Also known as the Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights are one of the world’s most spectacular natural sights – a jaw-dropping galactical display of illuminations in different colours sweeping over the night sky.

You’ll probably want to start planning early, and will no doubt have a number of burning questions, one of which is likely to be – when is the best time of year to see the Aurora Borealis?

The reality is that these displays can be seen all year round, but generally the best times are in the winter months, from November to January, although late autumn and early spring are also times when it’s possible to see good displays.

It’s also worth knowing that auroral activity is cyclical, and that 2013 happens to be a peak in this cycle.

That means that you still have this November and December as optimum times to catch the Northern Lights in the year they’re set to be at their best they’ve ever been for some years. So why not think about making this Christmas or New Year extra special?

In terms of timing, once you’re on your trip, starting craning your neck to look up at the sky from around 9pm onwards. The Northern Lights could make an appearance anytime between then and the early hours of the morning. (Some hotels have alarm systems so guests don’t miss a thing.)

Where to Catch the Northern Lights

If you don’t know this already, the lights occur in the Earth’s atmosphere, when nitrogen and oxygen atoms collide with solar winds, accelerating along the world’s magnetic fields. These are stronger the nearer you get to the poles, making a narrow strip across the planet’s north, encompassing northern Scandinavia, Russia, Alaska, Canada, Greenland and Iceland ideal viewing places.

Northern Lights Holidays from Arctic Direct

At Arctic Direct, we specialise in Northern Lights holidays and other seriously cool trips! Our base in Abisko, Sweden, has been voted one of the top places from which to experience the sheer beauty of the lights.

Bear in mind that no travel operator will ever guarantee that you will get to see the lights, so plan lots of other exciting things to do while you’re in this mesmerising part of the world with us, from ice diving to ice driving to spending a night you’ll never forget in a stunning ice hotel.

We can organise all these things for you as part of your package.

Book with us with confidence that we have outstanding knowledge of the local area and that we trade with full ATOL protection for our customers. Equally, speak to us if you want any of our holidays tailored to suit your own requirements.

We’ll also deal with any size, and promise that we’ll always do our very best to provide you with the holiday of a lifetime. Learn more from our website, or speak to one of our specialists today.

Trips like this can be truly spectacular and once you’ve returned home at the end of them, it can all seem like a vivid and beautiful dream. However, as long as you’re got plenty of photos to look at, you’ll be able to prove that you didn’t just imagine the awesome landscapes. You were really there – in one of the most incredible places on the whole planet.

Remarkable footage

One of the most stunning things you can see while on your holiday is the Aurora Borealis. This heavenly display is unlike anything else and it can leave an indelible mark on your consciousness.

Showing how remarkable the spectacle can be, footage of the Northern Lights was recently showcased on the internet. It was taken in March near Gullfoss and Skaftafell in Iceland using multiple DSLR cameras.

Of course, you might not have access to such advanced equipment, but it’s possible to capture the phenomenon with any decent camera.

What is the Aurora Borealis?

Virtually everyone’s heard of the Aurora Borealis and most people have also seen them on TV, over the web and in magazines. However, you might not know exactly what this phenomenon is.

The word aurora comes from the Latin ‘sunrise’ and it is a natural display in the sky that occurs at high latitude. The lights are caused by high-energy particles colliding with atoms in the atmosphere. The charged particles originate in the magnetosphere and solar wind. On Earth, they are directed by the planet’s magnetic field.

This incredible display is not restricted to the Earth, however. Aurorae occur on other planets too.

Always have your camera on you

While you’re on your North Pole holiday, it’s a good idea to make sure you have your camera on you as much as possible. It’s hard to predict exactly when the best photo taking opportunities will arise, and it’s frustrating to be caught short.

Make the most of your snaps

Also, when you get back to the UK, don’t let your amazing photos languish on a memory card or computer. Instead, it’s well worth transforming the best ones into printouts, special photo books or even wall art.

Holidays like this are truly special and by making the most of the images you take, you can ensure that your experiences will live on for many years to come.

The perfect location

Of course, to take the best snaps, you have to be in the right place and this is where we come in. Here at Arctic Direct we offer fantastic trips to Sweden and by taking a look around our website, you should be able to find the ideal vacation for you.

