Weekend escape: a luxury off-grid cabin that reminds you of the pleasure of going analogue
Spending several days in a serene woodland cabin with my phone locked away was a wonderful chance to spend time in nature – and a reminder that our phones aren’t as essential as we let ourselves believe.
Like many people, I have a love-hate relationship with my phone. I’m acutely aware of how it drains my time and attention span on what is, 99% of the time, worthless. I find myself absent-mindedly picking it up seconds after I’ve put it down. I know this and yet I struggle to leave my phone alone.
So the idea of a phone-free stay in a luxury cabin was certainly an interesting one. This is what Samsú promises to be. Created by Rosanna Irwin, a self-confessed workaholic and technology addict, she came up with the idea of Samsú to help people disconnect and find solace in nature. Although going phone-free during your stay is not compulsory, and entirely self-policed, I liked the idea of trying it, although I did wonder if I would give in to the lure of the apps.
Arriving at the location, shared through a what3words square (so you know it’s not near any marked road!), you park and a trolley to help you bring your bags awaits, while signs lead you along a track to your cabin.
It’s a delight once you reach it, its black exterior and small footprint nestled into the surrounding trees. Powered by solar energy, it has other eco-friendly touches such as a compost toilet (a first for me, but not unpleasant to use!), and Voya toiletries.
Once inside, there is a welcome kit, with a box to lock your phone in; a film camera so you can still capture memories of your stay; a radio and cassette player complete with cassette tapes; journals; sleep sprays and a guide of ways to spend your time.
There are also books and games for you to enjoy. There is a light phone (a phone which does not emit light, and with minimal features) which people can contact you on in case of an emergency, or should you want to get in touch with someone.
Phones safely locked away, we enjoyed familiarising ourselves with everything in the cabin. It’s small but has everything you need, and its plywood interior is simple but stylish. The kitchen has two gas hobs and a fridge, there is sleek tableware, robust pots and pans and tea and coffee making equipment. I almost wished it was colder so we could light the stove, as I imagine this would be so cosy, but the warm weather had plenty of other benefits. We head to bed, looking forward to exploring more the next day.
Waking up, we immediately appreciate the positioning of the king-size bed we’ve had a restful sleep in. Set on a raised platform, it is lined along two sides by long windows, making it feel almost like you’re in a treehouse. It was raining, but we opened the windows a little and enjoyed a lie-in listening to the rain patter off the leaves.
After a lovely slow breakfast, which included the pleasing process of hand-grinding coffee, and listening to the cassette player (the crackling sound it made sparked a memory in me I didn’t even know I had) the rain cleared up and the sun came out, given us the perfect excuse to head out and explore. We walked through meadows and forest, and came across a lake. Reading the visitor book, other guests have taken the opportunity to go for a swim, but sadly we hadn’t brought the right gear.
We whiled away the afternoon reading outside amongst the trees, before setting up the outdoor fire pit to cook our dinner on. It comes with a grill you can set over it, and we jumped at the chance to cook over fire. Again, it’s a process that makes you slow down: waiting for everything to get hot enough, turning the food patiently and waiting, but it’s an immensely satisfying one. There’s a very specific pleasure in spending the day outside, and as the fire died down we sat with a glass of wine, just listening to the birds.
I was surprised to notice that I hadn’t even thought about my phone in hours. I think often I pick it up because of its sheer proximity, but even creating a little distance by locking it away meant that it didn’t have so strong a pull. We went to bed tired in the best way: having spent time in fresh air and incredibly relaxed.
Although during our stay we were extremely fortunate with the weather, I think there would be a different joy in a stay in the autumn or winter. Lighting the stove and cosying up against the elements with a book sounds like a great way to unwind to me.
The facilities inside the cabin are also luxurious enough that it’s a great balance of feeling immersed in nature, but great for those of us who don’t love the realities of camping. The shower was amazing (complete with its own high-up window so you still have a view of the trees), and bath-lovers can even take an outdoor bath for the full relaxing-in-nature experience.
Once we had packed up our things and taken our phones back out of the box, I did find myself opening the apps, unsurprisingly to find that nothing interesting was there.
We headed back down the track to our car, and as we drove home it felt like re-emerging back into the world – it was only then I realised how completely disconnected I had felt in the cabin, in the best way.
Prices for Samsú start at €195 per night.
Photography: Jasmine Hughes
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