When you travel the TMT way, you travel slow. You take time to steep in your surroundings, you let the gradual magic of daily miracles move you. As you dally with the locals and fellow intrepid travellers, you start to give back even more than you take. You go from observer to participant, from tourist to traveler, from someone who skims the surface to one who explores far and wide. Rather than constantly being on the hunt for photogenic hotspots, you leave with fresh perspectives and new insights - gifts that can last a lifetime.
Slow & sustainable travel is a way of travel in which the traveller’s growth is in harmony with their ecological and cultural surroundings. We like to see our destinations as new homes that we step into, for wherever you go on holiday is ultimately someone’s home. How would you like your home to be treated? Would you like visitors to go beyond the touristy hotspots and learn more about your culture? Would you want them to respectfully observe the cultural traditions of your village? Would you like them to support ethical organizations that boost the local economy and preserve your natural heritage? All of these values form what we call slow and sustainable travel. Going away only to go home - that is all it means!
Let’s make a note of small steps you can take in your travels to make your impact a positive one. Sustainable travel is not only about being eco-friendly but also about respecting and supporting local cultures and traditions. The natural beauty and cultural authenticity of a destination are part of its appeal - for travel to be sustainable, we have to ensure that these points of appeal are preserved rather than abused or ignored so that the local community can evolve and grow organically and tourism can continue to bring in revenue without compromising on these aspects.
These are our five pillars for slow & sustainable travel:
Taking the time to have authentic encounters, connecting more deeply with the local community, exchanging knowledge & skills, learning from each other, and making friends.
Freeing yourself from the pressure of having to see all the famous highlights. Be open to new, exciting experiences!
Learning about local culture and customs and being aware of the potential negative effects of tourism.
Taking part in preserving the natural beauty of the place you visit. Leave only footprints!
The local economy should benefit from tourism. Support this by shopping local and making fair bookings.
One of the first steps towards becoming a slow and sustainable traveller, is to actively engage with a country’s history, people, culture and environment. By getting to know people from the host communities, learning a bit of their language and participating in activities or volunteering, you have a better chance of truly experiencing what a country has to offer. Besides gaining a deeper understanding of your destination, the act of engaging and exchanging opens a door for shared experiences and conversations between the traveller and the host community.
These interactions, when they are genuine and heartfelt, can help travellers to understand what are important topics in your destination. For example, you might start to gain an understanding about where your tourist money is going within the community. Or what problems people deal with on a day to day basis. Engaging & exchanging goes further than just having a fun, local experience. It can help expand your worldview, and impact your decision making processes for the good!
We believe that for all of the aspects of slow and sustainable to reach their fullest potential, time is of essence. Taking more time by slowing down allows you to form a stronger connection to the country you are visiting and the people you are meeting. Sounds quite logical right? However, it is often hard to resist the temptation of bucket lists and FOMO-inducing Instagram posts of travellers who have been to the same country.
However, most travellers we’ve spoken to agree that slowing down is crucial to experiencing a country in the best way possible. The slow travel philosophy says that more value lies in getting to know a smaller area well, instead of rushing through a larger area, travelling from one “hotspot” to the other. In exchange for superficial memories, as a slow traveller you have the time to start recognizing your neighbours, go to the local shop and find your favourite place for morning coffee.
Through these simple acts, you’ll notice how you can start to slide effortlessly into a culture’s day-to-day life. And once you start to understand another country’s routine, that’s when you begin to really learn about the similarities and differences between your own culture and the one you are
By creating a list of things to do and see, you’ll automatically drag yourself into a mindset that is all about “what is next”, instead of living in the moment, and enjoying your travel as it comes.
This will give you the time to engage in day to day activities of the place you visit. For example: after having completed a cooking class, you could take a day to head to the local market, do some shopping and share your new skills with the people at your hostel!
By choosing to travel by foot, bicycle or public transport, you are not only giving yourself more time to take in your surroundings - you are also being a lot more eco-friendly!
It is important to learn as much as you can about a country before you visit for the first time. Everything from the dos and don’ts, history, cultural values and ecology is worth noting. Of course, part of the fun of travelling somewhere is learning on the road and we are not asking you to abandon that pleasure! We only ask that you ensure that you have a basic understanding of the country so that you are able to travel there respectfully, make the most of your experience and have a positive impact.
It is important to note that sustainable travel is different for each region - we cannot create one blueprint for what it means to travel sustainably and apply it to everywhere in the world. The problems of each destination are unique and therefore, the solutions must take several factors into account. Sustainable travel in Bali can look very different to sustainable travel in Iceland!
