Northern Lights - Goodtrippers

A picture perfect trip to Iceland

Right now, Iceland is where it’s at! After a team of part-time footballers dashed England’s Euro dreams, all eyes have turned north to this unique country. Now you can fill your Instagram feed with some amazing pictures on a new photography tour of Iceland.

Tour operators Off the Map Travel have teamed up with two professional Arctic photographers, both renowned for their images of the Northern Lights and the Arctic wilderness, to offer an exclusive and intimate photography experience designed to capture the history, culture and natural beauty of Iceland.

The new Incredible Iceland Photography Adventure was created by two leading British born nature photographers, Oliver Wright and Matt Richardson, who met in Northern Sweden over their shared love of the Arctic. The new itinerary will run over two initial dates in September (02 Sept – 10 Sept 2016 or 10 Sept – 18 Sept 2016) and uses local knowledge and off the beaten track locations to give the best possible photographic opportunities for guests on the trip.

Oliver explains, “Iceland is one of the best places in the world for photography. The raw natural beauty attracts the world’s leading photographers who come to capture everything from landscapes to Northern Lights. Both Matt and myself have spent a lot of time shooting in the area and have uncovered some incredible spots only really known by the locals. This trip is all about giving our guests the chance to work in these incredible isolated locations, where we will help our guests get those dream shots.”

The charming coastal town of Akureyri in Northern Iceland, where the majority of the itinerary is based, is arguably one of the best places in Iceland for photography with pristine Icelandic wilderness and rugged coastline. Guests will stay in a 150-year-old historic Icelandic house lovingly restored with a luxurious, typically Icelandic, finish.

There is no set itinerary for the tour which allows the guides to adapt locations to the weather conditions and interests of the group. With room for just six on each trip, two expert photography guides and two vehicles there is plenty of room for equipment and the chance to split and visit different locations simultaneously, depending on the interests of the group.

Additional excursions include whale watching and a trip to the Myvatn Geothermal Nature Baths, as well as a visit to the Blue Lagoon. There is also a slim chance (being early in the season) of seeing the famous Northern Lights (both Matt and Oliver specialise in photographing the Aurora Borealis so will be on hand to help guests snap their own beautiful photographs).

A nine night Incredible Iceland Photography Adventure, suitable for both beginners and more established photographers, including a night in Reykjavik and eight nights in Akureyri with Off the Map Travel (www.offthemaptravel.co.uk) costs from £2799 per person, excluding flights. This includes all transfers, a night in a 4* central Reykjavik hotel on a bed and breakfast basis with an Aurora Hunt and a visit to the Blue Lagoon; eight nights at the luxury Icelandic historic house in Akureyri including all meals and transfers, expert photography guiding, photography workshops, Whale Watching and the Myvatn Geothermal Nature Baths trips.

For more information about Incredible Iceland Photography Adventure visit www.offthemaptravel.co.uk, call +44 (0) 800 566 8901 or email info@offthemaptravel.co.uk

Chill out at the new Northern Lights wellness retreat, Finland

This is the time of year to chill out….literally!

What’s thought to be the first ever Northern Lights wellness and yoga retreat will open this March in Kilpisjärvi, Finland. The ‘Northern Lights for the Soul’ trip, launched by Aurora specialists Off The Map Travel, combines yoga, meditation, relaxation and healthy eating, with spectacular opportunities to watch the Northern Lights.

Based in a remote lodge surrounded by the fresh Arctic air and pristine landscape, this new retreat is a fantastic location to rejuvinate and revitalise body and mind. Running from 7th to 11th March 2016, the 4-night stay will be led by Europe renowned Mindful Journeys and leading yoga instructors from the UK. Guests on the trip will also be accompanied by Northern Lights guides and experts.

The program will focus on encouraging healthy physical and emotional habits. With yoga, exercise and relaxation techniques; a hot tub and ice hole; a nutritionally designed diet focussing on the health benefits of local recipes and produce; and a delve into local and international beliefs around the Aurora, this is an opportunity to not only see the Northern Lights, but connect with them in a deeper and more meaningful way.

Jonny Cooper, Director of Off the Map Travel and Northern Lights Travel expert said; “Anyone who has experienced the Arctic night sky and the Northern Lights will confirm that you instantly feel in awe of our place in Space. Combine this with the isolation and beauty of the Arctic tundra, experts in meditation, yoga and mindfulness and you have a perfect platform from which to dedicate time to physical and emotional wellbeing.”

A four night, full board exclusive Northern Lights retreat with Off the Map Travel costs from £1399 per person. This includes a private room sharing a Saana chalet, return airport transfers, daily yoga and meditation sessions, access to the spa, hot-tub and ice hole, optional 1:1 meditation sessions with experts, daily Northern Lights hunts and a traditional kota evening with a meal cooked over an open fire. This price excludes flights and additional activities.

