Arriving at dawn in Sweden
One of the accommodations at the Treehotel at Harads in Swedish Lapland © Norris Niman
Swedish Lapland is known for having the clearest sky and the best star observation in Scandinavia, and hosts several celestial stations. Crossed with river systems that cut the landscape into thousands of islands, it is a magical place, not to mention an emerging one on the world gastronomic scene: in October it will host Stars du Nord, a sustainable food festival that shows Michelin chefs. . So if you like astronomy with a rare kalix löjrom caviar and forged juniper berries, you’ve found your place. Then there is the Treehotel at Harads, which is an attraction in itself.
The aurora borealis above a tree house in the Treehotel Inside one of the tree houses
That’s what it says on the tin: a hotel made up of eight tree houses, designed by the best architects, including Thomas Sandell, Bjarke Ingels and Snøhetta, each suspended on the ground in a pine forest, each unique in shape and design. (The eighth lodging, the Biosphere, designed to attract and house birds along its outskirts, has only been added this month.) Save this for the fall: it never gets dark in the summer, but in the colder months , get double. act of shingles of points of light and the aurora borealis. treehotel.se, from SKr 3,100 (about £ 250)
Night lights on the quiet side of the Mexican Riviera
Ether on the Riviera Maya
Mexico’s Riviera Maya has developed rapidly in recent years, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t yet stretches of its fine white sand beaches, fortunately free from the bright lights of cities and resorts.
Snacks at Che Che, one of Etéreo’s four restaurants A source of water in Etéreo
In Etéreo, part of the Auberge collection of hotels and resorts, which opened in December in Kanai, north of Playa del Carmen, the clear night skies influenced the concept on the ground: 75 accommodations in the complex, ranging from studios to three bedrooms. The penthouses for families have spacious furnished “sky decks”: roof terraces with sun loungers to lie down and watch the show play upstairs. (Also close to a huge wellness center that offers energy manipulation therapies along with facials and massages, as well as four restaurants, a contemporary art collection and the second largest coral reef in the world). world, 250 meters from the coast, does not hurt.) aubergeresorts.com, from $ 1,299
Southern Crossing Point in Australia
Sky Pods feature three-sided floor-to-ceiling glass walls to enjoy views of Cape Otway
Cape Otway, southwest of Melbourne, is one of the southernmost points in Australia, reaching the Southern Ocean, surrounded by primary coastal forests. In February 2020, the best accommodation surrounded by nature debuted here on a 200-acre private estate. Sky Pods are self-contained suites designed by an architect with hardwood floors and open roofs, large double beds and three-sided floor-to-ceiling glass walls.
Otway is famous for some of the clearest skies on the Australian mainland
The owners of the property spent the last decade planting native species, including about 60,000 trees, and returning the area to its pre-cultivation state. Koalas, wallabies and a myriad of bird species live around. At nightfall, understand how Otway had a reputation for having some of the clearest skies on the continent: stars abound, a delight for northern hemisphere residents: the Southern Cross is visible year-round . skypods.com.au, from 395 A $ (about 225 £), minimum stay 2 nights
The dark sky delights the most remote Namibia
& Beyond’s Sossusvlei Desert Lodge
It has just under 3 million inhabitants in a land mass twice the size of California, we’ll tell you the math of light pollution, and is located in one of the designated international dark sky places on the planet, the NamibRand Nature Reserve. (whose skies are among the darkest found everywhere). Not surprisingly, Namibia in general, and Sossusvlei National Park in particular, attract night sky watchers everywhere.
The lodge is housed in a private reservation and is equipped with a Celestron CPC 1100 GPS telescope
Organized experiences around stars are endless here, from 12-day mobile star “safaris” to resident astronomers and field observatories. One of the best facilities of its kind is the Sossusvlei Desert Lodge & Beyond’s, located in its own private reserve and home to a Celestron CPC 1100 GPS computerized telescope and a squadron of astronomers from Africa, Australia and the USA. . If you are interested in continuing to watch once you have finished the observatory, all suites have skylights on the beds. andbeyond.com, from about £ 580 per person shared
Chasing the Milky Way in the Maldives
Milaidhoo beach Maldives
In the Maldives, everything from design to cocktails is a bit more (prices included, unfortunately). Also the observation of stars: as in Namibia, observatories and telescopes abound in the best resorts here (with the two islands Soneva, Fushi and Jani, as the leader). This summer Milaidhoo Maldives, north of the beautiful Baa Atoll, is launching an astronomy “retreat” program.
Milaidhoo is located north of the beautiful Baa Atoll
Named the Milkyway of the Maldives, it brings together several nights of guided and star-lit activities, from outdoor spa treatments and dinners to sailing a traditional dhoni star sailboat to an intense course. to photograph the night sky. The set has been conceived and will be directed by Valerie Stimac, astronomer and writer of Dark Skies from Lonely Planet. milaidhoo.com, from $ 1,625 a night