Chasing the Northern Lights

It is cold, the clock is ticking towards twelve and we are chasing the Northern lights in the middle of nowhere outside the city of Alta. Out of the blue, our tour guide shouted "look outside the beautiful Green Lady is dancing across the sky". Immediately, we find a safe spot for parking and get down from the mini bus. It was freezing cold that night and you'll see plenty of water vapour formation in front of you when you exhale, but I am blessed to witness such beautiful natural phenomenon occur in front of my eyes. Big shout-out to Paeskatun tours for making such effort and a dream come true for everyone.

Many of you will question what is the difference between Northern lights chase and experience? Northern lights chase is where you join one of the the experienced and knowledgeable tours who will fulfill your dream of seeing the Aurora Borealis. Now when I say prepare, I really mean it because the chase might take up to 5 hours depending on how far the clear skies are on that specific day. Whereas Northern lights experiences are activities that offer that bit of extra adventure to your Arctic experience. If you never see and really want to experience the dancing Aurora then I would highly recommend you to opt for the Northern lights chasing. You will definitely have a higher probability of seeing it. It really depends on your luck because some people get to witness it while they're doing reindeer sledding so it's kind of like a two in one package - if you're short on time and you really want to see the Northern lights, please do not gamble on your luck and opt for the Northern lights chase. 

Things you need to bring in order to capture photos of the Northern lights:

• Camera with a wide angle lens
• Tripod is a must to keep the camera steady
• Warm clothes / layered yourself up to keep warm
• Headlight to sort out your camera setting
• Hot drinks to keep you warm

I personally using Go Pro Hero 7 and the basic Canon EOS 600D camera to capture this beautiful moment. Now, let me share with you some of the basic settings you need to set up in your camera in order for you to capture this Northern lights. Mobile phone camera is not good enough to capture it unless you are very lucky as the Northern lights on that specific night is very strong. In my case, the Northern lights was not very strong so we were only able to see them through our cameras but it was still as magical as I imagined it would be.

Quick Guide for Northern Lights Photography :

1. Set your camera in manual mode
2. Set the focus to infinity
3. Set the ISO to 3200, however depending on the light, 1600 or even 800 might be enough
4. Aperture (f) need to be as wide as possible (the lowest number) meaning go as low as you can.
5. You need to get the fastest shutter speed. Anything from 2 - 30 seconds can work depending on camera
6. A tripod is very important to keep your camera steady. Set the self timer to 2-3 seconds so that you have time to let go before it starts taking pictures.
7. Make sure you set up your camera settings at home before you chase the Northern lights. You want to be ready if she appears. 

Now let me brief you a little about the Northern lights. The Northern lights are known as Aurora Borealis, which means "dawn of the north". Northern lights can only be seen in Northern hemisphere like in Northern Norway, Alta and Tromso. The Northern lights are always present but winter (around September to April) is usually the best time to see because there are not so much light pollution.

The Northern lights occur depending on the weather conditions and solar activity. According to Paeskatun tours, the earth is magnetic and you have magnetosphere that is protecting us. The charged particles mainly electrons and protons strike atoms in earth's atmosphere causing electrons in the atoms to move to a higher energy state. When the energy lost, they release a photon : light. The emitted light is what is known as Northern lights.

I had an amazing time exploring northern Norway and grateful that I have been able to witness the Northern lights although it was only for one night due to heavy snow and cloudy weather. I highly recommend visiting Norway during the winter if you want to experience the Aurora Borealis.

Till then my blog regarding chasing the Northern lights. Please stay tune for my next blog regarding review on Holmen Husky Lodge. Email or leave me a comment if you have any questions, I will be happy to help you all out there. 

XOXO

Scandinavian Exploration Part 2 : Norway

Welcome to Norway, where your arctic adventure begins! With the pure arctic air filling their lungs every day, they thrive where most people might think it is near impossible to exist. From the Northern lights which dominates the skies from September to April to the Sami culture experience, Norway is an amazing country where there are so much history, culture and a whole range idyllic natural sights which are worth seeing and experience.

I would have wished to spend more time in Norway but due to limited time I couldn't do this, nevertheless I am highly recommending everyone I know to explore this country. Let me take this opportunity to share with you my 6 days Norway itinerary, all heavily researched (for weeks!) before my trip.

