I’m lazing on a mattress in the middle of an ancient salt pan when a sparkly meteor zips through the sky. Another shooting star follows, then another. It’s like the heavens triggered a confetti cannon—but I know the source of this marvel. It’s the Delta Aquariid meteor shower, an annual July to August spectacle that’s most active in the southern hemisphere. And I’ve snagged an enviable seat to watch it: Botswana’s far-flung Makgadikgadi Pans.
My pandemic star bathing practice was a hodgepodge of rooftop planet-watching, astronomy documentary binges, and road trips to dark-sky destinations. Now that travel has resumed, and astrotourism is skyrocketing in popularity, jetsetters have myriad ways to partake. In coastal California, adventure-meets-luxury outpost Alila Ventana Big Sur hosts cosmic yoga that concludes with Shavasana beneath the stars. Guests at Utah’s secluded Amangiri can soak up the southwest U.S.