Go Niche

A trip to the light fantastic: NOBODY BELIEVES me when I say it but I saw the Aurora Borealis from my front door in Wicklow once.

The only problem was that every time I called the rest of the family out to see it, they kept tripping the outdoor security light, instantly obscuring the wondrously shifting green lights in the sky. Oh, how they laughed.

Ever since, at the top of my travel quest list has been a trip to see a full display of the Northern Lights in all their glory, in such an obviously dramatic fashion – and appropriate setting – that nobody could tell me I was imagining things.

Well, it looks like this could be my year. This amazing natural phenomenon apparently builds to a crescendo of activity every 11 years, and, after a couple of quiet years – visually speaking – this winter the skies look set for peak viewing.

Now, obviously, no one can predict precisely when and where such a light show will take place, but Project Travel is laying on extra trips to Norway, one of the best places to see the Lights, this winter to take advantage of the favourable conditions.

It is running three different Arctic Adventure packages between January and March 2012, including a four-night Tromso package with flights and accommodation in a three-star hotel from €1,275, with an evening’s dog sledding and a dinner cruise.

There’s a five-night Husky Tour from €2,185 or a five-night Arctic Highlights Voyage combining three nights on a Hurtigruten ship with two nights in a hotel from €1,495.

Just remember to bring a camera to prove you saw it.

* project-travel.ie