From Northern Lights to Ice Hotels – Why a North Pole Holiday is the New Vacation

Oct 4, 2012 12:41 - 84petersmith | 4,433 views

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The Northern Lights has been showing off mightily over the last couple of years – specifically in the winter of 2011-2012, when the Aurora Borealis (to give its proper name) put on some of the most incredible shows in recorded history. In some cases, the lights were so bright that the show could be seen as far down as Yorkshire – so those who were actually at the Pole when it happened got a sight they will remember for the rest of their lives.

The north pole holiday is the ultimate in adventurous, unusual experiences. For most of us, the idea of a place that goes dark for a month at Christmas time, and stays sunny for a whole month (with non sunset at all) in the middle of the year, is crazy enough. Add to that the fact that the air up at the North Pole is some of the cleanest on earth, and the terrain is unbelievably beautiful; it’s little wonder every man or woman and his (or her) dog is heading for the frozen North!

Ice hotels, which can be found in Canada, Norway and Sweden, make the absolute most of the frozen winter – constructing hotels entirely from ice. Beds, shower rooms, the lot – the whole thing is made of ice. You get special gear to wear when you’re inside, and you can even drink in the evening from glasses made of – you guessed it – ice.

Seeing the Lights is an adventure in itself. There are literally hundreds of ways to do it – which means your North Pole holidays can be as customized as you would like. From chasing the Aurora on a sled pulled by an enthusiastic team of huskies while dog sledding, to chasing it all over the continent in a bus (the bus drivers are in constant radio contact with each other so you get to the best spot when the show happens), you can go as traditional or as modern as you like. Some Scandinavian countries even offer the possibility of seeing the lights via the fjords, on the ferries and luxury boats that carry the Nordic people up and down the rugged coast of their country.

Prepare for serious cold weather when you go. Us Brits aren’t used to the kind of temperatures you experience when you get up to Northern latitudes. At the bare minimum, anyone going on a North Pole holiday should wear thermal leggings, a thermal undershirt and thermal socks; a fleece; jeans; and a proper goose lined coat. Also take a proper hat and scarf, goose lined gloves and a pair of snow boots because there is nothing in this world more miserable than not being able to enjoy the greatest natural light show in the galaxy because you can’t feel your feet!

Package deals abound when you go to the Pole. Typically, you will either be able to book a full holiday package including hotel, food and excursions; or you can just book the hotel, and arrange your excursions when you arrive at your destination.

Peter Smith is the manager of a leading holiday tour operator. He loves to write articles and blogs on various travel related topics. In this article he is sharing some valuable information with us on North Pole holidays.

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