The Sound
of Silence
Silent travel, also known as quiet travel or silent tourism, can include everything from silent meditation retreats to tranquil destination hotels, nature excursions to sleep-therapy retreats or silent walking tours. It even covers noise-pollution friendly experiences like silent discos and silent concerts!
These quiet experiences offer a chance to restore, rest, and reconnect with our own inner selves, and are a fast-growing trend in travel for an era of overstimulation. So, let’s explore some key opportunities for quiet around the world.
In its ‘purest’ form, silent travel is largely associated with silent meditation retreats, which themselves originated from the Buddhist practice of Vipassana, or ‘seeing things as they really are.’
But traditionally, this is far from the ‘trendy’ meditation retreats which have been diluted from the practice and which focus on awareness, transcendental meditation or mantra use. Vipassana, in its truest form, mandates ‘non-reaction’, wherein silent meditation means sitting and training yourself to rise above the physical, objective sensations within your body over a matter of days. In this way, you are trained to stop reacting to the vicissitudes of life.
Vipassana Meditation in Chantaburi, Thailand
Set in a picturesque centre in Chantaburi and surrounded by the famous Soi-Dao and Kitcha-Kood mountains, Dhamma Canda Pabhā (meaning The Glowing Moon of Dhamma) is one of several Vipassana centre in Thailand to offer courses in Vipassana Meditation as taught by S.N Goenka in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin, a leading twentieth century authority on Vipassana meditation.
Here, students can experience this process of self-purification by introspection and are expected to adhere a strict code of discipline in line with a practice based on the foundation of sīla — moral conduct. Students spend periods of time in ‘noble silence’ dedicated to meditation and reflection to regain perspective, insight, and a renewed sense of centre.
Chantaburi is around 3-4 hours from Bangkok, so combine this intense retreat with a stay in Bangkok and explore the capital city to re-immerse yourself into the brightness of the world after an extended break from stimulation. Or, take a few extra days in relaxing mood and enjoy the beaches of Rayong or Pattaya.
However, silent meditation retreats are far from the only way to incorporate more quiet into travel. Silent travel, after all, isn’t restricted to just a lack of sound, of actual silence; it’s about being afforded a space which is conducive to tuning into yourself without distraction. This will be different for every individual, and so silent tourism comes in many forms!
With around 27% of the country given over to national parks, stunning landscapes and swathes of remote nature, Finland is a great destination for a bit of peace and quiet. In fact, some of these incredible spots are inaccessible via ‘regular’ transport, so it’s important to book transfer options!
Chase the Aurora Borealis in Finland
Discover the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park like never before on an experience during which the focus is ‘you, silence and nature only’. Rather than mandatory silence during the experience itself, travellers can appreciate the beauty of naturally quiet destinations, unspoiled beauty, and the magnificence of the Northern Lights as a phenomenon. Stay in one of the hotels in the area (accessible via transfer) to experience the vast 1,020 square km that makes up the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, as part of Lapland’s awe-inspiring landscape.