‘What drew you here?’ I asked a couple of nutrition coaches from Portsmouth as we sat in the sauna at one of Channel Four’s most famous Grand Designs. ‘Ooh, we had to see the house,’ they giggled. ‘We love a nose,’ agreed a mother and daughter couple, who go for a retreat day together a couple of times a year.

The lure of the grand design is an interesting idea. The borrowed fairy tale can be so other-worldly that it becomes a kind of liminal space for the yoga, breath work and natural swimming pond dip/sauna/hot tub prescription to work its magic.

But for anyone who saw the episode in which interior designer and architect couple, Nina and Dan, built their dream out of a Shrek-like swamp, the site of our day retreat was a story of transformation that we could all learn from.

Set in Bosham, one of the south coast’s most photogenic locations, The Watershed is a triumph of manifestation over the reality of glaziers failing to get your windows made in time. It’s a vision of how to make your dreams come true. In spite of Brexit, Covid, and Dan’s lovely dad dying before the magic could happen. As parallel narratives to accompany your yoga day go, it’s a good one.

How the dream began

As she showed us around the extraordinary space, regaling us with tales of the TV show experience and the hellish build, Nina told us how the biophilic design is about bringing the outside in. The vast windows look out onto the water and the garden, while the natural materials they’ve used for the interiors are all part of the plan to enhance well-being, health and productivity. It’s a very good place to retreat for the day.

After the first session, yoga overlooking the natural swimming pool, it was time for the dip. Now, I know a little about the oxygenating plants that purify a pond, creating an Eden for wildlife as the frogs, newts and dragonflies turn up the biodiversity volume. We’d almost gone the same route with the pond at our own eco-house in East Sussex, also home to retreats, but we decided that the ducks and geese might get more use from it. Dan and Nina have divided their pond; half for their human guests and the other half for the more indigenous swimmers.

The Water Shed natural swimming pool. Photo: IO Photography

It was always going to be a challenge to work with the elements, particularly the pond; ‘Like a narcissistic lover, water will destroy a building,’ Grand Design’s Kevin McCloud warns at the beginning of their build, as he surveys their plans. By the end of the episode, he clocks that these two clearly have someone to watch over them, as they dodge the bullets and brace themselves against the slings and arrows of life on a building site with two small children and a new puppy. The result is another triumph; a crystal-clear pool which the house perches upon, rather like the ducks on ours.

How could I not go in for a dip?

Yoga leader Anna Coates prepared the group. Trained in Wim Hof breathwork, she showed us how the breath can make all the difference to an icy swim.  ‘Dithering around’ in the shallows, she told us, confuses the body which is waiting to kick into protection mode. Commit to getting straight in up to your chest, exhaling slowly rather than panic breathing, and your body will do the rest, she said. The blood will flow to the surface, turning the skin a healthy pink.

I’m not sure I stayed in long enough to experience the ‘stabbing’ and the ‘electric fanny’ that everyone was chatting about in the sauna, but let’s just say that I’ve been having cold showers ever since.

The Water Shed hot tub and decking

And so to lunch!

Lunch! Photo: Gilly Smith

After a vegetarian lunch of burnt spring onions with ajo blanco, cavolo nero salad with sweet potato, beetroot and fat couscous, caramelised cauliflower and coconut soup, it was time to manifest our own dreams.

Guided by chantress, sound healer and breathwork coach, Camilla Hamblin, we used the gentle rhythmic pranayamic long breath mixed with a more activated short exhale to lead us into a meditation where our unconscious was waiting to have a word.

As we shared in small groups afterwards, there were plenty of tears as those who came for the view had a whole new way of seeing how to rebuild their own lives. Busy couples looked at each other as if for the first time. Workaholics, yoga sceptics and, yup even nay-saying cold water swimmers like me had a whole new vision of how life could be. And we hadn’t even had the cacao ceremony and sound bath yet.

The Water Shed living room

If houses could smile, I think the Watershed was rather pleased with the spell she had cast.

Kevin McCloud ends the episode of Grand Designs with a quote from American architect Charles Moore, who according to Aaron Betsky in The Architectural Review, had ‘the ability to make the fantastical seem logical, and the sensual seem necessary.’

