My Arctic experience!

Ginny Scott on 29 December 2016
I decided just before Christmas to treat myself to a trip over the New Year to see the Northern Lights – something which had been on my wish list for some time!

So, on the 29th of December, I set off with Norwegian Airlines to Tromso with a small group of like-minded people to have a bit of an Arctic adventure.

After a long day, we arrived at the 3* Scandic Grand hotel for our 4-night stay - tired and excited about the busy days ahead. The hotel was very comfortable and I was allocated a really nice double room. Breakfast was a good buffet, but importantly the hotel was situated right in the centre of town, which made getting out and about really convenient.

Our first day was spent sightseeing and we visited the Polar Museum, the beautiful cathedral with its amazing stained glass window, amongst other sights.

On our second day, which happened to be New Year’s Eve, we took a long boat trip out to search for humpback whales and we were lucky enough to see quite a few. We were out for about 7 hours in the freezing cold so it was important to have the right clothes. Our guide had also chosen a reputable company to do the excursion with and our boat had an inside lounge with free hot drinks. We actually saw two lots of humpback whales – a really stunning sight – but I wasn’t quite quick enough with the camera and the battery eventually froze!

That evening, we headed up the mountain on the cable car for a lovely dinner overlooking Tromso city. It was quite special as we saw the Northern Lights for a short period of time, as well as experiencing blizzard conditions later the same evening – so whilst we were told they were setting off the fireworks to celebrate New Year, we didn’t actually see them!!

On New Year’s Day, we set off for our husky adventure, which was brilliant fun. It was snowing again and the temperature started to dip so it was essential to wear the thermal suits and boots we were given. The huskies make such a racket as they get so excited about going out for a run! We enjoyed an amazing ride through the wilderness before returning to camp for a hot soup lunch. What a fabulous way to see in 2017! And that night, we had a spectacular Northern Lights experience again!

On our last day – 2nd January – we had free time to explore what we hadn’t seen in Tromso, catch up on a bit of last-minute shopping – before heading back to Tromso airport for the direct flight back to Gatwick.

I met some truly lovely people, enjoyed the remarkable hospitality of the Norwegians we met, and did some things I had never done before.

Yes, it was an expensive weekend – but worth every penny!