To slomad or not to slomad: what is it, why would you become a slomad, who invented it and where is the best place to go?

What is a slomad?

A slomad (from “slow” and “nomad”) is a digital nomad who travels more slowly than traditional nomads, staying in one place for longer (often months) rather than constantly moving, leading to deeper cultural immersion, a lower ecological footprint and greater stability. Slomads focus on sustainability, building routines and really getting to know a local community.

A slomad likes long-term stay instead of short term stay. That means less frequent travel, often three months or moreper location. So a more relaxed pace of work and travel is embraced.
A slomad goes for in-depth experience. Taking more time to explore the local culture, make friends and develop a sense of “home”. The slomad takes time for example to find their favorite coffee shop and talk to the staff. So when they return to the place, they are "known" and will get a familiar face.
A slomad is working on sustainability. The slomad is more conscious of their impact due to less travel (by plane) and a greater connection to protecting their temporary environment. At the same time, that "saves" money, stress and time. That can be put in self-care and a more sustainable lifestyle.
Since a slomad stays longer at a certain destination, the "normal" work routine can be followed more easily, and that is better for productivity.

When you are driven by a desire for a deeper cultural experience, and it is important to you to have environmental awareness, slomadding might be for you. The advantage is also that you have less hassle visawise, you don't have to move places all the time. You have more rest and less stress, and can discover the country a little better and deeper.

It is not an invention, it is a trend according to the digital nomad community. The term gained popularity as more people embraced remote work and realized the challenges (burnout, isolation, costs, flexibility) of constant movement, leading to a desire for deeper understanding and immersion of the place where someone stays and sustainability in travel.
The paper Digital Nomads: Lifestyle, Travel Behavior, and the Work/Leisure Balance(Trihas & Papadaki, 2025), stated that 58% of the digital nomads reported staying in a single destination for one to three months, while the remainder – the slomads – opt for longer-term stays.

In spring, summer, and early autumn when from the EU, my take is to go to Europe, it is easy regarding visa, which are not needed, the weather in Europe is okay. The south is a little better (in my opinion), so in spring it is the more south you go, the warmer it is. And I love warmth.
In autumn and winter, my take is to go to Asia. For a woman alone, Asia is safe. I love South East Asia in particular, you might have to apply for a visa or leave the country once a month or every three months in certain countries like Thailand and the Philippines.

When you have traveled the world, you will experience (or at least I did) that the people that you meet are more important than the places you see. My heart doesn't beat faster anymore when I see another waterfall. For me, traveling is more about a deeper understanding of people and places. When you stop, breathe and have time to take the same route to your local coffee shop for months, you will see different things than when you are only in a place for a couple of weeks. You get to know the neighborhood where you are staying, the people that live there, the local staff in the shops. You feel more at ease to chit-chat, you don't have to hurry. It gives your existence a whole new dimension, it feels more natural. Home is where the heart is, and when you think with a smile about the people you have met... that is belonging. You belong in a slomad way, especially when you return the year after...

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