Verve Voyages
Verve Voyages

Why slow travel helps, and what we don’t know yet.

Every Verve journey is built from a few well-studied ideas. We show you the research behind each day, and we’re honest about how strong it is.

The benefits of a holiday usually fade within weeks of coming home.

de Bloom et al., 2009, a meta-analysis of vacation effects. This is the problem we design for.

  1. 1

    Arrive slowly

    Stress needs time to come down before rest can start.

  2. 2

    Immerse

    Nature, movement and awe restore attention.

  3. 3

    Integrate

    Reflection and a home ritual help the change last.

The ideas we build on

Evidence strengthStrongPromisingEarly
The study behind “Forest time”Promising

Time among trees is associated with lower cortisol. Field studies in Japan found lower stress markers after forest walks compared with city walks. Samples were small.

The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku: evidence from field experiments in 24 forests across Japan

Park et al., 2010 · Environ. Health Prev. Med.
Study type
Field experiment
Who took part
280 young men
Where
24 forests, Japan

What they found

After walking in and viewing forests, participants had lower salivary cortisol, pulse rate and blood pressure than after the same activity in city settings.

Limits to keep in mind

Only young Japanese men, measured over a day or two. We don’t know how long the effect lasts or how well it applies to everyone.

How we use it

Forest sits and slow walks on immersion days.

Reviewed by Dr. [Name]Verve advisory panel · last checked May 2026
Read the original paper Related articles
Nature doseStrongAbout two hours a week in nature is linked to better wellbeing.White et al., 2019 · Scientific ReportsAttention restorationStrongNatural settings give tired attention a chance to recover.Kaplan, 1995 · J. Environmental PsychologyForest timePromisingTime among trees is associated with lower cortisol.Park et al., 2010 · Environ. Health Prev. Med.

From the field

Articles by researchers and guides on the science of travel.

All articles in Field Notes

One slow read a month

New research, explained by the people who study it. No hype.

What we won’t claim

  • A trip isn’t therapy, and it isn’t a cure for depression or anxiety.
  • Most studies are small or short. We say so on every card.
  • If you’re struggling, we’ll point you to real support first.

Reviewed by people who study this

Our advisory panel checks every claim before it appears in a journey.

Advisor · environmental psychology
Advisor · sleep science
Advisor · clinical psychology