Everyone is talking about Slow travel these days. You may have read many articles on traveling more slowly and spending more time instead of rushing from one place to another. What is Slow Travel? Is it just a marketing gimmick or more? More importantly, is a Slow Holiday really what you need – especially in the winding roads of the Himalayas? According to us, this is what a slow holiday means.
When we talk of traveling slowly, it is to spend more time in one place. Spending more time helps you relax and take it easy, rather than rushing through the day. Instead of spending 1 day at the place, spend 2 or more. Wake up late. Have a lazy breakfast. Take some time to just walk around where you are. Plan just one major activity in the day- or none, if you’re up to it. Spend the rest of the day in your favourite small cafe or in the local markets. Fit fewer places in your itinerary and more time in each place. The world is, anyway, too big to see everything.
So, is a slow holiday in the Himalayas for you? Here are 5 signs you need a more relaxed trip with your partner and friends:
- You end up looking outside your office for long stretches of time
Daydreaming is one of the sure signs of wanting to spend some time for yourself. You like to sit and let your mind wander. If you’re already doing it in the office, you will definitely love it in the mountains, gazing at the breeze flowing through the wildflowers and the pines. Don’t shut that side of yourself down. Let it fly free through the valleys on your next Himalayan Holiday.
- You feel tired after your last holiday
A holiday is not supposed to tire you out. Sure, you can feel nostalgic and maybe jetlagged. But you shouldn’t feel like you need another vacation after your vacation. If your holiday tires you out, it has definitely moved too fast for you. Next time, try out one less place and one more day. You’ll suddenly see a completely different facet of the destination you’re trying to explore. It will be less rushed and more fulfilling for you.
- You love spending hours in one market, one cafe, or one forest
If you love spending hours in one bookshop, a tickmarked itinerary is definitely not for you. If you love spending time in one place on your regular days, why should you not spend more time in one place during your holiday? Make some time for that. Keep half a day to nothing but just see the birds. Keep an afternoon off to just sit by the stream. Hike up to the meadow and spend the rest of the morning there. Nothing’s stopping you. Or rather, nothing is pushing you to keep moving. You can stop to smell the roses.
- You don’t remember the places you went to on your last holiday
A holiday is special. It is a time to connect, or disconnect. It’s a time to feel human amongst the crazy rat race. It doesn’t happen every month. But when it does, it’s magical. You remember your holiday – with the funny bits, the not-so-great its and the beautiful bits. If you don’t remember your holiday, maybe it’s because you visited so many places that it was difficult to remember where you’ve been. It just means it’s been too fast-paced. If you remember the places you’ve been or all the special things you did, your journey moved at the perfect pace. Slow travel doesn’t have one specific speed. What may be slow for you may be fast for someone else. And what may be fast for you may be perfect for a college student traveling on a limited budget.
- You prefer the local market to ordering online
A local market, whether that be in your town of residence, is more than just a seller of goods. Each market has its own characteristics – the gossip amongst merchants, the smell of new local vegetables, the test, the experience. Delivery apps cannot provide you with that. If you prefer local markets to delivery apps, then slow travel is for you. The joy of spending time in farmers’ markets, stopping to talk to the elderly lady in the mountains, or sipping tea in the small marketplace, is unparalleled.
Where to find one
If you’re convinced that a slow holiday in the Himalayas is one that you have been craving for, how do you go about choosing one? There are many such options beyond the regular tourist spots where you can take life at an easier pace and do not have to be bogged down by the crowds. They exist all over India and the world. Choosing one is a matter of time and deliberation. So don’t go with a packaged trip or with cookie-cutter itineraries available. Design one according to your interests.
One such option is Nayalap’s lodge-to-lodge hike. Spread over 4 days and that can be easily made longer, the hike is the perfect example of slow traveling. The trek continues over 4 days, covering about 16km. Every day, you’d walk 6km or less, making it a half-day walk from one place to the other. The afternoons can be thus spent relaxing and watching the birds go about their business, or doing leisurely offshoot walks to the villages nearby.
The hike is guided, and luggage is transported separately by the staff, making it an easy walk where you do not have to worry about the logistics. Each place is comfortably appointed and built in a different style, offering you a glimpse into the best views that Kumaon has to offer. Indulge in the local cuisine while on this trek and learn about how the food changes according to the season. Travel during autumn, winter and spring for wonderful views of the Himalayas and the valleys.
So let us know. Is slow travel in the Himalayas for you?