‘Buildings should be the instruments of connection, not of isolation,’ says Kevin as he assesses the finished dream house. ‘The question is: what do you want to be connected to?’

The next day retreat is 2 May 2025, and the venue is available for hire
www.thewatershed.co.uk

Gilly Smith

Gilly Smith is a food journalist, podcaster and runs food writing retreats at A Sussex House near Lewes. @foodgillysmith on Instagram

The post Want a truly idyllic retreat? Try the Water Shed appeared first on Silver Magazine.

From one heartache to the next

This time two years ago I ended my marriage of 15 years, a week before my birthday. My husband and I lived in our apartment for another 12 months, finishing the renovations so it could go up for sale. I found a much smaller place in St Leonard’s on Sea, just five miles away, while my ex was planning to move back to his native France.

Meanwhile I was in relationship with a man I was besotted with. A man who would go on to repeatedly ghost me then leave me for another woman.

Fast-forward a year and we were finally due to exchange contracts on our flat. Only for the buyer to pull out at the last moment. I had to pay the fees for the flat I could no longer buy, along with the fees for the one we hadn’t sold. I had no work at the time, so it was a huge blow, both financially and emotionally.

It’s fair to say that life was overwhelming for both of us.

Gautier’s father had died unexpectedly during COVID and his mother had recently been diagnosed with cancer, and was undergoing brutal treatment with a bleak prognosis. We were both devastated, obviously him more than me. But I too was so stressed I was worried that I’d end up with cancer.

Guess what?

The unthinkable

Gautier had just left for France when I found a weird cocktail sausage-shaped swelling in my left breast whilst maneuvering myself into a new bikini. I was sent for a mammogram, scan and biopsies immediately after the consultant had examined me, and had a lumpectomy six weeks later.

Friends helped out post-surgery, but there was nobody to make me a cup of tea, give me a hug, do housework and make dinner. Each night I went to bed exhausted, scared and alone. I struggled physically and mentally for months, especially after radiotherapy. I was stuck in a flat I couldn’t sell, so I literally couldn’t move on with my life. And I found it hard to ask for help, so I didn’t.

I desperately needed a break before I broke.

Another article you may like: 10 things I wish I’d known about breast cancer – before I had it 

A change of scenery – the road to recovery

An all-inclusive hotel in Egypt’s Sharm-el-Sheik wouldn’t have been my first choice of destination. I was thinking more of Madeira or Menorca. However, a deal popped up for the Iberotel Redsina and the word ‘snorkeling’ jumped out at me.

I went bananas and booked a ‘swim-up’ room instead of the cheapest room, which is what the old me had always done. The sea appeared to be the same shade of blue as Paul Newman’s eyes. My body needed this like it needed oxygen.

Because it was summer and off-season – high season being spring or late autumn/winter – the resort was almost empty. I arrived at night, ordered room service and jumped straight in the pool outside my room. I swam under the soft white lights with no interruptions except the faint rustling of palm tree leaves as they swayed in the breeze.

The grounds are beautiful

There’s nothing but polite staff, beautiful flowers and palm trees everywhere you go. I felt very relaxed despite the 45-degree heat doing its best to floor me.

I’d sit cross-legged in the clear shallows playing with passing fish and little things that were like a cross between starfish and tarantulas (we held hands/tentacles)

The 60-minute deep tissue massage I treated myself to was the best I’d ever had, and I left the spa with some gorgeous Egyptian skincare products. The beach was two minutes’ walk from my room; the deep water accessed by a long jetty. I was in heaven the moment I jumped into the water.

In the main restaurant, giddy from such a vast choice of food from so many different cultures, I chose Egyptian (obvs). Dishes were beautifully cooked and bursting with flavour. I ate grilled red mullet and sardines, zesty tabbouleh, stuffed aubergines, perfectly dainty French-inspired patisserie, and about 87 different breads.

“Hello Miss Juliette, would you like to do yoga and Pilates each morning, outside in the shade?” Er, yes. After that I’d sit cross-legged in the clear shallows playing with passing fish and little things that were like a cross between starfish and tarantulas (we held hands/tentacles).

