Travel at your own pace, quietly and without pressure, for a simple change of air, to get back to basics. Relax, listen to birdsong, live with the wind, meditate in front of the ocean, forget about the Internet, let yourself be pampered or simply do nothing. Here are 12 ideas you can follow... to let go.
By Eric Vancleynenbreugel
Vosges - Barefoot living
Leave your shoes in the checkroom and experience the sensations of barefoot walking. In the forest! Every step is a tickle, a little scratch or a gentle caress, but above all it gives you a fantastic feeling of freedom. At La Ferme Aventure, in the heart of the Vosges forests, you can live with your feet in the peat or in the water, and your head in the stars. And at night, you can slip into a suspended hut, a floating hut, a tepee, a glass pyramid or a yurt, but always in total peace and quiet.
La Ferme Aventure, 88240 La Chapelle Aux Bois, www.la-ferme-aventure.fr and www.nuitsinsolites.com.
Lozère - Meditation and yoga on Mont Lozère
To find yourself literally and figuratively in one of the wildest regions of France, with no telephone and no children - yes, sometimes you need that. First of all, there's the location, a farmhouse in the 17the century on the slopes of Mont Lozère, in the heart of the Cévennes National Park. And then there's the program, entirely focused on relaxation: massage, meditation sessions, yoga, hammam, swimming in natural pools in the nearby river. For total relaxation of body and soul.
Le Mas du Coupétadou, Lieu-dit Souteyrannes, 48220 Vialas, www.chambre-hote-cevennes.fr.
Sardinia - among the horses
Sharing an estate with horses, whether you're a rider or not, is a unique concept that brings great serenity to both animals and people. It takes place in the heart of Sardinia, on a farm where the noblest of man's conquests has been bred for three generations, with the exception that they run free. You can relax by the pool or enjoy a meal al fresco, with no barriers between man and beast. Happy mounts that come to graze beside you, gallop around the pool, ask for a caress as they pass and, above all, take you for a ride of a few hours or several days.
Mandra Edera, 09071 Abbasanta, https://country-mandra-edera.sardiniahotels24.com.
Photo Eric Vancleynenbreugel
Pantelleria - the possibilities of an island
Pantelleria is an Italian island lost off the coast of Tunisia. At Club Levante, don't look for a telephone network. Nor television in the rooms. Just an espresso machine and a terrace offering a magnificent panorama of the Mediterranean. Having fallen in love with the island, the owner has refurbished the old ‘dammusi’, small traditional houses built of lava stone and topped with a white dome. On the program: scooter rides along country lanes, gourmet dinners in trattorias or relaxing around the infinity pool. For a total retreat, you can rent a secluded suite from which a steep path leads to a rocky beach.
Burgundy - cycling through the vineyards
An afternoon, a day, a week? It's up to you. Guided by a GPS application, you hop on your bike for routes that take you through some of the most beautiful villages in this region rich in heritage, but also through the vineyards and forest that lick the region's most famous vines: Marsannay, Fixin, Vougeot, Nuits Saint-Georges, Romanée-Conti... Feel the wind caress your face, ride without an engine and breathe in the sweet scents of the Burgundy countryside. The carefully chosen stops have other surprises in store: local meals and tastings. Luggage? We'll take care of transporting it from stage to stage.
France - When paths have ears
A strong-tempered but placid animal, the donkey can be an extraordinary traveling companion. Carrying your luggage and even tired young children, they'll join you for a day or a week's trekking to discover the wildest landscapes, far from the crowds and the beaten track. It's a fantastic experience, from which you'll come away moved by the little things that often make the big things.
The Association des Ânes de Rando (FNAR) groups together 60 addresses throughout France offering holidays that respect a code of ethics and good practice: www.ane-et-rando.com.
