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…