Facing phobias

I snorkeled for the first time. This was a huge deal since I have three lifelong phobias: anything covering my face, eels and the other things like eels beginning with ‘s’, and deep water. I had two panic attacks then went back in minus the snorkel, waving to beautiful blue and yellow fish as I swam along the coral. Still in panic mode, though, since I was in 40ft deep water and THERE MIGHT BE AN EEL. I don’t do things by halves.

At the zen pool I could sketch or read in peace while sipping ice-cold Sakara (Egyptian beer) with lemon. I dressed up for dinner each night and was happy to eat alone while I mopped my sweaty brow, insisting on eating outside – “I’m on holiday!” – rather than in the air-conditioned interior.

Four days later, despite a horrible flight, I came back a better, calmer version of myself. I’d been looked after, and I’d relished it. I wouldn’t recommend waiting until you get cancer to allow yourself that. But for me, I guess it was better late than never. Do go in October, though, won’t you?

www.jazhotels.com

Juliette Wills

Juliette writes about football, F1, fashion, health and interiors for national magazines and newspapers. She’s also Bexhill’s new Town Crier (true story!), runs a pet sitting sideline and heads up her own creative agency. If she’s not at home she’s in the sea

The post My cancer recovery: the charm of Sharm appeared first on Silver Magazine.

After a life-changing retreat to Kalukanda House, Harriet Forde turned 60 and ditched her 36-year career in interior design for an exploration of food and a more holistic lifestyle. We spoke to her about the transformational journey, and about the retreat. And now we want to go too.

Do you even know who you are anymore?

The emotional fallout over the last few years has made a retreat from the fast pace and crushing pressure of the ever-growing, extremely demanding, corporate world particularly appealing. But knowing whether to alter your actual career can be difficult to figure out.

The career change is something that had been brewing for a long time

Your identity may be rooted in a working environment if you have been in one line of work for many years. Discovering who you are, without that foundation, may seem daunting and make it harder to know when to move on.

Harriet Forde is an interior and textile designer, mother of two, wife, and founder of Harriet Forde Design. Approaching 60, Harriet felt that she was ready for change. But it was her stay at Kalukanda House that truly allowed space for reflection. And gave her a clearer perspective on the way forward.

“The career change is something that had been brewing for a long time,” she says. “Staying at Kalukunda house reinforced the need to let go of the old and create space for the new.”

Harriet’s experience

Harriet Forde

While being a successful entrepreneur, Harriet has always enjoyed the moments of “me time” she has got from cooking, yoga, travelling, massage, meditation and reading. Yet it was her experience at this retreat that was the pivotal moment in her journey to her new career in food and nutrition.

She described the retreat as “perfectly put together,” and great for those who need some time out to be surrounded by like-minded creatives. Harriet explained that each activity had its benefits: “Doing yoga every day was definitely a plus for my body – I loved the stretch! The gong bath and cacao ceremony are still clearly in my mind seven months later. The massage was amazing too… I knew I needed this week of unapologetic devotion to my body.”

Harriet explained she took part in the Journey to the Heart retreat because it called to her and everything she craved. She had no nerves when embarking on this journey because she had so much faith in the people and the process. She knew one of the founders, Dee Gibson, and decided it was the right call for her.

“Dee described the programme and I felt it chime with me. I needed time out, and to be surrounded by like-minded creatives.  I have done several retreats before and so I had an idea about what works for me – this looked like it would.”

She described Dee as a good person and a top host for the retreat. Harriet recommends the experiences to all travellers, especially solo ones.

“I knew I needed this week of unapologetic devotion to my body.”

Ultimately, it is simple. The space gave her time to breathe, away from the chaos and emotional turmoil the past through years have put us through. The healing and revelations that came from Kalukanda House, and all that it has to offer and nurture, finally gave her the momentum she needed to plan her new ventures with the Slow Food movement.

Read more: The healing power of horses helped mend my heartbreak

What is Kalukanda House?

