Where to See the Northern Lights

For a secluded luxury holiday, we are very fond of Eldar Lodge in Iceland. Located on a private estate about 90 minutes from Reykjavik’s city lights, you will not only see the stars more clearly than ever, but the northern lights also put on a vivid show of lurid greens, blues, reds, and even purples.

Eldar is an exclusive-use lodge with just 6 suites, located in a closely guarded secret location. Surrounded by low-rise woodlands and mountains, the natural wonders of the Golden Circle are nearby, so in the short hours of daylight there is plenty for you to see and do, especially if you love exploring the great outdoors. Come nightfall, you can prepare for your Northern Lights excursions with an extraordinary dining experience — the award-winning culinary team is on hand to craft meals to your taste and mood.

For many of us, visiting the Arctic is synonymous with staying in an igloo. At the Golden Crown Levin Iglut in Finland, you can certainly live that part of the dream.

This luxurious lodge is one of the very best for viewing the night sky. Each suite is a private glass igloo, giving you clear views of both the Northern Lights and unforgettable starscapes. Lie in bed and pick out the constellations, and admire the dancing colours above. This is one of the cosiest experiences imaginable and even more so when tucked up inside, with a glass of champagne or mug of hot chocolate in hand!

If glass igloos aren’t for you, Levin also has the Northern Lights House, perfect for a family or small group to take exclusively. It offers you the opportunity to experience the beauty and quiet of the Arctic wilderness, in a spacious and imaginative setting. Whether you choose the house or an igloo, you can relax in a traditional Finnish sauna, cross country ski or snowshoe and even visit a nearby reindeer farm.

The snow leopard is one of the most beautiful - yet elusive - creatures on the planet. Stealing through the highest reaches of the mountains like a shadow, they are notoriously hard to track, and their camouflage is such that they often slip by unseen, sometimes only metres away.

Whales are the world’s largest mammals, extraordinary creatures which can weigh up to 200 tonnes and reach an incredible 30 m in length. It might amaze you to learn that they were once land-based animals: their evolutionary journey took them into the seas and oceans around 40 million years ago. Their closest living relative is the hippopotamus, so you can have a vague idea of what a walking whale might have looked like!

Nothing can really prepare you for an expedition in the white continent. It really is a destination quite unlike any other.