Eat, Pray, Throw Your Phone Away

Jesse asks us: “Here's a challenge. Can you do an article on a spiritual getaway? In 2022, I'm planning to tick one of my bucket list of spending 2 weeks in a monastery in the mountains (location tbc). No phones, No tech, just views and vibes. I’m all ears.”

We love a challenge, Jesse - so let’s do this. We’ve picked out the Zen-iest spiritual breaks across the world - mountains, vibes, and stunning scenic views included.

The big question to consider is how much independence you want during your getaway. Some monasteries offer guest-house accommodation (leaving you free to explore or reflect at your leisure) but others will only accept visitors as part of a structured group retreat - you’ll be expected to take part in communal activities and work throughout the day.

Choose wisely!

For flexibility: The Sanctuary of Oropa, Piedmont, Italy

Towering over the Italian Alps at 1,200 metres above sea level, you’ll find the gorgeous, sprawling pilgrimage site known as the Sanctuary of Oropa. It’s an active monastery and church, housing a 4th century statue of Madonna Maria (which is said to cure illness).

The monks keep about 500 rooms available for guests looking for a spiritual retreat - these are mostly old cells, so they’re quite spartan, especially in the winter. You’ll read a few TripAdvisor guests complaining about the lack of wi-fi and TV, but that sounds like it’s exactly what you’re after! 

Despite being hidden away in the mountains, Oropa can get quite busy - about 800,000 pilgrims visit annually during non-Covid years.

But that doesn’t mean you need to be distracted by the crowds. The real draw of the Sanctuary is the 3,700-acre nature reserve that surrounds it. Hiking, cycling, and climbing are all options - or you can simply find a quiet spot by an Alpine lake to reflect and breathe. This is a perfect option if you want to keep your freedom and independence during the trip.

Getting there:

Hop on a flight to Milan Malpensa or Torino, then take a train to the nearby town of Biella - from there it’s a 25-minute drive up into the mountains. (While you may be giving up on tech, it’s definitely worth renting a car so you can visit the nearby restaurants to grab a bite and regain your strength.)

For the views: Bhutan

Now this was the first thought that leapt to mind when we read Jesse’s request. The astonishing, unspoilt Himalayan views of Bhutan. The pure serenity and calm of Buddhist monasteries, like the famous Tiger’s Nest, perched among the mountains.

If you’re looking for peace and quiet away from the hiking trails, we’d recommend flying over during the rainy summer months - it’ll be quieter than the spring or the autumn, and the views will be just as magnificent.

Staying with the monks may be trickier, though, especially for an extended period; there’s no formal program for visitor stays, although we have seen some tourists on TripAdvisor confirming that specific monasteries (like Phajoding) welcome overnight guests upon request.

The Tourism Council of Bhutan recommends that you speak to a local tour operator well in advance of your visit, and they should be able to advise you on what’s possible. 

If it isn’t an option to spend two weeks in one monastery, you could also stay in a local family’s home with Bhutan Homestay and then hike your way up to the temples from there. Either way, you can expect basic guest facilities, a much-needed tech detox - and an incredibly warm welcome.

There’s another Himalayan alternative you could consider. In Nepal, you can actually volunteer to stay and teach English in a Buddhist monastery for a few weeks with Volunteer FDIP. That means less time for you to reflect and relax, of course, but it’ll be no less rewarding for all your hard work.

Getting there:

You’ll need to catch a Druk Air or Bhutan Airlines flight from India or East Asia. Surrounded by 18,000-ft mountain peaks, Paro Airport is famously challenging to land at. Grip the arm-rest and grit your teeth.

For the vibes: Morro da Vargem Zen Monastery, Brazil

This is a really unusual one - and honestly, it might just be our favourite. The very first Buddhist monastery in Latin America, tucked away in the hills of eastern Brazil, was founded in 1974 in response to decades of brutal deforestation.

Now Morro da Vargem sits amongst thousands of replanted trees 470 metres above sea level, and it offers week-long retreats for interested visitors to come and learn more about Zen.

Just remember that this very much isn’t a ‘come and go’ holiday - discipline is all part of a Buddhist monk’s life, so you’ll be expected to participate in daily rituals and communal activities.

Getting there:

Grab a flight to the coastal city of Vitoria, then make your way up into the hills by bus or taxi. The monastery recommends grabbing an Uber to make things simple - just switch off your phone afterwards and you can keep your tech detox intact.

We hope that gives you a few starting points, Jesse! Let us know how your spiritual adventure goes.

If any other readers have ideas or requests for an article topic, drop us a note in our feedback form.

Our Pick of the Clicks

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across the web this week.

• The Guardian shares a special report for those of us living under the flight path. How scared should we be about aeroplane sewage landing on our heads?

• CNN ranks the world’s most beautiful airport landings - and where you need to sit to get the best possible view.

• Queensland residents have a lot of broken glass to clean up, after their state was bombarded by 16cm-wide hailstones - the largest ever recorded in Australia.

