11 best things to do in the dark

The Aurora Australis The Northern Lights have a southern equivalent – exactly the same thing happens in the southern hemisphere between March and September. The problem is that it’s more difficult to see at our end of the world, due to there not being nearly as much accessible land at the right latitudes. The best bets for catching the Aurora Australis (as it is known) are Ushuaia in Argentina, South Georgia or the Falkland Islands.

The best things to do in the dark (with your clothes on) Watching the sun set on your travels doesn’t mean you have to stop exploring. The world offers some spectacular after-dark adventures from crazy light shows to the weird nocturnal creatures.

See the Northern Lights Watch the skies turn into dancing, colourful light shows. The Northern Lights – or Aurora Borealis – are annoyingly inconsistent though. There’s no one single best place to see them, although the general rule is that the further north and further from urban areas you go, the better your chances. Alaska, Canada, Norway, Iceland and Finland tend to have the best set-up wilderness camps.

Kayak on a bioluminescent bay In the north-eastern corner of Puerto Rico, you will find the waters of Laguna Grande, full of tiny micro-organisms. If agitated, these organisms glow. In a kayak, slowly gliding across the bay at night, the ends of your paddles light up like magic wands every time you dip them in the water.

Get amongst the glowworms In the caves at the edge of Lake Te Anau on New Zealand’s South Island, it’s fairly safe to turn the torches off and let the way be guided by thousands of glowworms clinging on to the cavern roof. The darker it is, the brighter they glow!

Learn night photography Photos taken after dark don’t have to be a blurry mess and you can really get creative using slow shutter speeds, glow sticks and coloured lights for a new perspective on your travels.

Raising the air balloon Hot air balloon rides are generally timed to go up just as the sun is rising for the best views. The Saga International Balloon Festival in Japan makes a virtue of what can be the most exciting bit – watching the firing and inflating of the balloons before dawn arrives. La Montgolfier Nocturne sees dozens of balloons being fired in time to music. The festival takes place in late October and early November every year.

Summit Mt Kinabalu Mt Kinabalu is a great two-day, one-night hike.. The first day draws to a close after 4-7 hours of hiking at the 3272m Laban Rata guesthouse. Then, at 2am the next morning, it’s time to don head-torches, scramble up on ropes in the dark and make it to the 4,095m summit for dawn. You’re way above the cloud line, so said sunrise tends to be pretty darned special (and worth getting up in the dark for).

Star-gazing Sometimes the simplest things are the best and star-gazing is one of these. There is nothing like seeing the entire expanse of sky lit up with countless stars. The best conditions to observe the universe are a lack of humans (and pollution) and minimal rainfall. The Atacama Desert in Chile ticks these boxes rather nicely and there are many telescopes set up out there to help you see it all a little clearer.

Check out nocturnal creatures There are plenty of animals that come out after dark that you wouldn’t otherwise see. Grab some night-vision goggles (so you don’t scare the critters with bright lights) and tread lightly to catch a glimpse of some amazing nocturnal wildlife.

Light festivals OK, so nature didn’t create this one but there are light art installations around the globe and they are something magical when lighting up the sky. Often set to music, it makes for a great night out.