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lots of reindeer are walking and grazing across a snowy landscape
gdpr note; #ad #giftedpartnership - tromsø trip with tromsø arctic reindeer and northern shots are gifted or part-gifted collaborations


Tromsø can be found upon, and around, a little island that sits to the north of Norway...

In the summer the northern parts of Norway witness the midnight sun, which leaves them with twenty-four hours of day light. I was lucky enough to see this a few years ago when I visited Norway and saw the midnight sun barely dip beneath the horizon in Nordkapp, but on this trip to Norway I visited toward the end of their winter season, and experienced the shorter days that came with it... and a whole lot of magic.

I love the snow, I'm always happy to visit a country in its wintry months, and Tromsø does winter so well. I stayed in a great little Airbnb, a short walk from the centre of Tromsø... everything does get a little icy, so I highly recommend a pair of crampons if you want to explore on foot (I bought a cheap pair on eBay). The city centre itself is an array of grocery stores, general goods stores, and restaurants; there isn't too much to do for an explorer - but a walk along the waterfront is pretty, with rows of traditional Nordic buildings to admire. There is also plenty to do and see in the surrounding areas!

If you take a few moments to walk across the bridge that leads away from the city centre, you'll find the cable car that takes you to the top of Floya Mountain. This one was a little much for me to take on, so I didn't make the trek to find it (if you've followed me for a while, you'll know that I am not ok with heights... at all) - but I have seen lots of photos from the top and it looks beautiful. You can apparently also see the northern lights from up here in the winter if you're lucky enough, and the midnight sun 'set' in the summer.

Back to what I did get up to... my first full day had an early start - but an exciting one. A short coach ride through the beautiful snowy landscapes of Tromsø and I was being warmly welcomed into a traditional Sami camp that hosts the Tromsø Arctic Reindeer tours. This was definitely one of the experiences that I was most looking forward to on this trip, even the sudden blizzard wasn't going to stop me from attempting to cuddle a reindeer.

a roaring wood fire inside a sami lavvu (or yurt) with lots of seating

The day began with a welcome inside a large lavvu, which is a traditional Sami version of a yurt. It was so cosy and warm inside, with a log fire burning and an array of cosy benches. After the brief introduction of the Sami people on hand for the day, I braved the increasing blizzard and headed out to meet and feed the reindeer. What. A. Moment.

Now, before we go any further... I want to express that these reindeer are entirely wild reindeer. They are cared for by the Sami people, who have been living at one with nature and caring for reindeer for over 5,000 years. There are Sami people all across Scandinavia, who all have different ways of living with the land, but the tribe in Tromsø are reindeer herders.

The reindeer are kept in an enormous enclosure over the winter months (which is when the Tromsø Reindeer experiences are open to the public) for the sole reason of keeping the reindeer safe. The predator number is on the rise in Tromsø, and every year the reindeer number was rapidly dropping - with pregnant female reindeer being the main targets. The Sami people in Tromsø wanted to do something to protect the reindeer, and this is their answer. The reindeer numbers are back up, they are incredibly well cared for, and they are still entirely wild animals. After their brief few months in the enormous (it really is enormous!) penned area, the reindeer are released back into the wild to continue their lives as normal - and the Sami people follow them around the landscape, caring for them and working with them. It really was so interesting to learn all about it, and to understand how the Sami peacefully live from the land and with the reindeer. I feel like I have to express this, not only because I found it so fascinating, but because there is such a strong concern for animal warfare (and rightly so!).

an antlered reindeer up close   antlered reindeer peacefully graze on a snowy landscape

It was absolutely incredible to be amongst so many reindeer, there are so many beautiful colours, and they have such a calm temperament... of course, they all want to be your friend when you have a big bucket of food. The tours are twice daily, once in the morning, and once in the afternoon, which is when the reindeer would usually feed. Booking onto these tours helps the Sami people to feed the large amount of reindeer - and it really is such an exciting and beautiful thing to experience!