• Check out the world’s most adorable biker gang - in Barcelona, hundreds of kids are cycling through the city streets to get to school safely and healthily.

• Struggling to get some shut-eye? Hong Kong has invented a five-hour bus tour designed to send you to sleep.

Just The Facts...about carbon offset

In our new website article, we’re offering tips on eco-conscious travel - including how you can offset the impact of your flight’s carbon emissions.

Here’s a quick extract from the longer piece:

#1: It’s cheaper and easier than you might think.

Many airlines have a carbon offsetting calculator you can play with to get an idea of how much it costs. Different airlines might show different prices for a similar route based on the types of projects they’re funding. 

A round trip flight from New York to Los Angeles only costs $4.95 to offset, according to JetBlue’s calculator.

#2: You can pick where to donate to.

Usually, airlines offer carbon offsetting via a partner charity or organisation that specialises in carbon offsetting, but you don’t need to use them if you don’t trust them.

The United Nations carbon offset platform lets you narrow your donation down to the specific project and they’re all fully vetted and effective.

#3: Carbon offsetting alone isn’t enough...

Keep in mind that individuals and companies (like airlines) can’t use offsetting as a catch-all when it comes to protecting the environment. We do need to cut emissions too.

#4: ...but it still makes a vital difference.

You may have heard the argument that offsetting is completely useless because it doesn’t really undo your emissions, but that’s not completely true either.

The trees your offset planted won’t suck the plane’s carbon out of the air, no, but protecting and regrowing forests is still important. Especially since tropical deforestation accounts for 8% of global emissions.

The Hosts Who Can Boast The Most Ghost

We wrap up our spooky-season coverage with our guide to the world’s most famous real-life haunted hotels (blood-filled elevators, axe-wielding Jack Nicholsons - the works). 

Here they are, our top three ghostliest getaways across the face of the globe:

The Stanley Hotel, Colorado

Spooky Rating: 👻👻/5

Back in 1977, the legendary writer Stephen King was staying off-season at Colorado’s Stanley Hotel with his wife and son. 

Wandering alone through the hotel’s eerily deserted ballroom and corridors inspired him to write The Shining - the classic horror novel about a writer who’s trapped in an empty mountain hotel and tries to murder his wife and young son. (Well done to Mrs King for taking that one on the chin.)

Since the book and movie’s success, the Stanley staff have worked hard to capitalise on the spooky factor, packing their calendar with regular ghost tours, magic acts, and horror movie conventions. 

Their claims of paranormal activity in the Stephen King Suite are a bit too convenient, so we wouldn’t hold out hope for any actual spooky encounters - but it’s definitely a lovely three-star hotel with a fascinating history.

While you’re there...

The Stanley Hotel is conveniently located close to the entrance to Rocky Mountain Park, making it your best stop to check out some of Colorado’s most stunning views (as well as an epic 415-mile playground for snowmobiling, skiing, fishing and climbing). 

Fairmont Banff Springs, Canada

Spooky Rating: 👻👻👻👻/5

This luxurious spa hotel in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta doesn’t exactly advertise its ultra-haunted status (they’d much rather tell you about their impressive golf course). 

But dig a little deeper and you’ll find that this fancy place has a highly sinister reputation. 

A ghostly bride has been seen wandering on the spiral staircase (where she supposedly tripped and fell to her death), a friendly phantom bellman called Sam has been known to help guests get into their rooms, and Room 872 has apparently been sealed up and plastered over after terrifying multiple visitors who stayed there overnight...

While you’re there…

Banff National Park is one of the most-visited parks in North America, and with good reason - it’s absolutely stunning and well worth a visit, whether you want to spot a grizzly bear or hop on a snowmobile.

The Black Swan Inn, UK

Spooky Rating: 👻👻👻👻/5

We’ll say this for the UK. We know how to do ghosts properly.

While other ‘haunted hotels’ may contain a single mysterious figure or a strange chill (boring!), Britain boasts epically eerie venues such as the Black Swan in York, which has about a dozen spirits to its name.

A bowler-hat-wearing Charlie Chaplin lookalike, a young woman with glowing hair who cannot be looked in the eyes, a cursed chair that rests before the fireplace, a possibly evil smoking-pipe...and best of all, a pair of disembodied trousers that wander about in the corridors by themselves.

Head to the Black Swan to stay the night in any of its three rooms, and you can attend one of their regular ‘ghost suppers’, accompanied by a solid range of real ales and a tasty meat pie or two. (And if you’re in the mood for a different kind of heart-stopping horror, the pub also hosts folk music evenings.)

While you’re there...

York remains a must-see for any visitors to England - a glorious mish-mash of Roman, Viking, medieval and Victorian history, with a centuries-old love of good beer.It also claims to be the most haunted city in the UK - in fact, there are spooky pub crawls in place that let you just stroll from spooky tavern to spooky tavern (check out the Golden Fleece and the Snickleway Inn, for starters.)

Police in New Zealand get an urgent call from a toddler...who really, really wants to show off his toys to somebody.

Thanks for reading!