If you have an intense desire to see a really spectacular phenomenon of nature, you should see the northern lights. Every year during the winter, many adventurous travelers head to watch the northern lights, rather than visiting warmer places with beaches, sand and sunshine.
Imagine the kind of experience you will have when you see whole curtains, wisps and streaks of color illuminating the sky. Northern lights are not just striking, they are mesmerizing, leaving you wondering how a scientific phenomenon can be so spectacular. Yes, as most you may be knowing that the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis is a scientific phenomenon. It occurs when charged particles interact with the solar winds in the magnetic field of earth. The lights appear as if streaks of red, green, purple and yellow light, are dancing in the arctic skies.
However, the northern lights are a bit fickle minded. You may find them in their full glory one night, and on the other night they may be covered by clouds, or remain absent mysteriously. If you plan to see the northern lights, first you need to know the best places where you can watch them.
Listed down are some of the best places where there are high chances of watching the northern lights.
1. Scotland:
The northern region of Scotland is a good spot to catch a glimpse of the phenomenon. The best time you should go is in the month of January. Head to Thurso or Orkney to increase your chances of seeing the colors dancing in the sky.
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2. Iceland:
Iceland makes the ideal place to go for a long-weekend to chase the aurora. You can reach the prime areas to spot aurora by driving for 20 minutes from Reykjavik. So, you may leave after having dinner, and return back by midnight. If you don’t see the spectacle unluckily, you can get over your sadness by visiting a number of tourist attractions that Iceland offers. Some of these attractions are amazing seafood, geothermal spas, the great capital city and the grand Blue Mountains.
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3. Norway:
Norway offers high chances to watch the northern lights. It’s located at the center of the zone of Aurora Borealis. So, in a winter night when the sky is cloud-free, you have near 100% chances of watching the Lights.
Theoretically, aurora can be seen in the entire country, but your chances of seeing it will be better from Tromso northwards. To get an even more mystical experience, go in the month of December or January, when there will be a lot of snow, which will offer an amazing contrast of the northern lights against the expanse of white snow.
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4. Canada:
If you wish to have a bigger trip, then Canada is the right place to go for you. This country also has proximity to the spectacular phenomenon, and so, it named an entire county after this (County of Northern Lights). However, the best regions from where you can see the phenomenon are the northern areas of Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon.
If you are planning your trip to Canada during the winter months, why not hit the slopes during your stay in the land? Get an amazing winter holiday by going for aurora spotting as well as visiting the Whistler.
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5. Alaska:
Alaska is not that famous as a tourist destination, and that’s why it’s a good idea to head to this US state to catch a glimpse of the Lights. When else will you visit this land? The most renowned aurora spotting area here is the Fairbanks. The best time to go is in March, as the sky is clearest during this time. Fairbanks provides several ways to watch the phenomenon – on snow cat tour, by a sleigh drawn by horse or on overnight dog sled. Most of the hotels in the region give a call to wake up for alerting tourists if the Lights appear overnight. This is certainly good service.
Image Courtesy: www.explorefairbanks.com
So, if you are planning for a winter holiday, head to watch the northern lights. You may choose any of these places as your aurora watching spot.
