Category: Slow travel

How to do slow travel

Catching the next train, a walking tour, road trips…how exactly do we slow down when we travel? We spoke to two slow travel writers to find out…

“Like anything in life now, there’s a synthetic version of the thing you’re looking for, and there’s a real version of it. Slow travel is just real travel.”

That’s Dan Kieran’s take on slow travel, something he discovered after an overland journey from London to Warsaw, Poland. That slow travel initiation involved cancelled trains, persuading a train manager to let him board a German train without a ticket, and delivering an impromptu English lesson on a Polish commuter train.

Dan, author of The Idle Traveller: The Art of Slow Travel, describes his travel revelation as magical, realising at the time that most holidays involved simply arriving in a destination, rather than really travelling.

“It’s about depth rather than time. It’s about putting yourself in a context that is unfamiliar. So it’s about opening yourself up, not closing yourself down,” he says.

Invitation to explore

For Jo Tinsley, author of The Slow Traveller: An intentional path to mindful adventures, slow travel is an invitation to explore the world at our own pace, “to journey lightly and adventurously.”

Image credit: Graeme Owsianski from The Slow Traveller

“It is the antithesis of bucket list travel, placing spontaneity over a packed agenda and allowing you to travel on terms that are meaningful both to you and to the people you meet along the way,” says Jo.

“Reading The Day of the Jackal when I went to Paris, I felt like I was living that book”

That sense of exploration means allowing space to connect to a place, “taking time to scratch below the surface of a destination; to build a stronger attachment with, and understanding of, the places we are visiting. This might mean gathering over coffee in a local’s front room; or understanding the connection between local ingredients and place.”

How to slow down

“It’s perfectly fine to have planned elements, but just have something that gives your trip space for the unknown to happen. Do the things you want to do; that’s the point of going, but leave space for serendipity to strike – even if it’s just for a couple of hours,” says Dan.

“More often than not we’d simply pull over when we saw the ‘silhouette of a bather above two wiggly lines’ sign that meant a hot pool was nearby”

He also recommends picking up a guidebook. “But I don’t mean normal guidebooks. If I’m going to Berlin, I’ll buy books or novels set in Berlin – I want to feel connected to the city. Reading The Day of the Jackal when I went to Paris, I felt like I was living that book,” he says.

“If I visit the sea, I have to go in the water. I have to walk the coast path. There’s something hugely beneficial in feeling like you know the context of where you are,” he adds.

Image credit: Lily Bertrand-Webb

Jo says that travelling overland – by train, bus, boat, bike or on foot – encourages the exploration of slow travel, but it’s not prescriptive. It isn’t necessarily a question of speed or the length of a trip either.

“It is more about deceleration and reframing travel as a journey – it’s a mindset thing. Once slow travel becomes a mindset rather than a mode of travel, we realise that our journeys don’t need big budgets, long trips or far-flung destinations to be genuinely transformative.”

Journey stories

Jo embarked on an Icelandic holiday without a plan, seeking out the country’s thermal pools. “More often than not we’d simply pull over when we saw the ‘silhouette of a bather above two wiggly lines’ sign that meant a hot pool was nearby,” she says.

As well as following road signs on a whim, she relied on local recommendations and taking spontaneous detours. “Our meandering route eventually led us to the most remarkable pool of the entire trip: Krossneslaug, an infinity pool at the end of a 90km unpaved, potholed dead-end road, which looked out over the North Atlantic, as a gleaming iceberg idled in the far distance.”

It’s always tempting to pack a lot in to a holiday, which is the opposite of that slow travel mindset. Think spending a whole afternoon in one gallery rather than visiting all the top sights in a day, and taking some time to observe the local details where you are, says Jo.

Image credit: Sarah Mason from The Slow Traveller

“When you’re living life doing your normal routine, your unconscious mind is in control. The reason travel is so amazing is you’re putting yourself in a context which is unfamiliar,” says Dan. “That’s what makes it nourishing, because you are conscious of what’s happening to you. That is when you really start to have a fabulous time.”

