We're thrilled to share the winning entry of our travel review competition, written by one of our travellers who joined our Kirkenes & Finnish Lapland + Royal Norway tour with her family in December 2024. Her review stood out not only for the heartfelt storytelling but also for the sheer joy and wonder she captured throughout the journey. Read the winning entry in their own words:
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Meet Melanie and her family of four from Singapore. After a challenging year, they set off on a magical winter adventure through Finland and Norway—chasing reindeer, exploring gingerbread cities, and witnessing the Northern Lights together.
“It is just lights in the sky…” my husband will say, every time I bring up the topic of planning a trip to see the Northern Lights. Well, 2024 was draining and challenging for me at work and I really needed a break to recharge. I have always wanted to see the Northern Lights for the longest time and could not believe my ears when my hubby said, “Let’s go! But…let me emphasize, it is really just lights in the sky…”
Without much hesitation, I quickly started researching tour packages. While browsing, the Authentic Scandinavia’s tour packages stood out amongst numerous others. The tour packages were easy to follow with detailed information for pre-trip planning. Something that truly impressed me was the exceptional service provided by the sales consultants. Not only were they very responsive, patient and helpful with all our enquiries, they guided me to custom my own travel itinerary. Within two weeks, we were booked for a self-guided combined tour: Kirkenes & Finnish Lapland + Royal Norway for my family of four! This was by far the smoothest customized self-guided tour vacation we have booked.
I was so excited preparing for the trip that I was already packing two months before the travel date! When December finally arrived, our flight from Helsinki to Rovaniemi was unfortunately overbooked and the airline could not put us all in the same flight. Luckily, we managed to catch the later flight. We were so anxious as we would have missed our pre-arranged pick-up transfer. Fortunately, to our relief, Ms Nicole, who was our contact point in the last few email threads, picked up the emergency call hotline and assured us that she would help us re-arrange the pick-up accordingly. The quick response made a lot of difference and all the flustered feeling just dissipated.
Our magical holiday began as we arrived in the winter wonderland, Rovaniemi. We squealed with excitement when we saw the resident reindeers at Nova Skyland Hotel. It was my first exciting encounter with reindeers at age 49. I did not realise my bare hands were freezing at -20C as I took tons of photos of the cute ones! We had two reindeer night activities but were disappointed when we unfortunately could not catch Lady Aurora. However, the company of the adorable reindeers definitely made up for it.
Our stay at the glass igloo at Kakslauttanen Artic Resort. We had trouble finding the aurora box that was installed in the igloo. While we settling in for the night, my girl went “Mummy, the Northern Lights!! The Northern Lights!!” Then we heard a loud beeping sound and found the elusive aurora box. We were scuttling around frantically searching for our beanies, coats and gloves! Lady Aurora was dancing gracefully above us. We were so glad that we were able to see Lady Aurora through the glass igloo roof. “WOW!! The lights actually move!!” My hubby commented excitedly!! As Lady Aurora continued her dance, I was so thrilled that I ran out of the igloo to get a clearer view. Laughed out really loud when I realized seconds later that I was in my bathroom slippers and my bare feet were sunk into the deep, icy snow at -20C!! My family members were scantily dressed as some of them were in PJs, some missing beanies, coats and gloves! All in the mad rush just to get the best shots of Lady Aurora. We were jumping and squealing in excitement and braved the -20C cold for as long as our fingers and face could take it. 17 Dec 2024, a magical and unforgettable night to remember and I am so thankful to finally see Lady Aurora and share that special moment together with my loved ones.
We were told about how the aurora, also known as “revontulet” in Finnish, means fox fire as legends believe that the lights are a resultant of the fox leaping across the sky. To be able to see the aurora dance in the sky with our own two eyes was far more mesmerizing than we could ever imagine.
The following night, we were again blessed with Lady Aurora at Lake Inari. We were in awe of the spectacular display of Lady Aurora dancing all above us for almost 40 minutes!! We eventually laid flat on the ground to admire the full display! We could not feel our fingers and faces, but we will do it all over again! It was a truly magnificent sight and the greatest highlight of our trip! My hubby has fallen in love with this nature’s wonder and said that he will never ever ever say that is only lights in the sky…
Our next stop was Trondheim! A charming city with one of the best panoramic views. We were welcomed by the picturesque view of the lovely wooden houses lined along the Nidelven river when we arrived. The view and the reflections of the colours in the river was breathtaking! Taking a slow stroll around Bakklandet and Gamle Bybro and soaking in the relaxing atmosphere over coffee and korvapuusti was a wonderful way to spend a chilly day.
We then spent our Christmas in Bergen. We will totally recommend the world’s biggest Gingerbread City, Pepperkakebyen as a must-visit. They had a captivating display of miniature Bergen and they were all made from gingerbread!! It was amazing to find out that the city was made by children, as we spotted landmarks that we had saw previously. It was quite realistic! A unique and heart-warming way to enjoy the Christmas spirit.
It was truly a holiday to remember, and we are very thankful for Authentic Scandinavia. The travel itinerary was detailed with recommended transportation directions and cost of your hotel, restaurant and sightseeing recommendations. The hotels booked were centrally located with a delish breakfast buffet spread. Our transfers via plane, bus, ferry and train were all well-executed with minimum glitches.
In a nutshell, our magical vacation was made extra special with the guidance and well-executed operations of the Authentic Scandinavia team. It was our first trip to Finland and Norway and we have fallen in love with these amazing countries. To top that up, I now have a converted partner in crime to accompany me to continue the Northern Light chase.
We would definitely like to come back to visit!! We will not hesitate to recommend and book our next vacation back with Authentic Scandinavia!
