photo by Dylan Furst
Lifestyle
23 Off-the-Grid Destinations Perfect for a Data Detox
Let’s not lie to ourselves, technology is everywhere and it’s permeated parts our lives most of us would have assumed we’d keep private. We wake up in the morning, scroll through a few feeds before picking up our...
photo by Dylan Furst
Let’s not lie to ourselves, technology is everywhere and it’s permeated parts our lives most of us would have assumed we’d keep private. We wake up in the morning, scroll through a few feeds before picking up our double shot espresso latte ordered on the Starbucks app, complain about the line on Twitter, while emailing work about being late. There’s never been a generation so attached to our devices, so dependent on technology to drive our lives. Decompressing now means disconnecting, getting off-the-grid and finding an inspiring pocket of the planet so remote as to remain unfettered by wifi signals and Insta stories so that we can socialize, gather and connect IRL.
We’ve got some pretty darn perfect picks for said off-the-grid trips – remote, sweetly serene yet cutting-edge cool hotspots where we agree, go technology free. So plan your next Instagram-free fete away from your “social” life and instead of engaging online with your followers, engage and socialize with your closest friends offline, just like the old days.
Reporter: Katie Bush | Location: Nimmo Bay Wilderness Resort
Located on the private island of Sindabezi, this waterfront property will have you tucked away in the surrounding majestic nature. Tongabezi has three open air dining decks to choose from or you can eat on an anchored boat in the Zambezi River with waiters serving your food by canoe. Their Zambian food is all fresh, meaning the menu changes with the seasons so you get farm-to-table meals year round.
“Get out of your bubble and get into ours,” couldn’t have said it better ourselves, BubbleTent Australia. For you astrology lovers, or those simply seeking something far, far away from their current life climate, check out the three bubble tent offerings (named Leo, Virgo & Cancer) with panoramic overviews of Capertee Valley, completely hidden from each other and offering complete seclusion. Becoming Bubble Boy (or Girl) has never been so beautiful.
Getting to the remote wilderness escape that is Nimmo Bay, in the backcountry of British Columbia is about as far off-the-grid as you can get – it’s accessible only by air or water. Once there, there’s heli-fishing, whale-watching, hot springs, bears and champagne picnics on sandy beaches without a selfie stick in sight.
What better way to get lost than with some pals and a perfect vintage van in a stunning setting? Take a page out of @braedin’s book and road trip in a vintage vehicle (let’s not sacrifice style points, peeps) where any forest, field or beautiful beach can become a cost-effective, life-affirming escape.
Hideout Bali is an ecofriendly, off-the-grid daydream without wifi, tv or connection to civilization of any kind, located under the shadow of a volcano and amid rice paddies in the paradise that is Bali. Surrounded by jungle and overlooking a tranquil river, Hideout was made to welcome adventurers in search of total peace and perhaps, pursuing dreams of their own.
While a vintage van is all kinds of dreamy, cost-conscious cool, for you jet setters looking for a more stable, less gas-guzzling good time, find yourself a secret cabin spot in the Norwegian wilderness, like Joonas Linkola. Figuring out where this is would be half the fun.
While Portugal may be one of the hottest destinations for 2018, it also boasts some of the greenest and most ecologically beautiful, off-the-grid hideaways in the world. Set out for this small spot in a perfect pocket of Portugal where you’ll be immersed in a “waterworld of rice paddies, sand dunes and fishing wharves.” Rustic simplicity must not be mistaken for a lack of architectural importance – become one with nature as you and your pals talk about nothing and everything on your own private pier.
What if you could find yourself in Finland, glamping overlooking the sparkly iciness that is frozen Lake Torassieppi from the comfort of your very own igloo-like dome? Don’t worry, the igloo is heated and cozy with plush accommodations and serious potential to see the Northern Lights. Technology free things to do in the pristine surroundings include snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, dog sledding, reindeer sledding, hiking, ice swimming, sauna steams and ice fishing.
Just south of the San Diego border in up-and-coming elegant wine country of Ensenada, Mexico lies Cabanas Cuatro Cuatros, a settlement of 12 luxury tents nestled within vineyards and mountains overlooking the sea. Just imagine a location with orchards, flora, fauna and wildlife, wines and the sea… that’s where you’ll find me.
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Meandering into the magic that is Morocco is like walking to a bohemian heartbeat all it’s own, but preferring to un-plug in the sandy swells surrounding Desert Luxury Camp becomes a private, perfect experience worthy of tossing your cell phone out the window and never looking back. Far away from the crowds of Marrakech, you’ll arrive by camel and be enveloped by beautiful white canvas tents and Moroccan rugs, all lit by lanterns. At night you’ll fall into your own King sized bed in the middle of the Sahara desert, surrounded by the oranges and purples of sunsets seen only in specific parts of the world.
