Readers and experts agree: it’s difficult to fully unplug when you’re traveling. In a survey of more than 1,000 travelers, Marriott confirmed that at least half of its customers checked e-mail and voicemail multiple times a day while supposedly on vacation. At the same time, 85 percent of respondents said they were annoyed by loud cellphone users.

In response, all nine Paradise by Marriott resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico will roll out tech-free zones this December. Each property will dedicate a curated outside space (such as a garden, a patio, or a terrace) and appoint it with comfortable seating and reading materials—on paper! Signs will clearly mark that these are “Braincation” zones where guests are asked to take a break from their electronic gadgets.

Of course, self-moderation may turn out to be very difficult for some folks. If you want to go cold turkey off your iAddiction, consider one of these swanky tech-free destinations.

Baja Camp

Location Isla de Espíritu Santo, an uninhabited nature reserve off Baja California that’s a two-hour boat ride from La Paz.

Nearest Wi-Fi An Internet line is powered by solar panels 20 to 30 minutes a day for staff.

Accommodations Each of the five green canvas tents holds two double beds—tent flaps open to the ocean. There’s a lounge and dining space where tropical fruit is served at breakfast.

Comfort level Bare essentials and simple bucket showers shift the focus to the bay and rust-red mountains surrounding the camp.

How to disconnect Go trolling and drift fishing in the Sea of Cortés—the fish you catch will be made into seviche by the camp’s chef—or explore the island’s many inlets by kayak. From July through September, guides can take you scuba diving among the manta rays and whale sharks; the less adventurous might prefer to swim with sea lions in more shallow waters ([email protected]; doubles from $500).

Copper Canyon Sierra Lodge

Location A pine valley in Chihuahua, Mexico’s Copper Canyon.

Nearest Wi-Fi A 20-minute drive away at the Sierra Lodge office in Creel, which offers complimentary access before and after (but not during) your trip.

Accommodations Eighteen rooms share the long front porch of a tin-roof log cabin adorned with rose and agave bushes. There are murals inspired by the local Tarahumara Indians’ paintings, and each room has a wood-burning stove; some have fireplaces.

Comfort level Gas lamps and kerosene lanterns provide light. Rooms are rustic, but bathrooms are modern and have hot water.

How to disconnect Take a relaxing dip in the Basirecota Hot Springs, a four-hour hike from the lodge, and stop by the neighboring Cusárare Waterfall. Or just sit on the porch and enjoy the view—the Tarahumara Indian Valley and Cusárare River run right in front of the lodge (52-614-417-43804; doubles from $154).

Three Camel Lodge

Location An ecolodge in the heart of Mongolia’s Gobi Desert.

Nearest Wi-Fi In Ulaanbaatar, nearly 300 miles away.

Accommodations Twenty ­deluxe gers (round, lattice-wood tents covered with felt and canvas, ­traditionally used by nomadic herders) are heated by wood stoves and include private bathrooms and king-size beds. Doors face southward, in the nomadic Mongolian tradition.

Comfort level The gers are simply designed but cozy, with hand-painted furnishings. Felt slippers and camel-milk lotions are a few of the locally inspired amenities.

How to disconnect Explore your surroundings—hills, desert, mountains, and springs—and watch for herds of the endangered Bactrian camel. Grab a bite at the Bulagtai Restaurant, which sources its meat and dairy from local nomadic families. Nature-loving kids will adore the lodge’s hands-on conservation programs led by naturalists and scientists (800-998-6634; doubles from $370).

Elephant Watch Samburu Safari Camp

Location On the banks of Kenya’s Ewaso Ngiro River.

Nearest Wi-Fi At the Save the Elephants Research Camp, more than four miles downriver.

Accommodations The camp, built from branches that were stripped of bark by elephants, has six airy and beautiful netted thatched-roof tents with vibrant cloth banners streaming from the ceilings. Bathwater comes from the well and is heated by the sun.

Comfort level Laundry is hand washed and ironed daily, and there’s a steady supply of cold mineral water in bottles. Guests must wash with basins and buckets, but the likes of Natalie Portman and Isabella Rossellini have stayed here—and loved it.

How to disconnect Picnic by the river where the elephants bathe—there’s fresh-baked focaccia each day. In addition to elephant watching, guests can milk goats  and throw spears with the Samburu (254-20-804-8602; doubles from $1,360).

Wilson Island

Location A coral cay off the Queensland coast.

Nearest Wi-Fi Access to the Internet is a 40-minute boat ride away on Heron Island, at a rate of three dollars for 15 minutes.

Accommodations Six tents with raised timber floors and king-size beds overlook the ocean. Private showers are located in a central hub, and meals are served in the Longhouse.

Comfort level There’s daily housekeeping service and hot water for the bath—the camp relies on rainwater—but tents are on the small side. Children must be at least 13.

How to disconnect Go snorkeling in the world’s largest coral reef system, with 1,500-plus species of fish. Spend time among the turtles as they lay eggs from November through March—the last of the hatchlings go to sea in May. In June, humpback whales begin migrating north and breach offshore until October, when they head south with their calves (613-9426-7550; doubles from $1,138).

Shakti Ladakh

Location Six houses on a high plateau in Ladakh, near the Himalayas.

Nearest Wi-Fi In Leh, a 25-minute to two-hour drive away depending on where you stay.

Accommodations Six village houses with different styles, but expect brick-walled gardens and stunning mountain views. Guests can trek from one village to another or camp in even more remote areas—Shakti has domed tents far up in the mountains.

Comfort level Traditional village houses have been renovated to include modern comforts (bathrooms with porcelain fixtures, kitchens with steel ranges).

How to disconnect Every Ladakh experience should start with rafting the region’s two glacier-fed rivers, the Indus and the Zanskar, followed by a picnic onshore. Visit a palace in the village of Stok, or attend morning prayers at the Hemis monastery—the largest in Ladakh (91-124-456-3899; seven-night all-inclusive packages from $4,092 per person).

Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica

Location Across the river from Peru’s Tambopata National Reserve.

Nearest Wi-Fi A 45-minute boat ride away at Puerto Maldonado’s Inkaterra Butterfly House.

Accommodations Thirty-five thatched-roof cabanas, the most deluxe of which, the Tambopata Suites, have plunge pools. For an extra $330 per person, book a night in the canopy tree house (a small cabin on a platform 90 feet above the rain forest floor).
Comfort level Cabanas are lit by kerosene lamps, but all have bathrooms with flush toilets and hot water. The spa uses natural ingredients from the Amazon, such as cream from the cat’s claw plant.

How to disconnect Go paddling on the Madre de Dios River, or explore the rain forest trails. Find one that leads to Lake Sandoval, an oxbow lake where giant river otters and howler monkeys play and which you can cross in a wooden canoe (866-242-2889; two-night packages from $1,083 for two).

Wolwedans

Location In Namibia’s Namib­Rand Nature Reserve.

Nearest Wi-Fi At a café at Wolwedans’s base, a 20-minute drive from the closest camp and two hours from the farthest.

Accommodations Wolwedans consists of three camps and Dunes Lodge, which is located on a dune plateau. Nine chalets with raised wood floors and canvas walls come with en suite bathrooms and large verandas.

Comfort level The lodge has been featured in Vogue fashion shoots and has a resident massage therapist, a well-stocked wine cellar, and a swimming pool.

How to disconnect Take a sunset drive into the dunes, followed by a four-course dinner back at the lodge. There are also hot-air balloon rides with a champagne breakfast. Star beds, a recent addition, let guests sleep on open platforms in the desert. Bird lovers can spot Namibia’s only endemic species, the dune lark (264-61-230-616; doubles from $650).

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