For more information about Northern Lights for the Soul and other Aurora holidays visit www.offthemaptravel.co.uk, call +44 (0) 800 566 8901 or email info@offthemaptravel.co.uk.

Experience the Northern Lights by moonlight – new for 2016

Many experts believe the Northern Lights is best viewed during a full-moon. This new trip is geared towards seeing the Aurora Borealis in the Arctic moonlight…

Aurora with the moon (Off the Map Travel)

The Moonlight Aurora experience, created by Arctic travel specialists Off The Map Travel and Aurora experts, gives guests an alternative experience in hunting the Northern Lights in January 2016. Contrary to popular belief, many Aurora experts, from leading guides to world class photographers, believe that the full-moon enhances the Northern Lights rather than detracting from it.

Jonny Cooper, Director of Off the Map Travel and Northern Lights travel expert said; “In our experience, a full-moon only affects really weak Aurora, and then only when the moon is directly behind it. For me, a good full-moon can add a different dimension to experiencing and photographing the Aurora. I love it and am more likely to spend the night looking skyward under the glow of a full-moon.”

Aurora Sky Station (Chad Blakley, Lights Over Lapland) — Aurora Sky Station (Chad Blakely, Lights Over Lapland)

Rather than the moon, the thing that can most spoilt a good Aurora display is thick cloud cover. Therefore, the Moonlight Aurora experience takes place in Bjorkliden and Abisko, Northern Sweden, which, due to its surrounding mountains, has special weather patterns that deliver more clear nights than other areas across the region.

Off the Map Travel’s Jonny Cooper continues; “The Arctic moon is a spectacular sight in its own right and gives guests a superb focal point when hunting for the Northern Lights to enjoy the Arctic by moonlight.”

Many photographers say that they prefer to capture the Aurora when there’s a full-moon. Chad Blakely, world class Aurora photographer and owner of Lights over Lapland, added; “I love photographing Aurora in moonlight as it gives pictures a completely different feel by lightening the foreground, and instead of the pitch black background, the moonlight gives the sky a rich blue colour which compliments the green of the Aurora. Moonlit Aurora are spectacular – I love them.”

Alone with the lights (Chad Blakley, Lights Over Lapland) — Alone with the lights (Chad Blakely, Lights Over Lapland)

The Moonlight Aurora experience will be held during the full moon from the 22nd of January 2016 and will give guests the chance to enjoy a range of the Arctic winter activities under the full-moon and, hopefully, under spectacular Northern Lights displays.

A four night Moonlight Aurora adventure to Bjorkliden and Abisko in Northern Sweden with Off the Map Travel costs from £1749 per person, excluding flights, based on two sharing. This includes:

transfers
four nights in a spectacular 4* hotel on a full board basis
a private specialist guide
a visit to the ICEHOTEL
private Lights over Lapland moonlight photography tour
dog sledding as the moon rises
visit to the Aurora Sky Station
snowmobile tour
guided moonlit snowshoe walk
Norway fjord trip
Ice-fishing and cooking under the moon

For more information about Moonlight Aurora adventure or Northern Lights holidays visit www.offthemaptravel.co.uk, call +44 (0) 800 566 8901 or email info@offthemaptravel.co.uk

Iceland volcano sparks spectacular Northern Lights show

Thanks to Iceland’s erupting Bardarbunga volcano, holidaymakers and intrepid aurora hunters are being treated to a spectacular night time display of colour this month – the glow of the emerging lava is being framed by spectacular green Northern Lights displays that are filling the skies.

A fissure eruption was first recorded on the 29th August 2014, with increasingly bigger eruptions continuing to the end of the month. This means that, although it’s unclear how long the volcano will continue to flow, visitors to Iceland in October have a fantastic opportunity to witness this incredible event and one of the natural world’s most unmissable spectacles.

Jonny Cooper, Northern Lights expert and founder of Off the Map Travel said, “This is a truly spectacular event with the rare opportunity to witness the awesome power of the earth and sky coming together in a truly unearthly light show. With such a strong start to the year for the Northern Lights, the combination of the eruption and such strong aurora displays may not be seen again for a long time.”

UK-based travel specialist Off the Map Travel is currently offering a six night trip to Reykjavik in southern Iceland and Akureyri in northern Iceland. Prices start from £999 per person on a bed and breakfast and self-catering basis including accommodation for three nights in a four star hotel and three nights in a four star self-catering apartment. Price also includes a golden circle tour, a Northern Lights and Volcano glow tour, airport transfers from the international airport to Reykjavik and airport transfers in Akureyri based on two adults; flights excluded.

For more information on Arctic expeditions and Northern Lights experiences to Iceland visit www.offthemaptravel.co.uk, call 0800 566 8901 or email info@offthemaptravel.co.uk.