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Most of us agree that, while travelling is a privilege and often comes with some form of relaxation, there is often stress or anxiety surrounding the organisation, the admin and the decision-making involved in planning a holiday. Recent research shows that, when at home, women carry 71 per cent of the household’s mental load, but this weight often bleeds into travel planning – women are reported to make 82 per cent of travel decisions when sorting a trip.
We often talk about luxury in terms of tangible indulgence: fine linens, spa treatments, an infinity pool with an ocean view. But a quieter, more radical form of luxury is emerging – a travel trend seemingly in rejection of these outdated, misogynistic norms, slowly gaining traction among travel-loving women.
We’ve termed it the ‘Great Decision Detox’ – a response to the pent-up expectation of pressure felt by many women on a daily basis. Increasingly, women are seeking out holidays where all the decision-making is done for you – this choice has less to do with location and more to do with lightening the cognitive load.
It’s a response to what psychologists call decision fatigue: the depletion of cognitive resources after endless micro-choices. It’s not just exhausting; it can spike stress hormones, impair self-control and heighten feelings of anxiety. Studies suggest women make around 35,000 decisions a day compared to men’s 20,000. These range from the tiny (“shall I buy more milk?”) to the huge (“is it the right time for a career change?”). So it makes sense that holidays offering a complete decision detox are particularly magnetic for women, especially mothers who often spend family holidays orchestrating everyone else’s fun before their own.
All-inclusive holidays used to conjure an image of plastic wristbands, queueing for tepid buffets and laminated cocktail menus sticky with sea air. But something has shifted. Today’s top-end retreats have reinvented the old model into the ultimate act of indulgence. The new all-inclusives aren’t about unlimited margaritas, but about unlimited mental space.
At first glance, a ‘no-choice’ setup might seem restrictive. In reality, it’s deeply liberating. There’s something deliciously restful about knowing every decision has been made for you by someone else who genuinely knows what they’re doing. You don’t even have to decide what time to eat: meals appear at exactly the right moment. Activities are gently suggested, transport is taken care of, and massages are pre-booked. Some wellness retreats have even done away with menus entirely, guests are simply served what’s nourishing and seasonal.
A friend recently returned from one such retreat. It was her first trip alone in a decade. “I’ve planned every family holiday for fifteen years,” she told me. “This was the first time someone planned everything for me. I nearly welled up when I realised I didn’t have to think about anyone’s breakfast but my own.” This might sound dramatic, but the statistics don’t lie. Another study found that, even in marriages where the women are the breadwinners, this gender imbalance persists. Women who are the primary earners in their marriage spend slightly more time than their husbands on paid work, and they have considerably less leisure time, which makes holidays even more important.
Of course, freedom can take different forms. It could be a perfectly curated wellness programme in the Caribbean, an invitation to disconnect from Wi-Fi in Cornwall or the simplicity of a walking trail in Spain. But underpinning all of these experiences is the same quiet promise: for once, you don’t have to be in charge. As summer holiday planning season kicks into gear, maybe the most luxurious thing you can book isn’t a bigger suite or a later checkout. It’s the profound, delicious freedom of not having to plan at all. Below, we’ve rounded up the best holidays to book if you’re in need of a true decision detox.
BodyHoliday, St Lucia
If decision-making feels like the most exhausting part of modern life, BodyHoliday gently takes that weight off your shoulders. From the moment you arrive on this lush Caribbean coastline, everything is already in motion. Spa treatments? Pre-booked. Fitness classes? Scheduled. Meals? Thoughtfully prepared. There are around 40 activities (sailing, yoga, Ayurvedic massage and more) offered daily – all are gently suggested, but never pushed. You can plan everything in advance online or let the resort team curate it entirely. Either way, there’s a rhythm waiting for you. This is island time, fine-tuned by a resort that helped define wellness travel long before it became a trend. BodyHoliday is set on a palm-fringed stretch of St Lucia’s north coast and there’s no Wi-Fi across the resort (except in your room) and no televisions either, which nudges you towards presence without pressure. And it works. What could easily feel like an overstuffed programme instead lands as soulful and nourishing. It’s a rare kind of holiday where you do quite a lot, but think about almost nothing. And really, isn’t that the most restorative thing of all?
Another Place, The Lake District
For some people, mindfulness is all about moving, but activity holidays can be a lot of hassle to organise. Another Place promises the freedom of adventure without the faff of planning. Wetsuits are ready by the boathouse, paddleboards are stacked by the water, and guided swims are mapped out, so you only have to show up. Morning yoga, sunset hikes and a sauna by the lake all appear like quiet invitations. And because it’s set right on the shores of Ullswater (one of the most scenic corners of the Lake District) there’s no need to research routes or pick a base. You’re already in the heart of it all. Even the breakfast buffet feels like it anticipated you: hot coffee, warm sourdough and fresh local condiments, all without the need to make a single decision beyond wild jam or marmalade.
