The aurora borealis’ dynamic swirl of pink and green tones is a bucket-list checkmark for the books. The Nordic countries with the best views of the northern lights are Iceland, Sweden, Finland, and Norway during the winter.
Southern Lights, Aurora Australis
Aurora Australis or Southern LightsXavier Hoenner Photography
If you’re keen on the dancing colours of the Northern Lights without the deep chill, the pink-green display of Australia’s Southern Lights is sure to thrill. Travellers can see the Southern Lights in Tasmania year-round, though the best visibility is generally from June to September.
Mosquito Bay, Puerto Rico
Mosquito Bay features the brightest bioluminescence in the worldFanPro
Widely regarded as the site of the brightest bioluminescence in the world—for which it holds a Guinness World Record—this annual destination abutting Vieques Island’s largely mangrove shoreline is best experienced under full moons when it sees a sea of microscopic plankton shimmer in a surreal shade of blue. Hundreds of thousands of plankton are present in each litre of seawater water in Mosquito Bay.
Kawah Ijen Volcano, East Java, Indonesia
The ‘blue fire’ of Kawah Ijen Volcanojellyleg
This active volcano releases dense sulfuric gases that react with the air, resulting in sustained combustion that etches the rocky crater in calligraphic swooshes of bright blue flame. The intermediate out-and-back trek from the starting point of Banyuwangi to the crater is a little over 9km.
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