When I drafted the itinerary with my partner's sister, there were only 6 days allocated for the trip in Norway and we were worried that the schedule might be too packed, but now that I've completed the trip and I look back at our photos, I would say that I'm satisfied with what we've managed to accomplish within 6 days in Norway. If you're looking to catch a glimpse of the midnight sun in Norway then unfortunately I am unable to give tips and advice because the phenomenon only occurs in the summer. This itinerary is filled with activities applicable in the winter so if you're searching for a summer itinerary then I would like to apologise because this is not the itinerary for you. However, I'm fairly confident that you'll be tempted to change your travel dates to the winter season because there's just so much stuff to do!

This Norway itinerary starts in Tromso (2 nights), then venture up North to Alta for 2 nights and finally back to south to the capital of Norway which is Oslo for 1 night. The distance between cities in the Norway will not be a big problem as there are multiple airlines offering competitive prices but of course, you'll have to book way in advance to get the best deal.

Pre- Travel Guide to Norway

Where to get the best flight deals to Norway?

The first step in my process will always be searching through a website called Skyscanner and I'd like to stress the importance of this search being your first step. It offers a compilation of deals offered by various airlines for your search results within minutes and it just makes your life much easier. Trust me, you will not want to open 10 search tabs on your browser and go through 10 different airlines manually - you're going to abandon your trip altogether because of the exhausting manual search so make sure you play smart in travel planning! Your search results can be modified by playing around with the sort button which allows you to view your cheapest results first, up until the most expensive results so this is really useful in helping you making your choice. There is also an option to monitor changes in prices and receive email notifications regarding the change in this website at the top left of the website.

So there you have it, Skyscanner will sort your airline headaches with just a few simple clicks and I must say we're truly blessed to have such technology at our hands.


When to visit Norway? 

If you are hoping to see the northern lights AKA aurora, your best bet is to travel during the months of October and November. Of course you can see the aurora throughout the winter season from September to April however the weather is usually less cooperative in December and January where it will constantly snow and rain with abundant clouds in the skies. It really depends on how desperate you are in catching the aurora, if you've never seen it before and you'd want to see one before you leave the country then you can opt for aurora hunting packages. These packages may differ among companies but it generally revolves around the idea of "chasing" the aurora, where you will be travelling across the highway with local experienced guides to search for clear skies and best locations to get a magnificent view of the aurora. I was in Norway from end of December until the first week of January and I can tell you that the weather was terrible because I didn't see anything in the skies. On my last day in Alta, we decided to join Paeskatun tours because we were not satisfied with the last couple of days and luck was on our side because we did catch the aurora after driving away from Alta for about 4 hours.

How to get Norwegian Krone?

Now, based on my experiences I would suggest everyone to get their Norwegian Krone from their local exchange facilities before disembarking on this journey. Firstly, some of the small towns have little or no currency exchange facilities and secondly, not all of them give good rates. Some of the friendly Norwegian locals advised us to check with banks but to no avail, they didn't offer any of these too. We made the mistake of changing too little Norwegian Krone bank notes to the point that we had to live with swiping credit card for a few days until we managed to find exchange services. There's always a chance that your debit or credit cards will be declined due to connection errors (or you've just not paid your bills) so never ever just rely on this method of payment. However, if your first destination is in Oslo, then you need not worry because there are plenty of currency exchange shops here but if you're like me and you're heading directly into the smaller towns such as Tromso or Alta, make sure you exchange plenty of Norwegian Krone before the trip.

6 Days in Norway: A Complete Itinerary

DAY 1: Arrive in Tromso, Norway!

