Northern Lights in Norway
The hotel transfer takes just over one hour and runs twice daily and is much cheaper than taking a taxi.
For my three night stay I stayed in a Superior Double room which was very modern with plenty of space including a large bathroom and rainforest shower. But without doubt the highlight of this hotel is that every room has astonishing views. I would even go to say it was the most spectacular hotel view room I have ever seen with three floor to ceiling picture windows.
Wi-Fi is free and available in the main hotel lobby lounge, standard and superior rooms and apartments but I believe they will be expanding this to the cabins soon.
In total the hotel has 86 units ranging from Standard Double rooms to three bedroom Deluxe Cabins all with stunning sea views with mountains in the background.
The apartments and cabins can also be booked as self-catering as they have fully equipped kitchens but I went on half board which included a delicious hot and cold buffet and also a set three course dinner. Every meal I ate was excellent although wine is pricey as it is everywhere in Norway. There is a large supermarket en route from the airport which the driver is happy to stop at to pick up supplies if you wish.
I pre-booked three excursions before I arrived which were Snow Shoeing, Aurora Lights Watch and Husky Safari. Admittedly these are not cheap but all include expert guides, all equipment and a hot light snack and last at least three hours. All were excellent and an experience I will never forget. The staff are so friendly and keen to share their experiences and knowledge with you and they are a lot of fun.
The hotel has a fully stocked boot room which includes snow boots, thermal suits, sock, hats, balaclavas, mittens, snow shoes, sleds, head torches. In fact all you need to bring in the winter is a good coat and good walking boots and of course sun glasses! If you fancy exploring the area just pop into the boot room and kit yourself up and enjoy. It's all free to use when staying at the hotel.
Snow Shoeing was great fun. Our group of seven plus our guide Noora went into the hills above the hotel into the powder snow. It's quite easy to get the hang of it and not strenuous. At the top there are the most amazing views and Noora lit a fire and we all cooked sausages and spiced bread and drank hot chocolate whilst Noora told us stories about the Sami people of Scandinavia and how to survive using mother nature.
I even managed to get a glimpse of the Northern Lights from Camp Nikka. The excursion starts at 9pm and went on to almost 2am. An experienced photographer/guide takes you up to the camp behind the hotel which is an easy 15 minutes’ walk up a hill. From there he explains the best settings to take your photos and what to look for. Later at the camp fire he cooks pancakes and serves hot chocolate and does some other great things which I won't spoil for you!
My last excursion was the husky safari. This again lasts over three hours and included harnessing up the dogs and a quick tutorial on how to drive the dogs (four per sled). Half way through you swap over drivers and return to camp, unharness the dogs and then sit down in the snow to a hot supper of salmon or chicken cooked over the fire...delicious!
Inside the hotel they have just opened their own little pub themed as a fisherman's cabin. And they also have a wonderful large sauna overlooking the fjord with huge picture windows and a large outside Jacuzzi.
For the summer the manager told me they are expanding their activities to hiking, fishing, cycling, boat trips and three, four and five day tours.
I met a few people whilst I was there and a few were combining their stay with a night in Tromso. From there you can visit the museum and the Arctic Cathedral and in December and January you can go on a Whale Watching trip where Humpbacks and Killer Whales are common.
I have to say that this trip was one of the best experiences of my life and would thoroughly recommend it.
After discussions with the hotel I can now offer cheaper room rates than customers booking directly with the hotel and I can also organise flights, transfers and excursions.
There are direct flights to Tromso from Gatwick or indirect from Heathrow, Aberdeen and Manchester amongst others.
UPDATE.. I have just heard from Malangen Resort that they have included 4 new excursions for the 2016/17 winter period. These are Snowmobile Safari, Nomad For A Night (Sami Experience), Cross-Country Ski Experience and Fat Bikes (mountain bikes for snow). They are also having 3 special events over this period. Christmas Eve Dinner at Camp Nikka with Santa Claus, New Years Eve Gala Dinner and finally a Valentine's Day Romantic Dinner.