Booked your summer holidays yet? There’s a reason why airlines have sales in winter – as our corner of the planet tilts further from the sun, we’re easily tempted by sunny getaways.
Social media feeds won’t show it, but air travel can bring unique stresses – airport parking, early-morning flight times, security queues, delays, baggage anxiety, seat selection snaffles, plane-rage and lost luggage to name a few.
You plan like the clappers to get everything packed for the flight, it takes two days of the holiday to wind down and recover from the dawn departure, then you spend the final day preparing to go home again.
Flying can be pricey and time off is precious, so we can spend a lot of time researching overseas destinations and trawling reviews. There can also be pressure to book “the right” holiday. Social media is awash with images of exotic locations, action-packed with activities. Generating bling content and brag-worthy anecdotes can be all part of the holiday booking brief.
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Slow, meaningful travel by contrast sounds pretty relaxing. This is a form of holiday that prioritises a relaxed pace, deeper immersion and, ultimately, a reduced environmental impact.
In contrast to fast-paced tourism, slow travel encourages using slower transport such as buses, the ferry or trains instead of planes, and maybe staying closer to home. This reduces your carbon footprint or can make the journey itself a part of the experience.
Slower, more mindful travel can mean going less frequently too, staying longer or going on a single-destination vacation to a less-visited place. It can mean getting to know the locals and living like one.
Slow travel can be about allowing time to absorb each experience rather than rushing through a list of attractions. Instead of packing in lots of activities, it means a slower rhythm, with fewer activities, and more outdoor nature-based activities such as walking, cycling, or swimming.
More places in Ireland, including Mount Congreve Gardens in Co Waterford, are embracing the principles of slow, meaningful travel. Set along the Waterford Greenway, the estate is now inviting guests to stay and experience its 70 acres of woodland and landscaped spaces.
Emerging from a decade of dereliction, the estate’s three remaining gate lodges have been restored, retaining original timers and stonework. Two are nestled inside the estate walls, where overnight guests can experience long, slow evenings with the gardens to themselves, surrounded by scents and stillness. But, you might ask, what’s there to do?
Guests are invited to “read, rest and do nothing at all”, Mount Congreve says. Connect with nature, heritage and with yourself at an unhurried pace. Now that sounds like a holiday. There’s even a dedicated dog room with beds and bowls for your pet.
Private access to the gardens after hours makes for a personal encounter with nature – you’ll have the Magnolia Walk, overlooking a magnificent view of the river Suir, all to yourself. There’s glamping too. Off-grid bell tents located in a meadow have no electricity or running water, but there are solar lanterns, food coolers and the chance to experience the rare peace that comes from sleeping in step with nature.
There is a 46km cyclable, walkable greenway, stretching from Waterford city to the seaside town of Dungarvan on your doorstep, too.
There are plenty of slow travel gems on our doorstep in Ireland. As well as being better for the planet, these kinds of breaks can offer a sanctuary from the feverish pace of life and the stressful logistics of some holidays.
So before you book your next holiday, have a conversation with yourself and with family about what’s important to you. No holiday is perfect: there will be good and bad moments, just like any other week, but simplifying things and slowing down can take a lot of the pressure off. Nothing should steal joy from your precious downtime.
