One area where cruises are really beginning to take off is in the number of ships voyaging up to view the stunning natural smorgasbord of the shimmering Northern Lights, and next year is proving particularly popular as NASA predicts 2012 to be the best year to view them. Northern Lights cruises usually run around February and March each year for between twelve and fourteen days. A cruise can also cut out the need to fly anywhere as you can board and debark in a British port such as Southampton or Dover.
Cruises to this surreal, enchanted hemisphere are offered by companies such as Cruise and Maritime Voyages and Hurtigruten. With a wealth of stunning sightseeing opportunities at almost any time of the voyage, they offer a fantastic, heart stopping alternative to the crowded Canaries ports and the long haul runs to the Caribbean.
The legendary sight of the Aurora Borealis can only be really appreciated from a ship at sea. Shimmering, ethereal walls of green, gold and brilliant white light flit skittishly across an ink black polar night like so many exotic dancers, alternating in strength and shades as they do. Coupled with daylight scenery that displays stark, jagged snow shrouded crags emerging straight from a gun metal sea, it all makes for a magical visual extravaganza perhaps unmatched anywhere else on earth.
Many cruises feature an overnight stay in ports such as Alta or Tromso, giving a welcome opportunity to really experience the raw power of nature north of the Arctic Circle. Up here, the air is crisp and invigorating. Without much in the way of pollution, stars at night assume a clarity and rare beauty seldom viewed anywhere else in any season.
Stunningly different, sailing to these far northern waters on a cruise offers the best of both worlds; exploration and adventure in a safe, comfortable environment that has all the hallmarks of something truly unique.
It’s that time of year again when the foliage on the trees begins to take on all manner of dramatic colours, and budding photographers the world over try to make the most of the myriad of different hues. Tripadvisor have come up with a ‘top 10 spots for stunning Autumn colours’ list (see below). What would be your choices and why?
1. White Mountains, New Hampshire, USA
2. Kyoto, Japan
3. Berkshires, Massachusetts, USA
4. Transylvania, Romania
5. Perugia, Italy
6. Stowe, Vermont, USA
7. Bamberg, Germany
8. Ticino, Switzerland
9. Bergen, Norway
10. Beijing, China
A new campaign offers a chance to win a trip to Scandinavia, or an iPad2, through a website devoted to bringing local passion for the Nordic region to US tourists. The website showcases the personal travel stories of well-known Nordic celebrities, as well as Scandinavian locals, with the hope of inspiring U.S. travelers to plan a visit.
Centred around the stories of the celebrities, the travel descriptions and insight into lesser known locations throughout Scandinavia is the campaign’s way of digging deep beyond the content of traditional travel guides and vacation websites, in order to give prospective visitors a more organic taste of the Nordic experience.
The contest is simple to enter: go to facesofscandinavia.com to enter to win two roundtrip tickets to your destination of choice (choosing between Denmark, Norway, Sweden or Finland) and, while on the site, you may also enter to win an iPad 2.
I’m not sure what makes a hotel a ‘hidden gem’ as a considerable number in the list that follows are to be found in major European cities. That aside, here’s the top 10 hidden gem hotels according to Tripadvisor. (They don’t actually say ‘Europe’s top 10′ but since all of them are in Europe (in fact, they’re all in Western Europe), we assume that’s what they meant.)
A ’skateboard/punk rocker’ in his youth, David Sutcliffe is now one of three partners who run a small travel agency in Harrogate, England called Traveltalk. Specialising in luxury, tailor-made and adventure travel, Traveltalk was created 25 years ago by David’s colleague, Christine Thompson. After much hard work establishing the company in the area they developed a large core client base and are now, according to David, the leading agency in Yorkshire.
What is it that you do exactly?
My primary task is to be there for our clients, whether it be dealing with a new enquiry or ensuring that their travel plans run smoothly. Beyond that I do the administration tasks necessary to make sure that the agency runs smoothly, allowing the other members of staff to concentrate on dealing with their clients.
