You may have never heard of deep travel. Yet it is a phenomenon that really deserves our attention. More and more, we no longer go on holiday to eat out and rest on the beach, but rather want to take in everything around us and really get to know a new place. That’s where deep travel comes in: a new look at travel and vacation.
What do we mean by deep travel?
One of the best-known definitions of deep travel can be found in the book In Motion: The Experience of Travel by Tony Hiss, writer for the New Yorker. He describes deep travel as, “a sense of interconnectedness and heightened experience.” It is “an exhilarating state of mind that travel can evoke, when suddenly everything seems fresh, vibrant, intensely interesting and memorable.” Contrary to many definitions, Hiss thus focuses not on a phenomenon or interpretation of a journey, but a feeling that this brings about.
Deep travel changes our perception of where we are and how we experience time, and ensures that we place ourselves differently in the world. In this way we experience the past, the present and the future of a place, by thinking about how the history of a place and the function it can have in the future. This way of traveling allows us to absorb all layers of nature, the environment and human culture around us.
How do you start with this new way of traveling yourself?
The most important element of deep travel is time: take the time to see every place, known or unknown, from a new perspective. The park around the corner never looks exactly the same. At different times of the day, the incidence of light can create a completely different atmosphere. Imagine what the place looks like at different times of the year, and delve into the stories of the people who live there.
Keep the travel feeling after your trip
Many people often lose that wonderfully inspired and well-rested feeling soon after they come home. However, according to Hiss, you can recreate this feeling by asking yourself a question about an aspect of a day or a moment that was filled with meaning. How did the air feel when you got out of the car after that long drive to Italy? What were the first sounds you heard that magical Sunday in the Veluwe? Why did the moon seem so big during your visit to that one nature reserve? Asking yourself these questions will help you relive those special moments.
Do you also want to experience the deep travel feeling yourself? Sustainable travel ensures that you experience places with a new perspective and discover all aspects of the environment. View our sustainable holidays here and experience this feeling for yourself!
