• HOME
  • ABOUT
  • WORK
  • COURSE
  • PODCAST
  • DESTINATIONS
  • Nav Social Icons

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • WORK
  • COURSE
  • PODCAST
  • DESTINATIONS
  • Mobile Menu Widgets

    Connect

    Search

Bucketlist Bri

Bucketlist Bri

Adventurous Slomad Travel

  • Start Here
  • Destinations
  • Digital Nomad
  • Responsible Travel
  • Slow Travel
  • Van Life

What Is Slow Travel & 7 Reasons Why You Should Do It

Last Updated: August 9, 2023 · Slow Travel

Slow travel is becoming a popular buzzword. But what does it really mean? For years, I have slowly traveled around the world and never labeled it as such, until I realized the importance of it.

By talking about slow travel and what that implies, hopefully, more people can become aware of its significance and how it can impact you as a traveler and responsible tourist, impact the diverse cultures you explore and also impact the environment around you.

Discover what it means to slow travel below!

Also Read — How We Became Full-Time Slowmads (& How You Can Too)

Table of Contents show
What Is Slow Travel?
7 Reasons Why You Should Become A Slow Traveler (& Why You’ll Love It)
1. Slow Travel Opens You Up…
2. It Brings More Meaning to Your Travels
3. Slow Travel Rejuvenates, Not Exhausts You
4. Your Sense of Awareness Spikes
5. Slow Travel Has a Lower Environmental Impact
6. You Get to Experience Raw Travel Moments
7. You’ll Leave a Traveler, Not a Tourist
The Importance of Slow Traveling

What Is Slow Travel?

digital nomad overlooking the city of Guanajuato in Mexico

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links that may earn me a small commission should you decide to click through and make a valid purchase (at no extra cost to you). Thanks so much for your support!

Slow travel, for me, combines aspects of sustainability, mindfulness, awareness, and responsible travel to foster deeper connections with a place and its people.

On the one hand, slow travel means connecting with a place on a deeper level.

By slow traveling, you can soak up rich and exciting cultures and take away a more comprehensive understanding of the people, places, and particulars of a way of life different than your own.

On the other hand, slow travel implies physically-slow travel.

Slowing down your pace to be present with where you are, instead of rushing around to see the top-recommended attractions and calling it a day. Slow travel in this regard can also imply slow traveling through a country for more periods of time than a 2-week vacation.

Not everyone has the opportunity to slow travel for a couple of months in one place, but that’s why slow travel doesn’t have a time limit, necessarily, either. You can slow travel even if your vacay is limited to a few days or one week.

Finally, slow travel usually implies a sense of responsible tourism coupled with sustainability.

Sometimes I call this slow travel, mindful travel, responsible travel, or sustainable travel. Not everyone will mush together these terms like this, but for me, they all touch upon similar aspects.

It means being more aware of your impact while you travel.

And I don’t just mean the carbon output difference of whether you hire a personal taxi or whether you take the bus or carpool.

I also mean how you interact with others, how you consume, and how ethical you choose to be along your travels (i.e. not paying to see captive wildlife, buying fairtrade and supporting local, etc.,).

7 Reasons Why You Should Become A Slow Traveler (& Why You’ll Love It)

So to break this down further, here are 7 reasons why you should slow travel!

Slow Travel Mexico Temazcal | Bucketlist Bri
Living in Mexico for a year opened us up to experience a Mexican Temazcal (steam bath) Ceremony.

1. Slow Travel Opens You Up…

…to new cultural experiences, to a deeper understanding of those experiences, and to learn more about yourself and others. Simply, you “broaden your horizons” — a term commonly used to say you’ve learned more about the world and your place in it!

Stretching your mind can be beneficial by adopting a more open mind. Even if that simply opens your heart to different ways of living, or opens your mind to worlds that are totally opposite to your own.

Slow travel is the best way to chip away at preconceived biases and judgments.

2. It Brings More Meaning to Your Travels

It’s those nitty-gritty moments during travel, the ones where you’re lost, pushed outside your comfort zone, or in a deep conversation with a stranger, that bring more sustenance and life-long lessons to your travels.

Connecting with a place and its people will ultimately be more rewarding than if you were to spend your travel days just chilling out poolside at your all-inclusive resort.

girl on gigantic troll hand at Hobbitenango eco-park near Antigua Guatemala
Slow traveling and living in Guatemala

3. Slow Travel Rejuvenates, Not Exhausts You

Feeling like you need a vacation from your vacation? Yeah, I’ve said that before too! Sometimes traveling can be exhausting. And I often notice that I’m more exhausted when I’m traveling in a hurry.

