Most tour companies and plenty of independent travelers script an itinerary to only hit the “must-see” 4 or 5 highlights of a city. Then they move on and repeat in the next place and the next place and the . . . you get the idea.
Sure, it’s efficient and for many travelers, these kinds of rapid-fire tours are a way to see a lot in a small amount of time so they can check it off their “travel list.”
Quite honestly, in my opinion, I feel bad for those folks because they miss so much at the expense of wanting to quickly zip through each location so they can get to the next one.
I always advocate for investing at least another day or more in each city/town to REALLY get to feel the rhythm of life there. To witness up-close the local folks going about their daily lives. To discover those smaller out-of-the-way plazas, museums, and other interesting sites not listed on the “top 4 or 5.”
By rushing from one major attraction to another, visitors end up missing opportunities to actually get to know how everyday life unfolds.
I recently finished a journey of 17 days to explore a handful of cities and towns in northern and north-central México. I averaged about a 2-3 day stay per location.
Then I walked and walked and walked to explore up-close, the plazas, markets, and neighborhoods of each city and town.
That slower pace led me to have real conversations with vendors and random people in parks. By just walking (slow travel), it gave me a better feel for how the local people work, play, and socialize. By just walking, I could start to witness first-hand the culture and traditions of each location from a front-row seat. .
3 Reasons Why Slow Travel Works
- Rhythm of place: On foot visitors can experience up-close how a day actually unfolds. From watching local vendors setting up in the early morning at the markets to kids playing in the park fountains in the afternoon to how the locals enjoy family and friend time in the evening at the many outdoor plazas. It’s the shift from the main tourist highlight scenes to the city’s sights, sounds, and cadence of daily life.
- Health bonus: Steps add up to help shape a healthier you. Example: During my 17 days of travel, I logged 190,372 steps – 86 miles / 138 km) – an average of 5 miles of walking per day.
- Up-close memories: By walking, travelers will most likely come upon interesting scenes which they would miss from the back seat of a taxi, Uber, or tour van. It’s those unexpected moments that travelers remember long after the “top 4 or 5” blur together.
As Simon & Garfunkel famously sang, “Slow down, you move too fast.”
They are so right!
On your next exploration adventure to a foreign land, why not arrange more unstructured time to wander in the cities and towns you will be visiting to linger a little longer – “to make the morning last.” And maybe, just maybe by slowing down a bit, you might start “feeling groovy.”
That’s SLOW TRAVEL. – where more great travel memories are created.
What’s your feelings about Slow Travel?
Love to hear from you.
