The What, Why & How of Slow Travel
“It’s in the stillness that you will find things that move you.”
music—fully present, unburdened by what’s next. This is slow travel. Beyond avoiding tourist traps and exploring like a local, slow travel is a necessity in today’s fast-paced world. It urges you to reset, build connections, and experience places in their unfiltered form.
It’s for depth seekers.
Slow Travel in India
the sentiment extends to India’s vastness—it demands to be approached slowly and with intention. Yet, in a land that advanced geometry, we seem fixated on a single triangle—a golden one at that. While its grandeur is undeniable, true exploration lies beyond. The mahals are rich in history, but so are the quiet kath-kuni temples of Uttarakhand, free of crowds and full of warmth. A good traveler knows how to strike the right balance.
3 Important Things to Remember
Why should you travel slow?
Long answer: You have time, right?
In essence, that’s the question slow travel intends to ask you. However, alongside its usual benefits, slow travel does something greater – it shifts something inside you, a mindset that helps you in multiple aspects of your life. But here are our top 3 reasons on why you must choose to travel slow, if you have some savings in time.
You’re actively supporting indigenous communities
We get the temptations of room service, but have you ever lived with a local in their home and heard their stories that are both fascinating and insightful? When you choose a home stay over a five star and eat a local thaali, you’re contributing towards a local community, putting the due spotlight on them.
It’s the best (read: only) way to experience India’s diversity
India’s quite a vast country, one where sight, sounds and smells encompass you everywhere you do. It’s said that if you stay in a place in India for a considerably long time, it will adopt you….or you may adopt it. When you take your time with one location, you open yourself up to multiple possibilities truly experiencing the country’s rich history, culture and food.
Helps with gradual acclimatisation
As we’ve understood, India is diverse, not only when it comes to culture but also when it comes to weather. When you take your time with a certain location, it gives your body the time it requires to adjust to its surroundings, helping you develop a kinship to it.
POV: You witness a sunset so perfect it blurs the line between imagination and reality. The light hits the river just right, and you reach for your phone—trying to capture the impossible.
You send the photo to a friend. Their reply? Wow, are you sure this is India? Looks like Europe.
India thrives on defying expectations. With its vast geographical and cultural diversity, something new awaits every 30 miles. The catch? You have to explore it like a traveler, not a tourist.
How can you begin your slow travel journey?
If you had multiple, ‘yes, that’s me!’ moments while reading everything above, then it’s time to experience the magic this style of travelling brings about.
But, where do you begin?
Step 1: Research research research
Get yourself acquainted with the vastness of India via the vastness of the internet. Find out what fascinates you – is it exploring untamed nature or relaxing in a forest reserve or learning about history and ancient architecture. Resist the temptation to rely on ‘attractive packages’ shown on a website.
Step 2: Find a reliable source
Once you have a fair idea of what you want, connect with a reliable source – a person who shares your values and is committed to showing you the value that lies in slow travel. A friend, guide, even a philosopher maybe.
Step 3: Come with time
Time is easily the most expensive currency in the world and one that will make your journey through India an immersive one.
If you’ve taken out time and managed to reach here, I presume slow travel may be your thing; afterall, as I mentioned earlier, time is the most expensive currency and it takes courage to spend it. But the returns? They’re phenomenal.