Slow travel can take that away by forcing you to slow down and travel in the present moment.

Often, when we’re practicing mindfulness — being present — we can notice more things around us, observe at a deeper level, and therefore not be pushed around by the constant rat race that seems to consume our society.

4. Your Sense of Awareness Spikes

With that said, slow travel increases your awareness.

Whether it’s awareness about yourself, your failures or successes, awareness about the state of the world, its interlinked processes in politics or environment, or awareness about a social issue or belief system that’s unfamiliar to you.

Slowing down and traveling with a purpose increases awareness. And awareness of something is hardly ever a bad thing.

Slow Travel Nepal | Bucketlist Bri
Slow traveling in Nepal for a year raised our awareness about many social issues while exposing us to diverse cultures and belief systems. Here’s Paul receiving festive Holi powder from a small child.

5. Slow Travel Has a Lower Environmental Impact

People who practice slow travel (responsible travel, mindful travel, etc.,) tend to be passionate about the environment and its well-being. It’s hard not to be!

Once you slow travel and open your eyes to the state of the world, it’s hard to deny that tourism can have negative impacts on people, wildlife, and the natural world.

For example, heavily-visited parks result in trampled soil and trails which results in a loss of biodiversity and local fauna and flora. By slow traveling, you can mitigate, where possible, your impact.

Being a more mindful traveler might mean you don’t buy single-use plastic when traveling if you can avoid it, you carry your own bags when you go shopping, you purchase from ethical suppliers, you book eco-friendly tours, and avoid seeing performances of wildlife in captivity, or perhaps you take the bus instead of hiring a private taxi.

Your action can be big or small, it just matters that you give it your best effort.

Also Read: 25 Eco-Friendly Travel Tips for The Sustainable Traveler

6. You Get to Experience Raw Travel Moments

Slow travel truly opens up new doors to those funny, memorable, crazy moments that happen during travel.

Not to say you can’t have these moments at any given time during any type of travel.

But typically, slow travel does increase your chances of meeting someone inspiring, listening to insane adventure stories, or embarking on that spontaneous mini-trip with a new group of friends just because you can and you feel open to that.

Slow travel invites opportunity.

Those moments are the travel moments to seek. Otherwise, the travel quote “It’s about the journey, not the destination” wouldn’t be such a hit!

7. You’ll Leave a Traveler, Not a Tourist

Tourists often get a bad rap.

Sadly, tourists are often negatively perceived because they come in hoards with a “me mentality” often leaving a place worse than when they found it.

Most tourists rarely attempt to connect to the locals, they might promote—not diminish—stereotypes, and they just might not truly grasp the place they’re in.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t try to do tourist things like check off that bucket list you made.

Remember though that slow travel exists beyond just seeing the top attractions; it exists in those travel moments in between that can make the difference.

Also, if you’re at a top attraction, you can be a responsible tourist and lead by example by following the local rules and laws.

This might include not trespassing behind a rope when a trail section is closed off, and not stepping off-trail to get the Instagram shot in the delicate flower field… You get my drift!

Slow Travel Netherlands | Bucketlist Bri
Living for 6 months in The Netherlands connected us to local farmers and also enabled us to ride our bikes everywhere – both eco-friendly lifestyle choices.

The Importance of Slow Traveling

Traveling slowly combines aspects of sustainability, mindfulness, awareness, and responsible travel to foster deeper connections with a place and its people.

And in an ever-changing world, it’s important to be open and adopt more ethical and sustainable practices in every aspect of our lives. Especially when it comes to traveling!

That’s why adopting slow travel, responsible travel, mindful travel — whatever you want to call it — is so important.

It bridges connections between people and destinations while educating and raising awareness about ethical tourism in order to protect and preserve cultures, languages, wildlife, and the natural environment that we all share.

So, will you incorporate these aspects of slow travel on your next trip? What about this way of travel do you find appealing?

Drop your thoughts and comments with me below or reach out by email if you want to chat more. Thanks for reading!

xx Bri

Share this article with a friend!