You'll be flying into Tromso Airport and will need about 10-15 minutes to get into the city center via the airport taxi. After comparing all the airlines price in Skyscanner, we finally chose Norwegian Airlines to travel from Copenhagen, Denmark to Tromso, Norway. It's not a direct flight so we stopped at Oslo for transit before flying to our final destination and the reason that we opted for this option is that it's much cheaper compared to a direct flight. After such a long flight (which took almost whole day), its best to not plan anything on the first day and just take some time to relax before you start off your journey the next day.
During my stay, I opted for Tromso Lodge & Camping, which is 5 minute drive (or 30 minute walk) away from Tromso city center. This place is perfect for those who want to stay in the countryside, yet close to the vibrant city life. They offered  53 cabins in different categories, as well as space for mobile homes/ caravans or tents in their areas. We chose their Traditional cabins to stay for 2 nights. These type of cabin are the perfect choice for those who are seeking a typical "camping-cabin". It comes with two bedrooms with bunk beds, a living room, a bathroom and a private kitchen. The price for this cabin from 1375 NOK and it can accommodate up to 4 people. To find out more regarding their cabins and prices click here. You can book via the link that I provided for you.

Contact

Tel : +4777638037

Email : post@tromsocamping.no

Location : Arthur Arntzens veg 10, 9020 Tromsdalen, Norway

Opening Hour

Everyday : 7:00am-8:00pm

During summer (June-August) : 7:30am-11:00pm

Traditional cabins

DAY 2: Full Day in Tromso : Tour Experience

Reflection

Today it's all about tour experience in Tromso. We booked 2 different tours to fit in our schedule for the day, one in the morning (Pukka Travel) and one at night (Tromso Eco-Tours). You'll have a real encounter with the Sami people at night and exploring the beautiful Arctic Fjord in the morning.Let's begin with the Arctic Fjord tour, where you get to explore the fjords, inlets, villages, and sandy beaches located a short drive away from Tromso. Most of you will definitely question what's fjord? Its actually a long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between high cliffs formed by submergence of a glaciated valley. This tour offers the perfect combination between a day of exploring the fjords, while enjoying the genuine setting of  a small group with a experienced tour guide.

Arctic Fjord Sightseeing

Price: 1100 NOK per person

Daily: 9:00 to 13:00

Capacity: Operated 9-15 seat minibus

Meet up location: Base Camp in the central of Tromso

Light lunch provided: Sandwiches, snacks, nuts, chocolate bar, coffee & tea
Season: 1st November - 14th March

This is a half day tour so basically you will arrive back at their base camp around 2:00pm. You can then warm yourself in the base camp or charge your camera for the evening and plan for your next "golden moment" in the arctic after the tour.

 

Egon Restaurant

If you want to get a taste of mix cuisines (Italian, American, European, Scandinavian and Norway) then you should visit this Restaurant. The settings of this restaurant is built on an old Norwegian culture. Honestly, the food is so delicious and I would recommend you guys to try on Egon's creamy fish soup. The best part is that their menu come with 7 different languages, so basically what you'll see upon entering the restaurant are menus in several flags that indicates the language used. This restaurant is located in the heart of Tromso city, so you can reach by walking distance if you are staying in the city center.

Egon's Restaurant

Opening hours: 

Monday to Thursday : 10:00-24:00

Friday and Saturday : 10:00-1:00

Sunday: 11:00- 11:00pm

Contact:

Strogata 50

9008 Tromso

77 75 17:35

Email: tromso@egon.no

For reservations purposes, click here.

Consider Night Reindeer Sledding or Northern Light hunting during the night time. Tromso Eco-Tours offer us Nights Reindeer Sledding with dinner and northern lights which cost 1750 NOK per person. This tour give you an experience to feed the reindeers and then reindeer sledding after that. Other than that, you can enjoy a traditional sami dinner with the Sami Reindeer Herders while getting to know more about their culture, beliefs and tradition. The tour started by picking up customers from Radisson Blu Hotel in Tromso city centre. After 25 minutes of drive, you'll then arrive at Reindeer camp where you get to feed around 200 wild reindeer swarm around you. You'll then invited to a Traditional Sami Hut to enjoy a 3 course meal including a cold smoked salmon as starter, followed by bidos (traditional sami stew), sami bread and a chocolate blueberry cake for dessert. Vegetarian option is available but please let them know before hand so they can prepare the food for you. After dinner you will then be invited into lavuu (Sami tent), gather around the fire and listen to their stories about Sami culture and the experiences of a reindeer herder. If you are lucky enough, then you might be able to catch the northern lights. Unfortunately, luck was not on our side on that day. You can check out their website here and they do provide other tours.

