There's a particular kind of exhaustion that comes from 'doing' a destination. You've seen the monument, eaten at the recommended restaurant, posted the photo — and yet, somewhere on the bus to the next stop, you feel strangely empty. Sarah Simon, whose story caught our attention recently, puts a name to the antidote: slowing down, deliberately and unapologetically.
It's a deceptively simple idea. But in practice, it asks something most of us find genuinely difficult — patience.
The shift that changes everything
The argument for slow travel isn't just philosophical. It's practical. When you're not racing a checklist, you start noticing the texture of a place: the chai vendor who shows up at exactly 7 am, the narrow lane that smells of jasmine every evening, the elderly neighbour who has opinions about the best season to visit. These aren't things you find in a guidebook. They're things you find by being still long enough for a place to reveal itself.
Simon's experience echoes what many seasoned travellers quietly admit — that the trips they remember most weren't the most action-packed ones. They were the ones where something unexpected had room to happen.
Why this matters for a solo travel audience in India
India, perhaps more than most countries, rewards the slow traveller. A heritage town like Chanderi or a riverside ghaat in Maheshwar doesn't give up its character in an afternoon. The rhythms of a Coorgi homestay, the pace of life in a Ladakhi village in late summer, the gradual trust built with a local family over shared meals — none of this is available to someone passing through on a tight schedule.
For solo travellers in particular, slowing down is also a safety and comfort strategy. Staying longer in one place means you learn the layout, recognise faces, build informal networks. You're less likely to make rushed decisions born out of unfamiliarity. You become, in a small but meaningful way, a temporary local.
There's also something worth saying about cost. Slow travel in India is often cheaper. A weekly rate at a guesthouse in Pondicherry or a month's rent in a quiet part of Mysuru can be astonishingly affordable — far less than the combined cost of constant movement, transport, and tourist-priced meals.
How to actually do it
The honest answer is: pick fewer places and commit to them. Resist the urge to add 'just one more city' to your route. Book accommodation for longer than you think you need — you can always leave early, but you'll rarely want to. Eat at the same local place more than once, and watch how the conversation changes. Walk routes without a destination. Say yes to the slow afternoon and the long conversation.
The most transformative journeys, as Simon discovered, don't begin at the airport. They begin the moment you decide that being somewhere is enough.