One of the best things that you can enjoy for free is watching the rising of the sun. There is something magical in seeing the sun’s soft glow slowly lighting up the surroundings, casting soft, light gold light all around, seeming to gently prod people to awaken. There are many places in the world that offer great views of the rising sun, although not many people get the chance to see one. Allow Skiddoo to take you to those places. If you want to see the real thing, book a cheap flight via Skiddoo, your friendly partner in budget travel, anytime, anywhere.
Samoa, Polynesia
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Samoa is a beautiful island in the South Pacific and part of the group of Polynesian Islands. It is one of those few unspoilt locations that you can term as paradise on earth. Its topography is marked by high rocky trails, extinct craters, waterfalls, lava tubes lagoons. It is an enchanting place that gives visitors various options to spend an idyllic time. Samoa is a place where you do not need to hurry to do any activity and its inhabitants are friendly to boot. Even if you do not engage in conversation, you can be sure to receive a toothy smile or even a hand raised in greeting.
Samoa is likewise an island where you can have a great opportunity to watch the sunrise over the Pacific. This is an activity that has become the highlight of the trip of many visitors. Catch the sun as it rises from Cape Mulinu’u, a rocky promontory at the westernmost location on the island, which is just 30 kilometres short of the International Dateline. Samoa is the first place on earth to greet the sun, which is truly glorious.
Santorini, Greece
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Santorini is such a visual feast, with its rugged, dark colored land, its dazzling white and sky blue buildings and the deep azure blue of the Aegean Sea surrounding the volcanic island. This wonderful island is the most popular destination in Greece, luring many tourists by its lovely beaches, its fantastic landscape and natural scenery, its wonderful restaurants, some of the best wines in the world and its ancient cities.
Technically, Santorini is known for its glorious sunsets, and many tourists actually jostle for vantage positions when the time for the sun to set nears in Oia or Fira, the two places that provide great spots to watch the sun go down. Between these two villages is Imerovigli, a sparsely-inhabited village located much higher than Fira. It is popularly known as the balcony of the Aegean and is highly-regarded for its fantastic sunset view. Still, it is a great vantage point to watch the sunrise, with the sun peeking from the hillside to slowly envelop the town of Firostefani in its soft, bright light, until it is high enough to shine over the rooftops of homes and buildings before its rays brighten the cliffs and the sea down below.
Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
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There are not that many places that can rival the natural beauty and serenity of Ha Long Bay, which is located in northern Vietnam, in the province of Quảng Ninh. Its name means “Descending Dragon.” It took nature about 20 million years to naturally hew the limestone karst into the formations we see dotting the bay today. There are over 2,000 islands jutting out of the Gulf of Tonkin’s emerald waters, which adds to its beauty.
A long boat cruise, with a minimum of two nights will allow you to see both the sunrise and sunset on Ha Long Bay. There is something very magical and mystical as you see those dark limestone islets that look sinister in the evening take on friendlier forms as the sun slowly brightens everything around the bay. You get to witness the bay’s stunning beauty unveiled as the sun takes several seconds to illuminate the limestone columns. The pale yellow sunrise will not blind you as it calmly spreads its light over the rugged cliffs and calm waters.
Boracay, The Philippines
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In the Western Visayas region of the Philippines, about 196 miles south of Manila is the island of Boracay, hailed as the best island in the world and the second best beach in the world in 2012. Boracay is best known for its warm shallow aquamarine waters and its powder fine white sand beaches. It has rapidly developed into a favourite international and local tourist destination after starting out as a budget destination for backpackers in the 1980s.
There are two main beaches that tourists flock to in Boracay. One is White Beach which is located on the western side and the other one is Bulabog Beach that faces eastward. It is also the place where you could witness a glorious sunrise if you have the energy to wake up at such an early hour after partying all night. Here, the sunrise does not come in pale yellow but blazing red orange, firing up the calm blue sea and interchangeably turning the indigo sky into varigated purple and pink hues. It is truly worth the effort of rising up early, as you get to marvel at the many wonders of Mother Nature.
Cappadocia, Turkey
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Cappadocia has a very unique landscape, comprising tall boulders and honeycombed hills that seem to be the taken out from a capricious fairytale. Its beauty is out of this world. It had taken millions of years for these stone structures to be hewn by nature to create this unique lunar landscape. The people in the region learned to utilize the unique landscape and soft stone to create underground homes, build cave dwellings that have drawn tourists from all over and other fascinating structures, particularly those found at the Göreme Open-Air Museum, Kaymaklı and Derinkuyu. Cappadocia is a fantastic destination for hiking enthusiasts, photography buffs and people seeking unique experiences. It is also one of the best places to watch the sunrise.