The reindeer are strong, beautiful but strong, and they'll really want to get into your bucket of food haha. I did have to drop the bucket at one point when two pretty bulky beasts were battling their way into it at the same time, but it was so mesmerising to step back and just watch. I was lucky enough to be graced with a few magical moments of just sitting in the snow amongst them. You get to spend an hour or so outside with these beautiful creatures, and it is honestly worth every moment, I would absolutely go back and live this experience all over again.

perfectlyclaudia (a girl) sits amongst feeding reindeer

Reindeer sledding is a part of the day, and wow was it cold in the icy winds and snow, but I was assured that sledding is something that the Sami have done with the reindeer for thousands of years, and that the reindeer need to be exercised over the winter within their contained environment. After a brief sled around the reindeer's temporary home, I was invited inside to warm up by the fire and enjoy a bowl of vegetarian soup and a yummy cup of hot chocolate.

I love learning about the culture, traditions, and folklore as I travel, so this experience was a real treat for me. As I mentioned earlier, I got to learn all about the Sami culture and how they live with the land and the reindeer. The Sami people also shared some of their traditional outfits and explained how they interact with the more modern world in twenty-nineteen. The Sami people also have traditional songs, called yoiks, and I was lucky enough to hear one on the day. It's such a haunting sound, absolutely beautiful, have a peek on YouTube if you're interested! Each song has a meaning and is sung for a purpose or person, which means that every yoik is unique.

Tromsø Arctic Reindeer also have an array of eco-friendly tours, you can find out about these here. The best part is, for every booking, 10% goes back into supporting the ecosystem, local land, and local wildlife.

a cute reindeer face up close in the snow

The magic really didn't stop on this day. I headed back to Tromsø for a quick dinner before jumping back onto a coach and riding off to chase the northern lights. As the blizzard was still going, it was difficult to find a tour that was happy to chase the lights, but I went with a company called Northern Shots who were happy to drive as far as Finland if they had to.

There are so many factors to consider for viewing the northern lights. The common misconception is that you chase the lights, but you actually chase the weather conditions. The lights will appear no matter the weather or time of day if the science is right, and so you need to find the perfect conditions to see them. The most ideal conditions are when it's pitch black, no cloud cover, completely clear skies, no light pollution, and no strong moon light... so checking the weather throughout the day, and knowing when the sun goes down, will help you nail all of these factors. There are also lots of apps that determine your success rate of seeing the lights, and tell you where the best locations are.

Even if you do have the most ideal viewing conditions, the lights are still a rarity to appear, and usually they're visible as a grey cloud, or very dull glow across the sky, so I wasn't expecting any more than that. An enormous misconception about the aurora borealis is that they're visibly green in the sky every single time... but usually what we see on a screen is vastly improved by photo editing.

a starry sky above mountains and a fjord
...can you see that shooting star?!

I was really impressed the tour, the guide was seriously reliable. She had done oodles of research into the weather conditions, where was best to take the group, and even went through the camera settings that we'd need to shoot the lights. I shot the lights in Iceland one winter, so I was ready to go, but if I hadn't known the settings her tips would've been enormously valuable. She was even kind enough to walk up and down the coach checking settings. Tripods were also provided for those who didn't have them, as well as hot chocolate and cookies to keep us warm throughout the evening!

So... did I see the lights?


...well. I absolutely did see the aurora borealis, and I can honestly say, I've never seen anything like it. I was so lucky in Iceland to see the lights three times, but they couldn't compare at all to what I saw on this one night in Tromsø. It was pure magic. I barely edited the photo above. The lights got brighter and brighter, and graced the skies with their presence for two whole hours. You could visibly see the colours vividly in the sky dancing around the stars. At one point I remember staring up at the sky and just saying 'holy shit, this is insane'. The fjord was glowing green with the reflection, the sky was bright with greens, purples, light reds, it was mesmerising. I almost lay on my coat on the floor to watch it. There really are no words for what I saw that night, it's a moment that I will never ever forget. An absolute rarity.

I tucked myself away from the other cameras to get some great snaps... stay tuned for those. They'll be appearing over on my Instagram @perfectlyclaudia soon.


Tromsø was an absolute dream. From magical moments in the blizzard with reindeer, to completely magical lights dancing away in the sky, it was just something else, and I absolutely recommend a visit if you're heading to Norway. Have you seen the lights before? Comment below and let me know! 

Claudia xo



Travel Tip
The Radisson Blu Hotel is right in the centre of Tromsø, and is the main pick up point for the oodles of tours in the area, so if you do book any day trips you'll need to get familiar with this spot. 