Founder, Dee Gibson

Sri Lanka is a well-known hotspot for beautiful beaches to relax and unwind on, which can make it a rather busy destination. However, if you travel south to the sandy coast of Weligama, you will uncover many hidden gems, such as the shallow coral reefs, the prized Taprobane Island, and Kalukanda House.

The designers have created decadent rooms to “nourish your heart and soul.” The handcrafted beds, fluffy pillows, organic toiletries, and deluxe power showers emphasise the importance of rest and rejuvenation while supporting local craftspeople. Every morning you can open the hand-carved shutters to reveal a jungle garden bursting with song and endemic wildlife.

The yoga shala and pool are great areas to uplift your spirit through exercise, conversation, or daydreaming, set against blue sky and palm trees or candle-lit dusk. The landscape is a slice of paradise, watched over by an ancient (some may say magical!) Bodhi Tree. It is a safe space in which to lose yourself, and a place where you ultimately find a deeper sense of who you want to become.

Relaxing at the pool at Kalukanda House

What happens at the retreat?

They apply a personally tailored program to dedicate your day to individual healing and guided wellness practices. You will be part of an intimate group of six to eight women. This will help you to find comfort, strength, and security during uncertain times. As you take part in consultations with wellness practitioners and engage in yoga, meditation, and body treatments, the aim is to listen to your inner silence to unlock your highest potential and find a new grounding for the new challenges ahead of you.

“It is a safe space in which to lose yourself, and a place where you ultimately find a deeper sense of who you want to become.”

You will spend your mornings engaging in yoga, meditation, and breathwork, followed by breakfast. Afterwards, they encourage you to converse, journal, and reflect with the others. You then have some downtime to explore the village via the abundance of tuk-tuks, or surf and scuba with trained professionals. Then it is time for lunch, freshly prepared by the on-site chef using locally sourced ingredients.

Your afternoons are spent having a massage or ayurvedic consultation, followed by a gong bath, cacoa ceremony, or reiki. Then there is time for more meditation and finally dinner, drinks, and snacks. It truly is the most luxurious dip into experimental travel.

Yoga at Kalukanda House

How have things changed for Harriet?

In the spirit of taking each day as it comes, Harriet’s new plan is ever-evolving. Which, at the age of 60, she is delighted about. After taking a deep dive into herself and reconnecting her head with her heart, Harriet realised she needed a complete break from her old career in interior design to give space for the new.

“I have continued experimenting in my own kitchen with food, fermentation, and foraging. I have completed a short writing course with producing copy in mind. As well as this, I have joined the Slow Food movement and looked into a variety of NGO organisations in the UK to do with sustainability and food education to see what chimes with me.”

And, inspired by the vast array of delicious meals she enjoyed in Sri Lanka, Harriet has joined the ZOE nutrition programme. This has allowed her to better understand how what she eats, affects her body. Which will maintain the wellbeing she gained from her time at Kalukanda House.

Harriet’s essentials for the trip of a lifetime

We will leave it up to you to pack the basics. But here are a few extras you may not think of:

• Noise cancelling headphones for the plane journey
• An inspiring book
• An idea for a piece of jewellery to be made in Galle
• A set of very open senses – “the smells, tastes, and sounds of Sri Lanka need to be soaked up.”

Kalukanda House at night

If you are looking to make a positive social impact, here are some more details…

Journey to the Heart December 2023

Register here: stay@kalukandahouse.com

Special inaugural retreat only price of $412 (per person)

Private room – $520 (per person)

Twin room – $260 (per person)

Note: $50 per guest is donated to a local charity empowering women and girls

Beth Pratt

Beth is one of Silver’s interns. She loves reading and studying literature. Entering her final year of university, Beth still finds time to dance, swim, and have a pint with friends. Her favourite hobby is going to coffee shops, if you can call it a hobby!

The post How a life-changing retreat transformed this 60-year-old’s life appeared first on Silver Magazine.

A childhood donkey ride on a seaside beach, the odd clumsy attempt at pony trekking, an occasional day at the races. . . I’d never had much to do with animals of the equine kind. They scared me to be honest – all flying hooves, huge teeth, flaring nostrils and unpredictability. I’d certainly never connected horses with any kind of healing power but then what did I know?  