What do you enjoy most about what you do?
I’m a self-confessed travel geek, so I enjoy all aspects of the industry. I love reading the magazines, watching the travel channels and talking to clients about my favourite destinations, but most of all I love having the opportunity to visit places I wouldn’t otherwise be able to. I’ve seen parts of the globe that most people never will and I’m very grateful to be in such a position.
What would you say are the 3 best places you’ve ever stayed?
Savute Under Canvas, Botswana – I stayed at 4 of the &Beyond properties in this amazing country, but this was the highlight for me. Staying in a tent whilst outside you could hear lions and hyenas close by was an experience that will stay with me forever. It was also the first time I’d seen a leopard on safari.
Baltschug Kempinski, Moscow – We arrived late into Moscow and didn’t get a real impression until the following morning when I looked out of my bedroom window across the Moscow River to St Basil’s Cathedral, Red Square and the Kremlin. Whilst Moscow might not be as pretty as St Petersburg, you get a real feeling of being somewhere special, somewhere important.
Four Seasons Sayan, Bali – After a long journey this was a real sight for sore eyes. Beautifully set in the Ayung river valley near Ubud, this was the perfect place to relax.
What’s been your most memorable dining experience to date?
If you ever find yourself in Ibiza you must visit the Cardamom Club in Santa Eulalia. Superb Indian cuisine in a wonderful setting – chicken jalfrezi with a cold beer, outdoors under a canopy of trees on a Mediterranean evening……paradise!
Have you rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous, either through your work or your travels?
We do have a few high profile clients, but best to respect their privacy. I’ve been shouted at by the late Hughie Green in a hotel in Edinburgh if that counts, but it was a case of mistaken identity, he apologised and even bought me a drink. I’ve also met Iggy Pop and John Peel. Oops, almost forgot… I am currently in an awkward relationship triangle with Jennifer Love Hewitt and Carmen Electra…
What currently ranks highest on your travel wishlist?
This changes on an almost daily basis, but at the moment I would love to see Norway, preferably on a Hurtigruten cruise. The scenery looks like it would literally awesome.
Thank you, David. I can heartily recommend Norway – it’s been 20 years since I was there but I still have fond recollections of the scenery.
The magical Northern Lights have bewitched humans since time began. Now you can create your own Aurora Borealis, against a fairytale Norwegian backdrop at Visit Norway. Paint the sky above a dramatic northern Norwegian coastal landscape with your mouse, or use your astrological constellation, in a palette of colour reflecting your mood, to create your own Aurora Borealis. Your personal Northern Lights display will be saved for you to share with your friends via Twitter, Facebook or email.
Why not visit Norway and return to nature with the most breathtaking scenery, spectacular fjords, dramatic waterfalls, white sandy beaches and the freshest of mountain air? In Norway you’ll find wonderful places to stay, historic towns, charming villages and unparalleled hospitality wherever you go. Whether you take a coastal voyage, a touring holiday or stay in one location, the overwhelming feeling of peace and tranquillity will remain with you and you’ll return home refreshed, relaxed and revitalised. Click here to see some of the places in Norway that we’ve covered previously.
At work we’ve recently completed two new European travel sites, providing tourist information for Norway and Spain (sites for other countries in Europe are being worked upon as I type). A Norway Attraction and A Spain Atraction have information on over 1600 and 2500 tourist attractions respectively and, we think, are the biggest resources of their kind for those particular niches. Even the official tourist board sites for each of these countries hold nothing like the same level of detail. Please have a look and tell us what you think. There are still improvements that we would like to make (in order to improve user-friendliness, in particular) but even as they stand at present, we feel they are large resources offering useful, unique content to anyone travelling to either of those two countries.