Netherlands - Living on the beach
To recharge your batteries, there's nothing better than the sea. And when you can put your suitcases right on the beach, it's a dream come true. That's what this address on the coast of Zeeland has to offer. Where you can stay in kusthuisjes made of wood and glass, open to the sea and set right on the sand. To be rocked by the wind and the rolling waves. Admire the sunset from a front-row seat on the stilted terrace. And to wake up in the early hours of the morning with only the sand and sea on one side, and the dunes on the other.
Strandweelde, Baanstpoldersedijk 1, 4504 PS Nieuwvliet, www.strandweelde.nl.
Morvan - Well-being through ayurveda
At Ferme de Divali, you'll be immersed in the magic of Ayurveda. Right in the middle of the lush Morvan countryside, this old farmhouse, renovated with eco-friendly materials, is organized like a warm and friendly home. Here, time stands still, and everything that makes you feel good is here: ultra-experts hands, rejuvenating ingredients, cozy daybeds, silence lulled by bells and healthy, organic, tasty cuisine prepared by Ariane, the hostess.
La Ferme de Divali, 58120 St Hilaire en Morvan, www.lafermededivali.com.
Ireland - Lighthouse retreat
On one side, a breathtaking view of the ocean, on the other, the lawn of the courtyard and the moor where hares come to frolic every evening. We're at Loop Head lighthouse, at the tip of a peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic, at the very western tip of Europe. A fantastic place to recharge one's batteries, enjoy the iodized air and the calm that is sometimes only disturbed by gales. And no telephone connection! Loop Head isn't a 5-star establishment, yet it has everything you need for an unforgettable stay: cosy bedrooms, shower room, kitchen and lounge. No TV, books galore and a few board games. But perhaps the nicest room is the few square meters upstairs facing the ocean: two armchairs, a few shelves covered with books, posters listing the different species of dolphins and whales in the region, and a pair of binoculars to scan the waves.
The Irish Landmark Trust offers several other lighthouses for rent, as well as cottages and other unusual accommodation. www.irishlandmark.com.
Photo Eric Vancleynenbreugel
New Caledonia - A meaningful journey
Here's a trip like no other: stay with a Kanak tribe. Immersed in the traditional lands of Grande Terre or the islands, travelers sleep in traditional huts. The promise of a real change of scenery and, above all, of unforgettable encounters. Share a bougna (the traditional meal cooked in the stew, underground), learn how to make the custom, weave palm leaves, take up hawk fishing... and, above all, learn more about the Kanak people. A unique opportunity to experience local Melanesian village life while discovering the region at the same time.
www.nouvellecaledonie.travel/planifier-son-voyage/hebergements/liste-des-accueils-en-tribu.
Photo: Tourisme province Nord
France/Spain - Taking the road to Santiago de Compostela
Simplicity and fullness of the senses. But also to surpass yourself. These are just some of the sensations that can be experienced by walking at your own pace through some of Europe's most fantastic natural areas, following the historic footpath of Santiago de Compostela. And to enhance your enjoyment, you can opt for sections that cross the most beautiful landscapes, the most remote and unusual corners. Like Aubrac. Wild, desolate plateaus, forgotten hamlets and charming villages, Romanesque art treasures and pure, invigorating air to breathe in all day long. Before putting down your bundle in a B&B or inn and sharing a meal of local specialities.
Sample itinerary: Nasbinals to Conques, a total of 88 km in 5 days.
Mongolia - Back to basics with the Tsaatans
It's a journey to the land of the immense, to the Tsaatans, a reindeer-breeding people at the gateway to Siberia. It's hard to put this unique experience into words. Going there is already a journey within a journey, to the very end of Mongolia. Objective: to travel the vastness of the steppe at horse pace towards a Tsaatan camp. Then, to criss-cross the taiga with them on the back of... reindeer, sharing their life in the open air, eating under the stars and spending the night under the yurt, discovering the lakes, glaciers and mountains of this part of the world unchanged since the dawn of time!
Several TO offer this type of trip, including www.doublesens.fr.
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