Frozen Beauty – Top Cold Places to Visit During a Lifetime
Travel Begins at 40 Editor
Sunbathing, mountain trekking, city tours – that’s what we imagine by vacations and getaways. Yet often this retreat-list isn’t sufficient enough to help us switch and truly enjoy this world. We offer you to сhange your understanding of a typical vacation and go on the trips of a lifetime to explore the freezingly cold yet astonishing beauty of our planet. Prepare your cold-proof clothes, grab a camera, and let’s move towards the adventures!
1. Antarctica
Probably, when you hear the “cold” being involved, Antarctica is the first to pop up in your head. It is the coldest and driest continent in the world, quite hostile to human life, yet, it welcomes visitors. Although rather barren, this land hosts quite a few types of animal species – penguins, albatrosses, whales, dolphins, and fur seals, who are ready to be photographed by your camera. Overall, there are 235 animal species featured in Antarctica.
The average temperatures in Antarctica in winter are 49.4°C, however, the winds may worsen the perception. Therefore, it is typically visited between November-January during the summertime. The flights take you off the Punta Arenas in Chile, and then the Antarctica cruise ship takes you to all the places and becomes your temporary home.
The pristine beauty of the land of ice will capture your imagination, heart, and soul, making the trip truly remarkable and full of memories. Don’t hesitate and just book the trip of a lifetime.
2. Greenland
Greenland, with its controversial name, will find its place in your heart and broaden your horizons from the South Pole closer to the North Pole. Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark and it is the world’s largest island. Glaciers, the world’s biggest fjord system, northern lights, ancient ice, rich wildlife, and endless sheets of ice – what can make you feel more impressed? The 24-hour sunshine during the summer season.
Greenland is tourist-friendly, and it welcomes passengers coming by domestic flights, helicopters, and ferries.
3. Mongolia
Want a bit of Asian adventures? Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, is considered to be the coldest capital in the whole world. The summers are quite warm, yet it’s the winters that will challenge your cold tolerance. The coldest January temperatures are between −36 and −40°C (−32.8 and −40.0 °F) with no wind.
Although being the land of cold, the city lives it to the full – trading, commerce, vibrant nightlife, rich cuisine – there is everything to satisfy your tourist needs, besides, all the impressions will double when in a cold environment.
4. Iceland
The land of ice and fire, absolutely unpredictable weather, and the beauty that agitates imagination. Iceland is stunning all year round, yet, if looking for Aurora borealis, you’d better go there during the November-March season. The biggest and most famous waterfalls Skogarfoss and Seljalandsfoss look breathtaking in winter, not to mention the sky-blue glaciers and black-sand beaches, which look special when covered with a show.
Unlike other cold places Iceland, due to Gulf Stream, features mild and pleasant winters, which is definitely good for those who are pretty uncomfortable with very low temperatures. The southern part of the land features averages around 0 °C, while the northern part is around −10 °C.
5. Alaska
Incredible scenery and wildlife, snow peaks, glaciers, aurora borealis, fjords, humpback whales, and bears – it is just a shortlist of wonders to see in Alaska. If your photo camera has long been waiting for new photoshoots, don’t hesitate and book the tickets to this paradise. Apart from stunning nature, you will have a chance to dive into a rich and unique Alaskan Native culture and cuisine. Winter temperatures in Alaska range from -18°C to -35°C from November to March.
6. Norway
The silent beauty of Norway is available all year round. Despite the number of people willing to explore the land of fjords, it is always spacious and quiet there, and everything is left untouched. Norway is just another place to immerse in the rich wildlife and culture, get acquainted with the lifestyle of people who live in cold climates, and enjoy kilometers of stunning beauty. The average temperature in Norway in winter is -6.8 °C yet the local conditions may differ.
Every new trip is about discoveries. You open up the immensity of our world, which forms your inner self. Trips to cold countries are different. The severity and harshness of the places give you another perspective on life and its beauty. If your soul craves change, don’t hesitate – book the flight tickets, check up on Antarctica cruises, and observe the aurora borealis from various places of our planes – this world is worth seeing and exploring live, not through Google glasses.