As well as capturing impressive vistas on camera, you can take images of ice diving, sledge riding and many other superb activities.

If this is the case, it may be time to rethink your vacation planning. By booking one of our Northern Lights holidays you can rest assured that you’ll experience a truly remarkable trip that will leave you with memories to last a lifetime.

Adventure Week

For example, perhaps our Adventure Week will really get your pulse racing. While on this trip, you’ll get to meet new friends and experience different things. You’ll also be able to absorb a fascinating and rich culture and see some of the most spectacular sights on Earth.

You’ll even pick up new skills and get the chance to see the famous Ice hotel in Jukkasjärvi.

Day one

On the first day, you’ll fly out from the UK and be transferred to the Pine Tree Lodge, where you’ll be able to check into your room. Then you’ll be issued with quality arctic clothing to help keep you warm when you’re out and about.

Later, over a three-course meal, you’ll get to meet fellow holidaymakers and your guides for the week. The evening will be rounded off with some Swedish mulled wine called glögg, which you can supp by an open fire.

Day two

The second day of your North Pole holiday will start with breakfast, and it’s important to fill up because you’ll have plenty of excitement ahead of you. You’ll enjoy a day snowmobile safari, covering around 50km of the local forests and lakes.

While out and about, you can see plenty of wildlife, including moose, reindeer, wolverine, ptarmigan, arctic hare and more. You’ll also be provided with an outside lunch.

Day three

On the third day, you’ll have the chance to use your snow shoes to explore the surrounding area or go cross country skiing and you can book a guide or instructor if you want. All your meals are provided.

Day four

Your fourth day takes things up a gear. You’ll visit a moose park and get to feed this magnificent animal. You’ll then get your lunch in the park and afterwards continue to the Icehotel. This awe-inspiring creation is rebuilt every year.

Make sure you have your camera with you for this remarkable experience. You might never see anything quite like the Ice Hotel Sweden again!

Day five

On your fifth day, you’ll get up close to some huskies on a special safari. After packing sledges, you’ll receive instruction on how to drive your sledge and soon you’ll be sliding through the snow in these peaceful and stunning surroundings.

After around 20-30km, you’ll break for lunch and, following some more sledging, you’ll arrive at a wilderness cabin, where you’ll be able to get stuck into various activities and even enjoy a sauna. Later on, it might be possible to see the Northern Lights overhead.

Days six and seven

On your sixth day, you’ll return to the lodge and you can enjoy a relaxing lunch and dinner.

Of course, all good things have to come to an end eventually and, on day seven, it’s time to say your goodbyes and set off back home.

Here are a few tips to help:

• Go north: This one may sound obvious, but it’s true nonetheless. The Northern Lights have in fact been seen as far south as the Med, but, realistically, you have to be somewhere inside the Arctic Circle to be in with a chance of catching this mesmerising spectacle .

• Timings: Especially in northern Norway, Northern lights activity is at its most intense between 6pm and 2am. Although it’s tempting to be busy and active during the day, reserve some energy – you could be in for a late night. If you travel between October and March, you could also boost your chances. The midnight sun in summer can make seeing the Northern Lights trickier.

• Avoid light pollution: Head out of town and be somewhere rural for your viewing. Luckily, in the Arctic Circle this is not hard. But there’s no need to factor in the moon cycle – even in a full moon you will still see the Northern Lights clearly.

• Check the weather forecast daily: Of course, the clearer the sky the better. Check the forecast daily for the evening ahead – but don’t worry too much as the weather in this part of the world changes quickly.

• Wrap up warmly: Again, this may sound obvious, but don’t forget. You”ll kick yourself if you have to return to the hotel to warm up, only to miss the spectacle you came for.

• Be patient & active: No trip operator can 100% guarantee you’ll see the lights. You’ll need to be patient – good things come to those who wait. Don’t set yourself up for disappointment and enjoy all the other activities this region offers – from ice diving to thrilling husky sledge rides.

Grab a guide: Local guides have chased the lights for years, and may even find them on nights of low cloud. Let them help you find the “tricky lady”.

Finally – no mocking. The Northern Lights must be treated with respect! Mock by pointing or waving at them and it could bring you bad luck, according to local legend.

