Norway and the Northern Lights
Nothing can quite prepare you for the sheer natural beauty of Norway, but combine that with the iridescent dancing ribbons in the night sky, and you have one of those holidays you will talk about for a very long time.
Heading North
We spent 14 nights aboard Silver Dawn - one of Silversea’s luxury cruise ships. Our all inclusive floating hotel, complete with butler service and plenty of added luxuries, was by far the most enjoyable and relaxing way for us to explore Norway. There was something to be said for not having to worry about car hire, and the stress of driving in a foreign country or repacking a suitcase every day. That last point rated particularly highly.
As well as its usual dining options, Silver Dawn includes S.A.L.T - a restaurant dedicated to cooking local cuisine. The S.A.L.T Bar followed the same concept with its drinks and cocktails. And finally, there were cooking classes in a well-equipped kitchen, where we learnt to prepare Nordic style dishes.
When we weren’t out exploring, there was everything from a gym and day spa to a swimming pool and beautifully heated jacuzzi’s. There were many areas to spread out and relax, although a surprising number of passengers came together at 4pm for the highly contested daily trivia competition!!
Along the Norwegian Coast
The towns we visited were all so clean and picturesque. There were many different excursions to choose from, but with my love of the outdoors and hiking, I tended to choose the more active tours.
One thing that struck me about Norway was how much the locals loved to walk. Rather than meeting at a café for a coffee, we were told that friends often chose to walk together, regardless of the weather. It wasn’t hard to see why, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time hiking there. The air is so fresh, I wish I could have bottled it.
Our guides were all local people who loved hiking and were passionate about showing off their beautiful country. A few fellow passengers, chose to do their own hikes, but I did enjoyed our guides’ commentary and learning all about the Norwegian Culture.
Ålesund, Narvik and Leknes - in the Lofoten Islands were perfect stops for some wonderful nature walks.
The Northern Lights
The anticipation of seeing the Northern Lights was real. Passengers were talking about them in the bars, and even the staff were getting excited. Our Cruise Director informed us after trivia one afternoon that the weather conditions were perfect for an aurora later that night. We were told to put our name down at Reception if we wanted to be woken up with a phone call, to view the spectacle if it appeared. As it turned out , the captain only had to make an announcement over the loud speaker, as every single passenger had signed up!
At first, all I could see was a pale green glow, although my iphone camera picked up considerably more. Rugged up and on the rooftop deck, I found myself showing fellow travellers how to set phones and cameras for optimal night time shooting. I rather enjoyed this though, and for the rest of the cruise, my new friends loved coming to show me their best photos.
Thinking the green glow was the best I would see, I headed back to my suite, and hopped into bed.
It wasn’t long before the captain woke us all up - The Lights were on!!
I ran to our balcony, I could now see what he meant - WOW!!
Even though we had already experienced a magical night of the Northern Lights from our cruise ship, tours had been pre-booked for Narvik and Tromsø, to hopefully view this amazing phenomena.
For us, we had booked a tour from Narvik, which took us just over an hour out of town, and into the forest, well away from city lights. We arrived at a beautiful cozy log cabin, where there was soup and hot chocolate to keep us warm, and a fire set-up outside.
The setting was perfect, and we didn’t have to wait long, before the main event began.
We were absolutely mesmerised by the ribbons of colour dancing across the night sky. I couldn’t believe how lucky we were to experience this in such a beauriful setting. And just to add to the atmosphere, we could hear the wolves howling in the distance.
An unexpected extra night in Tromsø
We were supposed to travel as far north as Alta, but the weather had different ideas. This meant we would spend an extra night in Tromsø. For us, this worked out perfectly, as we discovered that my sister-in-law was also in town, so we were able to explore Tromsø with her.
Unfortunately for some passengers on our cruise, it meant their tours to see the Northern Lights wouldn’t go ahead. At least we’d all had the opportunity to witness them from the ship.
The Arctic Cathedral, Polar Museum, Troll Museum and the scenic cable car were all worth visiting. It was also lovely to just wander the streets, and enjoy the restaurants, particularly the local seafood. And everything felt that little bit more magical when it started to snow.
The Norwegian Fjords
Wow!! Nature on steroids. It was so special to be able to cruise through this magical part of the world.
Flåm and the Railway
Flam was one of those stops where you just had to keep pinching yourself. The scenery was stunning, and the autumn colours had begun to show. It was a little touristy, with gift shops and food trucks set-up along the street, but I wouldn’t let that stop me from visiting. We were also very lucky to spend the night there.
The Flåm Railway is one of those train journeys that really needs to be experienced. And even though I keep repeating myself, the scenery was breathtaking!! There was also an unexpected encounter with a mysterious woman in red. I’ll leave that little surprise for you to discover.
We’d signed up to cycle back, and after seeing some of the roads, I was glad there wasn’t an option to cycle up!! The fresh air, beautiful scenery and a little adventure were the perfect way to wind down as our Norway holiday was getting nearer to the end.
Beautiful Bergen
With one day to explore the city, we first took the Fløibanen funicular up to Mount Fløyen - with spectacular views over Bergen. There were the usual gift shops and restaurants , and a playground for the kids, and even a troll forest. We opted to hike back and enjoyed the fresh air, and the scenery.
A wander around town, and lunch on the waterfront was a very nice way to spend our last day in Norway.
The things I loved
Silversea cruising - as I mentioned before, its not just all the luxury details, it is also that you don’t have to worry about how to get to the next place. When the weather turned bad, it didn’t affect us at all. I couldn’t imagine if we were driving and were caught in a snow storm, or the roads were closed.
Everything about Norway - The scenery is spectacular. The fresh air, is really noticeable. The people are so lovely - did you know they even leave lights on in their front windows, so if you were out at night and needed shelter, you could just come in.
Seafood - everything from Crab to Salmon was delicious, although I refused to try whale. The seafood chowder in Tromsø was a big favourite.
Northern Lights - they really are a bucket list item.
The things I didn’t love
Other than the holiday ending, this was one trip I would struggle to find anything to criticise.
Recommendations
Book in advance. Silversea will have promotional sales throughout the year, and the savings are usually very good.
Stay a couple of days either side in Copenhagen - it is a beautiful, fun city to explore.
Pack warm clothes. Even though Silversea travels in Norwegian Summer to Autumn time, it is a lot cooler than we are use to. Layers are a great option, especially if you are hiking or doing other physical activities.
Try the liquorice - It is the best!! Lakrids by bulow is a Danish brand, but it can be bought throughout Norway. Then if you are flying home from Copenhagen, there are stores at the airport.
Look up. The Northern Lights can appear at anytime, and it was amazing to actually see people who were unaware of the magical spectacle happening above them.