Starter : Cold Smoked Salmon

Main Course: Traditional Sami Stew

Dessert: Chocolate blueberry cake

Tromso Eco-Tours

Departure : Radisson Blu Hotel, Tromso (6:00pm)

Return time: 10:30pm

Price: 1750 (adult), 975 (children between 6-12) and children under 6 is free

Dress code: Warm clothes , gloves and hat 

(Note: Please make sure layer up yourself because it will gets colder during night time especially in the lavuu).

Reindeer Sledding

DAY 3: Full Day in Tromso : Sightseeing

Now it's time to explore the Tromso City Centre, including the Fjellheisen (cable car) and Tromso Arctic Cathedral. 

Tromso Artic Cathedral is one of the attractions here and you can start your day by visiting this beautiful architectural building. It stand proud at the end of Tromso bridge  which is clearly visible from the centre of the town. The designer designed this building in a unique shape which looks like Sami tent and boat - I absolutely love how they always bring in the everyday things in life into their design work.

Next up-visit Mathallen Restaurant for your lunch. Please make a reservation before you go or else you might miss the chance dining here. The secret behind their tasty lunch and delightful restaurant experience is because all the ingredients are hand-picked by the chefs. Please note that their menu will change from time to time but they will offer the best locally-sourced meat and fish which is inspired by traditional northern Norwegian culinary.

Location : Gronnegata 58/60 9008 Tromso

Tel : +47 77 68 01 00

Email : booking@mathallentromso.no

End the evening by visiting Fjellheisen,  cable car which runs from Sollivein up to mountain (42m above sea level) in just 4 minutes. From the viewing point in the upper station, you'll get to experience Tromso best view but honestly this is really depending on the weather itself. If the weather is cloudy, snowy or rainy be ready to see nothing as the whole view is covered with the mist.

Operation hour:

Winter - 10:00 to 23:00

Summer - 10:00 to 01:00

Price (Return tickets) :

Adult NOK 210

Children (3-15 years old) NOK 100

Families (2+2) NOK 450

Students NOK 190

If you come in a group of 20 person then you will have the chance to enjoy a cheaper ticket price which is NOK 190 per person.

DAY 4: Morning flight to Alta then Exploring

Now that you've explored Tromso, you need to get out of the city and continue exploring another small town that is unique in its own way. There are numerous small towns you can choose to explore from Tromso and of course, the choice should always depend on your interests. I opted for Alta because of the availability of the dome hotel for us to experience. We used Wideroe airlines when we travel from Tromso to Alta and it took about 45 minutes only.

*Note that if you want to follow my itinerary, please opt for a morning flight so that you can arrive in time to carry out your next activities.

If you want a taste of authentic Norwegian food, I would like to recommend trying du verden matbar. To this day, the taste of their juicy steamed mussel, fish and shell fish soup still lingers in my mind - I can guarantee you'll be licking your fingers after the meal and it is, in my opinion, something that you must try in Alta.

Highly Recommend : Mussels

Fish and shell fish soup

Next stop- it is the most anticipated activity that I have been waiting for throughout this entire trip which is dog sledding and staying one night at their Tipi Bungalow. We were lucky enough that Holmen Husky Lodge managed to provide us one night stay at the dome and tipi bungalow although it was a last minute reservation. I'm absolutely satisfied with this tour and it's something I will cherish in my heart for the rest of my life. In this blog I will just provide all the details regarding this tour but more information will be provided in my next blog so stay tuned for it. For more information regarding their tour please click here.

Holmen Husky Lodge (Tipi Bungalow package)

Price : 3290NOK per person 

* Including Northern Night Package, Food & Beverage (Dinner), Dog Sledding with Alaska Huskies,

Jacuzzi & Sauna, Gear and snacks.

Holmen Husky Lodge (Arctic Dome Suite package) 

Price : 3990NOK per person 

* Including Northern Night Package, Food & Beverage (Dinner), Dog Sledding with Alaska Huskies,

Jacuzzi & Sauna, Gear and snacks.

