YOU may have come across a picture or video of the Northern Lights phenomenon or Aurora Borealis and are fascinated by it.
When visible, the Northern Lights perform a magical, celestial ballet of light dancing across the night sky, with a colour palette of greens, pinks and violets.
If witnessing this wondrous sight is in your bucket list, plan a trip to Iceland, which is touted to be one of the best places to watch it.
The best time to view the phenomenon in Iceland is from September to mid-April. These are the months when it is likely for the sky to be completely dark and the moon is not visible. Travellers can look to the night sky on a cloudless evening and watch nature’s theatre unfold.
Insight Vacation’s 7-day Scenic Iceland and The Northern Lights starts on Jan 22. An earlier tour will depart this Sunday (Nov 27).
Priced from US$2,675 (RM 11,567) per person twin share with sightseeing in Reykjavik, Vik, Fludir, Thingvellier Park, Borganes, Husafell and the legendary Blue Lagoon.
Outside the capital city of Reykjavik, near Vik, are two of best magical places to see the Aurora Borealis display.
Apart from the Northern Lights, Iceland also offers gushing waterfalls, volcanoes, geothermal pools and stunning landscapes at every turn.
Iceland’s most visited natural attraction outsideRevkjavik, Thingviller is a Unesco World Heritage Site and stars the landscape where Game Of Thrones Arya Stark and Sandor Clegane travel through at the start of Season 4.
Do remember that as the Northern Lights is a natural phenomena, its appearance is not guaranteed.
Details at www.insightvacations.com.
TIPS FOR CAPTURING THE BEST IMAGES OF THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
• Spare battery: It will be very cold and batteries drain quickly, so keep a fully charged spare close to your body (to keep it warm).
• Camera: A camera with lenses that can be swopped out will be your best bet, but you can use any camera — even a point and shoot. The more modern the camera, the bigger the imaging chip, which means better quality pictures as you increase your ISO
• Remote trigger: You don’t want camera shake, so a remote trigger or cable release is a must. You can also use the built-in timer
• Sturdy tripod: The lights are constantly moving so you need to keep your camera still to capture pin sharp images without blurring
• Lens: To get the broadest view, include a wide angle lens in your box of tricks. Aim for one that offers a focal length between 10 and 24 mm and a maximum aperture of f/2.8 if you can, and you need to be able to switch to manual focus