When it comes to choosing a vacation destination, adventurous seek the exotic factor to strike hard at the barely-sated reward system. Hence, traveling in Greenland is a prospect worth noting. It is easy to mistake this land as an independent country when, in fact, it is an autonomous region of Denmark. Nevertheless, it has its own capital and secondary cities, like every nation that thrived on the planet.
When it comes to traveling in Greenland, there are a number of obvious reasons why tourists would visit Nuuk. Here's why:
Chic Metropolis
Mainstream media would always depict the Arctic society as people living in igloos and using dog sleds for transportation. Though unusual to imagine for many people, the capital city of Greenland is a posh metropolis whose sense of minimalist style nearly rivals that of Germany and Iceland.
World's Second Largest Fjord
The world's largest fjord is in Norway, but anyone who thinks 'No.1' is overrated ends up in Nuuk. The Nuuk fjord is a popular site for kayaking and cruising. Many visitors also visit Nuuk's ecological jewel for its teeming marine fauna - angling for the evening's seafood fare.
The Northern Lights
If there is any other reason why outsiders would visit Nuuk, it is because of the rare experience of seeing the Northern Lights. The best chance of witnessing this nocturnal solar occurrence is between September and April.
In contrast to the modernization experienced by Nuuk, people who appreciate the positive and non-alienating mainstream Arctic scene would visit Ilulissat. Here's why:
Rustic Arctic
As hinted earlier, this small city in Greenland still bears a relatively close resemblance to its semi-urban landscape decades ago. Many of the houses in this municipality sport a traditional and rudimentary Nordic-American architecture reminiscent of its colonial period.
UNESCO's Icefjord
Another key reason to visit Ilulissat is for its ice-capped shoreline waters. This islet has rightfully earned the attention of UNESCO for its picturesque rarity. Across the stream overlooking from the stark brown terrain of the harbor, everything else is just white.
Dog-sledding Tradition
If there is any reason to be in Ilulissat, it is the pure delight of the sport called dog-sledding. Tourists may have the option to take the sled for a few hours of spin or go on a week-long camping voyage across the Arctic.
