Always wanted to see the Northern Lights, but not so enticed by the prospect of having to stake out somewhere bone-chillingly cold? Well, now you can do things a little differently – with heating, and with a little luxury too.
That’s what’s on offer at the Borealis Basecamp, near Fairbanks, Alaska. Plonked in the middle of 100 acres of boreal forest, the Basecamp enjoys some of the darkest, least light-polluted skies in the USA. In other words, it’s the perfect place for spotting the Northern Lights in the night sky.
Even more alluring, however, are the igloos. The Borealis Basecamp’s spacious, fibreglass ‘gloos let guests relax in luxury accommodation kitted out with comfortable beds, private loos and, crucially, heating. But most importantly, each igloo has a huge 16-foot window, from which you can gaze out at beams of aurora flashing by.
There’s also more to do at the Borealis Basecamp than just sitting around waiting for the Lights. The site includes an impressive range of other activities, from reindeer meet-and-greets to local tours via dog sled, snowmobile and helicopter. Within the grounds, you’ll also find a wood-fired sauna, hot springs and a yurt-restaurant serving locally sourced dishes.
If this decisively un-chilly chance to see the Northern Lights sounds like your kind of thing, Fairbanks is reasonably well connected to Anchorage by train oand plane. While the 2021/22 winter season is sold out, you can book ahead for both autumn 2022 and winter 2022/23. Packages start from $980 (£744) per person for a three-day trip, and you can find out more and check availability on the Borealis Basecamp website.
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Mont Blanc is now home to the highest Airbnb in Europe – and it’s spectacular, obviously
The world’s most remote club night is landing in Iceland next year
You can take an epic nine-day train through the Canadian Rockies