In today's age of social media overload, doomscrolling and scarily short attention spans, the opportunity to ditch digital devices has become a rare and sought-after luxury- one that I was eager to explore. My hunt for a digital detox took place in France's Loire Valley region, just 90 minutes south of Paris.
As we drove deep into the forest my phone signal disappeared, indicating my arrival at Loire Valley Lodges, a luxury eco-retreat nestled in 300 hectares of private woodland.
More hideaway than hotel, the main property features an idyllic stone house adorned with climbing ivy, while the grounds are scattered with tree-top accommodation, contemporary and abstract sculptures, fruit and vegetable gardens and a glistening outdoor pool. Most attractive, however, is the limited access to technology. Armed with a paper map (no Google directions here) and a talkie-walkie (the endearing French moniker for the old-school radio), I set off to find my lodge.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1450191940/1724773960/articles/nVXP6Ls_N1724927149809/4948424927.jpg]
TIME TO UNPLUG
There are 18 wifi-free lodges in total dotted across the grounds. Built on four-metre-high stilts, the wooden structures neatly camouflage into the forested backdrop, with clever design elements such as bike parking slots carved into treetrunk stumps. Inside, artists have been given free rein to put their stamp on the interiors, allowing each cabin to have its own character - from Sixties-inspired decor to walls sporting urban graffiti and even an ode to Serge Gainsbourg.
My lodge was named Picto Heaven, designed by Pierre Marie Lejeune, and featured thick wooden walls softened by swathes of indigo blue, delicate ceramics and organic furnishings. Where hotels traditionally install a television at the foot of the bed, the lodges instead boast wall-to-wall glass windows, screening a far more soothing wildlife show.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1450191940/1724773960/articles/nVXP6Ls_N1724927149809/8492848298.jpg]
I felt uneasy at first, eager to make a plan and concerned with how I would fill my day. As an over-thinker who's always struggled to relax, this type of stay didn't seem in my nature. Bit by bit, however, I eased into my new habitat and began training in the philosophy of doing absolutely nothing - an activity that once seemed wasteful but is now being touted as a healthy antidote to the stress of modern living.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1450191940/1724773960/articles/nVXP6Ls_N1724927149809/8112429218.jpg]
With my laptop stowed away and my phone devoid of wifi, the time had also come to de-wire my brain. Wrapped in a cosy robe, I spent my first afternoon reclined on the bed watching as branches fluttered in the wind, which took on an eerier disposition as night fell. Once the silence became too heavy, I had eco-friendly Mangobeat speakers to keep me company. Handcrafted from sustainably sourced mango wood, the tech-free speaker amplifies the sound of a smartphone by up to six times without batteries or electricity, while doubling as a beautiful ornament. Instead of feeling bored and restless, I felt a great sense of peace and calm. There have been trips over my career where I wished I had a friend or partner alongside me, but this wasn't the case here, where I embraced the freedom and rewards of being solo, fully appreciating my own contemplative company.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1450191940/1724773960/articles/nVXP6Ls_N1724927149809/0471449191.jpg]
OUT OF SIGHT
With a cabin to yourself, you're left entirely to your own devices (provided these aren't digital). Breakfast, for instance, was mysteriously delivered, with a hamper attached to a pulley at the base of my lodge - having still not witnessed a single soul, I was starting to suspect the presence of mythical creatures. Inside was a generous spread of pastries, crusty bread and baguette, along with goat's cheese packed with herbs, gravlax salmon, plus honey, apple compote and 'jam of the day' from the property's gardens. In keeping with my detox brief, I also swigged a potion of immunity-boosting birch sap.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1450191940/1724773960/articles/nVXP6Ls_N1724927149809/8111849892.jpg]
After breakfast, I set off on a solo cycle through the local Larçay Forest, befriending butterflies and stopping off at a water-lily-dappled pond to savour leftovers from breakfast. While I stuck to the property's surrounds, there are trails to explore as far as Tours (approx 15km). And if you've come by car then it's worth a trip to the river-spanning Château de Chenonceau or the Château du Clos Lucé, the former residence of Leonardo da Vinci.
Back at my lodge that afternoon, I finally crossed paths with a fellow human or perhaps an angel? My masseuse Marine had set up a table beneath the leafy canopy on the terrace, with natural oils for the treatmen...
