The Ice Hotel, Sweden
It was one of those bucket list trips that you never imagine you will actually do - and then suddenly - there I was planning it all! To add to all this, my partner knew nothing about it! He really thought we were going away for a 'surprise trip' that he had worked out was a cottage in Wales!!! I kept the planning quiet and hoped that all my 'cookies' would not reveal whenever he searched for something online...
I worked with a wonderful Travel Counsellor on my booking, the fabulous Diane, and she listened, asked the right questions and was sympathetic and enthusiastic to everything we discussed. I was super excited about it all and simply hoped for OK weather, snow, the Lights and magical memories.
We were not disappointed... Tromso was a fabulous little city and we explored, relaxed, enjoyed, experienced and soaked up what we could. Sadly the weather was so snowy we could not go on the whale watching trip to see Orca's and Sperm Whales up close, but we enjoyed walking around in the dark (yes, very few daylight hours) and experiencing what we could.
What followed was utterly amazing - we went across Norway by bus, winding through the mountains and alongside the fjords. We arrived in Narvik which was a great little town (no time for skiing sadly) before we had a private transfer on to the Ice Hotel.
This was the bucket list highlight for my partner - staying a night in the Ice Hotel, in an ice room, under a reindeer hide, snuggled in a sleeping bag. It was nuts! The whole hotel is ice, the glasses you are served in are ice, the theme changes every year and the experience is simply AMAZING.... We also went walking across the frozen lake, joined a photography outing to see moose, fed reindeer, watched the husky dogs and the snowmobiles speed off and then the night-time spectacular begins..
The Northern Lights are everything and more - the colours, the shapes, the quietness, the awe - everyone's enjoyment, the sparkle in children's eyes - its just a real phenomenon...
What else can I say - well actually I won't - because you need to create you own memories and see it for yourself. It really is THAT special...
