This article was originally written in German and translated into English with the help of AI.
The first time I came across the term slow traveling was through the long-term traveling families in the Traveling Village. It basically means intentionally slowing down your way of traveling.
Our five weeks in Hualien, Taiwan, definitely felt like slow traveling: five weeks in the same bed, the same place, with the same families in our coliving setup.
You really arrive. You start to understand your surroundings, keep going back to your favorite cafés, and at some point you just know which food at the night market is worth it—and which isn’t. The initial overwhelm from the unfamiliar language, writing, and culture slowly fades.
And since Hualien isn’t exactly overflowing with tourist highlights, it’s easy to focus on the Traveling Village community, the coliving, and small personal projects.
But five weeks pass, too. And as I hinted before: I was ready for it. Ready for the ten days of “break”.
Shifting gears
As much as slow traveling with a strong community works for us, we also just crave new impressions and special experiences. Especially when you’re already on this side of the world and have so many incredible places right in front of you.
So we used those ten days for two very different stops—packed with new impressions.
First stop: Taipei
Five nights in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. A windowless Airbnb—but right in what felt like the hippest neighborhood in the city.
Our program:
Three night markets with all kinds of local food (and games for Matilda)
Museum & Memorial Hall about Taiwan’s relatively young democracy (including its darker past)
Creative Parks with countless cool shops and restaurants
Taipei 101 (the building Alex Honnold recently climbed) – from the outside (viewpoint at Elephant Mountain) and from the inside (up with what used to be the fastest elevator in the world)
Gondola ride into the tea plantations, including tea tasting
A visit from our friend Marco (from Hong Kong) for two nights
LeoMoves workouts in the park at 30°C—under slightly confused looks from locals
My take: A great city with friendly people and a really nice balance between local culture and openness to the world. Just a bit hot.
Second stop: Miyako-jima
Had never heard of it before. Our Danish friends Martin & Lilly pointed us to this small Japanese island (part of Okinawa Prefecture)—and it was absolutely worth it.
Beautiful sandy beaches
A great bungalow resort with really good food and a pool
Interesting food scene (a mix of Japanese and Hawaiian influences)
Amazing underwater world: colorful fish and even sea turtles
A German pool friend for Matilda & a pretty cool robot at the reception
The only downside: the visible pollution of the ocean. Even though the beaches are cleaned regularly, the tides keep bringing in large amounts of trash to these otherwise stunning places.
Travel days are exhausting
Packing everything up again (and optimizing every piece of luggage with a scale), checking out, killing time before the flight, going through what feels like five security checks (at least in Japan), sitting on the plane, arriving, unpacking, figuring things out again.
Traveling is exhausting. And the first days in a new place always come with their own challenges.
That’s exactly why—especially with a kid—slow traveling makes so much sense. You just need the time for it.
Next and final stop: South Korea
Right now, we’re sitting at a (very small) island airport, waiting for our flight to Busan.
This is where the final third of our Traveling Village begins—again 37 days, again coliving.
And even though the setup sounds like slow traveling, I have my doubts it will actually feel that way.
The city has a lot to offer.
And everyone in the Village seems pretty motivated to make the most of it.
