This blog Street By Mars is a mix of street photography and slow travel. I’ve written about the wonders of street photography in a few articles already. Now for a bit of slow travel and what that means to me. In particular, in this article I’ll explore what slow travel is and what the many benefits of it are. And I’ll end with a few tips on integrating it into your lifestyle.
What is slow travel?
Slow travel is part of the slow movement, which traces its roots back to a local protest against the opening of a Mcdonald’s restaurant by the Spanish steps in Rome in 1986. Instead of fast food, this group of activists championed locally produced foods and the importance of preserving traditional recipes and culinary knowhow. This gave rise to the concept of slow food.
Slow travel emerged naturally from this as an alternative to the pre-planned, packaged holidays where every minute is filled with sightseeing, recuperating at resorts and coach journeys that began to proliferate from the mid-20th century onwards.
As such, it’s a style of sustainable travel promoting the idea of lingering longer in a particular place and experiencing it from a local perspective. This entails learning about it deeply and opting for simple, everyday experiences that also benefits the local economy and businesses.
However, like street photography, slow travel is a slightly nebulous term with no clear definition or fixed rules attached to it. Rather it’s more of a mindset and a way of doing travel that is healthier for the environment and those who practise it.
For example, the slow traveller typically plans everything independently and focuses on specific regions and places, rather than rushing through an entire country in a short time period. They also tend to use local everyday transport and walk a lot, often in untouristy neighbourhoods, as well as dining in local independent eateries and staying in homestays or guesthouses.
They may also seek out local insight to their destination, getting their information and advice predominantly from local sources rather than Western guidebooks and travel sites.
7 benefits of slow travel
- Deeper knowledge
When you travel slowly you learn a great deal more about your destination. If you adopt the slow travel mindset you’ll seek to mingle with the locals and read books and watch films about the place you’re visiting. In short, you’ll strive to get under the skin of it, understand its cultural undercurrents and what makes it tick.
If you have longer, you may even seek to learn the local language/s, as I did while in Azerbaijan. For several years I took Azerbaijani lessons, and like solving a Magic Eye puzzle this gave me a much better picture of what was going on.
- Closer connection
Through this greater knowledge gained and forming relationships with local people, you’ll develop a strong connection to the place. You’ll feel part of it rather than simply observing it through a screen. You’ll see it from a different, more intimate angle and remain interested, perhaps even concerned, about what happens there even after you’ve left. You may even decide to revisit, perhaps repeatedly, each time adding new knowledge, contacts and deeper levels of connection.
As I sit here typing this article in an English cafe, I still feel connected to Azerbaijan. I think and write about it often and keep up to date with local current affairs. It feels part of me, not least because I now have family there.
- Support local businesses
Slow travellers opt for using local businesses rather than large international companies and chains. So that means that rather than sipping away on a large whipped cream-covered caramel latte in Starbucks in Paris, you’re better off watching the world go by from a historic cafe in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighbourhood.
Slow travel also envisions shopping in local independent stores and neighbourhood markets and staying in Airbnbs and guesthouses instead of large international hotels. Plus, you can opt for tours offered by local companies and led by local guides. That makes me think of the brilliant architectural walking tours available in Baku, devised and delivered by energetic and enterprising locals fascinated by their hometown’s history and buildings and eager to make it more globally known.
Anyway, as you can see, the idea is very much to do your research and go local.
- Environmentally friendlier
As mentioned above, the slow traveller typically gets from A to B on local buses, trams, trains and the like. They tend to avoid flying as much as possible, and to walk A LOT when in urban areas. All of this reduces your carbon footprint.
At the same time, the slow traveller also seeks to avoid over-touristy areas, particularly where constant crowds coming to photograph a particularly Instagrammable natural wonder in destinations such as Iceland is having a negative impact on the environment. On the other hand, tourism, when properly managed, is also an important means of preserving such fragile places.
Lastly, slow travel encourages you to reconnect with and appreciate nature through engaging in ecotourism activities such as hiking and cycling.
- More affordable
Travel doesn’t need to be expensive and it won’t be when done slowly and on a local level. Always using local transport, focusing on ordinary, everyday experiences and staying in small hotels, guesthouses and Airbnbs will dramatically reduce your costs. This is especially true if you live in a comparatively wealthy country where prices are high but salaries are too. Suddenly a slow life abroad will seem quite affordable. You can even find free accommodation if you volunteer or ‘work for board’, which entails doing a bit of work in exchange for a free bed.
