Best slow travel destinations in Asia
Best slow travel destinations in Asia
Peaceful riverside towns and ancient walking routes across Asia
Riverside towns in mainland Southeast Asia move at a pace shaped by monastery life and the water, while rural countryside areas in East Asia offer a deliberately slower contrast to nearby cities famous for their efficiency.
The destinations on this list range from riverside towns built around centuries of monastic routine to rural farming regions where staying in a single small town for a week reveals far more than a fast-paced city tour. Both reward time spent over ground covered.
Staying in family-run guesthouses rather than larger hotels tends to deepen the slow travel experience considerably across most of these destinations. Staying with a local family rather than in a hotel deepens this further still. Packing light, breathable clothing also tends to suit the humid conditions common across the region.
Lists by region
City in Japan
Beppu
Steaming hot springs and colorful Hells
Takegawara Onsen is a wooden bathhouse that first opened in 1879. Bathers lie in warm black sand while staff shovel it over them. The city has more than 2,000 hot spring vents. Steam rises from street drains and rooftops all day. Stay a week and try a different neighborhood bath each morning.
City in Japan
Kanazawa
Samurai streets, gold leaf and Kenrokuen garden
The city is on the Sea of Japan, 2.5 hours from Tokyo by bullet train. It escaped bombing in World War II, so old wooden streets survive. Teahouses in the Higashi Chaya district still host geisha evenings. Mornings start with crab and sea urchin at Omicho Market. Kenrokuen garden is worth a second visit.
City in Japan
Kochi
Castle city with Sunday market and bonito
Every Sunday, a street market more than 300 years old stretches along Otesuji Street. Farmers sell yuzu, ginger and sweet potato from about 300 stalls. Hirome Market fills with locals eating seared bonito called katsuo no tataki. Kochi Castle still has its original keep from the 1700s. August brings the Yosakoi dance festival.
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