Let the Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis remind you of the seemingly infinite beauty in Greenland. It is one of the great surprises of the Arctic night and the best time to see this phenomenon is on a dark, clear Autumn or Winter night. You can experience this multicoloured light show from September to April.
Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxury Travel Blog and has worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years. He is Winner of the Innovations in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED magazine. In addition to other awards, the blog has also been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Daily Telegraph.
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13 Comments
This is exactly why I’ve got an alert on new posts on A Luxury Travel Blog. So far it’s been a &!@# day but suddenly my phone tinged. I stopped for a quick cup of coffee and watched this jaw-dropping video. What I like about ALTB is that it constantly reminds you that there’s a world out there, life beyond the photocopier. The blog reminds me that I earn the pennies to travel to see it.
And there was me waiting for the Northern Lights to come to North Oxfordshire! After last year when the lights were seen in Stoke or Birmingham or wherever – this amazing video has been a real wake-up call. They’re not going to look like this over the M6. Especially not with all the light pollution. Greenland is the place to see this phenomenon.
I have only seen the Northern Lights once, Becky… and it just so happened that it was in Kangerlussuaq in West Greenland (Danish name – Sondre Stromfjord). Kangerlussuaq is a disused US air base and we were staying in old army barracks towards the edge of the town. We just ambled up the hill and watched the show. It would have been about September time – it was amazing and went on for some time. Maybe not quite as amazing as in the video, but to see it first hand is very special. I know you do get the Northern Lights here in the UK, but it is not the same. Our local newspaper had a photograph of it a few years ago, taken from Shap (where the light pollution isn’t so bad, even though it’s quite near the M6), but it wasn’t actually visible with the naked eye apparently – the photographer just had the shutter open for long enough on his camera to capture it. We have a post on here somewhere of other great places to see the Northern Lights – I’ll dig it out.
Sorry Paul, I’ve only just got my lunch “break”! To answer your question my travel normally involves Factor 50 and a bikini as I need warmth but that video has really made me think about where I go. I’ve just watched it again.
That video is so calming, so therapeutic. The NHS ought to be prescribing it to calm stress. It could be part of a Mindfulness app. I can see it going viral. It’s such a great advert for Greenland.
I have no idea, Maggie, but over here, they appear to have made up the term “Grøndansk” to describe – amongst other possible definitions – something that is Danish with a Greenlandic twist.
They go on to write with particular reference to ‘hygge’:
Putting a Greenlandic touch on a Danish concept
Hygge is a Danish thing, but in Greenland they also totally love to ‘hygge’. In Denmark it might be very cosy with candle tea lights, coffee, tea and cake – but you can be fairly sure that there they try to make conversation (even in the quieter parts of Jutland). I think for Danes, the cosy times also arise from the conversations had. The grøndansk version of hygge could be coffee served with cake or dried fish or mattak, and the option of enjoying each other’s company and meal silently. Note that I said option, as it can also be grøndansk to have a room full of cackling laughter. ‘Totalt hygge – grøndansk stil’.
They’ll be selling Grondansk magazines in Waitrose next!
I’ve only just got round to viewing this amazing video. Though watching these astounding natural sights on an I-Pad probably just doesn’t compare to the full/scale, Technicolour of the real thing.
I’ve always been fascinated by the pisdibility of seeing the Northern Lights but I worry that I could travel a long way and miss out. Then again I expect Greenland has plenty more to offer.
I don’t think I’d ever get tired of seeing the Northern Lights if I lived over there in Greenland. It’s just too beautiful for words, one of the most amazing places to visit I would think. I know it’s really great in Iceland and northern Europe too for these vistas. Gotta get there soon!
This is exactly why I’ve got an alert on new posts on A Luxury Travel Blog. So far it’s been a &!@# day but suddenly my phone tinged. I stopped for a quick cup of coffee and watched this jaw-dropping video. What I like about ALTB is that it constantly reminds you that there’s a world out there, life beyond the photocopier. The blog reminds me that I earn the pennies to travel to see it.
Glad to hear it brightened up your day, Zoe! :)
Where’s next in your travel plans?
Paul
And there was me waiting for the Northern Lights to come to North Oxfordshire! After last year when the lights were seen in Stoke or Birmingham or wherever – this amazing video has been a real wake-up call. They’re not going to look like this over the M6. Especially not with all the light pollution. Greenland is the place to see this phenomenon.
I have only seen the Northern Lights once, Becky… and it just so happened that it was in Kangerlussuaq in West Greenland (Danish name – Sondre Stromfjord). Kangerlussuaq is a disused US air base and we were staying in old army barracks towards the edge of the town. We just ambled up the hill and watched the show. It would have been about September time – it was amazing and went on for some time. Maybe not quite as amazing as in the video, but to see it first hand is very special. I know you do get the Northern Lights here in the UK, but it is not the same. Our local newspaper had a photograph of it a few years ago, taken from Shap (where the light pollution isn’t so bad, even though it’s quite near the M6), but it wasn’t actually visible with the naked eye apparently – the photographer just had the shutter open for long enough on his camera to capture it. We have a post on here somewhere of other great places to see the Northern Lights – I’ll dig it out.
Have a look at these two posts:
Where to see the Northern Lights and what to do if you don’t:
https://www.aluxurytravelblog.com/2016/05/13/where-to-see-the-northern-lights-and-what-to-do-if-you-dont/
Top 4 places to see the Northern Lights:
https://www.aluxurytravelblog.com/2014/06/23/top-4-places-to-view-the-northern-lights/
Nice post, It is one of the great surprises of the Arctic night and the best time to see this phenomenon is on a dark night.
Sorry Paul, I’ve only just got my lunch “break”! To answer your question my travel normally involves Factor 50 and a bikini as I need warmth but that video has really made me think about where I go. I’ve just watched it again.
That video is so calming, so therapeutic. The NHS ought to be prescribing it to calm stress. It could be part of a Mindfulness app. I can see it going viral. It’s such a great advert for Greenland.
I bet it’s cosy in those huts. Do the Greenlanders have their own version and word for “hygge”?
I have no idea, Maggie, but over here, they appear to have made up the term “Grøndansk” to describe – amongst other possible definitions – something that is Danish with a Greenlandic twist.
They go on to write with particular reference to ‘hygge’:
They’ll be selling Grondansk magazines in Waitrose next!
I’ve only just got round to viewing this amazing video. Though watching these astounding natural sights on an I-Pad probably just doesn’t compare to the full/scale, Technicolour of the real thing.
I’ve always been fascinated by the pisdibility of seeing the Northern Lights but I worry that I could travel a long way and miss out. Then again I expect Greenland has plenty more to offer.
I don’t think I’d ever get tired of seeing the Northern Lights if I lived over there in Greenland. It’s just too beautiful for words, one of the most amazing places to visit I would think. I know it’s really great in Iceland and northern Europe too for these vistas. Gotta get there soon!