Audience: Outdoor

Don’t Wait 11 Years For The Northern Lights. Just Head To The South!

Missed the opportunity to catch the best aurora in the northern hemisphere before May 2016? If north is not the right direction now, just do the opposite and head south! Catch the southern lights instead, it’s going to be the better experience for the next 11 years!

I’ve only heard of the Northern Lights. Do the Southern Lights really exist?

Yes southern lights, or aurora australis, like its legendary sister, is a natural electric phenomenon that creates bright and colourful light displays in the sky.

In the south, the auroras can be seen from places like southern Australia’s Tasmania, New Zealand and Chile. While the northern lights steals all the limelight, the southern lights is just as impressive.

In fact, the southern lights is said to be even more vibrant, with hues of orange, pink, purple and gold. Furthermore, say good bye to jet-lags as Tasmania is much nearer to Singapore. Read on to discover the 5 PERFECT spots for viewing the southern lights down under!

1. South Arm Peninsula

South Arm Peninsula, located 40 km southeast of Hobart – the capital city of Tasmania, is known to be a surfer’s paradise.

Not only is the U-shaped peninsula a place with abundant pristine beaches, it also boasts wide shallow bays, ideal for catching fascinating reflection shots of the southern lights!

Great to know that this sleepy town about 50 minutes away from Hobart isn’t heavily populated with humans, architecture and artificial lights. No wonder South Arm Peninsula is one of the best spots professional photographers head to for the stunning lights!

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2. Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park

Located in the Central Highlands area of Tasmania, the Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

Besides being home to the world-famous Overland Track hikers love, the famous rugged mountain range is also a rich habitat for diverse vegetation and wildlife. There are a number of peaks you can conquer on the Overland Track, with heights ranging from 1,200 to over 1,500 metres above sea level.

As you may already know, the chances of viewing aurora increases as it gets dark, darker and the darkest. Being high up there in the mountains, and far away from artificial city lights, makes it one of the ideal places to view the best aurora.

As a major feature of the park, Cradle Mountain is a top spot where you can enjoy your hike and look out for the southern lights at the same time. Try your luck on a clear dark wintry night on the Cradle Mountain, and count your lucky stars when you do catch them!

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3. Dodges Ferry

Dodges Ferry is a small town with less than 3,000 residents in south eastern Tasmania. There’s a beautiful beach here where you can indulge in some fun water sports or just relax by the bay.

Blessed with favourable natural conditions (read: vast open land with limited light pollution), this is another gem spot for unrivalled views of the southern lights!

 Most importantly, Dodges Ferry is very accessible, just half an hour’s drive from Hobart CBD!

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4. Eaglehawk Neck

About an hour’s drive south of Hobart, arrive at the small coastal town of Eaglehawk Neck. It is so named because of the narrow strip of land known as the Neck.

Once known for the defence line of chained dogs deterring convicts from escaping the Port Arthur settlement, Eaglehawk Neck is now synonymous as the gateway to the stunning Tasman Peninsula. Marvel in awe at some of the most rugged towering cliffs in Tasmania.

Furthermore, expect to witness one of the most spectacular southern lights display in this laid back countryside with secluded bays and striking rock formations as the backdrop.

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5. Huon Valley

Mention Huon Valley to any Australian and you will most likely hear “apple orchard” being linked to the beautiful region. However, there is more to the alluring region, only 30 minutes’ drive from south Hobart, than just juicy Tasmanian apples.

The valley is noted for its remarkable variety of picturesque landscapes, from the tranquil Huon River to the splendid Hartz Mountains National Park. In addition, there are the vineyards where you can indulge in a fine glass or two while soaking in the picturesque beauty of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel.

Last but not least, include the fascinating glow of green and red light displays blanketing the sky at night. Surely all these make Huon Valley THE excellent spot for an extraordinary southern lights holiday?

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A must-do on your travel bucket list!

