We’re adding one more travel trend to our 2014 list – tech-free tourism. If you’re addicted to your gadgets and social media, going cold turkey has never been scarier. So here are our top travel destinations – with device-free policies and/or sans wifi (the horror!) – that’ll help you quash that FOMO. We’re sooo there!
Indonesia
The folks at Digital Detox Asia mean serious business – after all, they’re the same group behind the very popular Camp Grounded in Anderson Valley, California. They’re having two 3D2N retreats in Bali (26-28 July and 4-6 Oct), where you can spend your weekend doing things like yoga, meditation, swimming, art and writing workshops, as well as cooking classes. Carnivores, caution: healthy vegetarian meals are served all round so this might not be your thing.
With a slogan like “On the Edge of Wilderness”, you bet the eco Nihiwatu Resort on the island of Sumba, makes good on their threat promise. An hour by air from Bali, this island retreat has neither landlines nor satellite phones, and you probably won’t get any signal on your cell either. Besides the sun, sea, and surf, take in the rich culture of the indigenous Sumbanese people. Tip: this is one hotspot to hobnob with the rich and famous – we hear the Hermes family vacations here every year.
Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary
Thailand
With mobile phones and other electronic gadgets banned outside of your room, it’s no wonder that Chiva-Som Wellness Retreat in Hua Hin feels like another world altogether. Lauded for their serene beauty and tranquil environment, it’s perfect if you’re looking for a destination spa or a physical detox programme, to go with your digital detox. Expect activities like Tai Chi, Thai boxing, cooking classes, and loads of yoga. They also have a no (screaming) kids policy – do we hear cheering?
Centred on a cave that Buddhist monks used for meditation and spiritual retreat, Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary in Koh Samui also encourages you to keep your electronic devices out of sight in public areas. If you’re feeling burnt out (who doesn’t?), their stress relief programmes are prime. There are no TVs or DVD players in the room either – you could request one, but that just defeats the whole purpose.
Bhutan
A secluded country that measures its progress with ‘Gross National Happiness’ makes Bhutan the ideal escape from the civilized world, especially with the extremely limited (if any, at all) cell and Internet services. That doesn’t mean you’re going to slum it though; enjoy your time away in total comfort at the lavish Amankora. Take your detox further here with spa, meditation, trekking, and even white-water rafting.
Three Camel Lodge
Mongolia
Located in the heart of the Gobi Desert, Three Camel Lodge is a pain to get to – it’s a flight to Ulaanbaatar (capital of Mongolia) followed by a one-hour propeller plane ride, and a 1.5-hour drive. When you get there though, you’d sooner forget about the rest of the world as the glorious grasslands beckon. With 50 gers (traditional nomadic tents) powered solely by wind and solar energy, this lodge is all for sustainable tourism. Expect wild adventures like dinosaur fossil excavations, birding expeditions, and camel riding.
Australia
The vastness of Down Under is just perfect for extracting yourselves from your overly buzzing social networks and embracing nature. Nestled in the dunes of Western Aussie’s Cape Range National Park is the super exclusive (only 9 luxe wilderness tents), eco-friendly safari camp Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef. While conscious device banning isn’t present, there’s no wifi. Neither are there televisions or telephones, so swim (with whale sharks if you’re there between April and July), snorkel, and walk along the beach to your heart’s content without the distractions of the wired world.
Arkaba Station
Arkaba Station in Flinders Ranges National Park, South Australia, is situated on a 60, 000 acre working sheep ranch in the Australian Outback – totally awe-inspiring! You’re volunteering for a digital detox here, since the 5-bedroom homestead (built in 1851) doesn’t have TVs, phones, Internet connection or even a mini-bar in-room, all in line with stayin’ true to their 19th century heritage. What you do get, though, is a nightly carafe of rainwater and binoculars for spotting wildlife.
If you’re really looking to treat yourselves, head to the six-star Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa at Lithgow in New South Wales. Against the stunning backdrop of the rugged Greater Blue Mountains, you’ll also see vertical sandstone cliffs, meadows, dense forests, and all the wild kangaroos you ever wanted. We might be cheating (‘cause there’s wifi available, with no device-free policy whatsoever), but this place is too gorgeous for words. It’s hard to see why anyone would keep hooking up with social media here - after taking a couple of pics for Instagram, of course - when there’s so much to experience.
Top Image: Nihiwatu Resort