Imagine a vacation where you leave your mobile phone behind, defy the urge to check emails, ring someone, tweet something or use the mighty power of the internet to find your way around in a different country. Picture yourself trying to communicate your desired dish to a waiter without the help of a digital translator or finding your route from one place to another using an old school map. While this might be a nightmarish thought for some, a specific travel company based in the U.S. believes others will find it so refreshing that they'd be willing to pay handsomely for the experience.

FTLO Travel, a venture targeting millennial solo voyagers, is initiating phone-free trips in February 2024. It proffers individuals the chance to leave behind their gadgets and relish a more engaging experience by acquainting themselves with locals and adapting to the new environment. Participants will embark on journeys of either five days or one week extended, completely devoid of their smartphones. Imagine a life sans emails, Instagram, Google Maps or a digital translator.

Our expectation is that people will welcome the challenge of navigating a trip without a phone, resulting in enriching experiences and meaningful connections,says Tara Cappel, the founder and CEO of FTLO Travel. Cappel is of the view that our increasing reliance on smartphones in the digital era has a negative impact on our mental wellness and capacity to be present at the moment. By eliminating this diversion, Cappel believes, travelers can engage fully with the destination they're visiting and connect wholly with the places they're exploring.

In an epoch where the screens we carry daily in our pockets are incrementally becoming more of a hindrance, digital escapes are gaining popularity. Early this year, Ulko-Tammio, an island in Finland, branded itself as the world's inaugural phone-free tourist hotspot, inspiring its visitors to fully immerse themselves in the natural surroundings. Additionally, many other accommodations or tourist attraction sites, like the upscale Rancho La Puerta in Mexico, designate themselves as digital detox destinations, emphasizing on relaxation free from phones and computers.

FTLO Travel offers phone-free trips for groups of 14, starting at $1,999 and are organized in countries like Italy, Cuba , Portugal, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Iceland. The seven-days trips cost $3,200. The trips are open to anyone from anywhere in the world, but the price does not include airfare. The critical rule of the trip, as stated by Cappel, is to leave the smartphones behind. Trip participants who do choose to bring them are advised to keep them in their luggage or lock them away in their hotel's safety deposit box.

According to Lamees Khorshid, a psychologist based in California specializing in peak performance, happiness, and relationships, the benefits of vacationing without a mobile phone are innumerable. Khorshid suggests that the absence of constant notifications from a phone allows for focused attention in the present, thus fostering more spontaneous encounters or even adventures unplanned. It facilitates the mind to be present and fosters us to use things like paper maps, engaging the brain actively.

Kim Baron, a digital analytics manager aged 40 based in Cleveland, has partaken in six FTLO Travel trips so far. While she hasn't yet experienced a phone-free journey, she discloses her intent to reserve the Iceland and Havana ones. Absorbing the essence of travel is pivotal; indulging in the local food, discovering the culture, appreciating the scenery and interacting with the natives, shares Baron.