Starting the new year afresh? Making resolutions and life changes for the better?
Then it’s time to detox your mind and not just your body. Do away with electronic devices and mod cons on a digital detox. Advocates claim you will return with a clearer mind, rested body and renewed energy. Sounds good!
1 THE ALEENTA HUA-HIN RESORT & SPA, PRANBURI
Just two and a half hours south of bustling Bangkok, guests ‘surrender’ their mobile devices and computers at reception and if they successfully go gadget-free will be entitled to a 10 per cent discount upon check out.
With no televisions and internet access, nature is the entertainment. The Aleenta Hua Hin Resort is a private golden beach and lush surrounding mountains. Guests can doze in the cool shade of a day bed, or in the evening, gaze up at endless starry skies to the sound of waves crashing on the sand.
A library of short stories are delivered to your door every morning and you can have your favourite music downloaded onto the on-room music system.
Recognising that a complete detox involves the body as well as mind, guests will undertake a wellness assessment and be provided with a tailored wellness package for their stay. From signature body balancing therapies and healing massages or detoxifying treatments, the package will aid your improved wellness.
The three night Digital Detox programme at Aleenta Hua-Hin Resort & Spa, Pranburi is available from £698. This includes round transfers to Bangkok, in-car picnic, daily gourmet breakfast, eco-friendly farm tour, a low carbon farm cooking class, an in-room supper, beach dinner, a Thai massage and daily newspaper.
2 SWITCH OFF IN CORNWALL
For a digital escape closer to home, The Scarlet Hotel in north Cornwall has no phone signal and one of the best spas in the country complete with meditation room and suspended sleeping pods.
While you can access the WiFi if you really need it, it is suggested you turn everything off to give your mind and body time to restore.
The Scarlet’s personalised Ayurvedic Wellbeing Escapes have been created in line with the ancient Indian philosophy of wellness that aim to help people deal with the demands of today’s fast-paced world.
Escapes start from £880 per person based on two people sharing a room for three nights and include a your three-day tailored programme, three nights stay in a seaview room with two-course breakfast and dinner. Your spa therapist will be specifically chosen for your dosha (mind/body type), and the journey begins with a relaxing foot ritual in the spa.
Day one is all about relaxation with four hours to properly unwind including an individual consultation, a bathing ritual, guided meditation, a therapeutic massage and deep relaxation recovery time. There are two one-to-one sessions of your choice: this could be Nordic walking, a yoga workshop, surfing lesson or dancing.
Day two includes a consultation with your therapist and a 90-minute tailored massage. A final session with your spa therapist discusses therapies to take home with you – so you can continue your journey of recovery. The hotel reopens at the end of January.
Digital Detox Holidays has a range of wilderness-style escapes but we like this one just hours from New York. The check-in to checkout package gives you the option to leave your electronic devices at the desk staff and spend two nights in a room or cabin, so you can completely relax and enjoy the serenity of the Adirondack mountains.
You could take a tour of Lake Placid aboard a 35ft mahogany Hacker-Craft or hike one of the ancient Adirondack trails surrounded by natural beauty. There are 13 sumptuous rooms and 17 luxurious cabins at the water’s edge, each with a fireplace at its heart. Private cabins start at $400 per night.
4 SILENT MEDITATION DAY IN DEVON
Head to The Sharpham Trust for mindfulness, outdoor learning and arts and spend a day at The Barn Retreat Centre in silence, alternating periods of sitting and walking meditation. There are no teachings or guidance, so it is geared for people with some experience in meditation and being in silence together with others.
The next silent retreat days are on Saturday 26 March, Saturday 25 June and Saturday 24 September. The day runs from 9am until around 5pm.
You’ll need to bring your own packed lunch, but teas are provided. Cushions, meditation benches or chairs and blankets are provided at The Barn.
There is a contribution of £5-£10 for the day. For more information, contact event leader Maite Alonso on maite_alonso@yahoo.com or the Barn Team on 01803 732661 or barn@sharphamtrust.org
5 PACUARE LODGE, COSTA RICA
This luxurious eco-lodge in a lesser-visited part of Costa Rica, located inland but towards the Caribbean coast has no phone signal, no electricity in the rooms so you’ll be living by candlelight and it’s remote location means on arrival you’ll need to take a two-seater cable car for the last part of your transfer over the riverbed.
Wi-Fi is only located in a tiny area in the hotel office, but not available in rooms, the bar or lounge area.
Call 01932 424252 for more information.
6.GET OFF THE GRID IN NEPAL
Discover the hidden valleys, remote villages and ancient monasteries of Nar Phu on Lost Earth Adventures spectacular adventure trek. Walk among a region that has been left untouched by modern amenities and experience the Tibetan culture that thrives here.
Beginning in the lower reaches of the Annapurna Circuit, walk along rugged mountain trails, carved into vast, steep sided gorges. Trek through enchanted forests of pine, oak and colourful rhododendrons and experience the lush, verdant greens of the valley floors below. With awe-inspiring snow capped peaksas a backdrop this region is a world away from normal life.
The trail veers into the restricted area of Nar Phu, where, having only been opened to visitors since 2003, the difference from the busier trails of the Annapurna Circuit is evident. You’ll be visiting a region few others have explored.