Northern Lights Holidays from Arctic Direct

With full ATOL licensing, Arctic Direct is a small but successful firm offering a range of unforgettable holiday experiences. We can cater for you however many are travelling in your party and whether you want to ski, dive, drive or go on a cruise at the North Pole. Fancy staying in the Ice Hotel Sweden? We can help there as well.

What’s more, any of our packages can be tailored so that they suit your precise requirements.

Get in touch with our knowledgeable, specialist team or browse our user-friendly website today to learn more.

And, of course, you’ve probably only got one chance to capture the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis, so it’s important to get your photography right first time.

Here are some tips to help with just that using your digital camera:

* Turn off the flash. If that’s not possible, cover it with black tape
* The darker the sky, the higher the ISO setting ought to be. Set the speed of your camera to ISO 800 or 1600
* If you have an “Autofocus” feature on your camera, turn it off. Use manual focus instead
* Setting the delayed action timer to two seconds will lessen camera shake
* Reduce the brightness of the camera display
* For white balance, select the “Daylight” setting.

If the Northern Lights are changing quickly, reduce exposure times – you may get some blurring of your photos. For high ISO settings, reduce exposure times to a couple of seconds.

More Photography Tips

Be prepared. Wear warm, comfortable clothes with fully charged camera batteries. Long exposures can wear down  power rapidly. Keep your camera steady at all times, either on a tripod or a rail.

Make sure you are not blocking anyone’s view at any time.

And remember to be patient! The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon. This inevitably means they can change quickly in terms of form, brightness and colour.

Finally, remember that it’s also important to imprint nature’s greatest spectacle in your own mind, and take away mental as well as photographic images. Don’t be so absorbed in camera settings and shutter speeds that you forget to do this.

Northern Lights Holidays with Arctic Direct

If you’re looking for Northern Lights holidays, see what Arctic Direct has to offer before you do anything else. Our trips are seriously cool!

And as well as the once in a lifetime experience of witnessing the stunning beauty of the Northern Lights, you could find yourself ice diving or indeed driving, or getting a warm welcome at the Swedish Ice Hotel.

Catering for all kinds of guests from families to thrill seekers, we offer loads of options for exciting activities, from karting to husky sledge riding.

As a small but highly successful company, trading under full ATOL licensing, we provide specially tailored Arctic holidays along with some breaks to warmer parts of the world like Thailand and South Africa. And because all our staff have generally been to the places we visit, there are good levels of local knowledge within our team.

However many of you want to travel, and whatever your requirements, we can come up with a unique and unforgettable holiday experience that suits your needs perfectly.

Learn more online – and call our specialist sales team on the freephone number if you have any queries.

The kinds of creatures you see when ice diving will depend on the type of water you go diving in. There are different creatures to be seen in freshwater to marine environments, for example. On a North Pole holiday with us, you could also expect to see all kinds of amazing Arctic wildlife above as well as under the water, many of which you wouldn’t find elsewhere.

Get Proper Training

Although ice diving is an unmissable experience for any adventure lover, you will still need to undergo the necessary training to make sure that you are safe and capable while in the enclosed environment under the ice. On your training you will learn important skills, such as how to correctly cut a hole in the ice in order to enter the water, and how to act and react while tethered to the rope, which can be an unusual feeling for those who are used to scuba diving. The rope is extremely important for ensuring that you don’t travel too far away from your exit and entry hole. You will also learn how to fulfil a support role for other divers, dealing with their safety ropes while they are under the ice.

Ensuring Safety

Normally speaking, you will dive in a group of four to six people. Two people would go under the ice at any one time, while another two would tend to each of their safety ropes, as each diver would be tethered separately to ensure that there is another means of exit should there be a problem with one of the ropes. While you are diving, it is important to signal to the person tending your rope that you are OK. Training will also teach you how to do this.

Preparation

Before going diving, you will need to prepare yourself, both by having the appropriate gear and also by ensuring that your body is in the right condition to dive. Make sure you have warmed up, and certainly do not attempt repeat dives until you are fully warmed up. You will burn a lot of calories while diving, so make sure that you eat plenty of high energy and hot food to replace them and to keep your body warm.

Special equipment is required, such as an environmental regulator set, which you should submerge in the water before diving to get it acclimatised to the freezing temperatures. Only use it to breathe from while you are fully submerged.

What Are the Northern Lights?

