Sober Vacation Ideas and Travel Destinations
Recovering from an alcohol addiction changes many things about one’s life. One of the things that change is your holiday making and traveling. The initial thought may be that your holiday will be less fun if you’re no longer able to drink, but many recovering drinkers find that their traveling experiences improve because they are no longer dealing with hangovers, a lack of energy, and find themselves with more money in their pocket to do new and interesting things. In this article, we will discuss several sober vacation ideas to help you plan a fun getaway without alcohol.
Sober Vacation Ideas: Where to Go and What to Do Without Alcohol
Camping, Hiking, and Fishing
Camping, hiking and even fishing in the great outdoors is the first of our sober vacation ideas. The immediate benefit of going out into nature for your holiday is the lack of temptation: with no bars and bottle stores around, it’s easy to maintain your sobriety. With alcohol relapse rates between 40 and 60 percent in the first year of sobriety, being in a place where alcohol isn’t available may be your best bet. The only way booze makes its way out there is if someone in your group were to bring some.
Some of the most popular places to visit for a camping trip includes:
- Southern California
- Costa Rica
- The Grand Canyon
- Hawaii
- Mexico
- Joshua Tree
- Zion National Park
- Yosemite
Since there will be no drinking involved, the many fun activities can be met with a sober, energetic disposition, making it one of the best vacations for non drinkers.
Meditation Retreat
Another of the sober vacation ideas that won’t surround you with drinkers and partiers is a meditation retreat. You’ll be among people who love life, enjoy the beauty of nature and their inner self, and who all strive to live healthy lives.
The City
The city offers far more than just bars and drinking events; in the city, you can find many ways to entertain yourself while appreciating the musical arts among other things. One of the sober travel tips for those visiting a city is to go to unusual activities, such as musical theater. It can give you a chance to step outside of your usual activities – things that you don’t normally have time for – and connect with yourself through the expressive art and music.
Skiing
Sober travel vacations can come from the same ideas as normal vacations, such as a ski trip. Skiing is certainly one of the activities that is best appreciated sober. It is easily one of the best vacations for non drinkers because to truly appreciate the breathtaking views of mountain tops draped by a dazzling blanket of snow is best done sober – not to mention safer.
A Wellness Getaway
A wellness destination is a place where the focus is put on the wellbeing of the travelers who visit. It’s like a holiday resort that wants to keep you healthy and happy. Exotic locations such as Bali or Brazil offer a variety of non-alcoholic beverages that can be enjoyed alongside other drinkers.
As one of the sober vacation ideas, some people even use wellness getaways as a way to detox from alcohol and focus on their health – going to a resort when they feel the need to flush toxins from their body.
Activities, food, and beverages are centered around wellness, and some may not even serve alcohol at all. This allows you to enjoy the facility and destination with other like-minded individuals. Some of the activities common in wellness centers include:
- Hiking
- Fitness classes
- Biking
- Kayaking
- Various workshop classes
Sport-Focused Travel
One of the sober travel tips is to do something that is focused on sporting activities as these can provide hours of entertainment that is best enjoyed sober.
Choose a sport, such as rock climbing, surfing, hiking, diving, mountain biking, or any other sport you love or have always wanted to try. People who attend such activities tend to not drink too much as it negatively affects their performance.
Adventure Holidays
The likes of adventure tours, yoga retreats and other adventure excursions can make for excellent sober travel vacations. An adventure holiday is usually a structured vacation that has several activities lined up for each day. The focus of the holiday is on an adventure, such as at a national park. There are times of quiet contemplation mixed in with heart-racing activities that can be fun for the whole family.
Many adventure holidays are designed to be the best vacations for non drinkers by leaving alcohol off the agenda and providing a guided adventure through the holiday destination.
Road Trips
The United States is a vast expanse of culture and jaw-dropping environments. One way to see it all is through a road trip, which can be one of the excellent sober vacation ideas. You are in charge of where you go and what you do once you get there. In the more religious parts of the country, such as the Bible Belt, many of the family restaurants don’t even offer alcohol, making it easy to enjoy country singing and dancing without the presence of alcohol.
Volunteer Vacations
A volunteer holiday is one way to enjoy the pleasures of getting away while also giving something back. It can be a rewarding experience to volunteer in far-off places, helping people from all walks of life.
Volunteer vacations are not just limited to the young and fit. After selecting a destination, you can find holiday destinations that are suited to:
- People over 50
- People over 40
- Singles
- Families
- Seniors
- Students in high school
- College students
Some of the volunteer work that you can partake in includes:
- Teaching
- Arts and music
- Childcare
- Animal care, including wildlife
- Elderly care
- Renovations and constructions
- Nature conservation
- Sports
Sober Group Travel
The next on our list of sober travel vacations is sober group travel. Understandably, traveling alone and trying to stay sober can be tough; however, there’s no need to go alone. Some travel companies offer sober group travel packages which puts several like-minded individuals together to enjoy some of the most famous locations around the world. It gives you a chance to not only see fascinating and awe-inspiring locations, but you also have the chance to meet and make a connection with others who have similar life-values.
Alcohol-Free Regions and Countries
Alcohol isn’t legal everywhere in the world, and what better locations to visit than a country that doesn’t allow for the sale of alcohol. The entire country is geared toward sober activities.
Countries such as Egypt and Jordan make drinking near impossible. While many areas in the Middle East may be war-torn, there are many more places that can be a joy to visit in the region.
If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, get help right away. Make a phone call that will connect you to a professional drug treatment center. The call you make may save your life or the life of someone you love. Call us today at (800) 429-7690.