The Magical Things That Happen When We Plan
Sian Pages – Travel Planner
Some of you may remember the Northern Lights blog, where I discussed how I had missed out on seeing the Aurora quite a few times, because we had never made it the sole focus before.
So I did my research on the Aurora Borealis – I knew this year held especially high chances of seeing them, due to the fact that this year marks Solar Maximum.
This refers to the sun’s 11 year cycle of activity, where solar events like flares and sunspots reach their peak, giving anyone wanting to search for the Aurora – the best possible chances.
With that in mind, I went for it. I booked a family trip to Norway, researched the best locations to view the Northern Lights and created an itinerary from this. One of the places we decided upon was actually called the “Aurora Borealis Observatory” – surely this would ensure an event, it’s right there in the title!
Apps at the ready (we had downloaded an Aurora app to help predict where and when they would appear) – we began our journey.
We arrived in Oslo, which was a truly charming city. Full of family friendly activities and wide open, green spaces. A city lover’s dream.
Here we stayed for a couple of nights, before flying over to Tromsø – a well-known spot for the Aurora.
Tromsø itself was simply lovely. Full of character and looked like it belonged in a Christmas story book with all the pretty, chocolate-box houses. Plus, we were blessed with the first snowfall of the season – making everything look beautiful.
That night, we had our first showing of the Aurora Borealis.
Knowing we had to drive a couple of hours South to our next destination (Senja), I admit, I was a little nervous, as my only experience of driving in snowy conditions have been somewhat disastrous. However – here in Norway, all hire cars are fitted with snow tyres at this time of year and the difference it makes is astonishing! NO sliding, NO skidding. Perfectly able to drive, no matter the snow fall – and we did.
We took the scenic drive South, enjoying the snowfall along the way and it was stunning. On any road trip – I always try to make sure there are plenty of stops along the way – planning the route meticulously, to allow for breaks and sightseeing and we were not disappointed.
We arrived into Senja during the late afternoon and it was very cloudy. The app told us there was little chance of seeing the Aurora on this day, so we settled in for a good night’s sleep.
The next day we took a drive around the local area, planning a route around Senja and beyond, to see all we could whilst here. It snowed the entire drive and we absolutely loved it.
That night, the skies cleared – the app told us there was a high chance of seeing the Aurora and so we waited… and we were rewarded with this!
The Aurora stayed with us for over an hour – it felt so surreal.
At the beginning, I talked about the importance of forward planning. This would not have been possible without it.
Looking ahead, doing the research and planning every little bit, made sure we were able to have this incredible experience and it’s a moment I will remember for the rest of my life.
Get in touch
If you’d like to discuss future travel plans you have in mind, get in contact with our in-house travel consultant, Sian Pages, on sian.pages@notjusttravel.com.
Sian will be more than happy to spend time talking you through your options; remembering her service is delivered at no cost to clients and professional connections of Longhurst.
Happy Adventures!