This is a question we often get asked, particularly because this phenomenon doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world. Although our ancient ancestors had many beliefs concerning the lights, including that they were the spirits of the dead, an omen of war or disaster and swans caught in the ice, the truth is that the lights are caused by burning gases emitted when solar particles enter the earth’s atmosphere.

The official scientific name for the lights is aurora borealis, which comes from the name for the Roman goddess of the dawn, and there is a similar (although unique in its own way) occurrence in the southern hemisphere called aurora australis.

Where Can I See the Northern Lights?

Although the lights occur in an area above the magnetic pole, the best place to view them is from within the ‘doughnut’-shaped area located around it. The best sightings are from the northern areas of Nordic countries such as Greenland, Alaska, Canada, Russia, Norway, Iceland and Sweden. For our Sweden Northern Lights trip, why not combine your experience with another unique one – staying at the Ice Hotel Sweden! Alternatively, our trips to Kakslauttanen in Finnish Lapland also include a night’s stay in the only glass igloos in the world.

When Should I Plan My Trip For?

Unfortunately, as with any natural phenomenon, we cannot guarantee when or how well it will take place. When it comes to the Northern Lights, they can be unpredictable and it is hard to forecast when they will happen. That said, the principle aurora season is from late September to late March, with late autumn and early spring giving you the best chance of a good sighting. Nevertheless, any sighting of the aurora borealis is spectacular, so don’t worry too much about being unable to plan your trip to a specific forecast.

2013 is expected to be the last year of the solar maximum, which occurs on an 11-year solar cycle and affects the intensity of the displays, so if you’re considering going, this year is a great one to choose! The longer your trip, the more chance you have of seeing a display. It makes sense to say that the lights are only really visible when it’s dark and consequently they are usually best seen between 8pm and 4am, so be prepared for some late night viewings!

How Long Will I See the Lights For?

Often, displays of the lights will be fleeting so definitely make sure you are ready and prepared with your camera. However, sometimes the displays will last from between a quarter to a couple of hours, so you may well be lucky.

And, while many divers may, perhaps understandably, feel rather nervous in advance, the fact is that with the right equipment and a little training it’s incredibly safe. Equally, you will love enjoying some of the clearest visibility you’ll experience in any kind of diving.

You do need to appreciate, however, that diving under ice is considered and advanced and specialised form of diving, and so some extra training is needed.

For example, you will have just one exit point from the water – the same place where you came in under the ice.

Specialist training in this enclosed environment includes:

•    Appreciating a number of things about the ice itself
•    How to spot any dangers or unsafe conditions
•    Equipment requirements
•    Proper dive site preparation
•    Being aware of what the different tugs on the tether mean and how to communicate within the team using signals.

Another aspect that makes ice diving different is that you will generally be tethered for safety, and to stop you from drifting too far away and so that you can either be pulled out or guide yourself back to the exit if visibility changes.

So bear in mind that ice diving is very much a team activity because of the tethering, and your dive buddies are important.

Wetsuit or Drysuit?

In fact you can dive in a wetsuit or a drysuit, but the latter is usually recommended.

If you are already an experienced diver and what to take your own regulator, but it will need to be adjusted to handle the cold temperature of the water. (Take your lead on this from a highly experienced and qualified professional.) It’s also often suggested that extra cylinders are used for additional safety.

Equally, only learn from an instructor who is highly trained and qualified, and never dive in a team of fewer than three people.

Take these common sense precautions, however, and you will be in for an unforgettable diving experience.

Ice Diving and More from Arctic Direct

At Arctic Direct, we have scuba diving trips to Iceland, Norway and the White Sea, as well as diving as part of a North Pole holiday. With full ATOL licencing, we offer specially tailored holidays to suit your needs and can provide unforgettable experiences for any number of travellers.

And because our staff have all visited the areas where we travel to, they are highly knowledgeable about local areas and well-placed to answer any questions you may have.

As well as diving trips, we offer Northern Lights holidays and some exciting activity packages, from dog sledging to ice climbing and Icelandic horse riding, not to mention snowmobiling and rally driving.

Learn more from our website today about our seriously cool holidays, and get in touch if you have any questions to ask our specialist sales team.

You’ll need to head north to witness the spectacle, which is most commonly seen in the Arctic region.

