Yellowknife

Thanks to Mike's hard work in chasing the aurora, we finally saw it!

Airport pickup included a down jacket, snow pants, snow boots, and gloves. Bring your own warm clothing for Taipei winters (UNIQLO is acceptable), and they'll provide the rest. My husband and I both wore Columbia snow boots, but mine weren't slip-resistant and we kept slipping. Looking at the soles, my husband's boots had more teeth than mine, but thankfully they provided a complete set. Even the most expensive Taiwanese trendy brands aren't as warm as local clothing. The tour guides were all very nice, including people from Hong Kong and Taiwan, speaking Mandarin, English, and Cantonese. We watched the aurora from warm wooden cabins, transparent tents with heaters, and campfires. The guides would stay on the aurora and then call us out to see it. The campsite had hot water, hot cocoa, biscuits, tea, and coffee; you could even roast marshmallows. There were clean toilets and instant noodles for a fee. I've been on other tours, and while the directors were also nice, the vehicles were very cold (the snow on the ground didn't melt). Every guide was a great photographer; you can download photos online. If it's cloudy or foggy, we'll take a bus to chase the aurora borealis. On our last night, we changed locations three times. Although the aurora wasn't strong that night, there was a meteor shower. You can refer to the weather forecast to prepare mentally for chasing the aurora. You'll need to dress warmly; I recommend bringing a mask, a beanie, thermal clothing, hand warmers, and hot water—enough to cope with temperatures as low as -30 to -40 degrees Celsius. During the day, the first day's city tour included a museum, a visitor center, a park with an airplane, and a lighthouse. The outdoor scenery was quite nice. I wasn't particularly interested in indoor activities, but interspersed throughout, there was enough time to warm up and use the restroom. The rest of the day included paid tours such as ice fishing, ice motorcycling, and dog sledding, all of which were extremely cold. Ice fishing, in particular, was mainly done by locals, with tourists assisting. Riding in a sled-like vehicle was very bumpy and windy, quite thrilling. A grilled fish lunch was included. On the last night, you need to tip extra, 12 per day, and then return their winter clothing. They'll take you to the airport the next day. Because the outdoor activities were short, we didn't feel too cold without their winter clothing. As an aside, I stayed at Jenny's Airbnb, and everything was great. Jenny was very nice, and there were many good restaurants nearby. Many local Airbnbs require climbing stairs, so if you can't carry your luggage, you might need to stay in a hotel. There are many delicious foods in the area, including Japanese restaurants run by Hong Kong people (the fried rice was delicious), Hong Kong-style restaurants, as well as Indian, Ethiopian, and Greek restaurants. I was particularly impressed by the Greek restaurant; the rest were all very good. Food there isn't cheap, starting at 20-30 pesos, and it's easy to exceed 40 pesos for a meal. Tipping is optional at 15/18/20/25%, and almost everyone accepts credit cards. Although expensive, the portions are very large, and you can pack up any leftovers for dinner. Most Airbnbs have microwaves. I only wanted to go out to eat once a day, and dinner was enough with the leftovers from lunch. Yellowknife is about experiencing a relaxed and focused lifestyle, because the days are very short in winter, and you'll fall flat on your face if you're not focused.

All the tour guides worked very hard, leading the group to chase the aurora. Thank you to the tour guides! Fortunately, the aurora appeared in the clear night sky on the last night. The rest of the itinerary was also arranged very smoothly.