SLOW TRAVEL - SOUTH AFRICA, COSTA RICA & ITALY

CONTRIBUTOR | HOLLY BAKER

A 2025 Trend that I absolutely love and I jumped on years ago, slow travel! Travelers are craving something deeper, more connected, more intentional - No jam packed itineraries here!

Lingering longer in one place. Connecting with the people, food, and rhythm of a destination. Allowing space for spontaneity and reflection. It’s the kind of travel that leaves you changed—in all the right ways.

3 destinations that I encourage slow travel in are South Africa, Costa Rica and Italy - don’t get me wrong there are plenty of countries you can apply this travel style with but these stand out most. 

SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa for its wild beauty and soulful encounter. This country isn’t meant to be rushed. Whether you're here for your first safari or a bucket-list honeymoon, South Africa asks you to stay awhile. Spend several nights in Cape Town soaking up its history, art, and wine scene. Then head into the bush, where long afternoons on safari are balanced with fireside sundowners and stargazing under the African sky.

Slow travel here means fewer flights, longer stays in luxurious lodges or boutique guesthouses, and making space for the kind of moments that just can’t be scheduled—like watching a herd of elephants at sunset, or hearing stories from your tracker guide about how he handmade the bricks for the house he is building for his family.

COSTA RICA

Costa Rica for nature, wellness and pura vida! I heard this phrase almost immediately once I landed in this beautiful country. Costa Rica lives and breathes pura vida— meaning “pure life,” but really, it’s a way of being. And it’s the essence of slow travel.

Here, you wake with the howler monkeys, sip coffee overlooking the jungle, and take your time moving through cloud forests, hot springs, and coastal surf towns. It's not about how many stops you make—it’s about how deeply you feel each one.

Whether you're traveling with your kids or seeking a nature-based escape as a couple, Costa Rica invites you to unplug, unwind, and realign with what matters most.

ITALY

Italy for its romance and joy of lingering. If there’s a country that has always done slow travel well, it’s Italy. This is a place where lingering over lunch is expected, where each village has its own rhythm, and where connection is baked into daily life.

In 2025, I’m encouraging clients to pick one region and truly sink into it. Let’s skip the whirlwind from Rome to Venice and instead rent a villa, wander through open-air markets, and get lost in conversation with a local winemaker. 

The way we travel matters, how you the traveller are present. It invites real connection. It gives you time to reflect, to breathe, and to absorb the beauty in front of you—whether it’s a lion crossing your path in the bush, a sloth in a rainforest tree, or a glass of wine under the Tuscan sun.

Slow travel means letting go of the pressure to “see it all,” and instead embracing the joy of simply being there.