I’d also never expected to find myself after 30-plus years of seemingly happy marriage, starring into an abyss no longer knowing what my future held.

All images: Tania Araujo

A marital curve-ball

In 2019, I discovered that my husband and the father of our three grown-up kids had been having an affair for over a year. As infidelity goes, this was pretty standard fare, I guess. His lover was younger than me, fitter than me, more exotic than me. 

But there was an added ‘extra’. A sting in the spousal tail. My husband’s lover was another man. 

“Yeah, I’m gay,” was my husband’s frankly flippant explanation. “I think I’ve been gay since I was 12 years old. I hadn’t acted on it before. I just didn’t feel ready.” To say I was shocked was the ultimate understatement. My whole world suddenly collapsed around me. My life was a like a demolished building – and my once much-loved husband had pressed the detonator. 

I needed to rediscover my own identity, after decades of being a wife and mum and putting my own desires and needs at the very bottom of the list

Fast forward three-and-a-half very difficult years and the beginning of 2023 saw me attempting to seriously move on. I wanted to put the past behind me and look towards the future – a future I knew I was going to have to rebuild. 

I also needed to rediscover my own identity, after decades of being a wife and mum and putting my own desires and needs at the very bottom of the list. I’d had some therapy and, although this had helped, I’d found it to be a long, drawn-out process. I needed a stark reboot – a kind of caring and nurturing short, sharp, shock treatment, if there was such a thing. And this is where the horses come in. 

Equine therapy? The healing power of horses?

A friend told me about a new week-long equine therapy retreat she’d heard about taking place on the remote Indonesian island of Sumba. The brainchild of Professor Dr Andreas Liefooghe, a chartered psychologist and psychotherapist of many years standing in addition to being an equine expert, he founded Operation Centaur in London in 2005 after witnessing how well soldiers with severe PTSD responded to horses. Now 18 years on, he was launching ‘Retreat and Conquer’ – a holistic, five-day, four-night retreat in which horses would play a central role.

Professor Dr Andreas Lifeooghe, the organiser of the retreats

“When we connect with a horse, we don’t just connect with an incredible animal – we also connect with a disavowed part of ourselves,” the Professor was quoted as saying. “In traditional therapy, this can take a very long time. Horses, however, do in therapy what they have always done for us: help us get there faster.”

In traditional therapy, this can take a very long time. Horses, however, do in therapy what they have always done for us: help us get there faster.

Having read from former participants that just five days of equine therapy had achieved more than several years of weekly therapy and that there was no requirement to be an experienced rider, I was sold. This sounded like just what I needed. It was time to treat myself and concentrate wholly on me. A once-in-a lifetime trip that would push me out of my current highly uncomfortable comfort zone. And hopefully enable me to start seeing the world in glorious, positive technicolour again.  

Sumba is a paradise

The word ‘paradise’ tends to be bandied about with casual abandon, but the island of Sumba truly is a Garden of Eden. Carpeted with lush rice terraces and tropical forests as swaying palm trees cast a silhouette against a cloudless blue sky, white-gold beaches run around the island like a ribbon. The resort of Nihi Sumba, situated on stunning Nihiwatu beach and tagged the ‘Edge of Wildness’ was a lesson in understated luxury. 

I settled into my truly heavenly accommodation – complete with white-linen canopied king-size bed, massive balcony overlooking the Indian ocean, and outdoor bathroom. The first evening saw us sat in a circle with Andreas and his fellow psychotherapist, Raoul Aparici, embarking on a session of group therapy. 

Minus the two professionals, we numbered eight and were all there for different reasons – burn-out, grief, the breakdown of a relationship, depression, anxiety, exhaustion, or a combination of all six. There was little small-talk. The object of the exercise was to open up. 

For some, this proved difficult but I had no problems.  Think the proverbial dam overflowing its banks, the metaphor being doubly apt as the tears flowed as profusely as my words. Afterwards, I felt a sense of relief and a letting go of anxiety. It would be the next day before we even encountered the horses. 

