Where to take an alcohol-free, sober-curious trip

Years ago, the manager of a hotel in Koh Samui, Thailand told me about an unusual booking that he once received during the middle of the night.

A traveler had flown his entire family via private jet from Brunei to the Thai island after learning upon landing in Brunei that it is a “dry country” — that is, that alcohol sales are banned.

That’s a man who prioritizes having a drink or two on holiday.

He’s not alone, of course. Many people consume alcohol to relax and relieve stress, which are some of the top reasons people travel, too. Plus, it’s seemingly everywhere in many resorts, from the swim-up bar in the pool to the Champagne brunch that serves unlimited bubbles for breakfast.

But drinking on vacation isn’t all about sipping frozen cocktails on the beach; it can help people cope with problems that occur while traveling, to calm fears of flying to social anxiety, according to the Texas-based New Dimensions Day Treatment Centers.

Airports, too, can be a trigger, with people celebrating the start of a vacation — or lamenting the end of one — mixing with those killing time at bars and lounges that pour drinks at all hours of the day.    

While many people have no interest in trying, a growing number of people are exploring a “sober curious” lifestyle for reasons related to physical health, mental wellness and work/life productivity.

A former heavy drinker based in Asia, who asked to remain anonymous to protect his identity at work, told CNBC Travel that a sober lifestyle is like having a “superpower,” citing business trips where colleagues would struggle to get out of bed, long after he had exercised and returned emails to clients.

The “sober curious” trend has also led to a proliferation of non-alcoholic spirits, beer and cocktails popping up on bar and restaurant menus around the world. Some bars have even gone completely alcohol-free.

Conversations on social media about topics like “dry tripping,” “sober travel” and “alcohol-free vacations” are also on the rise, increasing 205% on X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Reddit and Tumblr in the past six months, compared with the previous six-month period, according to the social media listening company Sprout Social.

The number of unique authors posting about the sober travel trend is up 186% with engagements — or the number of time messages are publicly interacted with via likes, comments or shares — nearly doubling during this period, according to the company.

The data also shows conversations peaked in June of 2024, at the outset of the summer travel season, primarily from social media users in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa and Australia.

Sober-curious travel has its fair share of detractors too though. Sentiment in the past year shows that among social media interactions 32% is positive, 38% is neutral and 30% is negative.

For those looking to cut back — or cut alcohol completely — on vacation, some destinations may make this effort easier than others, according to a new ranking by the insurance agency InsureMyTrip.

The ranking, however, isn’t a list of countries where alcohol sales are banned —  places like Brunei, Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Rather, the U.S.-based company evaluated countries by nine metrics — from the cost of domestic beer to average alcohol consumption by residents. The research also examined what other activities travelers can use to build their itinerary, especially those that relate to relaxation, like national parks and quality wellness retreats.

Destinations were scored on a 10-point scale, with the company naming the “best destinations to travel sober” as:

1. Nepal: 7.02
2. Morocco: 7.00
3. Costa Rica: 6.73
4. Turkey: 6:57
5. Greece: 6.41
6. Indonesia: 6.31
7. Jordan: 6.00
8. Italy: 5.93
9. Singapore: 5.92
10. India: 5.67

Six of 10 countries are in Asia, with Nepal taking the top spot because hiking is abundant and wellness retreats are cheap, averaging $584 per retreat, the cheapest in the study, according to InsureMyTrip.

Morocco ranked No. 2, buoyed by the scant drinking culture of its Sunni Muslim population. “It also has high ratings for its national parks (4.42/5), with many wildlife areas and gorgeous treks to enjoy,” the report stated.

Costa Rica came in third — the only country in North America to make the top 10 list. Its focus on outdoor tourism, from its beaches and rainforests to eco-wellness, are draws for people looking for vacations that improve their physical and mental health.

Greece, ranked No. 5, topped the list for “best things to do” and “best for relaxation.” Travelers can stay busy visiting its 19 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the world-famous Acropolis, while spending downtime in its highly-rated, yet affordable spas, according to the ranking.

Residents of Greece drink, on average, more than seven liters of alcohol a year, which is far more than those from Jordan – No. 7 on the list — who drink less than the equivalent of one bottle of beer per year, according to the data.

The remaining countries made the list for different reasons: for some, alcohol is scarce because of religious or society beliefs (Indonesia, parts of India), in another it’s widely available but expensive (Singapore) or drowned out with so many other fantastic things to do while visiting (Italy — its wine regions aside).

For those who are keen on abstaining, careful planning and a proactive mindset are key, according to New Dimensions Day Treatment Centers’ website.

It advises travelers to:

• Plan a mix of physical and relaxing activities to relieve stress.
• Tell everyone in your group that you plan not to drink, to promote accountability.
• Keep a travel journal to stay present and mindful.

American Jessica Watson said that, after she stopped drinking four years ago, it changed how she felt about some travel destinations, including a popular tourism town in central Texas.

“I did go to Fredricksburg early when I stopped drinking, and I realized all people do there is walk around with wine and shop, so that was no longer an interesting place to go for me,” she said. “Once you take drinking out of the equation, you realize how much people revolve around it.”

Watson said she went skiing in Colorado after she quit and found that she had more fun.

“Taking alcohol out of vacations makes the focus far more about the actual destination, being a lot more active on the trip, waking up early and feeling great.”