For convenience it is better to stay at Göreme so you only need to take a short walk up to the view point, if you want to stay on solid ground. One other fun way to see the sunrise in Cappadocia is to go for a hot air balloon ride at dawn, which offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The sight of those balloons glowing in the dark as their burners heat up is so beautiful. As you rise from the ground, you’ll witness the darkness around you turn purple to pearly pink to hazy yellow and orange as the sun creeps up from behind the hills, while down below, you see the colours change as well, as the shadows of the fairy chimneys are erased by the sun’s brightness.
Lombok, Bali
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Lombok is on another island close to Bali. It is a quieter version of its more popularly known sister resort and is separated from the other by the Lombok Strait and is surrounded by the Gili Islands. Lombok’s most developed tourist area is Senggigi, which is at the foot of Mount Rinjani, the mountain that dominates the island.
There are several places in Lombok where you can view sunrises and sunsets. While these times of the day may be fleeting, it is worth the effort to wait for them. Perfect locations for sunrise watching include Labuhan Haji Beach which is located in East Lombok, at Ringgit Cape in Jeruwaru District, at Malimbu Hill and at Sire Medana Beach in North Lombok. You’ll see the gradations of colours as the sun turns white sand into iridescent pink to peach to very pale yellow and the cool waters turn from dark blue to turquoise to light blue.
Niseko, Japan
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Niseko, which is located in Hokkaido, is primarily known as a ski resort town, with the Annupuri ranges and Mount Yōtei in the area. Located in the northern part of Japan, it is affected by weather fronts coming from Siberia. It is known internationally for its long ski season (late November to early May) and for having a high volume of the lightest of powder snow, although not as dry as other places in Hokkaido.
The best way to view the sunrise is to go up the slopes at around four in the morning during spring. The place will be very nice, quiet, and there’s refreshing mountain air blowing. From your location, you’ll be able to see the sun come up from the valley, slowly lighting the surrounding indigo darkness to a myriad hues from indigo to dark purple to purplish pink to orange and golden yellow until the sun reaches its full brightness.
Uluru, Australia
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Uluru (Ayers Rock) is stunning from a distance as well as up close. This natural wonder, a huge sandstone formation came from the bottom of the sea, and 348 metres of it are above ground. Located in the southern part of the Northern Territory, it is close to the town of Alice Springs and is west of the Simpson Desert. Uluru is one of the most recognised landmarks in Australia and is known for changing colours at different times of the day as well as at various times of the year.
This stunning rock formation is best viewed at sunrise. From Mount Olga or Kata Tjuta, there are viewing areas that have been created for this very purpose. Get up at around four in the morning so you can find the best vantage point and wait for the sun to come up from behind Uluru. You’ll be treated to an awesome kaleidoscope of colours, from black to purple to green and blue before you see the sun show the natural red-brown colour of Uluru.
Tulum, Mexico
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Tulum is a former Maya site, where you can still see pre-Columbian Maya ruins located on its 12-metre high cliffs facing the Caribbean Sea. Tulum is an archaeological site, but also offers kitesurfing, snorkeling and scuba diving. There are plenty of cenotes (underground tunnels and caves) to explore. Tulum is only a short distance from Riviera Maya and Cancún and is one of the top three of Mexico’s most visited archaeological destinations.
The beach in Tulum, right below the ruins is the perfect spot where sun worshippers gather to wait for the sun to spread its glorious rays over the sea and the surrounding areas. Walk along the powdery sand and wait for the fiery red orange orb rise out of the waters of the Caribbean, and wait for the sun to turn the purple-indigo clouds to varying hues from lilac, to orange, peach, pink and yellow as it emerges, before it shows a clear blue sky, white clouds and sparkling blue waters.
Mount Sinai, Egypt
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Mount Sinai is a granite mountain that is revered by Christians and Muslims. In Jewish history, it is the place where God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. Mount Sinai is a barren peak, not the highest of the mountains in the area and is close to Mount Catherine, which is the tallest peak in Egypt. It is possible to climb Mount Sinai, following the path that Moses took. There are 4,000 steps hewn on the rocks that allow people to climb this spiritual and mysterious place, which is also an awesome spot to watch one of the world’s most exalting sunrises.
Organized overnight trips are available for sun worshippers. It’s an adventure that will take you across the Sinai Desert while it is still enveloped in darkness. You’ll climb up to the summit and wait for the sun to cast its golden glow over the peaks and valleys below. Afterwards you will descend to St. Catherine’s Monastery where the Burning Bush is located.