What Is Slow Travel? A Beginner’s Guide to Traveling With Heart

In a world that often rushes us from one destination to the next, have you ever longed for a deeper, more meaningful journey? This beginner’s guide to “What is Slow Travel?” invites you to discover a transformative way of exploring the world. Learn how to travel with heart, fostering genuine connections, embracing local life, and allowing yourself to truly immerse in the magic of each place, one mindful moment at a time.

I didn’t always travel slowly.

Like many others, I once believed that a successful trip meant ticking off as many sights as possible in as little time as possible. I’d hop from temples to markets to museums, guided more by checklists than curiosity. It was exciting… but also exhausting. And somehow, I kept leaving places feeling like I had seen a lot, but hadn’t really felt much.

It wasn’t just one trip that changed everything — it was a slow unfolding, built from years of experience. It began during my time as a travel writer for a magazine in Central Java, where I learned to observe closely, wait for light to shift, and ask deeper questions. Later, as an art curator, I had to listen — really listen — to stories behind each painting, object, or artist’s journey. I began to see beauty in nuance, in quiet details, in the space between things.

Over time, this way of moving through the world seeped into how I traveled. I stopped rushing. I started arriving.

A Lesson in Slowing Down

My unforgettable experience was in Gir Pasang, an isolated village tucked near the slopes of Merapi, on the Klaten side of Central Java. The village has since become a more popular tourist spot, now accessible by a cable car and a suspension bridge. But back then, reaching the village meant descending deep into the valley and climbing back up through narrow paths. There were only a few homes — and they did everything themselves. Life was self-sustained and beautifully simple.

I went there expecting a short visit. But the moment held something magical. I decided to stay longer.

I ended up staying a week.

I slept with a family in a humble abode that had no rooms — just a large divan where everyone curled up together at night. There was no phone signal, and no electricity either — only a limited solar system donated by an NGO, not yet strong enough to power every home. So at night, our only entertainment was conversation. We’d sip local coffee, listen to the crickets, and stargaze under the ink-black sky. Everything felt meditative, almost sacred.

I found my favorite spot to watch the sky turn gold at sunset. I helped a family harvest cassava. I started saying “we” instead of “they” when I talked about the village.

That’s when I realized: this is what I had been missing all along.

So, What Is Slow Travel?

Slow travel isn’t about how many places you go — it’s about how deeply you connect with the places you choose. It’s the gentle art of being present, allowing a place to reveal itself gradually instead of trying to conquer it in a day.

It means:

• Staying longer in fewer places
• Balancing popular attractions with authentic local experiences
• Letting curiosity guide your steps, not a strict itinerary

It’s travel that honors both the destination and the traveler.

Why I Choose to Travel Slowly Now?

1. Deeper Connection

When you stay a little longer, the world softens. Strangers become neighbors. Rituals become familiar. You start noticing small, beautiful things: the way the street dog naps by the warung every afternoon, how the mountains glow blue at dusk, and how local people near Merapi mountain in Central Java, Indonesia, can read the subtle signs of the volcano—knowing when it coughs harmlessly or when it might erupt with deadly pyroclastic flows, interpreting the smoke’s shape, the tremors, and even animal behaviors.

2. Less Waste, More Meaning

By taking fewer flights and using local transport, I’ve found not just a lower carbon footprint — but a higher appreciation for the journey itself. Trains, bicycles, or even slow walks through dusty roads offer stories that airports never will. Of course, backpacking isn’t for everyone—many travelers prefer comfort and luxury, but even then, embracing a slower pace can enrich the experience.

3. Space to Grow

I remember when I was in the Netherlands, joining a local community effort to clear invasive plants called Japanese knotweed—a plant that saps underground water, choking native plants. Weeks later, delicate wildflowers like bluebells and wood anemones began to bloom in that same spot, quietly reclaiming their space.

Sitting on the grass afterward, sharing tea and cakes under a blue sky with people who didn’t all speak English, I felt a quiet connection through our shared care for nature. Watching those flowers bloom reminded me of my own growth—how, given space and care, beautiful things can emerge in unexpected places, sometimes even far from home.

How to Embrace Slow Travel (Even Just a Bit)

You don’t have to turn your life upside down. Slow travel can begin with simple choices:

• Consider staying in locally owned guesthouses or in hotels that offer eco-friendly accommodations and a close connection to nature.
• Spend three nights instead of one.
• Visit a small art space or local market, and take your time.
• Talk to people. Ask questions. Listen to their stories.
• Eat where the locals eat, even if the menu is handwritten on a napkin.
• Let go of the need to see everything — and trust that what you do see will be enough.

Where to Try Slow Travel First?

Some places seem to whisper, “Take your time.” These are a few I’ve personally fallen for:

• Ubud, Bali, Indonesia– Not just yoga and rice fields. Stay longer, and the creative pulse reveals itself through local art studios, quiet backstreets, and hidden waterfalls.
• Yogyakarta, Indonesia – Beyond Borobudur, there’s a rhythm of life tied to tradition, food, and artistic expression. It’s a place that rewards those who stay still long enough to feel it.
• Luang Prabang, Laos – I once lost track of time here, sipping coffee by the Mekong and learning to do nothing — beautifully.
• Chiang Mai, Thailand – A gentle gateway into slow exploration, filled with handicraft villages, peaceful temples, and night markets where time feels elastic.

Final Thoughts

The more I travel, the more I realize that the best memories aren’t always found in grand landmarks or “must-see” lists. They’re found in the pauses — in the quiet conversations, in the daily rituals, in the places that reveal themselves slowly.

Slow travel is not about missing out — it’s about choosing what to hold close.
And maybe, just maybe, it’s about being changed by a place, instead of just passing through it.

So if you’ve ever felt tired of rushing, or if you’ve ever wished a trip could mean more — try slowing down. You might just find that the world opens up in ways you never expected.