Travel Details
Accommodation: Tromsø Airbnb
Reindeer: Tromsø Arctic Reindeer
Northern Lights: Northern Shots




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gdpr note; #ad #giftedpartnership #presstrip - bergen trip with visit bergen, visit flam, and fjord tours is a part-gifted collaboration


Bergen is a pretty little Scandinavian city, sitting amongst the mountains and along the fjords of Norway…

Bergen is known as the gateway to the fjords, it’s Norway’s second largest city, and it’s definitely livelier than you would expect from the oodles of Instagram photos you may have seen. It was founded over 900 years ago, and its old Bryggen area is definitely a beautiful testament to its history. I spent just a few days exploring Bergen, and I fell in love with its charming, bustling atmosphere, cobbled streets, and colourful houses.  

Day one was arrival day, and it was a little wet, so a little explore of the surrounding streets was in order, mostly to find the nearest food store. I stayed at a little Airbnb just a short walk from Bergen’s bustling restaurants, fish market, and Bryggen. The cobbled streets around the Airbnb were charming, and every house was as beautiful as the next. There are so many little twists and turns, with new surprises around every corner, it’s easy to lose yourself amongst the beauty of these Bergen streets. In one direction you have wooden homes in whites and pastel shades, and in the other direction you have more colourful stone homes with incredible views of the fjords and endless mountains. It really is a dreamy city.

From all the photos that I’ve seen of Bergen’s Bryggen, I expected a small little town – when I started walking around and exploring I really was surprised at just how large this city was. Bergen definitely has that cosy town feel, but the endless streets of beautiful houses really show its size.


My second day in Bergen was exciting. If you’ve been following along with my previous travel posts, you’ll know that I love staying in a base location and booking lots of day trips, so naturally I had to make sure I picked the perfect day trips for my short stays in each spot around Norway. The Norway in a Nutshell tour hosted by Fjord Tours is ideal if you’re short for time and want to see what Norway has to offer, it’s also ideal if (like me) you don’t have/book your own transport as you travel. You can choose to start the tour from a number of spots around Norway, and leave the tour at a number of spots. As I was in Bergen, this is where my tour started and finished. The Norway in a Nutshell tour is self-guided, and includes a couple of scenic train journeys, one beautiful fjord ride, and a trip on the infamous Flåm railway. It’s very easy to follow once you have an itinerary!

   

I boarded the train in Bergen… be sure to ask the conductor if you’re on the right rain! I almost had a little mishap here thanks to incorrect boards and train listings, and early ended up on the wrong train. Oops! Mini panic moment over, and the journey began. The long train from Bergen takes you to the little town of Voss, and from there you take a beautifully scenic coach ride to Gudvangen. Gudvangen is right on the fjord front and has amazing views of the mountains and the water. It’s a quiet little spot, with a few wooden Nordic houses, and a little shop attached to a coffee shop.

The fjord ride was definitely one of my favourite parts of the day. I’ve taken a fjord ferry once before, on my last trip to Norway in the summer of 2017, but this time I got to see the fjords in all their wintry glory. Snow snow and snow everywhere! This ferry ride takes you across one of Europe’s most narrow fjords – Nærøyfjord; it’s excitingly included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List! The second fjord you venture onto is the equally exciting and picturesque Aurlandsfjord. For a snowy day, it wasn’t too cold of windy on these mountain-encased fjords, and so there were lots of moments for picture taking, and simply enjoying the snow-capped mountain views with a hot chocolate in hand.


The fjord ferry drops you off in the very quiet but scenic town of Flåm. If you do ever stop here, definitely have a little wander around – I found some great spots hidden away behind the initial buildings along the fjord front. There’s also a fabulous bakery, perfect for a quick photo op and another delightful hot choc… pastry and all.  

The infamous Flåm Railway ride was up next, and the train is just a step or two away from the fjord front. You can even see the railway line, and probably the train ready and waiting, from the moment you disembark. The train is that perfect green, older, train, with spacious compartments inside. The whole vibe is that luxurious old train feel, it’s perfect! The ride itself is only around 35 minutes; I definitely wanted it to last a little longer… or maybe go just a tad slower so that I could take it all in for a few extra moments! But it was absolutely worth the experience.