Contact

Tel : +47 917 64 866

Email : POST@HOLMENHUSKY.NO

Address : Holmen 48, 9518 Alta, Norway

Opening hour : 0800-1600

Reception open : 0800-2300

*Check in from 1500

Note : You can book via the website I provide you earlier on or email to them. They will reply you and let you know whether the date you request was available. I highly recommend you to book earlier if you opt for the Arctic Dome Suite.

DAY 5: Igloo hotel and Northern light hunting

Step into northernmost theme-based ice hotel in the world, build up since year 2000. Sorrisniva ice hotel has a unique theme every year. The theme appears through design, ice and snow sculptures made by the local ice and snow artists. Give a break from your daily life and feel the silence and serenity in the Igloo Hotel. The highlight of this Igloo Hotel is to visit their ice bar. Get yourself a ice drink in the ice bar and feel the contrast between the cold ice glass and the warmth drink they gave you.

 

Sorrinisva Alta, Norway

Season : DEC 15-23 & DEC 26- APRIL 7

Closed :DEC 23-26 and DEC 31

Time : 1200-2000 (Monday to Saturday)

1200- 1800 (Sunday)

Group size : 1-100

Entrance ticket : 200 NOK per person (adult)

50 NOK  (child 3 - 12 yrs )

20 - 60 minutes

You can purchase the tickets at Sorrisniva receptionist desk

Guided tour : 300 NOK per person (adult)

150 NOK (child 3 - 12 yrs)

25 - 30 minutes

Must be booked in advance 

Igloo Blue Ice Drink : NOK 100

Note : The drink must be ordered along with the ticket before entering the hotel

Choice of alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink

End the night by hunting the northern light in Alta. We were unable to see the northern light throughout the entire trip due to the bad weather (rain & snow everyday). So, we placed our last bet tonight with Paeskatun tour which bring us out of the city to hunt for the northern light. I would say it was a blessing to experience the dancing aurora in the skies above us although we needed to drive nearly 4 hours away from the city. I will personally share my experience and the type of camera I am using to capture this beautiful yet stunning moment, dancing aurora lights. Please stay tuned for my next blog as I will blog solely about northern light hunting experience. For more information regarding this tour please click here.

Northern Light Safari by Pæskatun

Season : 15th Sept - 08th Apr

Price : NOK 1500 (Adult) & NOK 750 (12 years or under)

Duration : Approx 5 hrs

Departure time : 1900

Capacity : 1-50

Note :

1. They will pick you up from your hotel

2. Please bring enough clothes to warm yourself and believe me its really cold especially towards midnight

3. There is no guarantee in finding the northern light, however they have a 98% success rate in the 2016/2017 season.

Personally I feel that this services offered by this aurora tour was fantastic as they really make their best effort to hunt the northern light for you so I would highly recommend them.

DAY 6: Oslo, Norway

After a hectic 5 day schedule in the North, it's time to move down to South to feel the vibrant-city lifestyle. We used Norwegian Airlines to travel from Alta down to Oslo. It was New Year's Eve today so I think almost all of the shops were closed for the festive period. If you are one who loves the bustling city life then you can spend more time in Oslo however I personally prefer Alta and Tromso because this two cities are less crowded and I just love that relaxing vibe that surrounds the city.

For my stay in Oslo, we opted for Forenom Aparthotel Oslo. It's only 3 minutes walk away from the Oslo Central Station however I would really not recommend to walk if you're carrying your heavy luggage. The actual distance is further than the distance calculated on the website so this indicates that some information displayed are misleading. You can book via booking.com or from their website here. This apartment have a well-equipped kitchen including stove, refrigerator, cooking utensils and cutlery and microwave. They offered a studio type, 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom, so it's up to your choice to choose which one to stay. Overall the apartment is alright and the only downside of our stay here is the distance. From our apartment we managed to view beautiful fireworks displayed when the clock strike twelve midnight.

Forenom Aparthotel Oslo

Location : Lakkegata 3, 0187 Oslo

Contact : +47 22 51 02 50

Operation hour : 

Mon - Fri : 0800-2400

Sat : 1300-2000

Sun : 1300-2000

Till then my blog for Scandinavian Exploration Part 2 : Norway. Please stay tune for my next blog regarding northern light and dog sledding + arctic dome/ tipi bungalow experience. 

XOXO