Podcast: In search of the Northern Lights

In our recent Reader Awards, we asked you to name the thing at the very top of your bucket list. The answer didn't surprise us one bit. It was, resoundingly, to witness the Northern Lights.

So for this season's final episode of The Rough Guide to Everywhere (iTunes; Soundcloud), our podcast host Greg Dickinson travelled to Finnish Lapland in a hunt for the aurora borealis.

In the episode, Greg meets with local Sámi woman Linda, who explains the local folklore behind the Northern Lights. "Some people used to believe that it was a huge firefox running through the fells and when its tail hit the fells it created the Northern Lights", she says.

As time goes by and his chances of seeing the Northern Lights are looking slimmer, Greg takes a crash course in riding a snowmobile. Alongside his French guide, Anthony, Greg drives across a frozen lake and deep into the woods in a last-ditch attempt to catch a glimpse of the aurora.

Listen now to find out what happens.

Greg travelled to Finland with The Aurora Zone, the UK’s only dedicated Northern Lights holiday company. Three-night trips include return flights to Nellim in Finnish Lapland from London, transfers, full-board accommodation, cold-weather clothing and experienced guides. A range of activities (extra) can be added to the trip, including a reindeer farm visit, a husky safari and an Aurora snowmobile safari. For more information, contact The Aurora Zone on 01670 785012.

Top image © Sara Winter/Shutterstock

Polar lights can be seen in many high latitude locations- including Iceland, Norway, Finland, Canada, and Alaska.