Getting out into the vast wilderness, whether to swathes of desert or vast steppe, humbles the traveller to the sheer scale of nature; affords them breath-taking vistas, not to mention provides an opportunity to escape the shackles of phone signal… But when night falls, there is another sight to behold. A lack of light pollution means the endless sky comes alive with burning candles, and the Milky Way glows.
Whether you’re a fount of all cosmic knowledge, identifying Pegasus from Gemini at ease, or you can just about tell what’s a planet and what’s a plane, there’s no denying the beauty of a night-sky alive with stars. So we’ve identified the best places to stargaze in the world, where you can lie back, look up and take them in with wonder.
1. The Atacama Desert, Chile
It’s not a surprise that the Atacama is home to some of the world’s biggest observatories. Its conditions are said to be the best on earth for stargazing – high, one of the driest places on earth, and unpolluted. Travel with us into this other-worldly landscape; our group tour to Bolivia and Chile spends three nights exploring the Atacama from the charming oasis town of San Pedro de Atacama.
Chile Group Tour & Tailor-Made Holidays
2. The Namib Desert, Namibia
One of the world’s least populated countries make these amongst the darkest night skies on earth, bringing constellations into view which are never usually sighted, making it one of the best places to stargaze in the world.
Namibia Group Tour & Tailor-Made Holidays
3. Tash Rabat or Son Kul, Kyrgyzstan
Stay in a yurt camp in Kyrgyzstan and enjoy the night sky guiding you to the toilet in the night! Tash Rabat yurt camp is pictured, but at Son Kul Lake enjoy an even wider vista of shimmering stars.
Kyrgyzstan Group Tour & Tailor-Made Holidays
4. The Northern Lights
Okay, they’re not strictly stars, but they are a sight to behold. Nature’s light show, the Aurora Borealis, is caused by collisions between gases in the earth’s atmosphere and electrically charged particles released from the sun. While there's some debate on the best countries in the world to see the northern lights, one things for certain, they are an unforgettable life experience. If inspired to make this worthy tick of the bucket list, check out some of our itineraries to catch them in Scandinavia below.
5. Wadi Rum, Jordan
Jordan provides another one of the best places to stargaze in the world. Camp in the haunting desert of Wadi Rum with its sheer sandstone cliffs and multi-coloured shifting sands, sleeping in modern dome tents or luxury tents at the Night Camp.
Jordan Group Tour & Tailor-Made Holidays
6. The Thar Desert, Rajasthan
At Manvar Desert Camp, sleep surrounded by sand dunes in isolated, luxury tented camps. The aim here is to recreate the tradition of 17th century Mughal Emperor Jehangir, who known for his luxurious lifestyle, would set up royal style camps en route to the battlefield.