As the journey began, I honestly felt like I’d sat on the wrong side of the train… so many people were oohing and ahhing on the other side, and my view was an incredibly close look at the mountain sides. Do get up and take a peek! Here’s a tip – if all the spots are full, head to the doors. They have big windows, perfect for a solo sight-see. Your time will come though, the views do change and your side of the train will have its day. Everything was covered in layers and layers of untouched white snow, even the mountain peaks were peppered in it… the scenery was one magical fairy tale view of snow and ice.

You are treated to a little stop along the way, at a fabulous but small view point. There is a bit of a gap between the train and the platform’s edge… errr, not for the faint hearted (or maybe I just thought it was bigger than it actually was!) There’s also a little waterfall here, which was hard to spot amongst the snow; definitely a journey I’d love to retake one summer! A few moments to take in the view, or to snap a photo, and then it’s a quick hop back onto the train. I was surrounded by even more endless seas of snowy white backdrops as the train headed towards its tiny station in Myrdal. The snow was falling in Myrdal and it was completely magical, though very windy and cold, but it was such a beautiful sight… a tiny little Nordic station, covered in snow.

From here I caught the train back to Bergen, where my Norway in a Nutshell journey began. There are plenty of stops along the way, or you can even take a train to Oslo and continue your adventures there. But it was back to Bergen for me, for a few more days of exploring cobbled streets and admiring colourful pastel homes. A big thank you to Visit Flåm who were so incredibly helpful in putting an itinerary together.


My last full day in Bergen was spent with a late morning ride on the Fløibanen funicular up to Mount Fløyen. I’m not one for heights, but as the funicular is an enclosed train ride that runs up and down the mountain, I had no problems, phew. The funicular runs every few minutes, and is a quick six minute trip. You can even walk the winding roads up the mountain to reach the top of Mount Fløyen. Lots of people live along the route, with houses covering the side of the mountain.

The view from the top was absolutely amazing. It’s a perfect overview of Bergen below, and you can see how enormous the fjords really are. The viewing area is right next to the entrance, so it is a little busy, but you don’t miss out on seeing the view due to the crowds. There are built-in stone seating areas too, so if you want to sit and admire the views were city meets fjord, you have all the time in the world (well, until it closes at 11pm). I expected to get the train to the top, see the view for a little while, and head back down again, but there is so much more to see and explore!

At the top of Mount Fløyen surprisingly sits a beautiful hotel, a fabulous woodland area, a small restaurant, public toilets, and a souvenir shop. There are even mountain sheep to be spotted every now and again. Everything was a little icy at the top, which proved difficult for walking around the pathways, but it was so much fun to see people tobogganing down the short, snowy slopes. The view of Bergen follows you around the mountain side too, with plenty of benches to stop and stare out over the mountains and fjords below.

From here you can also hike to Mount Ulriken, following the hike route of ‘Vidden’. It takes around five hours to walk it, but think of the views! I decided to head back down on the funicular, and spend the rest of the day exploring Bergen’s Bryggen.


The fjord front of Bergen is called Bryggen (‘the dock’), and it’s been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979! You can’t miss eye-catching Bryggen. It architecturally takes you back hundreds of years, and surprisingly it’s not just the few buildings that you see on the gram either, you can walk around the many many buildings that make up Bryggen. Most of the buildings are now commercial, housed by little coffee shops, artists, restaurants, and bars. There are a few pricey hotels along this strip too. It’s still a very active dock, with the fish market just a few steps away, and lots of boats moored around the waterfront. A dock to fall in love with! Even in the rain.



I absolutely loved exploring the wonderful, storybook streets of Bergen, and it’s beautiful Bryggen. I felt completely safe in this history-rich city, even with its bustling atmosphere. I’m sure there was so much more to explore too, but I’m thrilled with what I experienced! I’m not usually a city girl, but when there are magical pastel houses and fjords to view, and street after street with that old town vibe, I easily found myself falling in love with Bergen.

Claudia xo



Travel Tip
If you head to the Visit Bergen website, you’ll be able to find their Bergen Card (click here). These little gems earn you discounts in an array of restaurants, discounted or free public transport (including to/from the airport), and allow free or discounted access to lots of great things – such as the Fløibanen funicular up to Mount Fløyen. 



Travel Details
Accommodation: Bergen Airbnb
Fjord Tour: Norway in a Nutshell
Visit Flåm: Flåm Railway
Visit Bergen: Bergen Card




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c l a u d i a

a travel and tourism creative, creating beautiful content as she sees the world

" ...a small girl with big dreams"

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