This week it’s exactly one year ago that we had a dream vacation in Tromsø. A great reason to look back on a very special night. The night we decided to go on a northern lights tour and search one more time for the ultimate high: seeing the northern lights. Since we had fallen pretty hard for the northern lights in the week before, we decided not to sleep on the last night of our trip, but to head out instead. Maximum return. We absolutely had to see the northern lights one more time.
But gigantic clouds had piled up over the entire province, and Tromsø has quite a lot of light pollution; not exactly a recipe for success with the northern lights. So there was only one thing left to do. We had to find a guide who could take us out into the wilderness in a van.
That’s how we came across the ‘The Dancing Lights’ tour by Roy Sætre with nothing but glowing reviews from over-the-moon people, so we immediately booked two seats for that very evening.
Where is it?
Roy Sætre does absolutely everything he can to show his guests the northern lights, so you never know in advance where you’ll end up. The meeting point for his tour is in the center of Tromsø, at the Tromsø Tourist Information Office. Depending on the KP index and that day’s weather forecast, his van heads out into the wilderness at 17:00. Warm overalls, boots, hats, gloves, food, drinks and photos are included in the trip.
You can book via roy@arctictrip.no / www.arctictrip.no / +47 476 63 447.
Hunting for the northern lights
Because of the miserable weather forecast for pretty much all of Northern Norway, our evening at first seemed to be a washout. But Roy doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Once we were all in the van (us, 2 Australians, an Argentinian and 3 South Koreans), he asked us: “Do you all have your passports with you? We’re going to Finland.” That’s right, we were real northern lights chasers.
After about 3 hours of driving we arrived on the Finnish tundra, where it was -18°C and all the trees were frozen white and glittering in the moonlight. Apart from the northern lights, the most magical thing I’ve ever seen in my life. In no time at all, Roy had skillfully made a few benches out of snow, covered them with reindeer hides and built a campfire for all of us to sit around while we waited for Aurora to appear.
But it didn’t stop there. Roy had prepared an entire BBQ with moose burgers, reindeer sausages, fresh salmon and hot chocolate. While we all had lovely conversations and enjoyed Roy’s cooking skills, a crackling, pulsing northern lights show began that danced across the sky for at least an hour and a half. We couldn’t have wished for a better ending to this week. So fairy tales really do exist.
How are the northern lights created?
Roy isn’t just a brilliant guide and host, he’s also a top photographer and northern lights expert. With a drawing in the snow, he taught us about the Aurora Borealis and her beauty. Simply put, the northern lights are created when our atmosphere deflects solar flares. So it’s actually a protective mechanism of our earth! Only a very, very beautiful one.
Tips for photographing the northern lights
The very best thing about heading out with Roy was that he’s a professional northern lights photographer. Not only can he give you a beautiful souvenir of the adventure this way, he also teaches you how best to operate your camera when you want to capture Aurora. A few tips we got from him:
- Bring a sturdy tripod. Without a good tripod you don’t stand a chance if you want to take photos in the dark. Roy has a few available to borrow;
- Choose a serious camera with a light-sensitive lens. You’re not going to make it with a smartphone;
- Bring enough batteries for your camera. The cold drains your batteries incredibly fast and you don’t want any nasty surprises. Preferably keep them as close to your body as possible to keep them somewhat warm;
- Get to know your camera well and make sure you can operate it in the dark;
- Preferably shoot at ISO800, aperture 3.5 and a shutter speed of 15 seconds. The pros can of course play around with this as they like;
- Keep your gloves on! However tempting it is to quickly press that button without a glove, when you’re taking photos at -18°C, you’d better not.
Early in the morning we got back to the hotel and packed our suitcases to fly home, reeking of campfire, with bags under our eyes as big as hammocks, but with a grin that will have to be removed by plastic surgery. So if you ever find yourself near Tromsø, longing for the northern lights? Call Roy. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
Personal travel advice
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