In certain cultures where hospitality is a cherished tradition you may even encounter hospitable locals willing to host you on your way. This happened to me quite often in Azerbaijan, particularly in off-the-beaten track rural areas.
- Healthier
Personally I have found few better ways of boosting my mental and physical health than heading off to explore a new place that I’m interested in. Firstly because of the mental stimulation involved in finding something that fascinates you, digging deeper into and discovering lots of new avenues that broaden your understanding of the world.
But also because I tend to walk for hours on end, sometimes for an entire day even, covering up to 30km. And, besides being an obviously good form of cardiovascular exercise, walking, when you set your mind free of niggling thoughts and sink into the sights and atmosphere surrounding you, is an excellent form of meditation or mindfulness.
In addition, planning everything yourself and getting by in foreign cultures, living on your whits, is great for boosting self-sufficiency and confidence.
- More unique experiences
All of the above ultimately leads to having more unique and immersive experiences in the place you choose to explore slowly. In reality, while there are many major tourist attractions that are genuinely worth making every effort to see, such as the Grand Canyon in the USA and the Taj Mahal in India, there are also many that you can see and admire at home on a laptop.
What counts much more, for me at least, is the feeling of a place, the encounters with its people, bus rides through beautiful landscapes, and everyday places that leave a lasting impression. Living for a while like a local in a completely different part of the world is pure escapism.
Slow travel tips
In my view there are two ways of doing slow travel. The first is to take the name literally and devote a huge amount of time to it. In my case I was away for eight years in Azerbaijan and simply wove travel into my lifestyle alongside working a full-time job. And as the job was part of the overall experience, travel and work became inseparable.
A much more extreme example is US journalist Paul Salopek’s 10-year Out of Eden Walk, following the path ancient humans took out of Africa. And just recently I read High Caucasus, a brilliant book by the British journalist Tom Parfitt recounting his months-long trek across the Greater Caucasus Mountains, uncovering its brutal but compelling history, from major wars to little villages.
But the other way of doing slow travel is not time dependent and simply requires adopting the slow travel mindset. So, even if just for a day or weekend trip, you too can easily do it. And here are five tips to help you incorporate some slow travel into your lifestyle:
Do your research – Before you plan a trip, read about your destination from various perspectives and watch YouTube videos, documentaries or films to get a good grasp of its history, culture and current trends. Look intently at a map and get a feel for the lie of the land. Browse blogs written by locals to get their take on what’s worth seeing and doing. All this will help you make the most of your adventures.
Travel light – Travel with a smallish rucksack so you can walk freely for long periods of time without being hindered. Only take what you absolutely need and remember that you can always buy things at your destination if it’s essential. Nowadays so much can be achieved through a single smartphone, from reading books to arranging transport and overnight stays. And if you’re a photographer, take a small, mirrorless or compact camera with a single lens.
Be flexible – The slow travel way focuses more on getting a feel for a place rather than ticking off a bucket list of sights and things to do. Planning is great and very necessary because you need to understand what you’re venturing into. But equally stay open to spontaneous experiences and plotting your next move as you go. This keeps travel constantly exciting with all its possibilities.
Stay curious – Armed with your pre-trip research you’ll be well-prepared to go. But always be interested and excited to learn much more while you’re there. Because, on location is where the real learning, sensing and experiencing happens. Seek out opportunities to engage in conversation and always ask lots of questions about local life. I’ve found that people are generally happy to help outsiders and proud to show off their hometown.
Wear comfortable shoes – For me slow travel is synonymous with walking and therefore among the most important pieces of equipment is your shoes. Proper hiking style trainers are my optimal choice, as they are well-suited to both urban exploring and hiking in the mountains. Plus they look quite stylish and will keep your feet free from blisters when on the go for many hours.
Last word…
Slow travel, born out of the slow movement which began with slow food and an anti-Mcdonald’s Italian protest, is a wonderfully intimate and environmentally friendly way of experiencing the world. And rather than being something that requires time, money and other sacrifices to realise it, it’s above all a state of mind and an approach to travel which anyone can easily weave into their existing lifestyle.
Thanks for reading and feel free to add your ideas below!