DESTINATIONS BEYOND THE LIGHTS SCANDINAVIA RIGHT: Trondheim
BELOW: Gullfoss
out fast,” he says. “The chance to see the northern lights is a big selling point, but there is so much more to the tiny Nordic island nation than just the spectacular natural light show.” The Gullfoss waterfall with its
crashing white foam, geothermal fields with Mars-like coloured pools and the Grabrok volcano crater are all major draws according to Carl Cross, managing director of On The Go Tours. Meanwhile, Dean Stilwell, product manager for Newmarket Holidays, recommends Thingvellir National Park, a lava field characterised by its black and rocky landscapes. “Iceland offers plenty of unique experiences that customers will never forget,” he says. And when it comes to culture,
SAMPLE PRODUCT
Hurtigruten
offers a seven-day Classic Voyage North: Bergen to Kirkenes trip through Norway from £615,
including visits to Trondheim, Tromsø and beyond.
hurtigruten.co.uk Newmarket
Holidays offers a four-day Iceland & the Northern Lights trip
from £609. The price includes return flights, accommodation and visits to Reykjavik, the Thingvellir lava fields and
Gullfoss waterfall. newmarket
holidays.co.uk
while the fjordside town of Tromsø – located at the centre of the northern aurora zone and known as one of the best places for spotting the northern lights – is filled with pubs, museums and galleries. If clients are heading to Tromsø in January, they’ll catch the International Film Festival as well as the Northern Lights Festival, a week- long extravaganza featuring musical performances and more. And if it’s these attractions that get
your clients giddy, the Andøya Space Centre in Sortland may also tickle their fancy. This futuristic outpost launches several rockets each year in the name of atmospheric analysis, and visitors can experience a realistic space simulator while learning about the northern lights from those who really know their stuff. The Aurora Zone’s Sortland –
Adventure with the Aurora Addicts trip focuses on this side of things, and it’s well worth recommending to enthusiasts who want to understand more about how the luminescent green magically appears.
w ICELAND Over in Iceland, there’s even more cause for excitement, as volcanic activity, steaming geysers and otherworldly landscapes make up this unique country and provide a worthy alternative to the northern lights. These characteristics mean this island is getting ever more attention,
66
travelweekly.co.uk 15 December 2016
The futuristic Andoya Space Centre launches rockets in the name of atmospheric research
according to Paul Melinis, head of sales at Insight Vacations. “Iceland has been a hugely popular destination this year, with the majority of our tours selling
there’s plenty to satisfy, from tales of the mythical huldufólk to farming families who provide a warm welcome to visitors. The latter are a key selling point on Insight Vacations’ Scenic Iceland & The Northern Lights tour, which takes guests into the heart of local communities with various authentic and immersive experiences. They include a visit to a family-run
farm to sample homegrown tomatoes, and a geothermal bakery experience where visitors feast on freshly baked rye bread dug hot from the ground. Now there’s something you can’t do in Blighty – and all without the faintest mention of a solar-charged particle.
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