Computers, the internet, smartphones, tablets, and more! Tech products make our lives easier and more efficient, but sometimes you just need to unplug from it all and get back to simpler things. Read a book, relax, interface with people without the help of a keyboard and a screen. It’s more difficult today to find a spot to disconnect, but it’s possible. These are our favorite tech-free havens where you can go to disconnect.
Dublin, Ireland
If you’re at all trepidatious about unplugging completely, the Westin in Dublin, Ireland will help you ease into it. Their Digital Detox Survival Kit comes with some of the entertainment and tools on which we rely on our smartphones: a local newspaper, a map of the city, and a board game. It even includes an aromatherapy candle to help ease the transition. While you wouldn’t expect to disconnect completely when visiting a tech hub like Dublin, it’s a good test of your will to see how you’ll do when you find yourself in a destination where unplugging isn’t an option – it’s just how it is. You’ll be staying in a Westin Hotel, so you’ll still have all of the Westin amenities including lovely suites, excellent restaurants and bars, an in-room spa service, a fitness center, and more.
This historic building dates to the 1800s and has had a number of past lives; from the robe suppliers to Trinity College Dublin in 1847 to the city’s leading insurance and financial companies of the late 1800s. Guests can absorb this historical connection when walking through these famous doors, where a warm welcome awaits.
Green Bank, West Virginia
There some places in the United States where mobile service is challenging, but there are few spots where there is a ban on all wireless technology. Green Bank, West Virginia is one of those rare places. It is located within the Radio Quiet Zone which maintains it’s wireless-free designation so the signals won’t interfere with the government radio telescopes nearby. This Radio Quiet Zone has become a haven with its 13,000-square-miles for people suffering the pains of electromagnetic hypersensitivity.
The town has in the media over the years because it’s become quite an anomaly in current times. While Green Bank is meager in its offerings for visitors, you’ll need to see the Green Bank Telescope – it’s the world’s largest, fully-steerable radio telescope. The small-town charm will make you forget technology as friendly faces greet you rather than passing by staring at screens. You’ll probably want to stay in nearby Cass at the Bear Creek Lodge. This rustic, unpretentious lodge has a restaurant, that friendly small-town appeal, and a no-nonsense coziness.
Koh Samui, Thailand
With a motto like “feel life’s potential”, it’s difficult to not feel inspired at Kamalaya Koh Samui in Thailand. Featuring gorgeous rooms with garden, poolside, or sea views, the Kamalaya focuses on the wellness of its visitors. That wellness ranges from a focus on a healthy lifestyle that includes dietary and weight analysis, optimal fitness, and sleep enhancement. They also focus on other issues such as detoxing, stress and burnout, and emotional balance. They’ll work with you with these modalities as well as amazing yoga. You won’t mind being unplugging and you’ll be a new you when you enter the digital world again.
At Kamalaya Koh Samui, Thailand`s award-winning Wellness Sanctuary and Holistic Spa resort, you can experience a life-enriching healthy holiday. Centred around a monk’s cave that once served Buddhist monks as a place of meditation and spiritual retreat, Kamalaya’s essence is expressed in its name, ‘Lotus (kamal) Realm (alaya)’, an ancient symbol for the growth and unfolding of the human spirit.
Ultima Thule Lodge
The Ultima Thule Lodge is far more than just a lodge, it’s an adventure. From the wilderness, the plane tours, and the other Alaskan excursions, you won’t even remember that you’ve opted to unplug for your vacation. In reference to the lodge, though, they describe it by noting that “Paradise lies deep in the Alaskan wilderness. Immersed in nature, a hundred miles from paved roads, you’ll discover a lodge steeped in luxury and centered on adventure.” That adventure causes them to pose a question, too, “Do you seek adventure travel? Alaska’s Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is part of the largest protected land mass on earth.” They want you to unplug and have an ultimate wilderness flight safari adventure with them at Ultima Thule Lodge.
Are you ready to leave the stresses of digital life and escape to a tech-free haven in which you can fully and truly disconnect? While our picks are destinations that make it easier for you to disconnect, there are many other places that are rightfully enjoyed when unplugged, try visiting some of these 15 Incredible Must-See Buildings in Your Lifetime.