Slow down and take it all in, footsteps from the shore…

10 Reasons for a Cornwall Workation

Workation? Beachworking? The Anyplace Workplace? Whatever it’s called, we’re all daydreaming about spending more time with our toes in the sand. With remote working fast becoming the norm, and overseas travel still so unpredictable, it’s the ideal time to do business by the beach and take a long stay in Cornwall. Here are 10 reasons why Cornwall is perfect for a workcation.

Thinking of visiting Cornwall for a workcation? Have a look at our holiday lets perfect for extended stays and working.

1: SEA AIR

Waking up to the echo of the ocean and breathing lungs full of fresh sea air does wonders for your well-being and motivation. Sip your coffee on the balcony, pad along the shoreline or stretch out with some yoga on the beach before you hit the computer and get down to business. By the time you start work, you’ll be bursting with energy and inspiration.

2: SEA VIEWS

In this age of remote working, your boss doesn’t care where you flip open your laptop as long as you’re doing your job well. So, where better to work than at a desk with a sea view? Many of our properties boast high spec living and working spaces that directly gaze over the ocean, so you can watch the ebb and flow while you work, or take beach breaks between calls.

Want to stay in Fistral? Have a look at our luxury holiday cottages in Fistral.

3: DE-STRESS

Now more than ever, pressure of work can leave us all feeling overwhelmed and stressed out at times. But it’s been proved that work is less stressful when you live by the sea. How? Blue mind theories suggest that being beside the water reduces cortisol levels (the stress hormone), so a break by the ocean will leave you feeling calmer, more creative and ready to tackle your workload.

4: BOARD MEETINGS

A workation gives you plenty of time to get to grips with surfing. A sport that takes dogged determination and depends on the ever-changing winds and tides, a longer stay will buy you time to work on your wave-riding skills. From dawnies (surfer talk for taking to the waves at sunrise), to lunchtime power surfs and post-work sunset slides, you’ll get plenty of practise; plus the breaks are less crowded out of peak holiday season.

5: TIME TO CONNECT

Connect to your natural surroundings, not just your phone or computer. While technology enables us to connect virtually and work from anywhere, it has also made us more reliant on our devices. Working by the beach gives you chance to switch your focus from your screen to the seascapes, and take time out to reconnect with nature, your environment, your emotions and your loved ones.

6: NO COMMUTE

Ditch the commute and you’ve got plenty of time on your hands to make the most of your seaside location before and after work. So, instead of rush hour traffic or cramming onto the metro, how about stretching into the day with yoga on the beach, a morning surf or a stroll in the shallows? Or, if you prefer a lazy start, sip your coffee and catch up on the news with the ocean and sea gulls as your soundtrack.

7: NEW SURROUNDINGS

Imagine swapping your daily grind for a designer beachside pad with every mod con at your fingertips. After an unsettled year, a change of scenery can change the tide on your perspective, make you feel more positive and allow you to explore your freedom, instead of feeling hemmed in by the restrictions inflicted by the pandemic.

8: SEA SWIMS

Keep your mind and body in peak condition with regular, bracing sea swims. Proven to boost your immune system, mental health and general wellbeing, a coldwater ocean dip is just what you need to start your day feeling charged and ready to take on whatever tasks your job throws at you.

9: FOODIE EXPERIENCES

Cornwall is a food Mecca renowned for its smorgasbord of fresh ingredients plucked from the coast and countryside. Which means that while you’re on workation you can feast to your heart’s content on seasonal delights from nature’s larder. Fill up in farm shops, pick up a catch fresh from the trawler and get creative in your coastal kitchen. Or, bag a table at one of Cornwall’s culinary gems and let the talented chefs do the work.

10: THE OFFICE IS NEVER TOO FAR AWAY

Sometimes work bites and the only solution is to head back to the office or to meet a client face-to-face. Being well connected by road, rail and air links, Cornwall is easy to access from all corners of the UK, so no work crisis is ever too far away to resolve.

We’re head over heels for where we live and feel lucky to have the coast on our doorsteps. Living by the sea lifts your spirits in the toughest of times. It changes your perspective, gives you pause, makes every moment mean more. So book an extended stay, make a beachside retreat your office and find that feeling for yourself in 2021. Your nine to five will thank you for it.

Want to learn more about how to make the most of your travel? Read our blog on how to do slow travel.

Search your chosen dates or contact us for help choose your office by the beach with your specific requirements.