Slow Travel: What Is It and 7 Reasons Why You Should Practice It | Bucketlist Bri www.bucketlistbri.com #slowtravel #responsibletravel #travel #sustainabletravel
Slow Travel: What Is It and 7 Reasons Why You Should Practice It | Bucketlist Bri www.bucketlistbri.com #slowtravel #responsibletravel #travel #sustainabletravel
Slow Travel: What Is It and 7 Reasons Why You Should Practice It | Bucketlist Bri www.bucketlistbri.com #slowtravel #responsibletravel #travel #sustainabletravel
  • Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
  • Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
  • Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
  • Share via EmailShare via Email

By: Bri · In: Slow Travel

you’ll also love

hidden beach riviera nayarit9 Ways to Be a Sustainable Traveler for a Greener Future
Reading in my ecological treehouse @ Aldea Bamboo in San Pancho Mexico | Bucketlist Bri25 Eco-Friendly Travel Tips for the Eco-Conscious Traveler
woman hiking and traveling with her cat wearing a harness and leashHow We Travel Full-Time With Our Cat

Join the List

Stay up to date with the latest adventures and travel guides.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. GC says

    July 22, 2023 at 7:22 am

    Love this! We did a year of slow travel last year and looking at getting a boat to slow travel around the islands this year. It’s the best way to really get to know a place.

    Reply
    • Bri says

      August 1, 2023 at 2:34 pm

      Aww, love that! I totally agree!

      Reply
  2. Denise says

    March 27, 2022 at 11:02 am

    I’ve been naturally changing my travel style to slow travel and I can relate to what you describe here. Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply
  3. World of Lina says

    December 1, 2019 at 11:47 pm

    This is super interesting! I’m usually a person who wants to see everything possible in a short time. I should definitely start to travel slower ☺️

    Reply
    • Bri says

      February 5, 2020 at 8:12 am

      I can be the same ya know! But even on a shorter trip, adopting the ‘slow travel’ mindset can really change the way you experience a vacation.

      Reply
  4. Taylor Deer says

    November 28, 2019 at 7:03 am

    This is definitely a goal of mine this upcoming year! Great article Bri!

    Reply
    • Bri says

      November 28, 2019 at 2:50 pm

      Glad to hear it! Thanks, Taylor!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Next Post >

Visiting Calakmul Mayan Ruins: A Journey Into the Jungle

Primary Sidebar

hello!

I’m Bri, an adventurous digital nomad living abroad full-time since 2015. It is my hope to inspire you to live a life of adventure, seek out meaningful experiences, and travel slowly and mindfully!

About Me

Connect

join the list

Featured Posts

Yellow residence in Aix-en-Provence, France

30 Epic Things to Do in Aix-en-Provence, France

Blokarts, landsailing on Bonaire at sunset

Everything You Need to Know About Landsailing on Bonaire

colorful street and hotels in san cristóbal de las casas (chiapas, mexico)

10 Amazing Hotels in San Cristóbal de Las Casas

QUICK LINKS

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • WORK
  • COURSE
  • PODCAST
  • DESTINATIONS

Search

Let’s Connect!

@bucketlistbri

Traveling solo in Nepal has awakened in me a confi Traveling solo in Nepal has awakened in me a confidence & sense of self (at the risk of sounding cliché), of “my essence” and inner Knowing, and where my compassion and passions mingle and thrive. I was reading some of your comments on my recent Reel about solo travel and how I put myself at great risk/in danger. But as I was telling my Tibetan friend, Sonam, tonight (yes, the new one I made last week!), I inform my decisions mostly by 1. Asking myself, “Would this make a good story?” and 2. Listening to my body and emotions. Yes, it’s risky to travel solo, to be a female in a male-dominated culture, to go out after hours with people you just met, etc. But doing that — and all the magic that followed by “allowing” — reminded me exactly of who I am at my core: Curious and open to the world, willing to get uncomfortable for the sake of finding magic and serendipity. Some of you said, “I’m too scared to do this, how do you overcome that fear of personal safety?” And to this I say, I don’t! Fear accompanies me along the journey. Living life is one big risk. It’s uncomfortable to be open, vulnerable, and unsure. But once you accept that and once you begin to let compassion and curiosity guide you rather than your fear, the real magic starts to happen in all areas of life, not just travel. I find these moments most in travel though, when I’m confronted with contrast and am left vulnerable to the world and the kindness of my fellow humans. My Reels are not meant to romanticize or gloss over very real risks/threats in life, but rather to share a real account of what’s possible (adventure, connections, love, etc) when you worry less about societal norms and what’s “safe not safe” “right not right” and allow your over-active fears to take a backseat. 
This is your reminder to trust your inner compass to guide you in writing your epic life story. ✨✨

To sum it up: 

1. Choose a life of adventure 
2. Stay curious
3. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable (otherwise said, seek discomfort)
4. Let love and light flow in and out 
5. Change is the only constant 

#solotravel #nepaltravel #solofemaletraveler #soloadventure #localtravel #trekkingnepal #adventurethatislife
The strength of women 💛 These ladies were lau The strength of women 💛 

These ladies were laughing so sweetly while filling up their water jugs at the Manga Hiti fountain in Patan. I watched them for a while and then plucked up the courage to ask if I could take their photos, which only made them giggle more. 

