“So many of us hate the fact we’re online so much, but it’s so hard to turn off our phones due to fear of missing out,” says Hector Hughes, co-founder of Unplugged, a collection of digital detox getaways in the UK.
Analogue travel has gone from the norm to an unthinkably exotic — even entertainment-worthy — prospect; just see the hit television series The White Lotus as example, where the guests are repeatedly asked if they want to surrender their phones.
The clue’s in the name: visitors to Unplugged’s 30 off-grid cabins, scattered across the UK wilds in woodlands, hillscapes and pastures, can expect a proper digital detox.
‘We encourage visitors to put their phones away voluntarily and to focus their senses on nature,’ says Joel Heino, Manager, Outdoor Recreation and Visitor Management at Parks & Wildlife Finland.
Nearly all our guests return to the connected world with a new attitude towards their phones, lower screen time or new habits to ensure they go offline more often.”.
