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Slow travel is the antithesis of booking a typical fixed travel itinerary for a vacation. Instead of rushing through a list of sightseeing spots from one point to another alongside huge tourist crowds, slow travel lets you explore destinations at a comfortable pace, immersing yourself in authentic experiences while empowering the local communities of the region.
Sipping a cup of chai overlooking a quiet sunrise in a countryside farm, exploring cultural experiences led by local communities, savouring a slow-cooked meal of family recipes, and immersing in rural life activities from local festivals to handloom weaving – these are just a few glimpses of what it is like to slow travel in India.
For the last 2+ years, I’ve been curating authentic experiential trips in India, introducing travellers from around the world to my country beyond the usual tried and tested tour packages. I’m here to show you the untold side of my home country with locations and experiences never mentioned in the itineraries of cookie cutter travel companies. Cherish memories beyond a regular vacation, taking back an India you’ve hardly known!
Whether you are travelling from Europe seeking offbeat sustainable experiences, or flying from Australia to take an experiential break with authentic local activities, India awaits you with its many lesser-known diverse cultures.
Slow Travel in India > Traditional Tours
{Ping} you get a notification and your hands automatically start looking for the phone. As if it was the phone that purchased you and not the other way around. With our attention spans competing with that of a goldfish, we desperately need to find moments that provide some respite to our ever charged nervous systems, the ones that help us pause, reflect and rewind.
Slow travel, by its nature, brings these moments in heaps. It strips you off all your habitual thinking and gently nudges you to explore – both the world and the internal workings of yourself.
My journeys across India beyond the Taj Mahal and the Golden Triangle at large have broken the bubble I live in multiple times. From celebrating Christmas in the vineyards of Nasik to participating in the local festivals in the hills of Kumaon, to exploring handloom tribal villages in Assam to relishing organic farm fresh Indian food beyond butter chicken – it presents a version of India that hasn’t been spoken about in books, brochures or documentaries. A version that’s different from what’s displayed in pop culture. It helps me look at human connections from a different lens making future interactions a lot more wholesome.
I’m optimistic about travellers around the world willing to slow down! More people now, more than ever, seek culture, conversations with locals and want to immerse themselves in a region contrary to a long-time popular way of ticking off from a bucket list.
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- Experience community-based tourism in India’s lesser-known destinations for a truly unique India vacation built on authentic local connections.
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- Experience village tourism and authentic India through personalized adventures that go beyond your typical India tour.
Planning Your Slow Travel Journey in India
So are you ready to keep the phone aside, pick up a local magazine and sit next to your homestay owner’s kid asking them the meaning of words you don’t understand?
Having hosted travellers from Canada, Australia, Europe, UK, and USA for more than two years, I craft slow travel itineraries suited to your individual travel style that let you truly experience India’s authentic side with local support, guiding you through your holiday at a comfortable pace.
Fill out our 2-minute short form with 5 quick questions and we can e-meet to curate your first Slow Travel escape in India.
Things You’ll Want to Know
1) How to Slow Travel in India?
Slow Travel is the best way to experience India. It is a large diverse country with varied landscapes, cuisine, and cultures and cannot be experienced by hopping from one place to another. The real India wants you to slow down, sit, talk, listen and engage in a different perspective, as you spend more time in a chosen region and have a more immersive experience in the place with its local people.
2) How long should a slow travel itinerary be in India?
You can go as slow as you need! Ideally, I suggest a minimum of two weeks to explore a region to its fullest. For more regions, a minimum of three weeks is ideal. Usually, our travellers from Europe and the UK prefer a 2-weeks region-specific trip. 3-4 weeks for an immersive monthly vacation is loved by travellers from Australia.
3) Is Slow Travel more expensive than regular tours?
No. Slow Travel is not expensive. At Unfollow Travel, we work as per our guests’ budget. We tailor the itineraries accordingly, by choosing accommodations and including experiences that suit your budgets.
4) Which regions in India are best for slow travel?
India has a lot to offer beyond the Golden Triangle. You can slow travel anywhere across India but here’s some of mine and our travellers’ favourites:
- Uttarakhand & Himachal for the Himalayas in North India
- Gujarat & Maharashtra for Sahyadris and village life in West India
- Assam and Meghalaya for tribal culture in North-East India
- Wayanad, Vagamon, Coonoor for Nilgiris and coffee plantations in South India.
5) When is the best time for UK/European/Canadian/Australian travellers to visit India?
The usual inbound travel season in India is October – March. You can travel anytime within these months. However, one can also opt for the monsoon season, which is offbeat and one of a kind. You can experience surreal road trips in Maharashtra during this time.
6) Is India safe for solo travellers?
I work with solo travellers and accompany them on the tour too. India is perfect for a solo traveller, especially the North Indian regions of Himachal and Uttarakhand.
7) Will I get help with my visa and other procedures?
Yes.
8) What are the inclusions and exclusions?
You’ll receive these in the product docket once you get in touch.
9) Will there be a tour guide accompanying us?
Yes. A dedicated journey host will be accompanying you and will take care of every end-to-end detail of the tour so that you can relax and focus on enjoying the experience.
10) What’s the procedure to book a trip with Unfollow Travel?
At Unfollow Travel, I provide a wholly tailor-made itinerary for you to explore India at your own slow pace.
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- Fill out our short 2-minute form with 5 quick questions.
- I’ll get on a 1-1 call with you to understand your interests, travel style and preferences.
- I’ll curate the trip entirely customized for you, around the kind of India you are seeking, adding selective delightful new experiences.
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