Newish to the Under Canvas portfolio of perfect clamping spots, spectacular can only start to describe what de-stressing and disconnecting would be like at Under Canvas Zion, located on 196 acres adjacent to the park of the same name. Expect gorgeous glamping tents, outfitted in simple, yet curated decor, set one of the most dramatic and untouched sceneries in the US. Expect the infamous Zion Red Rocks, off-the-beaten path hiking trails and sunsets bursting with colors you don’t even have words to describe.
Longitude 131° is nestled neatly among ancient dunes in the “spiritual heart of Australia,” the Red Centre in the Northern Territory rich in Aboriginal culture and rugged outback beauty. It is a gathering of sixteen tented pavilions designed to offer both luxurious sanctuary and a profound sense of peace and place. Feeling so small has never felt so magnanimous nor understanding your place in the world as so insignificant, so inspiring.
You know how people complain about having to drive to “Outer Mongolia,” as being the furthest place away they can imagine? Well the peace and serenity of Norden Camp isn’t too far off from that, but the trek is worth it’s weight in the change to your body and mind at this soulful escape. Overseen by a husband and wife team, Norden Camp is found in a wildflower strewn landscape at 3,200 meters (10,500 feet) above sea level, a Tibetan community in this pristine corner of China’s remote Gansu Province.
When your only directions to a deeply divine denizen are coordinates, you know you’ve reached next-level wifi-free nirvana. Hop on a plane with some like-minded pals, bound for the untamed beauty that is fertile foothills of the Andes mountains of Chile -– think wood-burning stoves, snow-clad volcanos and skiing while staying in a refuge literally floating over a forest floor.
Bohemian chic meets elegant ecotourism in Tanzania at the remote Singita Mara River Tented Camp. Leave a lighter travel footprint and forget posting to any of your feeds, there’s no TV and intermittent wifi – making for an inspiring and sweet sojourn to one of the most stunning spots in the world.
Disconnecting and decompressing may very well be one of your New Year’s resolutions, but what if you could do that while also checking off a bucket list item or two? Located in the Nam Kan National Park of Laos, the Gibbon Experience is a one or two-night trek adventure through the forests, park and treetops filled with cute little monkeys (gibbons), with meals and overnights in some of the tallest treehouse in the world. Swimming under a waterfall or ziplining through the trees is also a part of this inspiring and internet-free itinerary.
Sister to Singita Mara River Tented Camp, Singita Sabora Tented Camp is less bohemian chic and more modeled after a 1920’s explorer’s camp situated smack in the middle of the Serengeti. Immerse yourself in the glamour and opulence of “tented luxury” amidst a wild frontier of wildlife, wifi free.
Treebones, located in Big Sur, on the California coastline, is a past and current favorite of West Coast folks looking for a little off-the-grid glamping in their free time. Think a luxury yurt village or human-sized bird’s nest as accommodations along with hiking, exploring, relaxing and rejuvenating with one of the best views of the Pacific Ocean Big Sur has to offer.
For those of you weekend warriors looking for a private getaway off-the-grid, but not so far out of the city, Cultus Camp is your hot ticket out of town. Head to this gorgeous Joshua Tree glamping spot, super private in Pioneertown, where you’ll enjoy the serene beauty of the Mojave Desert, superb stargazing, opulent outdoor showers with artful bathhouse and a feast for your friends and your senses on the serene outdoor patio… with no cell service to speak of.
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Beautiful, beach retreats may be a dime-a-dozen in an increasingly small world where seeing a sweet corner of the globe is as easy as checking your Insta stories. But Amanwana takes special care of their unspoiled part of the planet, which includes 20 secluded standalone tents, a restaurant, bar, library, yoga pavilion, spa and dive centre as well as a boutique and gallery, the only resort located on the island of Moyo, a nature reserve east of Bali.
Sister to Under Canvas Zion, Under Canvas Glacier sits on private land 7 miles away from the entrance to Glacier National Park. Book a tent or tipi nestled in the trees for maximum privacy and personal reflection or takeover the treehouse, where we can’t imagine a better place to spend a night.
For a gorgeous, off-the-grid getaway, 14 perfect, private villas lie at the end of the world, or rather, 20 minutes from the magnificent Iguazu Falls in Argentina. Each villa is built on stilts in the Atlantic rainforest, with their own private plunge pools and assigned a guide and 4WD, allowing guests to explore at their own pace, visiting where they want, in their own time.
If the hectic pace of the City has you feeling like heave-ho-ing yourself somewhere with a harvest, look no further than Collective Hudson Valley. It’s a beautiful two-hour drive from New York City and set on Liberty Farms, a world-renowned organic farm and equestrian center. Settle into a luxury tent or luxe lodge while feasting on organic produce grown onsite. Getting back to nature has never looked or felt so sweet and stylish.
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