Watching the wonders of the universe is a special entertainment. Very popular among tourists, by the way. The so-called dark sky reserves around the world are always crowded. We invite you to join the astroenthusiasts and look at the best places to admire the stars in different countries. Are you ready for the best night of your life?
You won’t see any stars near the city. They need to be followed to secluded corners where “light pollution” has not reached. There are actually quite a few such places in the world.
The International Dark Sky Association (IDA), established in 1988, includes about 200 locations in 22 countries on 6 continents that preserve the darkest and starry skies.
Examples of stellar locations of the world:
- South AFRICA. Ae Wildlife Park! Hai Kalahari Heritage Park
- Greece. Ainos National Park
- France. Mercantour National Park
- New Zealand. Aoraki Mackenzie Park
- USA, Utah. Arches National Park
- USA, Texas. Big Bend National Park
- Japan. Bisei Town in Ibara
- England. Scottish Dark Sky Observatory Park
- Scotland. Galloway Forest Park
- Australia. Observatory near Warrumbangle National Park, near the town of Coonabarabran
- Spain. Montsec Astronomical Park in the city of Ager
- Uruguay. The settlement of Cabo Polonio, the unspoken capital of fishermen and hippies
- Hungary. Zselik Park
- Germany. Ren Biosphere Reserve in the Ren Mountains
- Irish. Kerry’s “Dark” Nature Reserve
- Netherlands. Parks De Boschplaat and Lauersmer
- Denmark. Mon and Nuor Islands
Let’s tell you more about some spectacular places with a starry sky. We will explore the secrets of the universe in Thailand, Namibia, Chile, Jordan and Russia.
STARGAZING IN THAILAND
More than ten locations in five provinces of the kingdom are waiting for stargazers in Thailand.
You can contemplate the starry sky here:
- Chiang Mai Province. Locations – Huai Nam Dang National Park, Tai Community in San Kampheng District
- province Nakhon Ratchasima. Locations – wineries Alcidini and Gran Montevara Pak Chong
- province Saraburi. Locations – stadium in the area Muak Lek
- Chaiyaphum province. Locations – Phu Khyeo – Thung Kraman Wildlife Sanctuary, Pa Hin Ngam and Phu Langka National Parks
- Ubon Ratchaburi Province. Locations – Pha Thai National Park
In all these places, tourists will find a real starry extravaganza. The beauty there is such that you really start to believe that alien brothers live somewhere very close to us. And yet, looking at millions of huge stars, you feel one with the world, with everyone who at the same moment is also looking at the stars somewhere there, on the other side of the earth.
There is a developed tourist infrastructure near all the listed locations, it is also quite easy to get there. Chiang Mai, for example, can be reached from Bangkok in just 1 hour. Saraburi Province is just 108 km from Bangkok. From the capital to Nakhon Ratchasima province is 270 km.
Read also:
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STARGAZING IN NAMIBIA
Crystal clear air, huge dunes and a scattering of diamonds in the vast, stunning sky. This is seen and felt by the guests who spend the night in the Namib Rand Nature Reserve in the world’s oldest Namib desert in Namibia. By the way, this reserve was the first to receive the highest golden status of the Dark Sky Association.
Many stars here can be recognized with the naked eye, and a telescope will help you meet others. You can take the equipment with you or rent it in the reserve.
Of course, a professional astronomer works with the guests, as in other stellar locations. It helps tourists to merge with the universe and grasp the meaning of life and eternity.
Trips to the stars in the Namib-Rand nature reserve are popular with tourists, and therefore there are many programs, there are in the assortment of all companies working in the direction. You can only get to Namibia from Russia with a transfer. Convenient options with one connection are offered, for example, by Ethiopian Airlines, Qatar Airways.
FOLLOW THE STARS TO JORDAN
Guests of the fantasy desert of Wadi Rum, in Jordan, also have access to mind-blowing pictures of the starry world. They say they stay in the memory forever. The huge sky, every millimeter of which is dotted with stars against the background of rocks and dunes, looks simply unreal, beyond even the imagination.
For an overnight stay in the desert, tourists can choose one of the many, very convenient campsites.
Getting to the desert is easy. Jordan has two passenger airports – in Amman and Aqaba. It is 320 km from Amman to the Wadi Rum desert, and 60 km from Aqaba. So far, it is possible to fly to Jordan only with transfers, convenient options with one connection are available, for example, from Jazeera Airways, Air Arabia, Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, EgyptAir, Etihad Airways, Gulf Air, etc.
STARGAZING IN CHILE
The Atacama Desert in northern Chile is considered harsh and is called the driest desert on Earth. But this fact does not prevent it from attracting numerous tourists from all over the world. They go for spectacular rocky landscapes, geysers, volcanoes, prehistoric drawings and, of course, the inimitable starry sky.
The sky here is so grandiose that willy-nilly you begin to think that you, and your entire earth, are just a speck of dust in the surrounding cosmic universe. Just a dot, like an illusion.
A trip to Atacama usually starts from the tiny Chilean town of San Pedro de Atacama or the large city of Antofagasta. Tourists from Russia first arrive in the capital of the country, Santiago. Fly with at least two transfers. If you use the services of Turkish Airlines, transfers will be in Istanbul and Panama, the total travel time will be about 40 hours.
FOLLOW THE STARS TO RUSSIA, IN THE ELBRUS REGION
You can successfully hunt for stars in Russia. There is a star option to go to Lake Baikal or Altai, you can go to Teriberka and even further north, or you can go to the Krasnodar Territory. And, of course, the shining Caucasus. For example, the extremely romantic Elbrus region.
The locations here can be absolutely any. You can just go outside from your hotel or spend the night in a tent somewhere higher up. The stars in the Elbrus region are the size of a fist and so close-close and very bright. Unearthly beauty on a starry night in the mountains. It is often possible to observe how the stars fall one by one. Just have time to make wishes.
Recall that we wrote about the TOP 5 tourist places where it will be convenient to watch the summer starfall in this review.
Alexandra Polyanskaya
