6 Off the Grid Vacations Where You Can Truly Get Away from It All
Unplug from Technology & Reconnect with Life
These days it seems destinations where you can go totally off grid are far and few between, but disconnecting from all of those high-tech gadgets and the chaos of our modern world can be the perfect antidote to the stress of day-to-day life while allowing you to reconnect with nature and the ones you love.
Slow down and enjoy a digital detox and an incredibly relaxing holiday with these fabulous off the grid vacations.
Lake Placid Lodge, New York
The luxurious Lake Placid Lodge offers a special Check In to Check Out package that includes two nights in a TV-free room or cabin. You’ll leave your smartphone, laptop and other electronic devices at the front desk, so you can indulge in a truly tech-free vacation.
Instead of checking social media or vegging out in front of the TV, you’ll spend time with the ones you love, playing board games, sitting by the fire or taking part in a long list of outdoor activities like hiking and boating.
You can look forward to some stunning sunsets too, enjoying them outdoors in one of the comfy Adirondack chairs.
San Ignacio Lagoon, Baja, Mexico
This vacation is all about the whales and forgetting about all your electronics. Ignacio Lagoon is one of three lagoons on the Baja Peninsula of Mexico where gray whales birth their calves, thanks to the protected waters. Instead of spending your time staring at your cell phone, you’ll enjoy close encounters with the 40-ton mother whales and their newborns.
The moms actually seek out interaction with people, approaching the boats with baby in tow, perhaps as an introduction to humans, though experts aren’t quite sure why.
One of the best ways to experience this is to stay at Campo Cortez through Baja Eco Tours, an eco-lodge set in this remote location that brings guests out to see the whales. While the solar-powered cabins have some electricity, it’s just enough to charge smaller items like a digital camera.
Besides, your laptop won’t work anyway as there is no internet access and only an intermittent cell signal, if that. But, really, who cares when you’re out there petting gray whales? You won’t have time to miss your cell phone on this unplugged vacation.
If you're looking for an all-inclusive experience in a beautiful locale, look no further than a Punta Cana vacation full of sunshine and sand.
Little Palm Island, Florida Keys
Ideal for romance-seekers, Little Palm Island offers the chance to experience a real-life Gilligan’s Island. You’ll have to fly or travel by boat to get here, and when you do, forget about being interrupted with the buzz of your cell phone or blaring TVs.
Disruptive modern devices like those are typically so disliked on this island, one of the few phones here is said to be stowed away in an outhouse. While you may be without gadgets at this off grid vacation spot, you’ll have access to plenty of luxuries, spending your days cuddled up in a hammock, taking strolls on the soft, powdery white-sand beach, indulging in spa treatments and dining on succulent seafood meals.
If you want to explore a brilliant underwater world, you can snorkel among the incredible coral reefs and colorful fish at Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary.
A Whitewater Rafting Adventure
If you want to bring along the kids, you may think your options are limited, but there are a surprising number of whitewater rafting trips geared for the whole family that provide the ideal way to unplug from the electronics and reconnect with life. Little ones as young as 4 years old are welcome on the three-day Lower Klamath River trip offered by OARS.
The Klamath River is situated in the remote northwestern corner of California and provides fun, bouncy rapids that are an ideal introduction to whitewater. Plus, the water is relatively warm, making it fun for other activities like swimming too. The trip includes easy hikes, blackberry picking and even the opportunity to gold pan.
Of course, there are plenty of rafting adventures to be had all over the country — and the world. Whitewater rafting in Colorado, for example, is incredibly popular due to the plethora of rivers and beauty of the surrounding landscape.
Lodge on Little St. Simons Island, Georgia
A 15-minute ferry ride on the Hampton River will bring you to the private barrier island of Little St. Simons. The Lodge sits upon 10,000 intrusion-free acres, surrounded by marshland and maritime forest, with a feel as if it’s worlds away from the mainland. Just 32 guests can stay at any one time, and there are no televisions or telephones. It’s one of the best ways to get away from it all in the United States.
Instead, you’ll find seven miles of unspoiled sands with pretty seashells strewn about, and the opportunity to enjoy swimming in the gentle surf, fishing or watching all the birds, which include bald eagles and some 280 other species.
The Belfast Titanic has attracted a great amount of attention to the Northern Ireland city, meaning many more people are discovering its Irish charm.
Tsylos Park Lodge, British Columbia, Canada
Tsylos Park Lodge aims to provide guests with the best in off the grid family vacations. There’s no WiFi, no TV and no cell signal, so forget about texting and email — just enjoy the peace and tranquility of the great outdoors that surrounds you.
Spend your days taking part in activities like hiking, horseback riding, canoeing and fly-fishing in world-class waters, and then feeding your hearty appetite with delicious meals that involve actual conversations around the table.
If that sounds a little too secluded to you, there are plenty of small towns away from any sign of hustle and bustle where you are that much more likely to relax and take in your natural surroundings. Creston, British Columbia is a great little place for a laid-back vacation — especially if you can motivate yourself to leave your phone in the B&B for a few hours.
