IN FOCUS NORTHERN LIGHTS THE LIGHT FANTASTIC
With maximum solar activity expected to light up northern skies this winter there’s never been a better time to suggest those European outposts that showcase the Aurora Borealis, says Anna Maria Espsäter
fter the successful and oft- repeated TV documentary featuring Joanna Lumley in the land of the Northern Lights, made in 2008, the interest in this phenomenon from UK travellers has increased rapidly year on year.
A
The Northern Lights – or Aurora Borealis – are simply charged particles from the sun drawn into the earth’s magnetic fi eld and, as it is expected that late 2012/13 will feature maximum solar activity, there’s never been a better time to suggest a break that includes the wonderful displays of colour and light that will skip across the skies this winter.
Norway heads the pack in terms of visitors, thanks both to the aforementioned BBC programme and an excellent marketing campaign. However, the lights can be seen all across what’s known as the ‘northern lights oval’, in the world’s Arctic areas, including Alaska, northern Canada,
Greenland, Iceland, northern Norway, Sweden and Finland, as well as Russia. The Northern Lights are also often visible further south in the above mentioned countries, and in Denmark, the US and in Scotland, but viewings here are more erratic.
A dark and preferably clear night sky is required to see the Northern Lights and, because of the latitudes where they’re best viewed, this rules out the summer months. Rural and remote areas with little light pollution provide prime viewing.
The best time of year is from the autumn to the spring equinox (September 21– March 21), with the very highest peak late September and late March. The most intense period of lights tends to be 22.00-23.00, but anytime from 18.00 to 01.00 is a good time to view the phenomenon. During the Polar night, when the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon in the Arctic regions, the Northern Lights
can be spotted even earlier. The most common colours are different shades of green, but also blues, pinks, whites, golds and violets. Northern Norway (
www.nordnorge.
com) goes to town for the arrival of ‘aurora’, focusing both on tours in search of the actual lights themselves, but also on the variety of activities available in combination with Northern Lights viewing.
It’s possible to stay in an igloo hotel, in small coastal fi shing communities or aboard Hurtigruten’s vessels; take a mini-expedition to North Cape in winter; try your hand at Northern Lights photography and much, much more. Tromsø, in northern Norway, is a good base from which to start and its website also has good information on the phenomenon (
www.visittromso. no). In the area and beyond there are dog-sledding activities, reindeer sleigh- rides a la Santa Claus, snow-shoeing and cross-country skiing.
Further north it’s also possible to experience traditional Sami culture. More tour operators are adding tours and more countries are opening up to northern lights-focused tourism, with Norway, Finland, Iceland and Sweden offering the most varied products – Northern Lights and Arctic dinners in Norway, or a stay at the Ice Hotel in Swedish Lapland (www.icehotel. com). With this season set to show off the Northern Lights at their best, it’s a great time to sell different tours – but tell you clients to wrap up warm!
Northern Lights What’s New? Cox & Kings (
www.coxandkings.
co.uk) is launching a new section on its website called ‘Winter and the Northern Lights’. Hurtigruten (www.
hurtigruten.co.uk) is offering 41 charter departures this winter – 21 more than the previous year – with 10 new departure dates between October and December.
10 September/October 2012 •
www.sellinglonghaul.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36