetary and time-related privileges, but we’ll address that in another blog post.

In today’s post, we’ll talk about 7 reasons why you should give slow travel a chance.

1. Connect More

Slow travel allows you to stay in a place for long enough to fully understand local culture, customs, and traditions. When you’re able to slow down and set a routine in your new location, you can prioritize living like a local and experience all the little things that come along with it.

2. Smaller Environmental Impact

Slow travel is a more sustainable way to travel. When you consciously choose to stay in one place for a longer period of time, you eliminate the emissions associated with jetting back and forth between places. Not to mention, if you’re in an area with multiple countries nearby, slow travel gives you the option to take slower (and more sustainable) forms of transportation (i.e. train or bus) instead of taking a traditional flight.

3. Smaller Social Impact

Tourism is great but sometimes it can be pretty detrimental for local communities. Whether it’s the slow degradation of local values and customs or inhabitants being priced out of their own cities, the influx of outside influence can potentially have a negative impact on local communities.

With slow travel, you get to know a place and the people that live there more intimately. The money that you bring in gives back to the local community (rather than the large, extractive businesses in the region), and the negative impact of your stay is decreased.

4. Relaxation

Slow travel gives you the chance to establish a routine and relax with the slower pace of life. Rather than rushing from one destination to another and then having to jet to another city immediately afterward, you can better space your adventures out. Furthermore, slow travel gives you the luxury of taking days off from exploring without the fear of missing out. When you’re only given a few days or weeks as with traditional travel, you feel like you need to cram everything in and take advantage of the time you’re there. With slow travel, you know that there’s time for you to explore all those destinations and to even take some rest days for yourself. 

5. Meet People And Actually Get To Know Them

One of the most challenging parts of traditional travel is that you meet people and within a few days, they’re gone. You rarely get the opportunity to develop long-lasting, deep connections. Alternatively, when you travel slowly, you can actually take the time to get to know someone and form life-long friends instead.

6. Save Money

Contrary to popular belief, slow travel can actually save you money. Slow travel gives you the opportunity to negotiate discounted prices for longer stays, save money by shopping and cooking like a local (rather than dining out all the time), and strategically plan your visits to attractions when prices are discounted.

7. Personal Growth 

Travel, in general, is great for personal growth but slow travel, in particular, gives you that time to process and reflect on your experience when you are still in it. You learn to really get to know yourself in the most spontaneous situations and how you can show up each day as a better version of yourself.

What are your thoughts on slow travel? Are you a fan of it or do you prefer traditional travel? Share your feelings in the comments down below!