Anyone see the programme recently about the building of the Icehotel in Lapland? Definitely a property ‘makeover’ with a difference, I’m used to seeing people on telly struggle to complete their builds on time and to budget – however they don’t have to worry about the fact their walls are melting because winter is a bit slow coming. There were lots of very worried looks on sunny days but it all worked out fine in the end and the Icehotel opened on time. Much to the delight of guests who had booked rooms before the thing even existed. It will be open until the end of April this year when the sun starts to shine again, and is one of the best places in the world to head for if you want to see the Northern Lights.

The Northern Lights (or ‘Aurora Borealis’, named after the Roman goddess of dawn Aurora and the Greek name for the north wind Boreas), is a natural light display that plays in the sky when solar winds come into contact with the earth’s magnetic field, and electrically charged light particles collide with nitrogen and oxygen in the air, making the sky flash a glorious colour show. Every 10 to 12 years this solar activity reaches its peak and we are just entering one of those cycles, which makes 2012 a great year to catch them. You can sometimes see them from Scotland, Northern England and Ireland (see our reader comments here), but the odds increase greatly once you travel to the edge of the Arctic Circle in Lapland where the Icehotel is located.

It’s possible to see the lights through to April and best to book a package; Discover The World has just added two new dates to its March schedule departing on March 10and 17, offering one night in the Icehotel and two nights in heated accommodation. This holiday of a lifetime 3-night break starts from £1,093, including direct flights from London to Kiruna, transfers and taxes, accommodation and breakfast and thermal clothing for the Icehotel. For more information contact Discover The World telephone 01737 218 801.

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