5 Experiences You Must Have in a Lifetime
What stays with you for a lifetime are the experiences you had effortlessly. It doesn’t have to be a penance, these experiences; where you have to give your blood and sweat or try too hard. There is no challenge to nature; the way she sets the stage for a spectacular display of her versatility is awe-inspiring. And all this is right there for you to witness that’s happening spontaneously without any effort. Why not be a part of these magical phenomena once in your lifetime? Take that journey of that glorious path which is nothing but enlightening.
1. Northern lights
INTRO
This one is out of the world, like a colourful celestial dance lighting up the night sky. Aurora borealis or northern lights is a phenomenon best to be seen in person because no amount of description or none of the HD images will do it justice. It’s quite ironic that the sun at night, too, can make this light show happen. When charged particles emitted by the sun enter the earth’s magnetic field, they collide with molecules, and that clash creates those beautiful lights we see in the aurora borealis.
FACTS
The sky has to be pitch dark, and the sky has to be clear; the two most important factors you have to wish to see the lights. Summer has shorter nights, so it is advisable to go between December for better sightings as the nights are longer. However, longer nights don’t always work. March and Sept equinoxes are speculated to be the northern light seasons when solar activity is higher.
WHERE TO FIND IT
As the darkness falls, your anticipation to sight the glorious lights starts building up, and it could be sighted at any time until it is dark and clear. So, prepare yourself for a long night under the sky, and patience is a virtue as this is an experience of a lifetime. It’s easier to travel to the northern hemisphere than the south. Hence, let's count the northern countries closer to Artic, such as Alaska, Canada, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Greenland, and Iceland, chase the northern lights. (Read More about Where to sight northern lights in Finland)
2. Bioluminescence
INTRO
This is the time when the seashore becomes illuminated. Imagine the incredible glowing waves slowly washing up at the shoreline while you stand there marvelling at the blue light emitted by some activity inside the sea. These rare natural occurrences are happening in many places but not widely accessible for everyone to see. It’s like a secret surreal song & dance of elusive beings. To get to see this phenomenon, in reality, is a hair-raising experience, isn’t it?
FACTS
This glow in the water is called Bioluminescence, the emission of light by an organism through a chemical reaction (chemiluminescence). The bioluminescent species especially bound to the sea include bacteria, algae, fish, jellies and planktons. Some land-based bioluminescent organisms are fireflies and fungi. Organisms can luminesce when they are distressed it can be categorized often as defence tactics or a mode of communication. Planktons scientifically known as dinoflagellate gather energy from the sun and triggers a blue glow when it senses movement in the water. Fluctuations in the marine habitat, such as a drop in salinity, can induce the glow in bioluminescent algae.
WHERE TO FIND IT
Beaches of Australia, Jamaica, Beigan Island in Taiwan, Halong Bay in Vietnam, Isla de Vieques in Puerto Rico, California, Florida in the US, Norfolk in the United Kingdom, Krabi in Thailand, Bali in Indonesia
But our favourite is Maldives - Vaadhoo and Mudhdhoo Islands. Between July and December, the islands glow in the dark, and it might well be the most fantastical water & light show display on Earth. It is unpredictable and occurs only on moonless nights but when it does, then walking the shallow seas in a pleasant holiday mood with the luxurious secluded backdrop Maldives provides make the show much more amazing! (read more on Where to stay in Vaadhoo and Mudhdhoo Islands)
3. Whale Watching
INTRO
These are one of those things you will do in your life that will leave you stunned and totally mesmerized. The first sight of these majestic whales and the display of their sheer power is unparallel, but then they are, of course, the biggest creatures on earth. They can roam everywhere in the ocean; they are at the top of the food chain, and they are greatly instrumental in processing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere that makes them the right hand of Poseidon. They can be playful and curious too, same as you, when you look at them, they look at you and sometimes come closer to meet.
FACTS
Whales are warm-blooded mammals and breathe air. They can remain underwater for as much as 90 minutes. Blue whales can weigh an astonishing 200 tons and have lengths over 100 feet. Whales usually seek the colder waters of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres but prefer balmy sea at the equator for delivering their babies.
WHERE TO FIND IT
It’s advisable to take the whole day whale watching tours. You can go far, have more cruise time and up your chances of sightings though sightings are much higher in the early morning.
Canada
Strait of Juan de Fuca and Georgia Strait in Pacific coast for Killer whales - between May and October
The Gulf of St. Lawrence in Atlantic Coast - Beluga, Minke, Humpback, Fin, Blue and Sperm Whales
USA
Big Sur, Monterey Bay in California for Humpback, Blue, and Gray Whales – all year round
Long Island in New York for Fin, Humpback, North Atlantic Right, Minke, Sperm, Blue, and Sei Whales - July to Early September
Maui, Hawaii for Humpback Whales - December to April
Oregon, Virginia, Maine, Massachusetts, Florida also have whale watching tours.
Alaska
Glacier Bay for Humpback, Minke, Orca and Blue Whales - June to August
Kodiak Island for Gray Whales, Fin and Humpback Whales - June to November
Juneau for Humpback and Orcas - April to November
Europe
Iceland for Minke whales and killer whales
Coast of Portugal for Blue, Finback, and Sperm whales - May through October
Conservation
While you watch them, remember they are vital beings for the habitat. They are fast becoming endangered because of loss of habitat, rampant killings and the shipping industry. They need our protection, do what it takes to protect them.
