Stargazing Holidays
Inspired by the BBC’s Stargazing Live series to take a second look at our night skies but don’t fancy contending with the UK’s constant cloud cover? Here’s our pick of the best star-spotting holidays from around the world…
Your very own stargazing deck in the Maldives…With its endless horizons and minimal artificial light, the Maldives is surely one of the best places in the world for budding astrologers. With its very own star gazing roof specifically designed for watching the night skies, Alila Villas Hadahaa is an idyllic location for an astrology introduction.
Set on the pristine tropical island of Hadahaa in the very far south of the Maldives, the resort’s 50 over-water and island villas have just a vast expanse of ocean and white sandy beaches for company and as night falls the chance to see the dazzling constellations from both hemispheres.
Star spotting in Hawaii… Hawaii is one of the best global stargazing spots thanks to the minimal light pollution, high elevation and clear year-round weather conditions. Visitors also have the chance to see stars from both the northern and southern constellations and access to some world-renowned facilities including the Onizuka Centre for International Astronomy on Mauna Kea, which offers free nightly stargazing tours.
Follow in the footsteps of the BBC Stargazing Live team with Hotels.com, which offers a wealth of accommodation on Hawaii – from boutique B&B’s to five-star hotels. For easy access to the tranquil Hawaii Volcanoes National Park try the 3-star Volcanic Luxurious B&B available from £102 per night this month.
At one with Astronomy in the Atacama Desert… With 90% of nights cloud-free due to the high altitudes and sparse settlements, there is no better place for astrology than in the Moon Valley. Set amid the most arid desert in the World, explora en Atacama Hotel de Larache in northern Chile, is perfectly situated for some of the finest stargazing in South America.
The explora observatory is located just 100 metres from Hotel de Larache and is home to one of the largest and most powerful ‘aficionado-level’ telescopes in the continent. Beneath the observation dome, travellers can take part in interactive astronomy lessons, including using the telescope, mapping the cosmos and pinpointing stars and planets above the Atacama sands.
Spain’s Teide Mountain is the highest mountain in the world when measured from below sea level so with this unique high altitude in mind, the ABAMA Golf & Spa Resort is now arranging private stargazing tours with an official guide from a local planetarium. Guests are picked up at midnight in Jeeps and taken to the top of the Teide mountain where they have unparalleled views of the night sky and are able to view the constellations.
Star-crossed lovers?… Bali is the ideal place to demystify the Hindu approach to astrology and there’s nowhere better than the island’s cultural heart of Ubud. Couples at Alila Ubud, a boutique resort set in a magical hillside location high above the Ayung river, can join an experienced Balinese Astrologer to discover the depth of their compatibility based on the meaning and implication of their Otanan (Balinese Birthday) and whether their symbol is a deity, tree, bird or animal. By night, the tranquil location makes for an idyllic stargazing spot to a backdrop of jungle symphony.