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| A room with a view |
Christmas 2019 was to be spent in Norway but we hadn't decided where. I think it is fair to say you are spoilt for choice for places to visit in Norway but for Christmas we had to choose wisely!
After seeing a picture on social media of a view from the Malangen Resort I decided to do some digging. It was not long before it was clear that this was a very special place indeed! With such efficient, helpful service we soon had our accommodation and transfer booked for the Christmas break. Flights and a stop over hotel followed and we were set to go.
After seeing a picture on social media of a view from the Malangen Resort I decided to do some digging. It was not long before it was clear that this was a very special place indeed! With such efficient, helpful service we soon had our accommodation and transfer booked for the Christmas break. Flights and a stop over hotel followed and we were set to go.
Time flew leading up to the Christmas break and we were soon on the plane taking off from Gatwick for Oslo. As we approached Oslo the cabin turned quite serious as we were to execute a low visibility landing.
It soon became obvious that Oslo was under a thick layer of fog! Relieved to land safely it wasn't long before we were in the air again leaving the fog behind heading for Tromso in the Arctic Circle.
A little baggage issue later we were soon relaxing in the Scandic Hotel. We had one night in the hotel before being picked up by the resort mini bus the next morning. After a stunning breakfast we were packed and picked up right on time by Steve from the Malangen Resort.
The resort consists of a main hotel and numerous different cabins. We were staying in the standard cabin with a sea view. When we walked into the cabin we couldn't believe how beautiful it was. We arrived just after lunch and any light that we had soon turned to darkness. The polar night is something else! We had about 4 hours of light a day but that didn't stop us enjoying the many activities and places Malangen had to offer.
This was turning out to be a great place for kids with a playpark near the cabin. Whether it was in the light, dark or under the Aurora the boys loved it!
Christmas Eve
We had an action packed Christmas Eve planned and as it was my birthday I was able to sneak a morning run in before we celebrated with dog sledding and a Christmas Eve gala dinner in the forest! I decided to stick to the roads as they were covered in snow and I wasn't keen to go exploring too far on my own. The run along the road was stunning alongside the fjord and to finish I decided to go into the forest and up to the resorts own forest camp where we would later have tea! It was one of more spectacular birthday runs and a great way to start the day!
Soon it was time to meet at the hotel for dog sledding. The resort has many activities to book throughout your stay and for Norway they were not going to break the bank! Little did we realise you were going to drive your own sled! H was not keen trying to control a group of huskies with the little one riding in the sled so he was soon put with the instructor. I was not so phased with the big man as I knew he would bounce well if needed!
We started in the impressive dog yard and headed out through the forest and across the frozen lake. The experience was exhilarating! The dogs were so impressive as they pulled us effortlessly across the frozen terrain. We soon started to lose the light and were then guided by the headtorches that the resort provide if needed. Just over an hour later we were back at the dog yard with stories to tell. There was a point when the guides' sled broke anchor with our little man riding in the sled and therefore no driver! I have never seen someone run so fast across the snow! The little man took it all in his stride and seemed to enjoy the excitement!
Once the excitement of driving the sled was over we were treated to a hot snack and drink. The little men were then able to meet the puppies! There were over 20 new puppies and the boys were surrounded! The little man once again caused some excitement as we had to stop one naughty puppy chomping at his fir hood! As the afternoon became late we walked the short walk out of the forest back to the cabin to get ready for our gala dinner.
Not really knowing what to expect we met once again at the hotel and walked as a big group into the forest towards Camp Nikka. Once at the camp we were organised into specific wooden huts and served an amazing 3 course meal of smoked salmon, venison and a delicious dessert. We chatted to the people around us and had an extremely pleasant evening. Our hosts were exceptional. However attention soon turned to the Santa tracker as the boys were concerned having realised last time we were in Norway for Christmas that Santa comes quite early!
The way home was down the forest road once out of the camp. The boys had been able to borrow sledges from the hotel so it was a sled race all the way home. With 2 excited boys tucked into bed and asleep it was time to relax! What a birthday it had been!
Christmas Day
Santa had left 2 little boys a stocking full of surprises and a promise that a few more presents will be waiting back home! Christmas Day would be a very chilled day enjoying the landscape and trying out the new fishing rod that the eldest had been left in his stocking. There was only one problem.... no hook or bait! Nothing was ever too much trouble for the staff at the resort and when asked if they could help they gifted the big man a leader to use! All set up and off he went trying out various locations on the fjord.
Nothing caught and a bit disheartened he returned to the cabin and nipped onto the small jetty just outside. It wasn't long before he was holding a star fish at the end of the line and then 2 cod! I always believe it is not what they get on Christmas Day but what they do and this was certainly something to remember!
As the evening drew in we got dressed for our meal in the hotel restaurant. The food was stunning and the ambiance in the hotel was lovely. The restaurant manager Antonia was amazing and made the evening very special. One of the highlights was the enormous birthday cake they delivered as the restaurant sang happy birthday (all be it a day late). The cake was stunning and topped off a great evening. As we finished our dessert I checked the Aurora alert as the skies were clearing! There was a chance and some new found friends from the gala dinner were also keen photographers fuelling the excitement. Back at the cabin the alerts started to go off so I ventured out and came across Alex and his family soon enough getting excited about the appearance of a faint but visible aurora. The show lasted for a few hours and was an amazing end to an amazing day!
The great thing about the resort was the many places you could get to quickly! There were many view points although the lights from the cabins were not making it easy! Feeling brave I walked into the forest but it wasn't long before I realised there were many out enjoying the light show!
Boxing Day
Catching the dawn is not really early morning in the arctic circle so it was a good time to meet for a Sami Storytelling activity. The session started with a presentation on the indigenous people of the north and a fascinating insight into their way of life. The activity was led by Maria who was excellent and certainly knew her stuff! Once the presentation was over we had 2 options to either walk to feed the reindeer or take a ride in the jeep. I opted to walk and meet the group. Needless to say H and the boys had great fun riding into the forest in a 4x4 jeep!
The evening was proving to be too good to miss so once the darkness fell it was time to grab the tripod and head out for a family walk under the Northern Lights.
A quick play on the park and it was time to cwtch the boys into bed. It had been another exciting day at Malangen. The aurora alert started to buzz once again so the tripod was out once again and it wasn't long before I caught up with Alex and co. The excitement once again increased as the best light show on earth put on quite a performance!
I phoned H and told her to come across the road for a quick selfie! Its not everyday you get to stand under the Northern Lights with the people who mean the most! This was the last night and what a send off it was!
The Last Day
Another great thing about the resort was the flexibility to work around your flight time. We were able to have a transfer at 4pm so we effectively had another day at the resort. We could also keep our cabin for a small fee after 12pm. We decided to book a guide for cross country skiing to finish the trip in style. Once again meeting at the hotel we met Susanna who took us in the 4x4 to the start of our cross country ski.
We were able to borrow all the gear and it was good quality. The plan was to ski around the lake but Susanna soon realised the boys could ski and decided to take them off piste through the forest! We had a great time and were able to quiz Susanna about life in Northern Norway.
Back at the start we were treated to a hot chocolate, a snack and marshmallow tasting one the boys had helped start the fire. It was a great way to finish the holiday.
Back at the cabin we reluctantly packed our bags and headed to the hotel for a late lunch before heading to Tromso. Our aim was to travel from the resort to stay with family in South Wales in 1 day. A delayed flight did not help but we soon landed directly in Gatwick and arrived in South Wales in the early hours of the morning.
Another Christmas Day with the family and a sunset walk on the beach finished off an amazing Christmas break.
