Slow Travel Does Not Mean Doing Nothing

We have all heard of Slow Food which is grounded in the philosophy that quality is much better than quantity. Slow Travel (our specialty) is the same, where we believe that staying in one area, exploring its cultures, food, language, history and sites are far better for you than dashing from one tourist trap to the next.  

Slow Travel, however, is not synonymous with inactivity. Far from it. The slowest and most natural form of locomotion for us is walking, which underpins our Slow Travel philosophy.  For those of you that do hike (tramp or trek) you know that walking can take you to some of the most incredible places and to get to those places, sometimes you must push your body to its limits. Heart pounding in your chest, warm air exhaling from your lungs, you feel alive and at one with your environment.

Slow Travel can be a mix of staying put in one place and exploring from that central location such as our Dolomite Explorer trek or moving from day to day on foot or paddling, only to make camp (think Kokoda or kayaking the Komodo Islands).

It can also mean to check into a boutique hotel only a matter of kilometers from where you last slept (think the Tour du Mont Blanc).

You are still in the same general area, but you are experiencing a different aspect of it, be it the food, culture, history or landscape.

We understand it is tempting to see everything in one trip, but we believe this will leave more breathless than hiking to a mountain ridge and more stressed than when you first arrived in country.

You see, fast travel, like fast food has its place. In our book it's not a very big place but something you do when there really isn't time to plan. But if you are planning a holiday for 1 - 6 weeks long, you have time to decide what you want to experience. And like a special night out to a wonderful restaurant, your trip should be savoured and considered. That way you will return nourished and fulfilled by the experience.

Peter Miller