I might get some stink eyes for saying this, but you know what I noticed?
Most travel articles are nothing more than a drab list of places. Go here, do that, take a picture of that over there, and that’s it. The End. Now, don’t get me wrong, the Trevi Fountain and the Eiffel Tower are certainly majestic, but it’s like, you see them, snap a photo, and it doesn’t really do that much for you emotionally.
But once you see all the landmarks, then what? Well, here’s an idea that might intrigue you – How about going and checking out all the best things the planet has to show (but in person, not on TV).
The ones we’ll recommend to you ARE truly spectacular, but you can’t see them whenever. You need to know exactly where to go at exactly the right time, which is what I’m about to tell you all about.
Disclosure: Collaborative post.
Seasonal Windows for Nature’s Most Spectacular Shows
All of these events I’m about to talk about happen because a specific set of conditions line up perfectly, so you have a set timeframe in which you need to visit. Here’s when that is.
Aurora Borealis – Northern Norway/Alaska/Siberia
Seeing this phenomenon in a picture is DEFINITELY not the same as you ACTUALLY being there and seeing it play out in person. It’s not something that you can describe in words, and it’s something that you either watch in complete silence without a single thought or you’re watching it with your mouth half open, thinking ‘wow…’.
It basically looks like something you’d see on NASA’s Instagram profile, but what’s really happening is that it’s just our Sun playing tricks on Earth’s magnetic field. Well, ‘just’ is an understatement. It is science, but if there’s something that looks like magic, then it’s this.
Aurora Borealis forms when solar particles slam into Earth’s atmosphere and affect the Earth’s magnetic field. Once that happens, the light show starts. And honestly, it’s just surreal. It doesn’t even look like it belongs in this world. And if you haven’t seen it, then you should definitely plan to see it. It is something that stays with you forever. And regardless of how much it ends up costing you, it’s worth it.
There’s just one teensy little thing here. You need REAL darkness to see it, so if you’re after the sky’s natural light show, the outskirts of Tromsø in Norway and Fairbanks in Alaska are places you want to be. Generally, you want to avoid places that have too much light (e.g., big cities) because that could prevent you from seeing the phenomenon.
In terms of ‘when’, anytime from late August to late March works. Obviously, this time coincides with the cold season. But here is how to prepoare to stay warm enjoying the dances of the aurora.
Great Wildebeest Migration – Tanzania/Kenya
This spectacle is over a million wildebeest… Well, moving. That’s it. It sounds anticlimactic, but it’s a sight to see. This is absolute chaos, and the wildebeest follow the rain and fresh grass across the Serengeti and into Kenya’s Maasai Mara.
Predators follow them, of course, so the whole ecosystem packs up and moves.
I’d suggest you go and see the famous river crossings (where the crocodiles pretty much wait for takeout – dark, I know), which happen from July to October. This is when the herds hit the Mara River.
If you want to see the calving season, that’s January thru March in Tanzania, and you’ll see thousands of out-of-this-world-cute newborns.
Monsoon Transformation – Rajasthan, India
Monsoon season sounds dangerous, and it sounds like even umbrellas fear it. Naturally, you’d want to avoid them. But in Rajasthan, India – that’s the show.
Rajasthan is usually a dry and dusty desert. In July, though, it completely changes. All the high hills become lush green, and all the lakes in Udaipur fill up to the brim.
The temps also drop. It’s almost as if someone has hit a button and the entire landscape went back to factory settings.
The thing is, though, the monsoon doesn’t punch a time clock. Usually, it’s sometime between July and September, but the exact date changes every year.
Some people check rainfall patterns before booking.
If you’re one of those people, you’ll likely be using a travel app that relies on global weather data for developers, which helps you plan your trips while avoiding surprises (e.g., rain, hail, or just a massive monsoon storm).
This way, you can enjoy your trip/vacation without worry.
Monarch Butterfly Migration – Mexico
Seeing this will send shivers down your spine (but in a good way, of course). Imagine millions of butterflies hanging from trees. They’re all clustered together in the oyamel fir forests in Michoacán, and there are so many of them that the trees look like they’ve overgrown in orange leaves. And then… Then the Sun comes up, and those millions of butterflies take off.
The air’s FULL of them.
Your window for this spectacular event is late November thru early March; ideally, January and February. You’re at a high altitude here, so keep that in mind and dress for the mountain cold. And, for the love of everything holy, DO NOT touch a single butterfly under any circumstances.
They’re very fragile, and you’re there to just watch, nothing else.
Bioluminescent Bays – Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico has glowing water. Seriously.
Not metaphorically, ACTUALLY glowing.
You paddle at night at some of these bays, and every stroke lights up like you dropped glow sticks in the water. This happens because of tiny microorganisms called dinoflagellates. They lose their minds when you disturb them, and their freak-outs look like blue electricity.
The star is Mosquito Bay on Vieques.
You can go all year, but the moon is the variable, because a full moon will wash everything out. You want a new moon or as close to it as you can get. Pitch black, if possible, that’s when the glow really pops.
Don’t swim anywhere in these glowing waters, because these ecosystems are very delicate and the sunscreen on your skin is like poison to them.
Conclusions on When and Where to See Natural Phenomena
Reading about all these spectacles might get your creative cogs spinning wildly, leaving you wondering about everything else there is to discover in the world.
Other people might even think about how they’re rushing to see any of these listed to make the perfect Instagram Story or video. But let me tell you, once you’re actually there – any of these listed above – you won’t even remember your phone.
You’ll be so dumbfounded, so flabbergasted, SO much in awe, that you’ll literally be just standing there and wondering whether what you’re seeing is even real.
Featured photo source: depositphotos.com
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