SWITCHING OFF IN...THE LOIRE VALLEY

Escape to the secluded forests of the Loire Valley for a digital detox

- HANNAH BRANDLER

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.

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.