Chandni Aggarwal wasn’t familiar with the phrase “digital detox” when she embarked on her first retreat into the mountains in 2013. She was camping by a river with her colleagues and their destination lacked phone reception. After many hours of chatting and marvelling at the landscape, she started to feel “the coordination between my mind and body as there was nothing to interfere with my leisure time. There were no upsetting messages to agitate my current balance. I went to bed dead tired, forgetting that I own(ed) a phone.”
It was such experiences that made Aggarwal realise how digital life had trapped her, with constant notifications and the “always available” lifestyle that our phones and computers have made possible. Inspired by her experiences, she began to offer digital detox retreats as part of her travel agency, Transforming Travels.
More people than ever before are embarking on digital detox holidays, a period when individuals voluntarily refrain from using digital devices like smartphones and computers. These retreats often take place in remote areas and focus on relaxation, mindfulness, and reconnecting with nature, helping participants reduce stress and improve their overall wellbeing. According to Santosh Kumar, the country manager for India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Indonesia at Booking.com, “Growing mental health awareness and social media fatigue are prompting travellers to disconnect while on vacation. According to Booking.com’s Travel Trends for 2024, over half (55 per cent) of Indian travellers say that giving themselves the time to relax is one of the main motivators for them to travel, and 52 per cent travel to boost their mind, followed by 38 per cent looking to take the time to mentally unwind.”
The top destinations for digital detox retreats in India include rural or offbeat places in the Himalayas (Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Uttarakhand are popular), the northeast of India, and Karnataka. What makes them ideal destinations is that they have zero phone reception, offer plenty of hiking trails, allow for engagement with native communities, and are some of the least populated places in India. Furthermore, choosing to take part in a diving expedition, trek or meditation programme makes it easier to stay away from digital devices, while simultaneously feeding into a person’s interest and hobbies. While most retreats are done in groups, Aggarwal says that if you’re striking out on your own, it’s best to take your friends and family along so that you have someone to talk to.
One of the rural idylls suitable for a digital detox is the remote farmstay of 130, Awata. Situated along the shores of Lake Vaitarna in the middle of the tribal belt of northwest Maharashtra, some 54 kilometres from Nashik, the property’s spacious twin cottages are made of stone, wood, glass, and earthen tiles, with a bamboo forest surrounding the residences. The nearest hamlet is a kilometre away.
Disconnecting from the digital world helps you truly connect with yourself on a deeper level. It allows your mind to unwind
Amruta Shinde, along with her co-founder Pankaj Ghatge, welcomes around eight to 10 visitors every week for a minimum of three days. On average, it can cost anywhere from INR 5,000 to INR 7,000 per person, depending on the accommodation they choose and the activities they sign up for. Once there, visitors can soak in the sunrise and see the orange sun reflect on the placid surface of the lake, enjoy a freshly prepared breakfast, spend some time reading or farming with the local community, learn how to make soap and pottery, refresh themselves with an afternoon nap, and embark on an evening walk to a nearby tribal hamlet, where they learn about the local peoples’ way of life. Twilight is the perfect time to see birds come home to roost, while the inky sky is dotted with stars—a rare opportunity for city dwellers. On a full moon night, one can see Earth’s satellite reflecting on the lake.
Unlike Transforming Travels, who collect participants’ phones and return them 24-48 hours later, guests at 130, Awata are allowed to retain their digital devices. The remote location and low connectivity naturally disconnects them from civilisation, says Shinde. Furthermore, during power cuts, the option of charging a digital device evaporates and guests are “forced to enjoy the candle light dinners. But, if someone thinks that they cannot resist the temptations, then we take care of the devices,” she says.
Aggarwal has noticed how digital detox retreats encourage guests to connect with the more-than-human world and with one another. “They spend more time talking to each other,” she says. “We only allow one official camera on the trip; less photos are clicked compared to other trips. People spend time in appreciating landscapes, good food, and they lift their heads to look at the sky.” These practices are endorsed by Dr Nikhita Shere, an Ayurvedic doctor with a background in psychological wellbeing and mental health. She discusses digital overload and what to do about it on her Instagram account, @doctornikhita, which has over 4,000 followers. Shere observes that digital detox holidays are a luxury in today’s day and age, but that, “disconnecting from the digital world helps you truly connect with yourself on a deeper level. It allows your mind to unwind, restore energy, and then recharge for the daily grind.”
Some of Shere’s top tips on reducing digital overload in our daily lives include boundary setting, like not using devices first thing in the morning or as the last thing at night; not “phubbing” people, a practice where people use their phone while interacting directly with a person in front of them; visiting a place that is conducive to zero digital access for at least an hour (like a coffee shop); immersing oneself in a book; and writing down one’s emotions on a page and engaging in self reflection, ideally at a park.
If you’re considering a digital detox holiday, Shinde warns against having unrealistic expectations like achieving enlightenment or nirvana, or believing you will master the art of pottery in a weekend.
“Understand your requirement and interest and then accordingly search for a retreat. It's useless for an unhealthy person to all of a sudden mount every base camp just to click a picture. Even if you wish to, take it one step at a time,” she says.
