In recent years Greenland has captivated more and more people who have chosen the country as perfect destination. Which is not surprising. After all, Greenland offers good story, beautiful and different nature and colourful culture. There are its enormous icebergs in the Arctic Circle region, the spectacular green fields and fjords in South North and East Greenland, and the multicoloured houses you can see in every town along the coast. And of course, the imposing silence adds to the charm of the country. With only 56,000 residents and roughly the same number of annual tourists spread over an area of the size of Western Europe, Greenland experience can feel very personal Whether you travel on your own or are on an organised tour, you will never bereft of these moments. Called The Big Arctic Five, these are the signature experiences that will make your visit the envy of many. First of the five is the rolling, mythical and magical Northern Lights. They will surprise and amaze you; and in the middle of nature in Greenland is the perfect place to experience the phenomenon. Here, where the mountains and the snow are illuminated by the green and red light show, the Northern Lights dance in the night sky, and it is sight to behold. The phenomenon begins from early spring. Also known as Aurora Borealis, it actually occurs year round but it is not seen in the summer in Greenland because of the midnight sun. It often appears around midnight and is best experienced ona dark, clear night sky from September until the beginning of April. If you are travelling during that period, you can see the Northern Lights throughout the country, but in South Greenland the Northern Lights can already be seen from the end of August.
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Another aspect that fascinates visitors is
Greenland’’s ice sheet. Icebergs are the ice sheet’s unique masterpieces. They come in all imaginable shapes and sizes, and the colours shimmer from white to blue to green with yellowish and reddish tints depending on the light that hits them. For example, from the glow of the midnight sun that shines 24 hours day north of the Arctic Circle.
The further north you go, the longer the period
of midnight sun. You can walk on the ice at
Kangerlussuaq and sail to glaciers throughout most of Greenland almost all year round. Ilulissat Icefjord is world famous because of its status as UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tens of thousands of ice floes as far as the eye are the first sign that you are approaching the east coast of Greenland and slowly, but surely, dramatic mountain landscape is revealed with pristine mountain peaks and glaciers known as the Greenlandic Ice Sheet.
Visitors coming to the country from Denmark sometimes also choose to drive out to the ice at Kangerlussuaq and walk the last bit onto the ice to see it close up. It is once in lifetime
experience, but it is also possible in Greenland if you sail, fly in the ice.
to do it elsewhere helicopter or hike to
To sail in Greenland is initself great experience and it becomes even greater when whale appears right next to the boat. Humpback, fin and minke
whales can be seen along most coastlines and often the whales swim quite close to towns and settlements. The sea around Greenland is ideal for whales, because it contains plenty of nutrition, food and offers great depths that whales can frolic in. In the summer months, whales such as humpbacks,
often go close to the shore in search of food.
Qegertarsuaq, located on Disko Island, is well-known spot for playful humpbacks in high summer, and many other Greenland
whales also visit the site little earlier the pa year typically from May to June. However,
the towns of Uummannag, Aasiaat,
Maniitsoq, Nuuk and Sisimiut, and the towns in South and East Greenland are some of the other places to visit when it comes to
the sea’s largest mammals.
If you sail with the coastal ship from Arctic
Umiagq Line, the regional routes from Disko Line or cruise with, for example, Hurtigruten, you can almost be sure to whales during the voyage. One’s first encounter with whale is unforgettable and if you are lucky enough to be able to follow the whale for while, don’t forget to lower your camera sometimes to enjoy the view
with your naked eyes. It would be such shame if you see most of it through lens or the screen on the camera, because the memory of the meeting is certainly special.
Source: MUHIBAH, the Royal Brunei Airlines in-flight magazine, 2015 Nov-Dec, pages 31-36. Text recovered from the scanned page by OCR and lightly corrected; spelling may differ from the printed edition.
