THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
Suddenly it’s above us. Flickering like a
faltering light bulb, making the sky dim and
brighten in rapid succession. “That’s it!” I
yelp. “It’s happening!” My daughter, picking
up on what must seem like disproportionate
excitement about an indistinct glimmer,
goes with it in the way young children
sometimes do. “Oooh. Really cool!”
As natural as the Northern Lights are,
they’re a phenomenon that seems wholly
unnatural, regardless of how many times you
see them. They’re what 19th-century gothic
novelists might imagine a spectral display
to look like, and yet, they’re awesome in the
fullest extent of the word, suggesting there’s
more beyond that celestial ceiling than you
ever comprehended.
Once they get going, that is. Otherwise,
expect a lot of waiting around. The aurora
borealis is never better experienced than
when you don’t expect it. In Inari, in deepest
northern Finland, wired from a long day’s
travelling, we’d decided to take a quick
toboggan run through what was essentially
the hotel’s car park. Solar activity was
forecast as low, and the weather a little
overcast, so we weren’t expecting an aurora
show. But here it is, suddenly above us.
Leaning back on our sled, my daughter’s
bobble hat tickling my nose, the lickering
light grows into a greeny-white ghostlyAdventures Abroad’s seven-night Family Winter
Log Cabin tour in Jeris, Finland, includes return lights
from London to Kittilä, accommodation and activities.
From £1,845 per adult, £1,195 per child (age 5-12).
Tours begin 29 December. activitiesabroad.com
Best for: Five-plusPREVIOUS PAGES: Hiking
in Langdale, Cumbria
RIGHT: Northern Lights,
Oqaatsut, Greenland IMAGE: AWL IMAGEStinge moving across the sky in a wobbling
arc. I point to direct my daughter, Ella, to its
trajectory, but there’s no need: a full display
blooms, showering like a waterfall for a
couple of seconds, then sending a domino of
undulating green ripples across the sky — a
Mexican wave from something unknown.
Since then, my daughter has been a
harbinger of the lights on our travels, even at
unexpected times and in places far from the
polar norms: on an island in central Sweden
in mid-summer; outside our chalet in a well-
lit, central Norwegian ski resort. And, on the
occasions we’ve awaited its arrival (once, on
a frozen northern Finnish lake with tripod
cameras set to long exposure, and an expert
guide to explain the science), Ella has been
less impressed, bored with having to wait for
the heavens to show their hand.
So, now, I treat the Northern Lights as a
git. Like snow, ice and all things nice, the
aurora isn’t a tourist-friendly freak show, but
part of the weird wonder of life around the
polar latitudes. SARAH BARRELLTROMSØ
In the heart of Norway’s aurora zone,
this port city is a great place to base
yourself when waiting for the lights.
Three-night family-friendly breaks,
including aurora hunting, from
£1,295 per person. othemap.travelLULEÅ
This Swedish Baltic archipelago has
snow-shoeing, skating on frozen
lakes, and the chance to visit local
Sami reindeer herders. Five-day
trips from £1,585 per adult, £830
per child. best-served.co.ukROVANIEMI
Combine a visit to Santa with a
Northern Lights mission in a Finnish
winter wonderland that’s sure to
satisfy the tots. Five-night trips
from £1,635 per adult and £1,195 per
child. scanadventures.co.ukTHREE TO SEE: AURORA-HUNTING HOTSPOTS FOR FAMILIES
Our planet’s ultimate light show isn’t something that performs to command.
Children will be wowed by this celestial spectacle — if they’re not forced
to sit and wait for it to appear01
TRAVELLER 10
162 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel