Digital Detox

We are surrounded by technology in everything we do, every single day.  We wake up to mobile phone alarm clocks, send texts before hitting the shower, phone friends while eating a quick breakfast and check Facebook before leaving the house.  And that’s just the hour before going to work!

Wouldn't it be nice to just STOP?  To disconnect the all pervading technology and get back to basics?  Well now you can.  There are a number of opportunities in both the USA and the UK, where you can leave all that digital noise behind!  And although the idea of ‘disconnecting’ may sound a little horrific and ‘New Age’, it could just be the break you didn't realise you needed!

We found this in Travel Weekly:

The first Camp Grounded will take place June 14 to 17 in Anderson Valley, Calif., at a former Boy Scouts camp. Some 250 campers have already signed up, and there is a wait list of more than 100 people, according to Felix. The cost is $340 per person, including open-air cabins with bunk beds (or participants can bring their own tents); all meals; and a host of low-tech workshops as well as old-fashioned activities such as archery, roasting marshmallows, hiking and sing-alongs.

And

Boutique yoga and wellness vacation company Via Yoga goes so far as to offer travelers a 15% discount off the package price if they are willing to give up their cellphones, tablets and laptops.

“We decided, let’s make it a challenge and incentivize some of our guests,” said Via Yoga owner Suzie Cavassa.

The company provides an emergency contact number that guests can give friends and family who might need to reach them, then confiscates their devices. The accommodations don’t have TVs or radios in the room. Cavassa said that only about 10% of guests take advantage of the digital detox program.

And it’s not just summer camps that are offering these getaways.  The Westin Dublin offers the chance to ‘liberate yourself from your smartphone, laptop and gadgets and replacing all that digital clutter with relaxation, renewal and a few thoughtful touches’. They also offer as part of the package, ‘A handy Detox Survival Kit, featuring information on discovering the city of Dublin and a walking map,  a newspaper (real, not virtual!), a relaxing white tea candle, a board game and a tree planting kit to take home with you.’.

I don’t know about you, but I know where I’m going for my next holiday!