Five of the best places to go off grid in Asia, get back to nature and away from office phone calls
Nowadays it’s hard to disconnect from our busy lives, even when we go on holiday. So why not throw caution – and mobile phone reception – to the wind and head to a remote, untouched corner of Asia?
The constant ping of your smartphone, battling your way to the office through pollution and heavy traffic, and trying to balance work demands with your social life can be tough. In the modern world, it is getting harder than ever to fully disconnect – even when we manage to squeeze a holiday in.
“Regular breaks, away from the stresses of daily life and the demands of technology and social media, are essential to maintaining good psychological and emotional health,” says Stephen Edwards, a counsellor at Hong Kong-based counselling and psychotherapy practice Authenticity Counselling. “This is especially true for those living in an ‘always on’ city like Hong Kong.”
Our inability to disconnect is also down to our own unhealthy habits, says Sonalie Figueiras, co-founder of Green Queen, an online platform that promotes healthy living in Hong Kong. “We are addicted to our screens and spend hours a day on social media,” she says. “We work long hours and are ambitious about our fitness goals, too. We also enjoy busy social lives and we live in one of the most consumerist societies in the world; malls are our churches.”
With this in mind, there are plenty of off-grid spots to escape to, even in Asia. Here are five places to switch off – where you won’t be tempted to post holiday selfies to Instagram or pick up unexpected calls from the office (mobile phone service will be patchy at best in these remote locations).
1. Daisetsuzan National Park, Japan
Known as the “Roof of Hokkaido”, Japan’s largest national park is in the mountainous heart of Hokkaido island.
A hiker’s heaven, the area covers more than 2,300 square kilometres (888 square miles) of snow-capped mountains – 16 peaks that tower more than 2,000 metres high – lakes, volcanoes, forests and hot springs.
It’s home to several animal species, including brown bears, ezo red foxes and the northern pika (a cousin of the rabbit), and draws few tourists. In autumn, the landscape transforms into a collage of rusty oranges and browns, and even during the summer months the park is cool and dry.