And, this winter, there is more reason to book Northern Lights holidays than any other. Auroral activity tends to run in 11-year cycles, and this winter is actually a key point, called a Solar Maximum, resulting in particularly spectacular and abundant displays. So if it’s always been a dream of yours to witness the magnificence of the Northern Lights, there genuinely couldn’t be a better time.

Peak viewing times

In Iceland and Lapland, the lights show is on from late September until early April, with October to November and February to March known to be top viewing months.

The aurora borealis can be seen at any time, but between 9pm and 2am is often when you’ll be most likely to get a sighting. Some hotels have an alarm
system to wake you when the lights are in the sky.

Other winter holiday highlights

Seeing the lights is a spectacular highlight of any Northern Pole holiday, but it doesn’t have to be the sole reason for your trip, and you’ll find a lot to enjoy besides, from magical landscapes to ice hotels, snowmobiling and sleigh rides and more. Indeed, because no operator can absolutely guarantee 100% that you will see the Northern Lights, it’s important to enjoy all the other aspects of your Arctic adventure.

Holidays with Arctic Direct

At Arctic Direct, we offer seriously cool holidays! Our once-in-a-lifetime trips constantly exceed our customers’ expectations, and we have an excellent range of packages to this thrilling part of the world, including:

•    Stays in the Swedish ice hotel
•    Ice diving and driving
•    Northern lights holidays

Or perhaps you’d prefer a multi-activity package? From dog sledging to Icelandic horse riding, ice climbing and rally driving, we have no end of thrills and excitement on offer.

Another very exciting and unusual trip we offer in summer is to help with the marking of the reindeer calves belonging to the Sami people in Sweden to determine ownership of the animals. You will also learn about how the Sami people live on this 10-day tour.

We trade with full ATOL-licencing, and offer holidays to the Arctic which can be especially tailored to you needs, as well as a number of trips to warmer countries, including Thailand and South Africa. But your holiday will be unforgettable, wherever you go with us and however many of you are travelling.

Give us a call, drop us an email or visit our website today to find out more.

Remember – if your heart is set on seeing the Northern Lights, the next peak viewing season after this winter won’t be for another 11 years.

At least some holidays do.

Many holiday destinations these days do all they can to cater to British tourists. However, whilst watching British television programmes, drinking British lager and eating British food may make you feel comfortable, it does little to help you feel like you are actually ‘getting away’ from your familiar life back home.

Fortunately, there is one holiday destination where the opposite is true – the North Pole. Indeed, the North Pole is a truly unique part of the world and as such it is able to offer a number of refreshingly unfamiliar experiences which are simply not available anywhere else in the world.

The Northern Lights
The Aurora Borealis is a truly mesmerising cosmic light show which involves great curtains of multicoloured hues dancing in the night sky. Although this incredible phenomenon can be seen as far south as the UK on occasion, the best place to see it is undoubtedly in the Arctic. In fact, Abisko in Sweden was recently voted the number one Northern Lights holiday destination in the world!

The Ice Hotel
Whilst you may have stayed in plenty of hotels in your life, you will surely have never experienced anything like the Ice Hotel Sweden. Indeed, a stay in this gloriously unique and incredibly beautiful building will provide you with memories to last a lifetime. Truly, you will not feel more ‘away from it all’ than when you spend a night or two here!

Dog Sledding
Yes, it is true that dog sledding is now available in parts of the world where snow doesn’t even fall. However, sitting in a traditional sledge being pulled along by huskies in a great expanse of snow is completely different to sitting in a wheeled ‘chariot’ being dragged along a mountain bike trail in a temperate climate. Indeed, there really is no better way to see the arctic landscape than snuggling down in the comfort of a traditional sled and watching the countryside go by.

Arctic Wildlife
Arctic wildlife is like nothing else on earth. Often elusive and always exciting, the North Pole is home to some of the planet’s most rare and amazing creatures, many of which can be seen on hugely enjoyable horse riding treks, fishing expeditions and snowmobile trips. Moreover, North Pole holiday boat trips can even afford you sightings of the most majestic arctic creature of all – the polar bear!

So, if you are looking to enjoy a holiday which will provide you with a swathe of truly unique and unfamiliar experiences, look no further than us here at Arctic Direct.