Travel

BEAUTIFUL SLOW TRIPS TO INDULGE RIGHT NOW

Livorno Cruise Dock Sunset by Fabrizio Angius.

by Fabrizio Angius. Livorno Cruise Dock Sunset.

SLOW TRAVEL

Today, we are all about Slow Travel. We are sharing its delights as we explore the possibilities for our next beautiful slow indulgence.

Slow travel is about a meaningful connection with the places you visit -- enjoying things that locals enjoy rather than following tourist guides.

Slow Travel is an evolving movement that has taken its inspiration from nineteenth-century grand adventures, the Route 66 and Lincoln Highway road trips of the 50’s and 60’s, old European walking traditions, and slow boats.

It’s all about the deep pleasure of the journey and the deep experience of the destination. It’s about culture, food, rejoicing in differences, and a love of slowing down.

Slow Travel also shares some common values with ecotourism, caring about leaving as little impact on the environment and the life within it as possible.

You shop at the local shops. You cook. You hang out at the local pub. You immerse.

You walk, ride bikes, take local trains and boats -- and you don’t go far.

You can get involved. Take a language or cooking course, volunteer for a local organization or group, or maybe try wwoofing (Willing Workers on Organic Farms).

SLOW TRAVEL TOURS

Slow Travel Tours is one of a few organizations that can help you with planning your slow travel vacation, with personalized trip plans for off-the-beaten track places in France, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Spain and the Czech Republic.

It is a compendium of small tour operators who know the area around them and have created a network to aid Slow Travelers. Inclusion in Slow Travel Tours is by invitation only.

They can hook you up with the local culture through food, classes, guides, and community.

A list of the tours can be found here.

SLOW TRAVEL -- CRUISES

Cruises tend be slow, by nature -- but unlike the new-day-new-port itineraries that most cruise companies offer, slow cruising focuses on cruises that stop longer at each destination, allowing passengers to take in the local flavor.

In 2013, Contra Cruises dedicated two ships, the neoRiviera and neoRomantica, to slow cruising, focused on local food and wine, and small group trips to the shore on overnight stays at port.

Prior to a neoCollection cruise, guests are consulted and a personalized set of shore excursions are matched to their particular interests.

Check out the latest slow cruises slated for 2015.

WAYFARER WALKING TOURS

Walking tours are a lovely way to Slow Travel. The Wayfarers offers some beautiful options in over 19 countries, with 40 itineraries. Walk through the rugged mountains of Colorado, the breathtaking Italian lake regions in Orta and Lugano.

Take it slow in England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, France, Spain, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Norway, New Zealand, Patagonia, Alaska, Colorado and the Southwestern USA.

You will walk from 5 - 12 miles per day, depending on the specific walking tour you choose. You will stay at small inns and B&Bs, full of character and steeped in local lore, vs hotels. And Wayfarers will treat you to exclusive access to private homes and gardens that are otherwise closed to the public.

For nearly twenty-six years, The Wayfarers have formed friendships with artists, musicians, artisans, naturalists, foresters, vintners and farmers who add color to ever Slow Travel trip. Some tours are led by photographers who can point out special photo ops and offer pointers for how to best capture slow charms.

SLOW TRAVEL - BARGES

If taking a slow boat down a lazy river sounds like heaven to you, check out some lovely trips offered by Uniworld Boutique River Cruises. Meander through the rivers, canals and waterways of Europe, like the majestic Canal Du Midi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Southwestern France.

There are perfect stops along the way so you can walk or bike your way along winding paths to explore the local scenes, such as a winery tour and wine tasting at the 14th century Chateau de Perdiguier, a visit to Narbonne -- an ancient Mediterranean capital where the Visigoth monarchy once lived, and an excursion to Minerve -- the 12th century Cathar capital of Minervois, once the world’s largest wine-growing region.

VISTA GUIDES

One of the benefits of Slow Travel is that it encourages and enables you to explore and discover things on your own. But having a guide with a Slow Travel heart can add even more to the pleasure of the experience.

Avid traveller Julia Ashwood has created Vista Guides. They feature her expert curation of slow and beautiful local life. She hooks you up with the best slow food, accommodations, and sights.

The guides are free to download. Check out the Vista Guide to Byron Bay, one of our favorite haunts (and Ashwood’s home turf). This magnificent Australian beach area has a totally laid back vibe. Kick back, enjoy the views, the art, the seafood… hike, swim, surf, and do some Sun Salutations. It’s all nice and slow here.

Download The Vista guides for free here.

Read more about Beautiful Slow, as they relate to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact including A Beautiful Slow Small World Now, Beautiful Slow Secrets Revealed Now, Beautiful Slow Food Now, and Be More Beautiful with Slow Fashion Now.

Enter your own images and ideas about Beautiful Slow in this week’s creative Photo Competition. Open for entries now until 11:59 p.m. PT on 02.22.15. If you are reading this after that date, check out the current BN Creative Competition, and enter!