A 2 week holiday is perfect for most families, but we’re not most families… and I’m guessing that anyone reading this probably feels the same. Before we overhauled our lifestyle, we could only ever manage to fit in a couple of weeks; it always felt super rushed with a huge countdown to a holiday that seemed to be over in moments. We’d cram in everything we could from a local area and be on our way back home with the post-holiday blues before we knew it. Taking 3 months to truly immerse ourselves in a culture is an absolute game changer. The kids learn so much more from the experience, and the financial benefits of slow travel are a huge plus point.
Where we spent our 3 months in Thailand: 2 weeks Bangkok, 2 weeks Koh Samui, 5 weeks Koh Phangan, 1 week in Krabi, 1 week in Phang Nga, 1 week in Phuket.
I regularly see facebook posts from people planning their trip around Thailand, condensed into just 2 weeks (sometimes less!). The responses are always full of people telling them to choose less destinations; because it is so much better to immerse yourself in each place for longer rather than rush straight through missing the best bits!
I appreciate that we are very lucky to be able to travel for longer periods, and for anybody that doesn’t have that luxury, my best advice would be to choose one area and fully immerse yourself in everything it has to offer.
The Educational Benefits of Slow Travel (Worldschooling in Action!)
Spending longer in each location meant that we weren’t just constantly on the move sightseeing. Instead of having a quick look at a monument, the kids absorbed history and culture naturally because they saw the same temples and markets repeatedly, allowing time for reflection and questions. They really got to understand the way of life, and so did we.
We got to know some of the locals where we were staying, this created more meaningful interactions with the kids. They were able to make real connections and were taught how to say some Thai phrases and learn a little bit about their lives. That social aspect is invaluable. One of their favourite things to learn was about how coconuts are harvested on the island of Koh Phangan; a lovely man demonstrated the method of climbing up to retrieve them himself, and we also learned that Thais commonly train monkeys to harvest coconuts. As we were staying for a while, we were able to witness that in a small coconut grove near our house. It led to conversations about ethics and more.
Slow travel also means that the kids have time for boredom. That sounds bad at first, but honestly there are so many good things that come from boredom! It leads to self-directed projects and play, which is such a big part of unschooling.
Slow Travel Means Living Like a Local
Moving past the ‘Thai for beginners’ experience gave us a much more diverse experience. We tried our best to follow the locals – we found hidden gems by watching where locals ate, shopped and socialised. We enjoyed so much authentic Thai food hidden away on backstreets that we would never ordinarily find as tourists. We also had the extra time to seek out smaller-scale attractions like local parks.
As I already mentioned, slow travel allows for more meaningful connections. We were able to build relationships with local shop owners and also other families which gave us genuine human connection instead of the fleeting interactions we were used to with fast travel. You really start to feel like part of the community if you’re willing to put that effort in. In fact, we felt such strong connections that we have actively explored the idea of having Thailand as our home base.
Logistical and Financial Advantages of Slow Travel
Slow travel opens up opportunities for lots of discounts! When you’re looking for a hotel for a couple of nights, you can be sure you’re paying top prices. Increase that to a week, or even 1 month + and suddenly you’re in the favourable position to seek out discounted stays. Whilst staying on Koh Phangan we were able to rent a 2 bedroom villa with a private pool for the same nightly cost of many other hotels we had stayed at. As soon as you creep closer to the 1 month + durations, you are suddenly able to look at monthly rental prices rather than nightly.
Whilst eating out in Thailand can be very affordable, it’s still cheaper to shop the local fresh markets and cook for yourself! When travelling for an extended period, we do have to keep an eye on our budget. We try to eat in as much as possible, and just eat out when it’s most convenient or to try a place we find interesting – just like we do at home when not travelling. We really try to live like ‘normal’ when we are staying somewhere for a good amount of time.
Worth noting, is the price to fly across the world. For our family of 5 to travel from the UK to Thailand was a big chunk of money (for us at least), and we would never spend that money for a 2 week holiday. For the same flight costs, we have had a 3 month long invaluable experience.
One of the best logistical benefits has to be the sheer relief of not having to pack/unpack every few days! It gives us way more time to spend learning and exploring and less time spent stressing about our next travel day. With 3 young kids, moving around can be a massive effort (especially as they hardly ever carry their own bags!).
Our Biggest Takeaway
We love Thailand so want to spend a long time there! No, but seriously, the benefits of slow travel for us are enormous. Immersing ourselves in culture has always been our aim when travelling and doing it slowly enables that.
For me, that ‘local life’ feeling was perfectly captured when my 8 year old son had the confidence to order his favourite street food from the vendor, speaking in Thai. It really was heart-warming and the lovely woman appreciated his efforts so much. Again, another genuine connection made.
If you had 3 months, where would you slow travel? I would love if you could let me know in the comments!
If you’d like to read even more about slow travel, there are a few extra key points in this post > The Slow Travel Guide: How to Savor Your Adventures
