In our fast-paced modern world with the constant barrage of inboxes and digital devices, time spent away on a digital detox in nature is often much needed to recharge the batteries and get back to your natural rhythms. From smartphones, ipads to laptops we carry our devices with us all day and they are often the first thing we look at when we wake up, and the last thing we see before shutting our eyes and going to sleep at night. But is this constant exposure really damaging our mental wellbeing with the occasional digital detox a much-needed necessity, or can we, in fact, no longer live without being connected?
Whatever it is that you do professionally, it’s a fact that for almost every line of work you will spend a substantial part of the day communicating online via one or more devices. Add to that the added onslaught of social media and our over-reliance on being connected at all times, it’s no wonder that many find themselves addicted to their smartphone and in need of a digital break. Some experts put the time we spend each year checking our emails and social media as much as three weeks in total! As a modern society, we have in many ways lost touch with connecting face-to-face in a tangible and ‘real’ world, and spend far too little time in nature with no distractions to reconnect with ourselves and loved ones.
But we live in a world that is primarily connected at all times and the very thought of losing connectivity may cause many of us more stress than the benefits of being disconnected. There is even a term for this – ‘Nomophobia’ which has been derived from the abbreviation of ‘no mobile phone phobia’ which was coined for mobile phone users who become anxious when they lose access to their phone. Studies have also shown that these users feel that their mobile phone provides them with security and a feeling of wellbeing if they have the device with them.
Africa rates as one of the world’s top destinations to ‘disconnect to reconnect’ because of its remoteness and vast wilderness areas that have largely remained untouched for millennia. A safari in Africa offers travellers the ultimate escape into the wild, where they can break their tiring daily routines and get away from it all. Here time seems to stand still, and days revolve around the natural rhythms of nature and the animals with no need for electronic devices
To completely disconnect visit one of this continents remote areas such as going on a walking safari through Zambia’s South Luangwa region to soak up the smells, sights and sounds of the bush (all in the company of a trained and armed ranger), or experience the vast solitude and tranquillity of the desert by visiting the incredible desert landscapes and barren mountains of Namibia’s NamibRand Reserve, or time on the edge of the Salt Pans at San Camp in Botswana .. the list is endless, either way, you will be able to completely relax and spend your time off the grid without any phone signal or Wifi.
Whether you feel you would benefit from a total digital detox by visiting one of Africa’s many great wilderness areas to completely unwind, or you opt for one of this magical continent’s many destinations that do offer connectivity, the choice to ‘disconnect to reconnect’ should be yours and can be a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with nature and family.
However, if you are considering a remote African Safari and can’t bear the thought of being off the grid.
Here are examples of remote and ‘in the wilderness’ camps where, incredibly, there IS wifi
&Beyond Sandibe Lodge in Bostswana’s Okavango Delta
Singita Sabora Tented Camp in Tanzania’s Serengeti