4. African Wildlife Safari
INTRO
Wearing the muted colours to blend in, you set off on a safari with a first-row ticket to the spectacular show of the wild. A seamless landscape of rivers, lakes, mountains and the endless Savannah. It’s a joy to the soul to see the wild animals in their natural playground; some grazing the pastures; some in a friendly tussle with their mates; some soaking the sun, some dipping in the lake, and some running from predators. The unscripted drama unfolding, although gory, is a simple food chain protocol, and if you patient enough and the timing is right, you will get to witness the hunt. Hemingway once wrote: 'There can be no greater sight than that of a full-maned lion on the plains of Africa.’ The “Big Five” - Lion, Elephant, Leopard, Black or White Rhino, Cape buffalo are the crowd pullers eliciting sighs from the watchers every now and then, but the African fauna has plenty of variety to keep you enthralled than just the Big Five.
FACTS
Temperatures vary during the safari; for example, Masai Mara is cooler than you had anticipated; it could go max 30°C to as low as 10°C at night. Your gear clothing should be selected accordingly, with a hat a must accessory in the assemble. The animals don’t generally pay you much attention; they only perceive the size of a big jeep. Elephants, Lions, Leopards and many more make appearances every day in the remotest of Africa’s locations.
WHERE TO FIND IT
Kenya - Amboseli, Masai Mara, Samburu, Tsavo, Laikipia Plateau, Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru. The Great Migration starting from June/July is the high season for safari when millions of wildebeest, gazelle, eland, zebra and impala migrate from the Serengeti in Tanzania to the Masai Mara in Kenya in search of water and grazing land.
Tanzania - Serengeti, Selous, Arusha, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire and Ruaha. Jun-Oct is ideal months to go when the rains are over, roads are dry, and the climate is cooler.
South Africa - Kruger National Park, Madikwe Game Reserve, Mala Mala or Sabi Sand or Timbavati private reserves. May to September is best to enjoy Kruger Park, Gauteng, Limpopo in the northern part.
Botswana - Kalahari Reserve, Makgadikgadi and Chobe National Park. April to September is a particularly good time to visit Botswana.
Zambia – is still an undiscovered wilderness that is unspoiled. August to October are the best months for wildlife viewing in North and Southern Luangwa, Kafue, Zambezi National Park, Lochinvar and Liuwa.
Besides, there is Namibia, Zimbabwe, Malawi for an even more raw landscape.
5. Uluru Mountain
INTRO
In the southern part of the Northern Territory in central Australia lies a majestic sandstone rock formation, the Uluru. It is truly humbling to see a mystical mountain rising from the earth like a powerful, eternal body painted in red, standing guard to the world and sanctifying everything around it. Its stunning colour varies depending on the time of day and year. Uluru is made up of sandstone and minerals like feldspar, which give off a reddish glow during sunrise and sunset. But Uluru is much more than just a geological feature. It's a sacred place for Indigenous Australians. According to Aboriginals: the Pitjantjatjara Anangu, in the beginning, the world was unformed and featureless, then the ancestral beings emerged at this site and created Uluru first in “dreamtime” and with this as base further created all living species and forms on land. (Aboriginal Uluru Dreamtime is a term given to the process of creation when all Gods and ancestors came together to create everything. The Aboriginal Anangu believe that they can communicate with dreamtime and receive blessings from their ancestors by simply touching the rocks. Uluru has become a pilgrimage place for people of varying cultures who go in search of enlightenment.)
FACTS
Uluru is the inselberg meaning an isolated mountain unusually rising on a slope or plain surface. It is the second-biggest monolith in the world and was created over 600 million years ago. Now stands at 348 meters high with a circumference of 9.4kms and extends for 2.5 km underground. Around the mountain, there are many springs, waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings. Namely - Mutitjulu Waterhole, Kulpi Mutitjulu (Mutitjulu Cave), Taputji, Tjukatjapi, Pulari, Mala Puta Kantju Gorge Warayuki and Kuniya Piti. Approximately at 25 km on the west side is Kata Tjuta, also known as the Olgas. The Olgas are the rock formation of Kata Tjuta, made up of 36 different mountaintops. Uluru is an ancient name that doesn't have one specific meaning, but one possible given meaning is 'place of many heads' as a reference to the ancestors who inhabited the lands.
Uluru has a modern name called - 'Ayers Rock”.
SPIRITUALITY
The rock is revered as one of the holy creations of the Eternals. Ancient paintings throughout its caves and crevices contain innumerable petroglyphs that tell the story of the ancestors. The Mutitjulu settlement's closeness to the rock signifies the spiritual connection between the local people and Uluru.
Indigenous people here believe that those who visit Uluru and experience its mystery and understand what the mountain actually is are the ones who will change the world. This is the place to receive what the Sacred has to give. A place that changes people – once in a lifetime do visit this heart of Australia.
A word for the wise, please don’t climb it. It’s a sacred mountain, and many come there for pilgrimage. We should respect that and not make a sport out of it. Those who want to prove their physical mettle kindly do it somewhere else.
Note: Latest news on Uluru Mountain - in a landmark decision favouring the aboriginals, climbing has been banned from 26 October 2019.