Meeting the horses

Perched on a hillside above the beach, we heard the thunder of hooves before these magnificent animals came into view. What a sight they made as they galloped, free as the day they were born, across the sands. Sumba’s horses are at the heart and soul of the resort – and indeed the island as a whole. Numbering 22 in all, the herd is made up of ponies native to the island, former racehorses, and equines that have been rescued. 

After their run, the horses roamed among us. We had been instructed to ‘buddy-up’ with the animal we felt most connected to. For me, there was only one contender – a beautiful, sleek chestnut mare who went by the name of Bindi. I approached her and tentatively stroked her nose and patted her neck. To my surprise, I wasn’t scared. She towered over me, big and beautiful – a bit like Beyonce in equine form – and when she looked at me, it felt like a little she could see inside my soul. 

The horses galloping along the shoreline

Having bonded with our horses, we took them for a walk and then a ride along the beach. I found myself singing to Bindi but felt liberated, rather than foolish. More therapy followed that evening. While some of our number struggled with notion of what the horses were actually doing for us in a therapeutic sense, I instinctively felt that I ‘got’ it. 

Bindi’s reflection 

Bindi was my mirror image – or rather the reflection of who I wanted to be, who I could be. She was confident and wouldn’t be cowed. Nobody puts Bindi in the corner! She was just herself – there was no other creature she could possibly be – and that was more than good enough. She lived in the moment. For her, the only reality was the here and now. I longed to be a version of Bindi in human form. I had been once. I was determined to be so again. 

Sitting on Bindi’s back on day three as she swam in the warm waters of the Indian ocean is a memory I shall cherish forever. It was scary but exhilaratingly so. If I could do that, I could do anything. That afternoon, following another session of group therapy, we were divided into pairs and instructed to tell our life stories to our partner as we sat on the beach. I was coupled up with a girl I had not immediately bonded with but by the end of the session, I felt very close to her. 

Swimming with the horses

Moving forward

As day turned to night and a bonfire blazed on the beach, we wrote individual postcards to ourselves which we then consigned to the flames. My message said goodbye to the old traumatised me – or at least the one from the past three-and-a-half years. It was a symbolic gesture, but I could feel it working. I felt free. A formal one-to-one therapy session took place before we embarked on a couple of days R & R. Once again, the tears flowed, but these were different to the ones I’d shed at the beginning of the week. I could see a future I felt positive and happy about. I felt calmer and more at peace than I had at any time since life, as I’d known it, had imploded. 

Last night reflections by the bonfire

It had only been five days but felt much longer. I am still a work in progress as I get to grips with a life I neither chose nor envisaged. But I’m getting there – and that is due, in no small part, to ‘Retreat and Conquer’ and my beautiful Bindi.

Details

Alison James was a guest of Retreat & Conquer Nihi, which has four nights’ full-board from £8,295pp, including all equine therapy and activities.

Retreat and Conquer

The next one runs from 25 – 29 November. Fly to Tambolaka airport via Bali.

Retreat and Conquer are planning retreats in the United Arab Emirates and Scotland in addition to Sumba where the next five day retreat takes place in November 2023.

Read more: Recovering from injury is about more than the physical

Alison James

The post The healing power of horses helped mend my heartbreak appeared first on Silver Magazine.

If you’re planning some kind of digital detox, or one of your resolutions is to cut back on screen time, why not do it somewhere nice? And the travel industry could really use your support – what more excuse do you need?!

We’ve found some beautiful places where Wi-Fi is non-existent, the views are incredible, and the vibe is very much ‘out of the office’. What better way to kickstart the year and work on your mental health? A chance to totally recharge and enjoy the tranquillity of these remote getaways.

Joali Being – Maldives

The Maldives’ newest retreat, this is the first dedicated nature-immersive wellbeing retreat of its kind here. It’s only been open a few weeks.

The focus is on enabling you to reconnect with nature, and enjoy a journey of self-discovery and renewal. Combining ancient knowledge with modern science, woven around the ‘Four Pillars’ of Joali Being – Mind, Skin, Microbiome and Energy.

