Ever felt so rushed that you wished you could travel slowly?
Most of us say we need a vacation to recover from our holiday because we seem to hurl ourselves headfirst from the moment we go.
I have had many experiences completing project deadlines until the eleventh hour, rushing home, and staying up the rest of the night to pack.
Then I had to rush to the airport for an early morning flight – to collapse exhausted at the start of a holiday.
Not so smart, Dory.
How can you travel slowly when everything is in a mad rush?
Here are 10 Practical Tips for Traveling Slowly. I hope they work for you, too, fellow travelers.
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Plan Not To Plan To Travel Slowly
I’m really good at this. I like to let someone else plan, and I go along for the ride.
No matter how long you have to arrange your trip—two weeks or two months— it is simple to let it control your life.
My friend spent hours on a map preparing our precise route.
From getting the best accommodations to things, we would see and eat meals.
Come to think of it, all my best and most memorable trips are those that happen out of the blue.
On one trip to Langkawi, we met a Dato who took us to visit some of the architectural wonders he designed.
As we were so engrossed, we missed our flight.
But the best part happened after that – Dato hosted us at his resort!
It’s hilarious when I think about it now.
Sometimes it wastes time to plan anything!
When you travel slowly, you let the universe guide or lead you where it wants to go.
We slowly travel and leave the moment-by-moment plan far behind.
So for your next vacation, sketch down the broad strokes of your itinerary and let the details emerge as you go.
Don’t Fly
You might need to fly to reach the country or region you wish to visit (but don’t if you don’t have to!).
Use only ground transportation when you get there, preferably buses and trains.
Ground transportation is not only more efficient and better for the environment.
You get to make last-minute changes to your itinerary much simpler.
Typically, reserving a bus or train ticket in advance is optional, and ground transportation allows you to view the location you’ve traveled so far to.
You’ll see so much more if you avoid flying and travel by bus, train, or bike!
Rent a Room in an Apartment
Consider renting a room in an Airbnb property if you want to experience first-hand part of local life.
Get a room in someone else’s house rather than renting an entire apartment.
If you locate a good one, you’ll have the opportunity to converse with your host, share a meal, and gain insight into their way of life.
Try Housesitting
The ideal approach to “try on” someone else’s life is through housesitting.
One of my friends is a translator and a professional house sitter.
He has friends who are teaching professors in universities, and when they are on sabbatical overseas, he will head over to house-sit for them.
Housesitting is fantastic since it provides free lodging (woohoo!) and, with any luck, a cuddly pet to keep you company.
Plus, as he is a handyman, an animal lover, and an avid gardener, his services are well sought.
We recommend TrustedHousesitters to find your next housesitting gig.
You could get a cuddly pet to keep you company if you stay at someone’s house.
Housesitting is fun!
Make Time to Do Nothing
While doing nothing may seem like bliss to some of us, for others, it could be their worst nightmare to sit still and do nothing.
If you fall into the second group, I advise intentionally scheduling a “nothing” time into your trip itinerary.
Don’t worry about becoming bored, though.
We’ve discovered that the shortest path to adventure is to do nothing in an unfamiliar environment.
Learn a Few Words in the Local Language
You can study a few words of the local language as you’ll travel slowly.
Say “hi” and “thank you” first.
After that, work your way up to questions like “How are you?” and “What’s your name?”
Even if that is all you can say, it will be worth seeing the looks of joy on the locals’ faces when you speak to them in their language.
Get Lost
Continue to wander.
I’ve done this before in Hoi An—it was the only guideline we had for slow travel without an itinerary.
We chucked our map of the city and just wandered where we felt like going.
Your scheduled “do nothing” time is the ideal opportunity to daydream.
Keep an open mind and pay attention to the people, structures, and life around you.
When you’ve had enough wandering for the day, take out your smartphone and use your favorite map app to find your way back to your hotel.
Take a Tour
One of the best ways to travel is to join a day tour!
We went on a day trip to Chiangmai and met some interesting people there, too.
We used to believe that tours were only for fast or inexperienced travelers who needed help figuring out where to go or what to do.
Now, we have learned to appreciate the function of that appropriate tour as a backstage pass to a coveted destination!
A skilled tour guide may unlock doors that are often closed to tourists.
While you should avoid extensive group trips that transport you from one shopping location to another – look for small, personalized day tours.
These excursions can access certain parts of your destination that you would never experience.
Taking a tour can be a great way of meeting locals!
Try a Cycle Tour
While cycle touring is not for everyone, it is something you can try if you’ve ever enjoyed riding a bike.
We advise signing up for a brief multi-day tour if this is your first time traveling by bike.
You will have all the equipment and a guide to show you the ropes.
It won’t take long to experience the fantastic delight of cycling.
However, if you don’t know how to cycle, you can hop on a motorcycle tour in places like Vietnam.
Renting a bicycle is a fun way to see the inner city.
Book a Retreat to Travel Slowly
A retreat is an excellent choice to transform your slow travels.
You may escape for the whole vacation or just a few days if it’s longer.
Yoga is often a part of retreats.
Others give you cooking or nutrition lessons, while others give you lots of massages and concentrate on your emotional health.
Whatever the format, a retreat will provide you with the necessary time to unwind, remove the stresses of daily life, and recollect who you are and what brings you joy.
On Klook, you’ll discover a fantastic range of retreats.
Learn To Make Slow Food
Go slow.
Learn to cook and make food from scratch.
Food carefully prepared using traditional cooking methods and organic ingredients is best eaten and enjoyed slowly for maximum benefit.
As you self-drive coastal villages or amble medieval towns, take your time to dine.
You can enjoy gourmet dinners, wine tastings, and cellar tours in centuries-old hilltop estates.
We hope you catch the travel slowly and inch along at a snail’s pace.
Learn to dawdle, dally, creep, crawl, and linger.
Final Word On Travel Slowly
Although finding the time to travel might be challenging, you managed to make it happen in a flurry of activities. Success!
But once it’s over, you can’t help but feel that you didn’t get as much out of it as you had hoped.
Can’t remember where you went or what you did?
Maybe it is time to enjoy the best slow-travel journeys by taking a slow-motion trip that strays off the beaten track.
Are you ready to try to travel slowly now?
Can you let go of your itinerary, day-by-day plans, and to-do list and allow yourself to blend in with the locals?
Where are you going to slow travel next?