I've always felt that not being able to communicate in the same language makes for even more interesting encounters. Without words, we have to touch each other's humanity with eyes and gestures, and most of the time it leads to unspoken mutual understanding, acceptance, and love. We three walked away with the biggest smiles on our faces. I yelled out "Dhayabad!" (Thank you!) as they hoisted their jugs up the stairs, laughing all the way. I won't forget this shared moment between us 🙏 

Check stories for the landscape orientation for some of these photos ✨ 

#nepal #nepalnow #nepalphotography #nepaliculture #nepalisbeautiful #natgeoyourshot #patan #kathmanduvalley #lifetimeexperiences #photonepal #nepaltravel
Did you feel it? Nepal’s ancient wisdom, its swi Did you feel it? Nepal’s ancient wisdom, its swirling spirituality, its raw humanity? ✨🇳🇵❤️

#nepal #visitnepal #nepalnow #travelstories #localtravel #mindfultravel #slowtravel #natgeotravel
When you say “yes” as a solo traveler and stay When you say “yes” as a solo traveler and stay open to the randomness of life and the kindness of strangers, really wonderful memories can be made. Thank you Lama family and my new Tibetan friends for such a fun and insightful sequence of experiences 🙏 💛

#solotravel #localtravel #nepaltravel #nepaldiaries #nepali #solofemaletravel #kathmandunepal #thamel #tibetanfood #solotraveldiaries
My first week back in the chaos of Kathmandu, 💛 My first week back in the chaos of Kathmandu, 💛 

Being back after 7 long years away has jolted my body, brain, and spirit. At first, I felt overwhelmed with the recurring thought of, "I don't know what to do with myself." It was only when acceptance knocked on my door, and I finally decided to let it in, that things began to shift and flow.
 
In Nepal, particularly Kathmandu, everything around me swarms like a hive. I have nowhere else to go but inside myself. I've discovered through years of slow traveling (and solo travel) that peace awaits me there -- a sense of independence, power, and knowing that is still, comforting, and safe. And I can tap into it whenever I need to.

Chaos and peace reside in all of us, and Nepal has a cosmic, ancient way of reminding you of just that. 

📍 Patan Durbar Square, Lalitpur

#nepaltravel #patan #durbarsquare #nepalphotography #slowtravel #nepal #solotravel #lalitpur
They ask, “Why?” I was 29 when I embarked on They ask, “Why?” 

I was 29 when I embarked on the plane on the 21st, and 30 when I disembarked on the 23rd. How fitting. I spent all of my 20s abroad (except for my two final semesters in undergrad), and moved to Nepal when I was 21. 

What better way to say goodbye to my twenties than by returning to the start? I felt the desperate urge to start my 30s this way—alone on a one-way ticket with no concrete plans. I have both feared and longed to come back all these years. You see, I had made a promise to one of my closest Nepali friends that I’d see her again, but the reality is that I no longer can. 

She, along with another dear friend, passed away from cancer a couple of years back. The thought of returning to my old life here without my friends made me, well, incredibly sad. I had thought that, upon landing in Kathmandu—or taking a bite of my first momo—after so long, I’d find myself bursting into tears of both grief and gratitude. But I didn’t. Instead, I found familiarity in the chaos and chaos in the strangeness. 

Just being here—and the decisions and actions it took to get here—has reminded me of the preciousness of this one very short life. And that, by choosing to celebrate mine—at the exciting turn of a decade no less—by coming back to Nepal on a solo trip that would force me into daring discomfort when I could instead retreat to the comforts of family or my partner, is how I want to live it.

Truth is, a couple of months ago the thought of Nepal felt out of reach. It felt risky, unattainable. But the idea itself pushed open, just a crack at first, a door that had been otherwise closed. I could have more easily ignored my “what if?” daydreams—calling them off as too hard, too uncomfortable, or too far-fetched to actually pursue—and kept it shut.
But sometime in mid-July, I decided to look at flights. And I found one (truly, just one) option that could work. And it just so happened that it would fall on my birthday, or rather bridge my birthday. The idea of getting on a plane at 29 and getting off it at 30—back in Nepal—sold me. I fell in love with the story, the adventure, the unknowingness of it all. 

So, yeah. That’s why. Or as I prefer, “Why not?”
Follow My Adventures

Footer

On the Blog

  • Start Here
  • Destinations
  • Digital Nomad
  • Responsible Travel
  • Slow Travel
  • Van Life

Info

  • Work With Me
  • My Blog Course
  • Slomad Stories Podcast
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

adventures await x

Copyright © 2023 · Bucketlist Bri | All Rights Reserved

336 shares