The 5 best destinations to see the Northern Lights
The Northern Lights, also called Aurora Borealis, are formed when electrically charged particles from the sun move at a very fast pace and are directed toward the poles of the earth. The colours are the result of the gases in the atmosphere. Timeless and ethereal, the northern lights have amazed, enthralled and uplifted mankind for centuries. Here are the top 5 destinations to head to, to experience this phenomenon.
Norway
The best regions for a clear viewing are in northern Norway, during late autumn and winter or very early in the spring. Some of the most preferred destinations are Trøndelag and Tromsø, which is another 500 kilometres north. The areas along the coast are usually good spots as they tend to be less cloudy than inland regions.
Iceland
Although the island nation’s weather is unpredictable and most nights tend to be cloudy, Iceland is a good vacation destination for northern Light chasers. As darkness comes quite early to this region, the natural spectacle can sometimes be seen as early as 9 p.m. onward. In Iceland, many hotels and resorts offer an aurora alarm service and will wake you just when the celestial show begins. Getting a flight to Reykjavík is easy with ebookers and you will be all set to see the night sky blazing in shades of green and pink, even as early as mid-September!
Finland
Finland offers as close to a guarantee of sighting the northern lights as it is possible to make. The lights are visible about 200 out of 365 nights in Finnish Lapland. The best locations all lie in northern Finland, in Utsjoki or Ivalo where the lights are called ‘fox fires’. On rare occasions the lights can even be seen in Helsinki. Another location that has regular sightings of this phenomenon almost every year is Oulu. ebookers offers easy flight options to Finland.
Scotland
While the northern parts of Scotland are the best vantage points for the ‘mirrie dancers’ as they are called, almost any part where the light pollution is minimal works well. The rugged regions of Shetland lie in the same section of the Northern Hemisphere as Norway and provide one of the best locations to enjoy the northern lights. Also good are the shire of Aberdeen, the Moray Coast, Orkney, Caithness and Skye.
Sweden
Sweden’s Abisko National Park has come to be known as the best northern lights watching destination in the whole world. The region has the least amount of precipitation than any other region in the aurora zone. Any part of Sweden is a great vacation choice, and add in the northern lights and the ease of an ebookers holiday plan and you have an unbeatable combination.
There is always an element of luck involved, irrespective of the destination. It is a good idea to go to more than one location and set aside at least 3 nights for a possible sighting. The best times of the year are between September and March.