Last December I visited the town of Levi and just like many of our guests, I was desperate to see the Northern Lights during my trip. The thing is, no matter how much you want to see them, they aren’t always out to play, and when they are, the conditions have to be just right! A clear nights sky, minimal light pollution and your full, intense attention anytime between 9pm – 3am – which is prime aurora borealis spotting time… and even then, these are just some of the factors to consider! But you can help to increase your chance of seeing them by spending a night or two in one of our Glass Igloos where you can snuggle in to bed with a phenomenal 360 degree, panoramic view of the night sky!
On the final night of my holiday I travelled by taxi to the small cluster of Igloos on top of the fell outside of Levi, away from the bright lights of the town where they are perfectly situated for Northern Light spotting! On my trip, not only was I lucky enough to experience a night in the igloos, but from there I also had the best views of ‘the greatest show on earth’!
The igloos overlook Levi town in one direction, and the stunning unspoilt scenery of Lapland in the other. Unlike in the Alps, where your view is dominated by the surrounding mountains, at the top of the fell, you can see for hundreds of miles over vast snow covered forest and fields with lakes, and rivers cutting through the landscape. It was like nothing I had ever seen before!
I arrived around 8pm to settle into my Igloo and I was surprised at how spacious they are. Walking into the Igloo, there’s a small section of frosted glass, under which you’ll find a small kitchen with a sink, kettle, toaster and fridge (in the fridge will be your continental breakfast), and behind a sliding door is the bathroom with all the usual facilities.
The main section of the Igloo is the transparent glass you can see in the photos. Here you will find a king sized bed, adjustable by remote so you can sit up in comfort to watch the sky, a two-seater sofa and a small table with two chairs; there is also a heater to keep you nice and toasty all night, as well as a guest book to write about your stay, and read about other people’s!
Although it takes a moment to get used to the fact that you are in a room made of glass, the Igloo’s are laid out in such a way that you still get enough privacy. There are curtains around the very bottom of the Igloo which can be drawn for extra privacy while still giving you a full view of the wonderful night sky! The Igloo’s are also purposely not equipped with a TV, meaning there are no distractions or excess light pollution though a CD player is provided with a small selection of CD’s.
The night I stayed, the sky was clear and the moon so low and bright in the sky that I didn’t need to turn on the lights inside the Igloo at all, I put on a CD and sat in the inky darkness, taking in the stunning views that were all around me. The atmosphere was relaxed and secluded, like I was the only person for miles around; it was wonderfully romantic!
As it approached prime Northern Light spotting time (from 9pm) the external lights were switched off, further reducing the light pollution and making the moon seem even brighter. At around 10pm I noticed the sky start to change colour in the distance, very subtly to begin with, then small flickers of green light appeared through the light cloud cover that had crept over; and then just as quickly as the lights appeared they were gone.
At that point I did have a moment of worry, although what I had seen was beautiful, I felt that I needed to see more, I had to see more; so I sat patiently, intensely watching the sky for what felt like hours; although in reality was only a few minutes!
I had just turned around to put a different CD on when the sky flashed green in a strong bright line, in a similar pattern to lightning but much softer; This was quickly followed by purple and blue lights that danced across the sky in strong belts. The colours and movements of the lights were captivating; I couldn’t take my eyes off the sky for longer than a second for fear of missing any snippet of the stunning display that was playing out above me.
The lights danced into the small hours of the morning before slowly fading away, as if getting more and more distant, so I eventually decided to call it a night! The next morning I asked other guests if they had seen the light display, all that was visible from the town was the first shorter and softer flecks of colour; meaning that my Igloo stay was even more magical!
I enjoyed my time in Lapland so much that I am already planning my next trip which will definitely include another night in a Glass Igloo and of course I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for another stunning display from the Northern Lights!
My top tips for your Igloo stay: Make a stop at the local supermarket before your pick up; there are no shops on the fell so take snacks and drinks with you. Also take a CD or two, a pen to write in the guest book, a pack of playing cards and a camera as I soon discovered that phones don’t take the best snaps of the Northern Lights!
Blog by Clarissa Crawley, Inghams Sales Consultant.