The southern lights is definitely a one-of-a-kind natural phenomenon that deserves much more attention than it does now. Compared to the northern lights, putting an aurora australis Tasmanian holiday in place is better, because:

• you don’t have to travel far from Singapore to see it. Tasmania is just a 9-hour flight away.
• the southern lights is more vibrant, boasting more colours than the usual green and red!
• although the best time to see the lights is during winter, the southern lights can be viewed all year round in convenient locations around Tasmania, if you are lucky.
• the temperature in Tasmania during winter is much more bearable than northern lights destinations. So no need to dig deep into your savings for extreme winter wear clothing!
• the best time to catch northern lights is over, as the 11-year solar cycle enter a dormant phase after May 2016. Therefore, it’s really hard to see the brilliant lights at the north for the next 11 years.

With so many advantages of chasing the southern lights over its highly-publicized sister, it’s definitely a BETTER experience you must do on your travel bucket list! Procrastinate no more. Make plans to visit Down Under for the epic trip!

Also, read Here Are Some Of The Most Gorgeous Photos Of Tasmania’s Lavender Farm And Southern Lights!

Dreaming Of Sandy Beaches From Your Office Cubicle? 2 Hours Is All You Need

One great thing about Singapore is, we’re strategically smacked between wonderful beaches. Yes, they may not be as well known as Hawaii or Maldives but if you’re desperately in need of a beach vacay, how about turning to our neighbours for a sweet escape?

We present you 6 beach getaways near Singapore for 6 types of beachgoers.

1. For the lazy bums – Bintan, Indonesia

If you’re too lazy and desperately in need of a beach vacay (and Siloso is not an option), just head to Tanah Merah, hop on a ferry and take off to Bintan Island! Although it’s more like a stay-in-a-resort type of getaway, the ride to the island only takes an hour! And that’s what we call a hassle free vacay!

We highly recommend the white sandy  Image source: Image source: Thousand Wonders[/caption] [caption id="attachment_13214" align="alignnone" width="900"] Image source: Image source: Image source: Image source:  For the surfer dudes and dudettes, this is defo the place to go for some wave chasing.  We heard that surfers love the big waves at Bangko-Bangko (also known as Desert Point) and if surfing is not your thing, go snorkeling in the beautiful reefs of the Gili islands or even volcano exploring at Rinjani.

[caption id="attachment_13230" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Image source: Image source: Reddit[/caption] [caption id="attachment_13233" align="alignnone" width="936"] Image source: Expedia[/caption]

Lombok is slowly catching up on their tourism so you might wanna visit them soon before it becomes the second Bali.

Getting there: Take a 2 hours and 15 mins direct flight to Lombok via Silk Air.

4. For the party people – Boracay, Philippines

Getting to Boracay might be a bit of a hassle but trust us, all the transits and waiting time will be worth it.

[caption id="attachment_13236" align="alignnone" width="999"] Image source: Wikipedia[/caption]

This paradise is divided into 5 areas and White Beach Station 1 is where most of the action takes place (read: swamped with tourist). If you go beyond that section, you’ll find turquoise like water with soft silky sand and a peaceful ambience. Boracay never sleeps, especially Station 1 and 2.

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[caption id="attachment_13245" align="alignnone" width="900"] Image source: Image source: Jim Boud[/caption]

Getting there: Take a 1.5-hour direct flight to Langkawi via AirAsia.

6. For the honey-mooners: Batu Batu, Malaysia

Pulau Tengah may be a privately own island in Johor but there’s one resort on the island where bae and you can enjoy some private time on a paradise nestled between coconut groves, powder white sands and tropical breezes.

Getting there: Take a 2-hour direct bus ride to Mersing (most buses leave from Golden Mile Complex near Lavender MRT), followed by an approx 20-minute speed boat ride arranged by the peeps of Batu Batu.

With 6 stunning beaches to choose from, who is excited for some fun under the sun? Time to start planning your annual leaves and make the bookings! Don’t forget to share these gorgeous beaches with your family and friends and everyone can go together.

Also, read Picturesque & Hidden Spots In Thailand You Must Discover Before They Get Crowded!

Here Are Some Of The Most Gorgeous Photos Of Tasmania’s Lavender Farm And Southern Lights!

