Top Culture Trip Adventures for Digital Detoxing

You don’t need to venture 1,000km (621mi) from Ecuador’s mainland to finally let out a sigh of relief, but the limited cell coverage in the Galápagos Islands will surely make the exhale so much better. You’ll sleep in safari-style tents with giant tortoises roaming around the camp, no doubt ready to reminisce about a simpler time when Darwin helped them go “viral”. Endless amazing photo ops will have your “likes” skyrocketing, but stop yourself from posting until you’re back home. It’d be a shame if you dropped your phone mid-snorkel with sea lions and penguins. And why take the risk, if you’re in this for digital detoxing?

Patches of Bali may have been taken over by phone-wielding influencer zombies, but don’t make eye contact and leave your devices at the hotel and you won’t catch the bug. Ironically, this paradisiacal Indonesian island is the perfect place to go phone-free, as our immersive 12-day adventure attests. Sunlit rice paddies, sacred temples and hidden waterfalls will transport you far from the drones of modern tech, while a sunrise hike up Mount Batur will remind you of the joyous power of the great outdoors. Our luxurious island retreat in the Gili Islands will have plenty of modern amenities, but why bother take advantage when you can simply snorkel with sea turtles or chill on the beach?

We’re not actually sure what the cell service is like high up in the Caucasus Mountains, but why would you bother check with views like this to distract you? Georgia is a truly remarkable country, somehow relatively undiscovered on the Eurasian border. Our nine-day trip here offers immersion in both jaw-dropping natural surroundings and unique, ancient cultural experiences. You’ll sample traditional Georgian dishes and take an expert cooking class at a local chef’s home, experience a traditional toastmaster ceremony and learn about the country’s ancient winemaking techniques, as well as having an opportunity to soak in Tbilisi’s unique sulphur baths. On the outdoorsy front you’ll trek through the hilly forests of Lagodekhi National Park and check out Truso Gorge, but the highlight comes on a properly remote hike high in the Caucasus, heading towards the charming fairytale church of Gergeti, which stands quaintly in the shadow of Mount Kazbegi. If the three-hour walk doesn’t take your breath away, then the surrounding vistas will, and you’ll never have felt further away from modern technology.