I recently was writing a freelance article all about slow travel in Italy. Beyond making me yearn for Chianti Classico and salivate at the thought of fresh pasta overlooking a vineyard in Tuscany, it also got me thinking and wishing I was back on another slow travel trip.
Slow travel can be defined in any way you would like it to be defined. I like to look at it as visiting a region for a period of time instead of several cities. This could be a two week trip in Tuscany instead of hopping around Italy for 2 weeks. It could be 2 months in Cambodia, spending a week at a time in each place. The point of slow travel is to immerse yourself in the culture and the every day life of the locals in ways that visiting a city for 3 days cannot do.
I decided to start a short series, the best parts of slow travel and the worst part of slow travel. Welcome to chapter 1, the first Yay to Slow Travel.
Slow Travel Pro #1 – Cultural Experiences.
My favorite part of slow travel is getting to know the people and the culture of wherever you are. Some of my most memorable experiences are getting asked by the locals to come join them for a family feast, or coming across a local dance where the community brings you and and teaches you the moves, or getting caught up with an Irishman at a bar and not understanding a single word he was saying.
No matter who it is, it is hard not to get excited about these opportunities. I think that no matter what kind of traveler you are, your most memorable experiences in your travels are ones that bring you into the culture of the place. At the end of the day, don’t we travel to escape reality?
Let yourself sink into the cultural experiences that will change your life forever. Yes, you can find these experiences by short vacations as well. But to understand fully all the ins and the outs of communities around the world, slow travel will give you a much deeper experience.
Can you tell me a time where you felt connected to the locals on your travels? A time where you felt like you were part of the community, wherever you were? Or perhaps a time that you thought, I wonder what the locals do when they get off work?
Slow travel will give you these experiences. Get from point A to point B slowly and enjoy every step of the way.
Some of my favorite slow travel cultural experiences can be found on my personal blog. Here are my top posts that you may like!