Located off Australia’s south coast, Tasmania is an isolated island state filled with rugged picturesque scenery.

Because it was one of the world’s major apple producers, literally the apple fruit, it became known as the “Apple Isle”. But it’s more than just an apple producer.

Just to put things in perspective, the Apple Isle (68 km²) is 95x the size of Singapore (719 km²)! Despite that, Singapore (5.5 mil) is 10x more populated than Tasmania (517k). What does this mean? Wilderness & beautiful scenery abounds in Tasmania!

Tasmania holds so many gems on its vast wild landscape that you will wanna visit over and over again! Discover why Tasmania is the new MUST visit place for a life full of wilderness!

1. This Mountain-Lake with Southern Lights

For a few days, hike through fascinating glacier-carved valleys, ancient rainforests, alpine meadows, waterfalls and more beautiful scenery. You can end your long walk at Lake St. Clair. Soak in the amazing and tranquil scenery at the deepest lake in Australia!

Even if you don’t feel fit enough for the 65 km long alpine walk, fret not. There is a variety of day walks for visitors who are looking for a great scenic hike at Cradle Mountain.

Don’t forget to look out for native wild vegetation, glacier rocks as well as the photogenic boat shed along the walk. Note that Cradle Mountain is also a hotspot to catch the spellbinding southern lights. So make this your first stop for some awesome Tasmanian wilderness!

2. Check out towering sea cliffs + more spots for Southern Lights

How does walking along one of the most spectacular coastlines, with some of the country’s tallest sea cliffs sound to you? If that’s your idea of fun, follow the Tasman coastal trail within the splendid Tasman National Park.

Discover the power of nature from the impressive rock formations at Tasman Arch. Also, try standing on the edge of the lookout to see if you can spot the bottom of the steep soaring cliffs.

Of course, this popular Tasmania nature spot is also one of the best places to see the impressive southern lights!

3. Roam freely in the largest lavender farm in the world

Many people flock to Hokkaido in summer for the pretty lavender farms. But do you know that the world’s largest commercial lavender farm is actually in northern Tasmania?

Bridestowe Lavender Estate is about a 45-minute drive from the state’s second largest city – Launceston. If you visit the Apple Isle from November to January, seize the opportunity to visit the beautiful lavender farm in full bloom.

Run through the purple lavender fields without a care in the world. Feel in heaven with the aromatic fragrance of the blooming flowers. As you roam freely on the 260-acre huge fields, capture picture-perfect shots anywhere you want.

4. Feel on cloud nine at Mount Wellington

Accessible via a short drive from Hobart CBD, Mount Wellington is one of the top wilderness spots in Tasmania. It offers fantastic bird’s eye views of southern Tasmania as well as great walking and mountain biking trails.

Literally feel on top of the world as you look down from the 1,270 m summit!

Of course, at such high altitudes, do prepare warm and windproof clothing as you ascend the summit. Surely you want to be in your best form when walking on cloud nine, don’t you?

5. See adorable native animals up close

Last but not least, how can we forget about Tasmanian wildlife? After all, you can’t be bushwalking in the marvellous national parks with your eyes closed, can you?

Look out for the Tasmanian Devil, the largest carnivous marsupial found only in the wild in Tasmania. The cute bear-like marsupial is a local pride and joy of the island state.

Besides the Tasmanian Devil, there’s a rich variety of fauna that can be found on the island. Keep your eyes open for the likes of adorable wombats, pademelon, eastern quoll as you enjoy the great walks in the numerous national parks.

Essentially, you don’t get to see them up close anywhere else except in Tasmanian wilderness!

With so many natural gems on the Apple Isle waiting for you to unveil, it’s probably hard not to fall in love with the rugged scenery! Filled with activities that will satisfy all, Tasmania certainly deserves more attention than it does now.

Rather than make repeat visits to the usual Australian cities such as Perth, Sydney or Melbourne, why not check out a different side of Australia? Create a unique Tasmanian holiday that will make you wanna live in wilderness!

Also, read Picturesque & Hidden Spots In Thailand You Must Discover Before They Get Crowded!