As part of the rejuvenation ethos, there is no WI-FI at all outside of your villa. If you’re lucky enough to be able to book a stay here, you will be part of an exclusive group of travellers to transform themselves in this sustainable yet glamorous environment. So put the phone down!

Book through Experience Travel

FiveElements – Indonesia

Switching off and embracing the tranquillity of the rural location with some gentle walks, cycling and yoga will do anyone a world of good. However, for those looking for a more rejuvenating experience, FiveElements has a bit more to offer.

This award-winning wellness retreat blends the wisdom of traditional Balinese healing with innovative wellness concepts. From Ayurveda to holistic doctor treatments, it’s a peaceful sanctuary, embracing authentic Balinese healing, plant-based cuisine, and sacred arts.

Enjoy yoga, nurturing plant-based menus, Balinese therapies, and experiential activities like traditional cooking. A healing retreat for regeneration, replenishment, and alignment.

Book FiveElements here

Vista Verde Ranch – Colorado, USA

If you really want to escape reality, then this place is straight out of a Christmas movie. A working ranch 25 miles away from the nearest traffic light in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.

Experience what it feels like to be a cowboy/girl with not a care in the world as you take in the scenic snow-covered mountains and enjoy whiling away your days/nights in front of a roaring real log fire.

You’ll be able to completely switch off and immerse yourself in nature as you can experience all the activities, you’d expect such as horse riding, snowmobiling, ice fishing, and more.

Stay in a luxurious log cabin with all the comforts of home, make your way to the main lodge for hearty meals made from the freshest ingredients.

Book a child-free stay at Vista Verde

Warwick Gardens – Sri Lanka

You’ll be transported back in time, to even before the Internet, at this converted colonial tea plantation mansion. Set in 30 acres over 6000ft above sea level, it has just five luxurious rooms. Perfect for getting away from the madding crowd.

This is the perfect setting for an intimate getaway, soaking up the atmosphere of a bygone era. Tech will feel completely out of place here.

Sri Lanka is of course known for its tea and here you can explore its origins, walking through the tea plantations and sampling the delights that are grown on the property.

The hospitality here really is second to none and you won’t need to worry about checking emails or voicemails as you drift off into the 1930s, and sink into the sounds of nature surrounding you.

Book Warwick Gardens in Sri Lanka

Koh Jum Beach Villas – Thailand

This 19-villa retreat is shrouded in jungle, next to a 700-metre beach on an island that has managed to avoid mass development. It’s one of the few remaining beach retreats in Thailand where you can truly escape the everyday without compromising on comfort.

Switch off your screens (there are no TVs in the villas) and spend your days kayaking, snorkelling, relaxing with a massage or enjoying delicious food made with produce from the organic garden.

Each of the well-designed luxury villas is directly on the resort’s seven-hundred-meter-long-beach. Or in the lush tropical gardens with beautiful sunset views overlooking the Phi Phi National Marine Park.

And they are also working hard to make their resort sustainable with their own bottled filter water, locally sourced amenities, and even open-air showers.

Book Koh Jum with Experience Travel

Vil Uyana – Sri Lanka

Welcome to the most exclusive sanctuary on earth. This man-made nature reserve has 26 species of mammals, 150 species of birds, 51 species of butterflies and 35 species of amphibians and reptiles within the grounds.

The highlight is slender loris, fishing cat and Eurasian otter. All living alongside guests with night-time safaris available. Guests can even lay camera ‘traps’ to take home footage of their findings. They have also just had the birth of 20 baby crocodiles; the first known at a reserve in the world.

This is an exquisite experience for animal lovers, with many different excursions. From whale and dolphin watching, to witnessing the gathering of elephants at the Minneriya National Park. Which is a spectacle found nowhere else in the world. There truly is no better way to digitally detox.

Book Vil Uyana in Sri Lanka

Sam Harrington-Lowe

Sam is Silver’s founder and editor-in-chief. She’s largely responsible for organising all the things, but still finds time to do the odd bit of writing. Not enough though. Send help.

The post Planning a digital detox? Switch off at these six beautiful places… appeared first on Silver Magazine.