Top Off-Grid Holidays for a Perfect Digital Detox Experience

There are plenty of reasons you might consider going on an off grid adventure. Perhaps you’ve hit burn out point at work, or need a break from the tech that’s so ingrained in our lives. Perhaps you’re relishing the thought of some much-needed time alone or want to work on your mental health. Or perhaps you and your significant other simply want to experience a beautiful part of the world together off the beaten track and far away from any other tourists.

All of these reasons are valid, and our experts are on hand to help guide you through it and provide a hearty dose of inspiration on where to achieve that solitary bliss.

One of the biggest draws of a holiday to New Zealand is the otherworldly scenery and abundance of wildlife. It’s no surprise then that it’s often the location for major movies (including the LOTR). Rich in breathtakingly unique landscapes, yet relatively under populated, it’s undoubtedly one of the best destinations to go off grid. Consider exploring the Waitaki Valley, an area which offers luxurious geodesic dome glamping and off grid eco-lodges. Or head to the Milford Sound region on NZ’s South Island to soak up its stunning fiord scenery, as well as valleys, rainforests and waterfalls. For a less touristy option along the way, spend a couple of days near the sleepy town of Te Anau to explore the Fiordland National Park and nearby caves. If you’re keen to campervan it, it makes for an incredible road trip.

No doubt a bucket list destination in its own right, Patagonia offers a diverse range of dramatic landscapes, from spectacular mountain ranges to volcanoes, fjords and glaciers. The incredible scenery lends itself well to a variety of outdoor activities including hiking, fishing, kayaking and ice climbing, while the Torres Del Paine National Park is an iconic, not-to-be-missed spot home to an abundance of wildlife. Given the beauty of the destination, it’ll come as no surprise that there are plenty of luxury off grid accommodation options, including beautiful, spacious cabins with sweeping vistas overlooking the park and the Patagonian Steppe, allowing you to get up close and personal with the local wildlife in almost complete isolation.

When you think of breathtaking scenery, rolling countryside, endless mountains, lochs and falls, it’s likely the beautiful Scottish Highlands come to mind. If you’re looking to experience a dose of splendid isolation far from the madding crowd, you can’t go far wrong with a trip to the Highlands. If you’re avid hikers or kayakers, there’s nowhere better to escape the day to day; in some parts of the Highlands, like the Ardnish Peninsula, it could be hours before you spot another human soul. Despite this, there is accommodation in the form of quaint stone cottages and unique holiday homes in remote parts of the Highlands, with sheep as your only neighbours. Some offer the usual mod cons you’d expect, while others offer just paraffin lamps, woodburning stoves and gas cookers – allowing you to totally switch off and remove yourself from the modern world. Bliss

If you’re keen to go off grid and get back to nature in a dreamy winter wonderland, there are many parts of Sweden which make for a beautiful, secluded break. Head just south of the Arctic Circle to Swedish Lapland for a getaway with a festive feel while you take in the magical snowy setting or disappear into the forest in rural Sweden for a stay in a remote log cabin complete with wood fired hot tub. When it comes to accommodation for an off grid adventure in Sweden, you’re spoilt for choice, with everything from rustic cabins to cosy cottages, glamping pods and treehouses – the choice is yours. If you’re hoping to witness the mesmerising Northern Lights, the best time to visit is between late September and early March.

Fancy finding yourself off grid in warmer climes, where you can balance time spent at a dreamy remote rainforest dwelling with time spent on the beach soaking up the sun? Then Costa Rica might be the ideal getaway for you. Here you can spend your days out exploring and searching for wildlife on a biodiversity hike, trekking to waterfalls, birdwatching and horse riding, while come the evening, relaxing in a secluded lodge nestled deep in the rainforest, taking in your verdant surroundings. Costa Rica offers plenty of unique accommodation options, but for something truly off grid, look to rural villages like Bijagua for secluded lodges to rest your head. These offer the chance to experience a seriously special off grid escape not far from the magnificent Lake Nicaragua and the Tenorio Volcano.

There are few places on earth as naturally beautiful and unspoilt as Iceland, known for its out-of-this-world landscapes featuring dramatic glaciers, waterfalls, peaks and beaches. If it’s spectacular scenery you’re after, no matter the season, Iceland delivers. For a truly off grid holiday though, we’d advise avoiding the tourist favourites like Gulfoss, Pingvellir National Park and the Blue Lagoon, and instead head north to see a side of the island few get to witness. It can be isolated and startlingly quiet, but oh so beautiful, with vast coastal roads, deserted beaches, geothermal hotspots and lava caves just waiting to be explored. Accommodation wise, you could stay in one of the many quiet local fishing villages in a charming remote holiday cottage, or why not go even further off grid and choose to camp!

For an otherworldly off grid experience, not dissimilar to how we imagine life on Mars, book yourself a trip to the vast, rocky red expanse of the Utah desert and take in the spectacular canyons, gorges and ridges that characterise its landscape. The best thing about Utah is the endless opportunities for adventure, as its home to Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon, the latter of which you can choose to take in by road or by air. Despite being a beautiful remote location, the Utah desert is an escape loved by tourists and celebrities alike, therefore boasting a handful of super luxury modernist lodges and suites that allow you to take in the magnificence of the valley and endless desert while you enjoy your morning coffee.

Nearly 60,000 trekkers and mountaineers make the pilgrimage to Everest Base Camp every year in hopes of climbing the world’s highest mountain – and sure, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but it can tend to get overcrowded with other tourists. If you’re craving a trip to Nepal to experience its spectacular mountainous scenery, but want to avoid the crowds, the sleepy Kanchenjunga region in far eastern Nepal is a safe bet for an off grid escape. The third highest mountain on earth, it’s almost just as impressive as Everest, with the area only seeing 900 visitors annually. You’ll need to be a seasoned hiker to take it on and will want to book a guide to follow the sometimes-precarious trails (we can help with that!), but it’s all worth it to be rewarded with simply staggering views of the Himalayas. What’s more, there are secluded farm stays and other basic accommodation options in the area’s remote farming villages which offer a peaceful place to lay your head at the end of a day’s hiking.

How about an adventure in the wilderness of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania surrounded by big cats, buffalo and elephants? It’s a bucket-list worthy trip ideal for both families and couples that allows you to truly disconnect and get closer than close to nature in all its brilliance. There are different levels of off grid safari you can enjoy, with many lodges lacking Wi-Fi, electricity and other modern comforts, but why would you need them when there are spectacular scenes to witness across the Great Plains. Stay in minimalist eco-friendly lodges, or camp under the stars in this magical location worlds away from the daily grind. Alternative off-the-beaten path spots include the western parks of Mahale and Katavi, where you can explore incredibly diverse landscapes, from mountains to flood plains and lakes.

For lovers of the great outdoors, a holiday to Canada has it all. Mountains, woodland, lakes, glaciers, waterfalls – it’s truly an adventurist’s paradise. And being so vast, it offers ample opportunity to go off grid and get a taste of splendid isolation. Experience a luxurious tented safari on Vancouver Island surrounded by ocean, mountains and lakes home to bears, bald eagles, whales and sea lions, or stay in an off the grid eco lodge in the Canadian Rockies. Here you’ll encounter picture-perfect lakes (Lake Louise, Lake Moraine) and National Parks (Banff, Jasper) just waiting to be explored. While some of these spots can get pretty touristy in peak season, there are plenty of lesser-known areas to go off the grid in Canada, whether glamping or caravanning’s your thing, or living the good life in a beautiful lodge with a crackling fire. Your adventure awaits.

Ready to book your off-grid holiday? Chat with one of our Travel Experts below to tailor-make your next adventure.