As we drove deep into the forest my phone signal disappeared, indicating my arrival at Loire Valley Lodges, a luxury eco-retreat nestled in 300 hectares of private woodland.
More hideaway than hotel, the main property features an idyllic stone house adorned with climbing ivy, while the grounds are scattered with tree-top accommodation, contemporary and abstract sculptures, fruit and vegetable gardens and a glistening outdoor pool. Most attractive, however, is the limited access to technology. Armed with a paper map (no Google directions here) and a talkie-walkie (the endearing French moniker for the old-school radio), I set off to find my lodge.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1450191940/1724773960/articles/nVXP6Ls_N1724927149809/4948424927.jpg]
TIME TO UNPLUG
There are 18 wifi-free lodges in total dotted across the grounds. Built on four-metre-high stilts, the wooden structures neatly camouflage into the forested backdrop, with clever design elements such as bike parking slots carved into treetrunk stumps. Inside, artists have been given free rein to put their stamp on the interiors, allowing each cabin to have its own character - from Sixties-inspired decor to walls sporting urban graffiti and even an ode to Serge Gainsbourg.
My lodge was named Picto Heaven, designed by Pierre Marie Lejeune, and featured thick wooden walls softened by swathes of indigo blue, delicate ceramics and organic furnishings. Where hotels traditionally install a television at the foot of the bed, the lodges instead boast wall-to-wall glass windows, screening a far more soothing wildlife show.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1450191940/1724773960/articles/nVXP6Ls_N1724927149809/8492848298.jpg]
I felt uneasy at first, eager to make a plan and concerned with how I would fill my day. As an over-thinker who's always struggled to relax, this type of stay didn't seem in my nature. Bit by bit, however, I eased into my new habitat and began training in the philosophy of doing absolutely nothing - an activity that once seemed wasteful but is now being touted as a healthy antidote to the stress of modern living.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1450191940/1724773960/articles/nVXP6Ls_N1724927149809/8112429218.jpg]
With my laptop stowed away and my phone devoid of wifi, the time had also come to de-wire my brain. Wrapped in a cosy robe, I spent my first afternoon reclined on the bed watching as branches fluttered in the wind, which took on an eerier disposition as night fell. Once the silence became too heavy, I had eco-friendly Mangobeat speakers to keep me company. Handcrafted from sustainably sourced mango wood, the tech-free speaker amplifies the sound of a smartphone by up to six times without batteries or electricity, while doubling as a beautiful ornament. Instead of feeling bored and restless, I felt a great sense of peace and calm. There have been trips over my career where I wished I had a friend or partner alongside me, but this wasn't the case here, where I embraced the freedom and rewards of being solo, fully appreciating my own contemplative company.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1450191940/1724773960/articles/nVXP6Ls_N1724927149809/0471449191.jpg]
OUT OF SIGHT
With a cabin to yourself, you're left entirely to your own devices (provided these aren't digital). Breakfast, for instance, was mysteriously delivered, with a hamper attached to a pulley at the base of my lodge - having still not witnessed a single soul, I was starting to suspect the presence of mythical creatures. Inside was a generous spread of pastries, crusty bread and baguette, along with goat's cheese packed with herbs, gravlax salmon, plus honey, apple compote and 'jam of the day' from the property's gardens. In keeping with my detox brief, I also swigged a potion of immunity-boosting birch sap.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1450191940/1724773960/articles/nVXP6Ls_N1724927149809/8111849892.jpg]
After breakfast, I set off on a solo cycle through the local Larçay Forest, befriending butterflies and stopping off at a water-lily-dappled pond to savour leftovers from breakfast. While I stuck to the property's surrounds, there are trails to explore as far as Tours (approx 15km). And if you've come by car then it's worth a trip to the river-spanning Château de Chenonceau or the Château du Clos Lucé, the former residence of Leonardo da Vinci.
Back at my lodge that afternoon, I finally crossed paths with a fellow human or perhaps an angel? My masseuse Marine had set up a table beneath the leafy canopy on the terrace, with natural oils for the treatmen...
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Business Traveller Uk (Digital) - 1 Issue, September 2024