Experience a spectacular Norwegian coastal voyage aboard Hurtigruten. Known internationally as “The World’s Most Beautiful Voyage”, this enchanting vacation showcases Norway’s dazzling scenery of fjords, snow-capped mountains, bustling villages and picturesque towns. Winter may be the most special time to experience the Norwegian Coastal voyage – a hidden gem. A truly spectacular time to see Norway’s northern reaches with majestic scenery, the Polar Light and a surreal experience not found anywhere else. Uniques to these sailings are the exciting winter excursions including dog sledding in Tromso, the Lofotr Viking Feast, and snowmobiling over the frozen fjords of Lapland. And what winterland would be complete without an encounter with the awe-inspiring Northern Lights? Aurora borealis is a truly rare phenomenon occurring only in the winter. 2 for 1 special offer: book selected 12, 7 and 6-day Norwegian Coastal voyages departing in October, November and December 2008 and your companion travels free. This offer is unfortunately not valid on suites, however.
Book selected 12, 7 and 6-day Norwegian Coastal Voyages with Hurtigruten‏, departing in October, November and December 2008 and your companion travels FREE. Offer is not valid on suites and cannot be combined with any other discounts. Offer is valid for bookings made by 31st August 2008.
An email just in from the Norwegian Tourist Board has reminded me that it’s almost 20 years since I last went to Norway:
The first time you see the fjords is a moment you will never forget.
Visit Norway and your senses will literally come alive – you’ll return to nature with the most breathtaking scenery, white sandy beaches and the freshest of mountain air, all designed to make you feel alive.
Journey through Norway and not only will you find wonderful places to stay, historic towns and unparalleled hospitality but also fantastic cuisine – real food for the senses.
They are right. You don’t forget your first to the fjords, and it would be great to re-kindle that feeling. My wife hasn’t been and she loves scenery and the outdoors. We really ought to go together some time.
As for cuisine, whilst Norway doesn’t have an official body for the restaurant industry (that I know of, at least), the national newspapers are a good source of information (eg. Aftenposten), and there are a number of useful online resources such as Oregano, Vibb, and Spisekartet (alas, not all these sites have English versions so you might need to ‘brush up’ on your Norwegian!).
(Thanks to my friend Gard in Stavanger for the links.)
Fancy a trip to Arctic Norway or the Galapagos Islands? National Geographic, famed for its own stunning travel photography, is running its 19th World in Focus photography competition. First prize is a trip to your choice of the above two destinations. If instead you just want to gawp at the amazing images from last year’s contest, then have a look here.
A new member of design hotels is coming to Norway. The Other Side is a stylish 12-bedroom hotel in the tiny village of Neiden, tucked high up in Norway’s Arctic tundra which is expecting to open next year. Whether you’re after midnight sun, the Northern Lights, or dog sledding, there’s something here for all seasons.
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One area where cruises are really beginning to take off is in the number of ships voyaging up to view the stunning natural smorgasbord of the shimmering Northern Lights, and next year is proving particularly popular as NASA predicts 2012 to be the best year to view them. Northern Lights cruises usually run around February and March each year for between twelve and fourteen days. A cruise can also cut out the need to fly anywhere as you can board and debark in a British port such as Southampton or Dover.
It’s that time of year again when the foliage on the trees begins to take on all manner of dramatic colours, and budding photographers the world over try to make the most of the myriad of different hues. Tripadvisor have come up with a ‘top 10 spots for stunning Autumn colours’ list (see below). What would be your choices and why?
A new campaign offers a chance to win a trip to Scandinavia, or an iPad2, through a website devoted to bringing local passion for the Nordic region to US tourists. The website showcases the personal travel stories of well-known Nordic celebrities, as well as Scandinavian locals, with the hope of inspiring U.S. travelers to plan a visit.
A ’skateboard/punk rocker’ in his youth, David Sutcliffe is now one of three partners who run a small travel agency in Harrogate, England called 
Book selected 12, 7 and 6-day Norwegian Coastal Voyages with Hurtigruten‏, departing in October, November and December 2008 and your companion travels FREE. Offer is not valid on suites and cannot be combined with any other discounts. Offer is valid for bookings made by 31st August 2008.
Fancy a trip to Arctic Norway or the Galapagos Islands? 
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