Kinfolk Travel: Slower Ways to See the World Hardcover – November 3, 2021

This book breaks down how to live as a local instead of a tourist when you travel...

Such a pretty book on our coffee table. Love the colors it adds.

Cute and thick. Waiting on my coffee table to properly display it.

We may not be able to travel like we used to...but this book makes you feel like you are getting out into the world again. It's more powerful than that, too. It reminds one elegantly to slow down and appreciate our surroundings and those places that are unique because they are filled with people who understand this.

Kinfolk Travel emphasizes on slowing down, disconnecting from the fast-paced world, and immersing oneself in the local culture. The book encourages travelers to appreciate the little details and hidden gems that are often overlooked in the rush to tick off popular tourist destinations. It is beautifully designed, with stunning photography that effortlessly transports readers to various corners of the globe. Each chapter takes you on a different journey, allowing readers to connect on a deeper level with the places being described.

Not what I expected. About 3 pages of ‘slow travel’ information, the rest is write ups of various locations with pictures. If you want ideas for your next trip, maybe this is for you. If you were looking for ideas on better ways to travel slowly, probably pass this one.

I’m a loyal kinfolk reader and I enjoyed the idea behind this book and had high hopes for it. Sadly, it turned out to be a wasted opportunity. Take the chapter on Seoul for example. We have four pages of runners and then a list of sites to see???? Including a full page of a photo of a runner?? Why not include pics of the monuments and sites instead? I can see runners any day of the week. This is an embarrassment kinfolk….

This book addresses how travel, when done right, functions as an extension of daily living. When we travel slowly, we move our existing hobbies and routines to new locals. Giving them fresh life and us a new perspective on traditions and life itself. Whether it’s running, coffee, live music, fine dining, or everything in between; you’re bound to find a part of your own life expressed in this book but seen through different eyes in far off places.The stops along the way are a collection of well known and the obscure. At the time I read this book, the Pandemic is in version 3.0 of its seemingly never ending life. But in the hopeful after, there will be a renewed map opened to us for exploration, encompassing many of the trips inspired by the stories in this book. The entries in it jettison the traditional travel magazines eat, play, stay narrative. Instead you get real everyday human experiences from locals. Descriptions of life that you can almost smell and taste.The book also presents a great overall question about travel as a concept. Which is, how do we find authentic and engaging experiences in a world where “Instagrammability” and mass consumption prevail? The answer, as I mentioned earlier, is to take your life abroad. To see how it is enhanced or changed by language barriers, local customs, regional foods, and more. We learn about how we connect to a place and how what place is about in the broader sense. To really do this, we have to travel slooowly.