During the weekend, Saliheen and I discussed our travel plans for next year and we made an impromptu call to a travel agency to ask how much their packages cost... turns out they are within our budget and there are available slots for the package above in January 2016 wtfffff. If we knew the existence of this package, we would have opted to go for it next month instead! We were under the mistaken belief that this travel agency didn't have Scandinavia packages between January to February because one of their agents told us so last year. To be fair to him, these packages only came out recently so how was he to know!
Both of us seriously fell deep in love with the itinerary; there's the usual market square visit and cathedral tours which are fun, but the highlights for us are the Ranua Wildlife Park (Nordic and Arctic animals!), visit to the Santa Clause Village (hohoho), Reindeer Ride, Snowmobile Safari (exciting!), Husky Safari (double exciting!!!)and our two absolute favourites: overnight stay in a glass igloo and the chase for Northern Lights!!!!! ♥
Catching the Northern Lights has never been in my wishlist before but after seeing gorgeous travel videos like this one and finding out more from online articles and friends who've been there... I think I'm the one who is missing out for never thinking of catching this natural phenomenon in my lifetime!
Oh, you know, just pictures of the glass igloo that is included in the package to fuel my wanderlust hehe
Saliheen and I are pretty candid about the fact that we intend to try for a baby next year - we share this with our friends and families because we hope that they will be happy and du'a for us :) Of course kita boleh merancang tetapi Tuhan yang menentukan so after much deliberation, our tentative travel plans for 2016 will be as such:
If I get pregnant early next year, we will go to London/anywhere where we can take it slow when I'm in my second trimester... so it'll be a babymoon, I guess?! If I don't get pregnant by August next year (that's the month where travel agencies release their winter packages), we will register for the 10D7N Winter Adventure in Finland package above and travel in November 2016. Really hoping we'll catch this beauty before it dims and becomes less frequent for the next decade (as claimed by this article)!
*Aurora.
ReplyDeleteIn my wish list to see the northern lights! But you know, with a baby I'm really not sure. Same case as you, if I do get pregnant (again), then maybe we'll go another time (probably some years from now). If not, maybe I'll consider going next year. Hmm.
ReplyDeleteJust gotta wait for what comes, babe! Wherever we go, just gonna be thankful that we have this opportunity to see the world, which is a privilege some people don't have heh
DeleteWahhhhhh... your info and images so tempting!
ReplyDeleteTempting kannnnnnnnnnnn!!! I've seen other Scandinavia and northern lights travel packages and the draw is ok la, biasa biasa aje. When I saw this package terus omg attractive or what seh!
DeleteWahlao NAK IKOT. Hahahahaha. Why everything you post I wanna go ah? Lolol.
ReplyDeleteHAHAHAHA JOM GI SAMA SAMA! I think because the travel package is attractive ah, so I don't have to say much pun the package will sell itself!
DeleteHahahahaha. If I see your post you going in the future, I will sebok k. Hehehehehe.
ReplyDeletewah dah buat baby math! we are in the same boat as you so yeah it does make planning for travels a lil tricky kan. I heard northern lights will be more difficult to see for next 10 years so hope you'll get to catch it, tho I also hope you'll be pregnant by then. either way, blessings!
ReplyDeleteHaha baby math! We're supposed to try next year but ada orang (*cough* my husband *cough*) nak bring forward so we decided to adjust this year's travel plans. And you're right - whichever way it happens, it'll be blessings :D
DeleteGood luck with your baby and travel planning too!!!
One thing you should know about the northern lights is that its activity happens on a 10 year cycle. Meaning for 10 years, you can see lots of activities and for the next 10 years you can't see much. Still there, but maybe not as bright. Currently, the last year to go in 2016. Once you miss 2016, you gotta wait 10 years later. So my advice if you SHOULD go soon! Kalau tak, dah tua2 baru nak pergi.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, if there are high cloud activity (meaning just visible clouds in general), you will not see much of the lights if at all. Catching the lights is all about luck. I went to Iceland Oct 2015 and managed to catch it on the first night I was there, then the rest of the nights, I don't see it at all. A lot of people we met didn't catch it at all in all the days they were there. Mainly because they didn't know that they couldn't see it on a cloudy day.
I suggest you read up about it first so that you won't be disappointed. And also, if you did see it!!!! You should learn how to take pictures of it. Coz most of the people I saw, had no idea how to capture it in photos. It's a whole new world out there.
Lastly, enjoy and good luck!!!
Yeah, that's what the article that I linked in the end said too, which is why I'm hoping to go this year! Itu pun tak guarantee seh boleh nampak ke tidak, I know it really depends on luck :( Someone I know went few times and didn't get to see the northern lights at all, whereas someone else I know went once and got the full glory.
DeleteThanks for the tip, I will definitely check more on how to increase my chances to see the northern lights if my husband and I really decide to go!!! Agree with what you mentioned about knowing how to take pictures of it too - I still regret not being able to capture the stars and skyline beauty during my honeymoon in Maldives haiz. My husband is picking up some photography skills now though, so I'll leave it to him :)