Unplug and unwind at these wellness retreats

Gone are the days when a detox holiday simply meant a celery juice by the beach every morning: a new wave of retreats has arrived to bring a more holistic approach to improving your wellbeing. From silent or dark retreats to dopamine detoxes, these wellness holidays go a step further to help you relax.

1. Unplugged, London, Manchester and Wales, UK

Escape to a remote log cabin in the British countryside. Upon arrival, you’ll place your phone inside a lockbox, where it’ll remain for the next 72 hours – a timespan that studies have shown is long enough to alleviate problems associated with excessive screen time, such as anxiety, lack of focus, poor sleep and low mood. In exchange, you receive an old-school Nokia, an instant camera and non-digital forms of entertainment. Solar-powered cabins are minimalist yet chic, outfitted with hot showers, cooking facilities and fire pits. Forget about the outside world while watching the rolling hills fade peacefully into the misty horizon.

2. Kamalaya Koh Samui, Koh Samui, Thailand

At this sanctuary nestled in a tropical hillside, overlooking a tranquil beach, you’ll disconnect during a retreat customised to your needs. Kamalaya offers five wellness programmes ranging from three to 21 nights and covering everything from optimising fitness, detoxing, tackling stress, embracing life changes and promoting longevity. Plus, with beachfront rooms and facilities like plunge pools, an infrared sauna and steam caverns, you’ll be able to take some much-appreciated time away from screens. Book your accommodation first, then tailor-make your experience during a consultation.

3. Mauna, Hong Kong SAR

For three days, your home will be a former jackfruit farm in a valley in the New Territories, where you’ll practise sunrise yoga and meditation in silence, free from Wi-Fi. By embracing the present and letting go of outside distractions, your stress and signs of burnout will fade. At mealtimes, you’ll be served a plant-based menu free from gluten, alcohol and caffeine, with heavy dinners exchanged for lighter dishes to ensure a deeper, more restful night’s sleep in your beautiful, boutique-style bedroom.

4. Loire Valley Lodges, Loire Valley, France

Melt away your worldly troubles at a luxury treehouse lodge embedded in private woodland, less than two hours from Paris. During your stay, you’ll commit to a low-tech lifestyle and use a walkie-talkie to communicate with the property’s staff. Lodges are TV- and Wi-Fi-free, and have curtain-less windows to encourage waking naturally with the morning light (though sleeping masks are available). Build out your days with soaks in the outdoor hot tub, in-room spa treatments or floating in the pool while gazing up at the treetops.

5. Bali Silent Retreat, Bali, Indonesia

Stretched on a lounge chair among rice fields, palm trees and wrinkled mountains, you’ll be tempted to turn to a fellow retreater and gush about the beautiful surroundings – but don’t. During your stay at this Bali retreat , electronics aren’t allowed and social talking is only permitted in a designated Chat Zone. The aim is to support each guest’s spiritual journey by facilitating quiet contemplation – meaning no one, not even the staff, will approach you if that’s your wish. Instead, tune into the chatter of frogs and look up at the starry night sky. In the mornings, you can wander the gardens and try water meditation.

6. Darkness Retreat, Johannesburg, South Africa

Attain respite from the constant activity of the outside world by taking away all visual stimulation. This darkness retreat in Johannesburg features rooms adapted so that guests can live in complete darkness for up to 11 nights, with two-way hatches for meal delivery and a rose quartz lamp to bring you back to light gently. In the darkness, you’ll be able to prioritise rest and introspection, and reconnect with your inner self. To book a retreat for more than seven nights, guests must have first experienced a three- or four-night stay.

7. The Ranch Hudson Valley, Sloatsburg, United States

Give yourself the gift of a physical and mental reset at this celebrity-favourite luxury retreat , now newly opened on the US’s East Coast in a historic lakefront estate. Over a three- or four-night stay, you’ll breathe crisp air during a tranquil hike through the state park each morning, then condition your body with an afternoon of strength training, restorative yoga and, finally, a massage. Those looking for more specialised treatments can explore hydrotherapy or energy healing. In between activities, you’ll be served nutritious plant-based meals, such as vegetable lasagne and broccolini pizza.