So the first and most important thing is to be aware of regional problems with ecology, resource management, local communities, governments, pollution, cultural preservation, simple dos and don’ts etc and then see how you as a traveller can do your bit to help the destination you’re visiting!
A great way to channel the excitement of travel is to read a new article about the destination every day from the day you book your ticket to the day you leave. You can learn about the nature, culture, literature and so much more in this way!
Regional cinema is one of the most fun ways to learn about a culture. Watching contemporary romance unfold on a big screen, or within the pages of a book can be riveting and insightful! Look up the literary traditions of a place before you go so you can pick up the best books by native authors while you are there.
Make use of the several Facebook groups that are all about travel in the destination, or sustainable travel around the world and post specific queries there so that you can learn from, engage with and help fellow travellers.
While learning about a place in the voices of natives is the most important thing, it helps to also be aware of the experiences, troubles and triumphs that fellow travellers had in an area. Not only is it helpful to know about the best bars and islands in the vicinity but also the stories of what people found solace in and what to look forward to.
It is super important to know that every destination grapples with a whole host of environmental and socio-political issues. These often bleed into each other and tighten the noose on sustainability here.
For example, poor infrastructure and uneducated governments worsen the environmental problems and make it difficult for individuals, organizations and the community itself to find and execute solutions.
It is important to be mindful of the larger socio-political landscape that forms the backdrop of most seemingly simple problems. Rather than complaining about litter or excessive plastic use, try to be a part of the solution!
Being conscious of the plastic problem and acting on it while travelling is very important, since an average traveller produces quite a bit of waste, often without even realizing it. Think about it: water bottles, straws and plastic bags are being accumulated like crazy! And why? No reason, right?
Let’s try to reduce plastic waste and consider the environment through very practical measures - ones that you can easily adopt too. Go against convention. Say no to plastic!
6 simple ways to use less plastic when travelling
What makes tourism a powerful agent of change is in the way it benefits local communities. The most direct way is through the economy, for example, when you stay in a homestay, the money goes directly to a family rather than a business magnate. There are other subtler benefits which can be everything from exchange of cultural ideas, to learning each other’s values, to skill sharing!
When you travel to a destination, it’s always important to know that you are travelling to someone’s home and treat it with the same care and respect you would want others to treat your home.
The best and easiest way to support travel businesses is to book your stay with them directly. Booking via platforms like Booking.com drives down the earnings of spots as they charge a super high commission fee. Also; direct bookings are usually much cheaper, so everybody wins (except Booking.com, ha!).
Whether it is choosing homestays over hotels, eating nasi campur at a homely joint over a Domino’s pizza or choosing locally made handicrafts over cheaper, commercially produced ones. Choosing local empowers communities and enables them to continue living their lives in a more traditional setup.
In every destination you can find ethical projects that work towards the betterment of the destinations and its denizens (human and otherwise). Whether it is by volunteering, visiting or purchasing from ethical projects, your support is valuable and ensures their continuity!
When you find a restaurant or cafe or vendor practicing and promoting sustainable practices in any form, it is important to support them by offering your patronage. It’s equally important to tell them that their metal straws or locally employed staff is the reason you chose them so they are aware that their ethical decisions lead to rewards. It’s always nice to spread the word about such spaces as well, through social media and word of mouth so that more people can vote with their wallet for the places that are truly trying to make a difference.
When you are travelling, it is mutually beneficial to engage with communities and projects at a deeper level. Volunteering is a great way to do this, however this can have disastrous consequences if not done consciously and ethically. There are several volunteer driven initiatives that are worthy of support and we are here to help you understand how to find them.
The first and most important thing to do is to understand your own intentions, skill set and commitment and see if it matches the need of the organization. If you are looking for a short term volunteer project (under 1 month), it is always better to work in skill sharing like building, art, music, hospitality etc. Working with children or animals when you cannot commit to the project on a mid to long term basis can be dangerous and can do more harm than good. Conservation, animal shelters, schools and orphanages should be saved for those with time, expertise and genuine commitment to the cause.
Once you are sure of the kind of work you want to be doing, it is important to find the right organization that conducts itself ethically. Before you sign up for working anywhere, it’s a good idea to cross check certain operational queries with the organization to ensure they are transparent and ethical.
In this way, you will understand the skills needed, the cultural norms to follow, the hazards and the level of independent work that will go into it. You will also be able to see the level of accountability and information that the organization is willing to offer. This should help you make your decision in an informed way.
