Slow Travel

Imagine travel the way it really should be, exploring your destination deeper, slower and more authentically, going ‘beyond the bucket list’ to discover hidden gems and real life-affirming experiences. Use our slow travel holiday examples below for some inspiration and get in touch with our experts so we can start planning your dream adventure.

What is slow travel?

Slow travel and the slow travel trend means taking in fewer places, but having a deeper and better connection with a destination. Our slow travel holidays are typically a minimum of 3 weeks, which gives you the time to really immerse yourself in a region and its cultures, customs, natural highlights and beauty. The aim for our slow travel holidays, is to fly less frequently and stay longer. Slow travel is a great way of giving-back to a region, benefiting the local people and environment more than a whistle-stop holiday. Perhaps discover markets away from tourists, interact with locals and learn some traditional skills, visit artisan workshops and leave your holiday with a genuine appreciate of the cultures you have discovered. Our slow travel holidays aim to reduce internal flights, giving you a chance to see more of the country using trains, bikes or boats that tread lightly. Being present, slowing down your pace and reducing your environmental footprint on a country has huge benefits not just for the local region and economy, but should leave you with a greater sense of satisfaction and appreciation as you return home. You can of course include the must-see highlights of a country, but longer stays and mindful exploration will give you a holiday of a lifetime.

Example Slow Travel Holidays

All Example Holidays

Slow Travel highlights

Go horse riding through Ecuador on our slow travel holidays

Minimal flights

Slow travel is synonymous with avoiding flights. While its unavoidable to fly internationally to start your holiday, a carefully planned slow travel holiday should mean minimising flights and doing things differently to travel from place to place. This has the added benefit of taking in much more spectacular scenery, epic views and corners of a country that would otherwise be missed by flying. The Aysen region of Chile is a great example of how a spectacular self-drive road trip will turn this trip, into a holiday of a lifetime. Drive south from Balmaceda, towards the awe-inspiring Lake District, all the way to Pucon. Stay in boutique properties and take in the sheer scale of Chile at your own pace in your own vehicle. Or, consider combining the vivid red rock Atacama Desert in Chile with an overland extension into Bolivia to discover the iconic Salt Flats, before heading to Lake Titicaca in Peru. Not a flight in sight.

Immersive experiences

Our aim is for our guests to return from a slow travel holiday having connected with a country on a deeper level. As well as taking in more natural scenery and roads less trodden by flying less, the best experiences are those unique immersive ones we can include when you have more time in each place. In the planning process, our experts will talk through your likes, wish-list, and what you’d like to get out of your slow holiday. We can include some wonderful immersive activities and cultural excursions with the extra time available. Take a gastronomy tour in Peru, hand-picking ingredients from local food markets and have a go at cooking up a feast with a chef. Embark on the 100km train journey in Brazil from the series Race Around The World, through the mountain passes of Serra do Mar, witnessing untouched rainforest and stunning views. Hike volcanoes and stay in simple lodges witnessing sunsets on the beach right in front of you on an Island-Hopping Galapagos adventure that avoids cruises.

Experience the cultures of Latin America

Tread lightly

Slow travel trips and holidays give the opportunity to tread lightly and create a positive impact on a region and community. As you have more time away, our experts can talk you though different accommodation options that might not fit for a typical shorter holiday. You have the time to reach more unique and beautifully located lodges and smaller hotels. Nature reserve hotels like Gocta Natura Reserve in the Peruvian Amazon, and Ibiti project in Brazil are incredible destination-hotels to base yourself in for longer. Experience peace, nature, amazing activities and the opportunity to help with community and reforestation projects with the time you have. Many of our preferred B-Corp listed hotels in Latin America have fantastic in-house sustainability initiatives, with most producing their own clean power, reusing water and reducing waste. Our preferred B-Corp properties also ensure local people are employed, paid fairly and a percentage of profits are given back to the community for education or environmental projects. You also have the time and opportunity to visit more remote areas and therefore spend money in local restaurants and shop in local authentic markets. Avoid tourism leakage by spending your money carefully, locally and sustainably.

Slow Travel Holidays: Frequently Asked Questions

Please reach us at info@traveldifferently.co.uk if you cannot find an answer to your question.

What are the best slow travel holidays in South America?

The best slow travel holidays in South America are to Chile, Brazil and Argentina. These are countries that offer so much variety, from hiking glaciers in snowcapped National Parks, to sunbathing in hot cactus-filled deserts, to Jaguar spotting in The Pantanal. Our experts will map our your slow travel holiday plan with you, including your highlights and must-sees. They will suggest unique and different routes that avoid flying, make the most of trains and land journeys and combine off-the-beaten-track gems that avoid mass tourism.

What is the easiest country to visit in Latin America?

Costa Rica is a very easy and safe country to visit in Latin America and you can reach the majority of destinations you would wish to include on a slow travel Costa Rica holiday, by land. Peru is a very easy and safe destination, that offers so much choice and variety, such as the iconic Machu Picchu, the Inca Trail, wonderful cities such as Lima and the extraordinary Sacred Valley. Peru is perfect for a slow travel holiday as there is so much to see and do and our experts can keep flights to a bare minimum. For more information on specific visa requirements to individual countries in Latin America, please visit the FCO page.