A deeper connection: Why you should choose "slow travel" over hectic backpacking
Emma (22) loves to travel and has tried both backpacking and longer stays abroad. Here you can read about her experiences with Kulturstudier in Nepal and Vietnam.
This text is translated using AI.
View the original article here.– I traveled to Nepal and Vietnam for 'slow travel'.
I have always loved to travel – on summer vacation, on exchange during my second year of high school, and backpacking. After backpacking for a year after high school, I wanted to do something different.
Do you want to explore the world and get to know the traditions, religions, food, music, art, and ways of life of other cultures? Through a semester with Kulturstudier, you will get closer to the everyday life in the country you live in, and become a part of the local community.
– In my opinion, backpacking is often romanticized on social media. Don't get me wrong, it was super fun!
But I also found it stressful, and not quite as rewarding as I had imagined.
How well can you get to know a place by only being there for a few days? I wanted to form a deeper connection to where I was traveling, just like I experienced during my exchange year – and truly get to know the place and the people.
In Nepal, we offer Peace and Conflict Studies, a program that explores relationships between individuals and groups in times of peace and during war and conflict.
– I chose to study a semester in Nepal because I wanted to travel to a place I had never been to before. I have always loved hiking in the mountains, and that was a significant motivation.
Otherwise, I didn't know much about Nepal. But what a diverse country it turned out to be!
– Through Kulturstudier, I got to try activities I would never otherwise have had the opportunity to: Trekking, yoga, sound healing, mantras, festivals, paragliding, and rafting.
Having the opportunity to experience so many different and fun things is truly unique!
Wondering what you can do in your free time as a student in Nepal? Check out our student blog for tips!
– Nevertheless, it was the everyday life that made the most impression. Having regular cafes and restaurants to eat at, getting to know people in the neighborhood, and creating a routine with movie nights, workouts, and walks along the lake.
Such small moments made Nepal feel like something more than just a random destination.
After Nepal, the journey continued to Vietnam. Unlike Nepal, I had seen a lot about Vietnam on social media – and it's not without reason that it's a popular destination.
In Vietnam, you can study Development Studies 1, and learn more about poverty, North-South relations, migration, gender and equality, economic systems, and aid work, to mention a few.
– I can relate to what everyone says about Vietnam: The amazing food, the friendly people, and the beautiful scenery. But because I stayed in the same place over time, I got to experience something even more.
I got to know my neighbors, had dinners at their homes, and got to taste traditional family dishes. It created a sense of belonging that can be difficult to achieve as a regular tourist.
I experienced how much other people mean for such a journey. With Kulturstudier, you don't travel alone – all the students share the desire to experience something new.
Most students don't know anyone beforehand, but you quickly get acquainted when you live, eat, and study together:
– Although the motivation to travel can vary, shared excitement, nervousness, and experiences create a truly unique camaraderie.
I have made an incredible number of good friends during this time, who now live scattered across the country and the world. Whenever we meet again, it's always just as wonderful – we share memories from a very special time in our lives.
Backpacking often involves moving quickly from one place to another, usually on a tight budget and with a desire to see as much as possible in the shortest amount of time.
Whether completely sustainable tourism is possible or not is an important topic in Development Studies 1. Regardless, we can all take some steps to travel in a slightly more sustainable way, and "slow travel" might be one of them:
– In both Peace and Conflict Studies in Nepal and Development Studies in Vietnam, one learns a lot about Asian history and culture, and gains valuable insight into different norms and ways of living.
This allows one to act as a more respectful tourist and make better choices along the way.
– It's about understanding how visitors can impact local communities, as well as making more climate-friendly choices regarding transportation and activities.
The year I spent in Nepal and Vietnam also gave me the opportunity to visit several countries in Asia. In a way, I have experienced backpacking in Asia – but in a slower, more sustainable manner.
Read more student stories from Vietnam
- Vietnam
- Development Studies 1
- Portraits
Guro fikk oppleve Vietnam – uten å ta pause fra bachelorstudiet
– Having this opportunity has been truly unique, and I now feel that my experience of my year of travel is different from many of my friends' experiences.
Therefore, I want to do it again – but in a different continent. In the fall of 2025, I am traveling to Argentina with Kulturstudier to study Spanish – hope to see you there!
