Aurora Bubbles open in Nellim

The tiny, remote Finnish town of Nellim, a true Northern Lights hotspot, is now home to Aurora Bubbles – available exclusively from September 2013 via The Aurora Zone.

Reminiscent of something from a science-fiction movie, Aurora Bubbles are heated pods in the grounds of the Nellim Wilderness Hotel, each with a double bed and toilet area. Ideal for scanning the night sky in the hope of a Northern Lights show, they are situated within walking distance from the main building to give guests as genuine a wilderness experience as possible. Nights in an Aurora Bubble are priced at a £125 pp supplement.

Located beside Lake Inari, Nellim boasts glorious surroundings and only very limited light pollution – making it the perfect setting for searching for the Northern Lights. That explains why a) Nellim has an outstanding Borealis-viewing record, and b) why The Aurora Zone’s MD, Alistair McLean, has opted to holiday there for seven years running, and has seen the lights each and every time!

Autumn 2013 has now been specified by NASA as the peak of our present Solar Maximum –science-speak for the best Northern Lights in a decade. Every 11 years the sun reaches the crest of its cycle of activity (the Solar Maximum), and this translates to the time when the Northern Lights are at their finest and most frequent.

Last year, The Aurora Zone debuted a pioneering series of ‘Autumn Lights’ tours – perfect for those who want to (hopefully!) experience the Aurora Borealis without having to brave freezing-cold conditions. Alternatively go to Nellim this winter for the likelihood of a classic, snow-covered Northern Lights spectacle.

Sample Aurora Bubble Packages:
Autumn (Sept-Nov)
An active, four-night Autumn Lights over Lake Inari trip to Nellim costs from £1,470 pp (two sharing) with flights, all transport, full board including a night in an Aurora Bubble and activities such as two night-time stake-outs at Aurora Camps, and a gold-panning expedition.

Winter (Dec-Mar)
A gentle, four-night Aurora Quest trip to Nellim costs from £1,800 pp (two sharing) with flights, all transport, full board including a night in an Aurora Bubble and activities such as a sleigh tour of Nellim, night-time minibus searches for the Northern Lights and a husky safari.

A full list of Northern Lights itineraries is available at theaurorazone.com.