Wild Coast Tented Lodge, Sri Lanka
Adventure rarely feels this effortless. Set on a rugged stretch of coastline beside Yala National Park, Wild Coast Tented Lodge offers a front-row seat to Sri Lanka’s wildest landscapes, and without the usual safari admin. You’ll wake to the scent of fresh roti and cinnamon tea before being whisked onto game drives, nature walks or barefoot beach picnics. Meals are communal, sundowners are inevitable, and your only real task is to spot the elephants when they stroll past the infinity pool. Everything else flows without friction. Wildlife excursions are arranged, picnics are packed, and the right pair of binoculars is placed quietly beside you. So when you’re standing beneath a baobab tree or watching a leopard in the bush, you’re not wondering what you’ve missed. You’re just there, fully immersed in the landscape. A stay at Wild Coast Tented Lodge is a gentle, deeply rewarding adventure where you can finally switch off the inner organiser. It’s a rare kind of safari that invites you to be fully present and gently looked after all at once.
Bai San Ho, Experience Travel Group, Vietnam
Planning a trip to Asia can feel like a dream until you start the spreadsheets. You want to do everything: see temples, explore night markets, trek the jungle, eat the real food, but the sheer volume of options and logistics quickly turns excitement into overwhelm. That’s why curated planning is such a relief, especially when it starts with a real conversation. Experience Travel Group offers in-depth consultations to understand what their clients want from their time away, then quietly handles everything else. Routes, experiences, transfers, downtime and even how you explore a site are all expertly mapped. Take their Vietnam trip built around Bai San Ho, a striking resort tucked into a private coastal reserve in Phu Yen. Days are gently paced: hiking in the jungle with a local guide, visiting fishing villages and sampling regional dishes without the stress of cross-referencing five food blogs. And no, this isn’t a tour-bus situation. Every element is beautifully curated and locally grounded, offering the kind of immersive travel you’ll never forget.
The Camino de Santiago, Spain
Luxury doesn’t always mean room service and spa robes. For many, it looks like this: luggage carried ahead, meals pre-booked, bed waiting at the next stop – all you have to do is walk. That’s the magic of doing the Camino de Santiago through an organiser like Camino Ways. This network of ancient pilgrimage routes criss-crosses northern Spain and all lead to the cathedral city of Santiago de Compostela. While some walkers take weeks to complete the full trail, many choose shorter routes like the scenic last 100km from Sarria, which can be done in about a week. Spring and early autumn are ideal for walking with cooler temperatures and quieter paths. “It was a proper holiday from thinking,” a friend told me. “Despite the hours of walking, it was total freedom from my responsibilities.” With routes tailored to different levels, the beauty of this pilgrimage isn’t just spiritual, it’s cognitive. You spend your days moving through landscapes at the speed of your thoughts and your evenings drifting into villages where everything has already been arranged for you. “Nothing to organise or book,” another added. “Just putting one foot in front of the other was so freeing.” This is slow travel at its most profound: no decisions, no stress, just forward motion.
Cabilla, Cornwall
Sometimes the best break from screens isn’t silence or solitude but dirt under your fingernails. At Cabilla one of their most powerful offerings is a ‘Dirty Weekend’ on their rewilded estate on Bodmin Moor. You’ll roll up your sleeves and take part in restoration efforts to preserve and expand the ancient temperate rainforest. When you’re finished getting dirty, it’s time to discover the calming bliss of a sound bath, mindful yoga classes and a woodland sauna. The rhythm at Cabilla feels ancient and strangely familiar with communal meals, forest bathing rituals, woodland walks and stargazing around the firepits. Set in a valley where wild beavers have returned to the land, Cabilla’s philosophy is simple: let nature recalibrate you.
Kasbah Beldi, Marrakech, Morocco
If your brain feels fried and your calendar’s a mess, there’s a place outside Marrakech that feels purpose-built for letting it all go. Kasbah Beldi is all terracotta walls, Atlas views and silence. There’s no Wi-Fi, no fuss, and at lunchtime you’re gently led to a table under an ancient pistachio tree, then brought a simple, nourishing three-course menu. You can walk, ride a horse or surrender to a hammam scrub, but realistically, you’ll spend most of your time by the pool, reading or watching the light shift on the mountains. The staff pass by just a couple of times a day to check if you need anything, otherwise you’re left to drift. “The best thing,” one friend told me, “is the reduced cognitive load. You do almost nothing, and it feels like everything.” No noise. Just slow rhythms, sun-warmed stone and the rare pleasure of having absolutely nothing to manage.
Ease Retreats, Wales
Some of us love a holiday for the rare chance to read a book from start to finish instead of in snatched moments between laundry loads or at bedtime with one eye closing. Ease Retreats was born from that burnout. Founded by Tanya Lynch in the wilds of Wales, these small, affordable retreats are designed for women who are always taking care of everyone else and have forgotten how to care for themselves.“The majority of my guests feel guilty if they wake up and don’t immediately do something,” Tanya told me. “So I encourage them to go back to bed. We have a cuppa-delivered-to-your-room policy.” There are no sunrise alarms here. No productivity workshops. Just unstructured mornings, gentle journaling, coastal walks and long, lingering brunches overlooking the sea. Guests are invited to read, rest, daydream and to do so without apology. It’s not about transformation. It’s about permission to do less, feel more and finally exhale.