Feature
Picture by Antti Pietakainen
some exciting extras thrown in. It will be a real adventure and like nothing we have ever done before.” Trough the winter months viewing the Lights
can be a distinctly chilly prospect, but you needn’t trek into a frozen wilderness to enjoy this dazzling spectacle. If trekking and freezing temperatures are not for you, you can experience the Lights from your very own glass ‘igloo’, where you can recline and marvel at the night sky radiating with colour while luxuriating in warmth and comfort. Te Kakslauttanen Hotel in Finish Lapland, just 155 miles from the Arctic Circle, offers
20 of these specially designed geodesic domes, built from special thermal glass which maintains a constant temperature while preventing condensation and frost build-up from obscuring your view, even when temperatures outside drop to under -30 C. Te hotel also offers 40 traditional log cabins sleeping up to 10 people. Its Land of the Northern Lights Special self-guided, seven-night tour includes a scenic rail journey across the Arctic Circle, two nights in Norway’s magical Lofoten Islands and an overnight cruise to the Norwegian city of Tromsø, with plenty of chances to see the Lights along the way. Another warmer alternative way of seeking out
the Lights is by cruise ship. Journey along the rugged Norwegian coastline with Arctic cruise company Hurtigruten and you can find yourself sipping champagne while soaking in a hot tub on the deck of a luxury liner as you sail through breath-taking scenery covered in crisp white snow and the Lights dance above you. South Western Iceland offers many prime Lights locations with the chance to take in additional attractions including the vibrant capital city of Reykjavik, the world-famous Blue Lagoon and the Golden Circle trio of natural wonders – spouting geothermal geysers at Geysir, the dramatic two-tiered waterfall Gullfoss, and Tingvellir National Park. Te Blue Lagoon is a dazzlingly clear turquoise sea water pool set in a dramatic jet black lava- scape. It is packed with natural minerals, silica and algae, all said to possess incredible health- giving properties and is home to an exclusive spa. Te four-star Hotel Ranga is a great base to experience it all and offers unrivalled aurora- gazing opportunities from its wide-open rural location. Witnessing the Northern Lights is a once-in-a-
lifetime experience and with the solar maximum on course, this autumn/winter is the perfect time to take that trip you’ve always dreamed of.
Picture by Antti Pietakainen 19
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