Were you ever more exhausted after your holidays then before?
Every day changing the scenery, visiting every possible city on the way, rushing through the national parks and passing by hundreds and hundreds of people…
This is not exactly the type of travel ideal for the post coronavirus travels, is it?
We present you a new type of travel that is now emerging and quickly gaining on popularity – a slow travel.
Below you will be able to see what exactly is slow travel? Why choose to travel slowly? How unforgettable your slow holidays can be if you decide to take them in Slovenia or Croatia. And we dedicated an entire last part to workation – another modern day form of travelling, even more popular now when many will continue to work remotely.
What is slow travel?
Slow travel derives from the Italian movement of slow food that came along as a silent protest to emerging fast food chains throughout Europe in the 80s. Translated into tourism, slow travel tries to give more emphasis to local people and culture instead of number of tourist sights you visit while on the way. Traveling slowly gives you the opportunity to really explore the destination and to experience the local culture.
Experiences in Slovenia & Croatia
Why should you try slow travel?
There are many answers but the most recent would be to stay safe after the coronavirus pandemic. Slow travel basically means staying in one place for at least a couple of days and exploring the area on foot or by car, taking a bike tour, going off the beaten path. This all means that you meet less people, while still experiencing a lot. This way it is much easier for you to enjoy your holidays without feeling overwhelmed by restrictions and fear.
Since we are a local travel agency working in Slovenia and Croatia, we are following the situation with corona virus vary closely. Here is our regularly update information regarding the situation in Slovenia and Croatia:
COVID-19 in Slovenia & Croatia
Myths about slow travel
And if you thought slow travel is only for backpackers and can’t be luxurious, you couldn’t be more wrong. Staying in an isolated lighthouse, a glamourous cottage in the middle of the woods in an historic mansion or a gulet boat fall firmly into both luxurious and slow travel categories.
Another common misperception is that slow travel is only for people with a lot of time. And while it is true that it is absolutely perfect for remote workers and digital nomads, retired people and sabbatical holidays, you can enjoy a good slow travel holidays even if you only have a week or two. It is all about finding the right spot to do it. And we have just the right one in mind so keep reading.
Slow travel in Slovenia
Slovenia is just perfect for slow travel. It is: 1) Small, 2) Varied, 3) Sustainable, 4) Safe and 5) Off the beaten path.
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1. Small
You can diagonally cross it in roughly 4 hours by car! Therefore, it is really easy to stay in one or two places for the entire length of your holidays, making yourself a home away from home (which is basically the essence of slow travel) and just explore it on day trips with a private local driver / guide.
The best of Slovenia
2. Varied
It has a little bit of everything in a small space so you can be sure that despite choosing a slow travel you won’t get bored so easily. It is very green, full of forests, almost half of its natural territory is somehow protected. You have the mountains, the plains and the seaside – with a little bit of luck in May you can actually ski in the Alps and bath in the Mediterranean Sea in the same day!
It is also historic, while you will find some remains dating to the Roman times, the biggest star of Slovenia are medieval times with its castles and mansions. And let’s not forget about the underworld, there are over 10.000 caves to explore in Slovenia!
3. Sustainable
Long before coronavirus Slovenia already adapted sustainable tourism policy so it is very easy to find environmentally friendly accommodation close to the locals. It is one of the leading countries when it comes to glamping and active holidays.
Active holidays
4. Safe
Slovenia is one of the safest countries in the world so going off the beaten path has never been easier. Plus, following the coronavirus pandemic, it is also one of the countries with the best response and fewer cases, despite being the neighboring country to Italy. This is owed also to the good healthcare system. In fact, it was the first country in Europe to declare the end of pandemic.
Is Slovenia safe?
5. Off the beaten path
While some major tourist attractions of Slovenia can get a little bit overcrowded, you can easily escape the crowds just by adjusting your timeline. However the main thing is that you can find incredible places that are almost deserted since Slovenia hasn’t been hit by the massive tourism crowds. It is a country to enjoy, to explore, to slowly take in and let it wow you.
