With a total solar eclipse and the Perseid meteor shower, it's been an incredible year so far for astrotourism – the practice of travelling to remote destinations to observe the night sky. And with the northern lights season about to begin, there is no better time to start planning a stargazing trip.
Light pollution impacts the vast majority of the world, said Alicia Miller in the London Evening Standard, making it a rarity to find a place where the sky is "blanketed in stars".
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Skylark Cabin, New Zealand
The Mackenzie region on New Zealand's South Island is beautiful by day, said Miller, but by night the southern hemisphere's largest dark skies reserve "shimmers in a frothy sea of pin-prick stars". In the midst of this vast protected landscape lies Skylark Cabin, a "luxe, contemporary hideaway in dark glass and wood". Guests can marvel at the stars from the outdoor hot tub and "observe the twinkling" from the king-size bed set "strategically" beneath a skylight.
&Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge, Namibia
This seriously luxurious lodge is located over 80 miles from the nearest town in the Namib Desert and has "minimal-to-zero" light pollution, making it one of Africa's many great stargazing spots, said Miller. The hotel has resident astronomers, its own observatory, and sprawling suites with skylights revealing the inky night sky.
Alto Atacama, Chile
The "heady mix of parched desert air, nominal light pollution and high altitude" make the clear skies above the Atacama Desert among the planet's very best for stargazing, said The Telegraph. Guests have access to a nearby hilltop observatory and can book guided sessions to learn about the constellations.
Trout Point Lodge, Canada
Situated in Nova Scotia's Tobeatic Wilderness Area, this remote wilderness lodge is "haute rustic in style and equally impressive on food", said The Telegraph. The hotel has a stargazing platform in a nearby riverside meadow – a peaceful setting to take advantage of the area's low light pollution levels.
Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, Finland
Situated deep in Finnish Lapland, the "picturesque glass igloos" at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort offer entirely "unobstructed views" of the northern lights, said Stefanie Weldek in Travel + Leisure. When guests can bring themselves to leave their cosy domes, the hotel also runs "northern lights-chasing excursions" hosted by expert guides.
Caban y Nen, Wales
"Why go to the observatory when it can come to you?" said Katie Gatens in The Times. These solar-powered shepherd's huts in west Wales have "more than a touch of James Bond about them". Guests can open the roof to "reveal the night sky" and stargaze from the comfort of their beds.
-
October 19 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday's editorial cartoons include Pete Hegseth and the press, an absence of government, and George Washington crossing the Delaware
-
A little-visited Indian Ocean archipelagoThe Week Recommends The paradise of the Union of the Comoros features beautiful beaches, colourful coral reefs and lush forests
-
AI: is the bubble about to burst?In the Spotlight Stock market ever-more reliant on tech stocks whose value relies on assumptions of continued growth and easy financing
-
9 inviting bookstores ready for you to attack their shelvesThe Week Recommends Your new favorite book awaits
-
Tim Robinson falls out of a chair, chefs compete for Michelin stars and Martin Scorsese gets the documentary treatment in October TVthe week recommends This month's new television releases include ‘The Chair Company,’ ‘Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars’ and ‘Mr. Scorsese’
-
Frankenstein comes to life, the Alabama prison system is exposed and Rose Byrne goes full Crazy Mom in October moviesthe week recommends This month’s new releases include ‘Frankenstein,’ ‘The Alabama Solution’ and ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’
-
Choose your own wellness adventure in Greater Palm SpringsThe Week Recommends Hit the spa, try a sound bath or take a hike
-
A Taylor Swift analysis, the digital-addiction solution plus what it means to be a gay Black artist — all in October booksThe Week Recommends This month's new releases include ‘Taylor’s Version’ by Stephanie Burt, ‘Enshittification’ by Cory Doctorow and ‘Minor Black Figures’ by Brandon Taylor
-
Experience Tanzania’s untamed wilderness from Lemala’s luxury lodgesThe Week Recommends The vast protected landscapes are transformed into a verdant paradise during ‘emerald season’
-
8 of the best ‘cozy crime’ series of all timeThe Week Recommends Murder mysteries don’t necessarily have to make us miserable, and these shows have perfected a feel-good crime formula
-
One great cookbook: ‘The Woks of Life’The Week Recommends A family’s opinionated, reliable take on all kinds of Chinese cooking
