Nothing beats the surreal beauty of the Northern Lights or Aurora. We checked out the project, Lights Over Lapland, that takes viewers on a virtual tour chasing the neon lights on dog sleds in Finland. Enveloped in the dark at Abisko National Park, there is stillness all around. As you plug in, you can hear the icy wind while you wait for the time lapse video to begin. And then suddenly you spot a speck of neon green in the night sky. Almost like a bright light peeping out of a keyhole. Before you realise it and within seconds, that small speck grows manifold lighting up the sky.
In an instant you are transported to a land far away. A surreal dream-like place, where the sky is painted in neon brush strokes. It’s a perfect mix of Vincent van Gogh’s ‘The Starry Night’ and The Beatles’ ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’. Looking at it makes you feel as if the lights have a mind of their own—moving and swaying to a rhythm only they can hear. The Lights Over Lapland project makes use of both time lapse and real time footage to enhance the viewing experience. There is also a 360-degree tool that helps viewers catch the phenomenon from all angles.
The tour lasts less than three minutes. But the project has more virtual tours on its site that opens up the icy beauty of the park. We suggest you try their reindeer sled tour to the reindeer herding village of Rautas. Here you get to spot the beautiful horned beasts doing what they do best—idling and grazing. You also get to be a part of a sled ride here. With the reindeer taking the lead in a landscape of white, it will stir up fond memories of Christmas and is bound to put a smile on your face. There is also a virtual tour of the kennel that houses the huskies used for sledding. Go for it even if you can’t pet them. The contagious energy will get you.
The project also has a section that takes visitors on a virtual tour of the Ice Hotel and the Lake Torneträsk. While the hotel can be given a miss, take the lake tour. The stroll through birch trees can be a pleasure, even virtually. But the lake is one spot where you would be let down by the virtual tour. It is an ice skating haven, and there is only so much you can do with your laptop.
review: Virtual Tour
Northern Lights