Slovenian experiencesSlow travel in Croatia
Croatia lies just next to Slovenia and is, in ways, similar. While it is bigger, it offers some unique features perfect for slow travel holidays: 1) 1000 islands country, 2) Culinary delight, 3) Easy to combine with other countries, 4) Slow travel combined with the main sights and 5) Safe.
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1. 1000 islands country
While the bigger islands are quite popular and can get quite crowded, Croatia offers many alternatives to slow down and get in touch with locals and nature. You can choose a nice slow holidays on the beach at the end of your trip to really slow down before heading home. You can add a couple of days stop on an isolated lighthouse. Or rent a traditional gulet boat to explore the island at your own pace.
Cruise Croatia
Culinary delight
Since slow travel started off as a slow food movement in Croatia you can easily experience both at the same time. Moving slowly through the country you can actually try to find truffles on your own. Join in the grape harvest to see firsthand how the wine is made. Taste the freshest and best oysters in the world. Or even learn how to prepare some of the Mediterranean finest dishes.
Croatian gastronomy
3. Easy to combine with other countries
Are you a type of person who wants to try slow traveling but still wishes to see the most. Croatia offers a great opportunity to combine it with surrounding countries while still travelling slowly. In the north you can combine it with already mentioned Slovenia – staying in a glamping on the border rivers Kolpa or Krka you can actually swim from one country to the other one. While in the far south, near Dubrovnik, you can do day trips to Bosnia or Montenegro.
4. Slow travel combined with the main sights
Ok, so we have convinced you to try slow travel but you don’t yet want to give up on at least some major sights? Again Croatia is the place to go. Places like Dubrovnik and Plitvice lakes are quite frankly massive tourist sights, famous and bucket list material that will make all your friends at home jealous. But with a help of a local agency that knows all the secrets you can visit them outside of the rush hours and combine them with a nice slow holidays in the surrounding areas.
5. Safe
Similar to Slovenia, Croatia as well is one of the safest countries to travel in general and one of the ones with the best response to coronavirus outbreak. So you will be in good hands and in a great place to slowly explore.
Croatian experiences
Workation
As we mentioned in the beginning while slow travel is possible for everyone, there is a new slow travel concept emerging for a couple of years now. However we are certain that it will become more important in the near future and in the post COVID-19 tourism. We are talking about workation, combining work with vacation, that is.
During the pandemic remote work has become widely practiced and many will continue with this practice even after the quarantine will be over. And this doesn’t necessarily mean working from home, it can also mean working from anywhere in the world as long as you have a good internet connection.
As with slow travel, the common mistake with workation is that you have to go full digital nomad to do it, since leaving out many people. That is not entirely true.
You can still work from home the majority of the year, especially if your kids are in school and because you actually like your home. But workation means that instead of taking 2 weeks off in the summer time, you can maybe take 2 months of workation. It means you can work remotely from beautiful places during the week and explore the surrounding area in the afternoons and on weekends. Thus slowly moving through what would otherwise be a rushed holiday.
As you can see slow travel has many pluses to it. It represents a new form of traveling. Responsible, safer and environmentally friendly alternative to the massive tourism that was booming in the previous decade. The best thing about slow travel is that you really get in touch with the local people, culture or nature. And who can best help you with that then a local travel agency.
We can help you find the best and the most hidden places that will allow you to travel slowly while still getting the most out of your holidays. Adding to it a private local guide and a driver will make your holidays even more memorable, luxurious and relaxed. And don’t forget, you can slow travel for a week, two or months and we will be here for you before, during and after your trip.
With us everything is not just about the gold and the glamour, it is the luxury of the experience that we value the most.
Contact us or fill in our short but fun questionnaire to tell us exactly what your way of travelling is like, so that already our fist offer will be tailor made for you and you only.
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We are locals.We know all the secrets, all the hidden places, all the most beautiful and amazing sights.
We definitelly know what is slow travel!
Contact us or fill in our short but fun questionnaire to tell us exactly what your way of travelling is like, so that already our fist offer will be tailor made for you and you only.
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