Our 2027 Swedish Arctic tour is live! + Airline prices are rising, book ASAP
Published about 1 month agoย โขย 7 min read
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Hi Reader,
How are you doing? How are the last days of spring or fall going for you?
I spent the last two days buying most of the flights I need from now till October because I am concerned the hike in fuel prices will make the prices for the many long haul flights I need to take go up.
I bought flights to Dubrovnik and back from Split for our Croatia sailing scouting, to Brisbane, New Caledonia and French Polynesia, plus return via Aukland for our French Polynesia scouting (these took hoursssss of planning to find the best options) and also flights to Armenia and then Moldova, for our first tour there.
If you are planning to travel this year, I would not postpone booking flights any longer.
Many airlines including Thai Airways, Cathay, Air New Zealand, Scandinavian and Vietnam Airlines have already increased fuel surcharges or cancelled flights and cut schedules because of the increase in fuel prices.
๐ฉ On this week's newsletter:
Our Swedish Arctic 2027 trip is live! Come join us for the third year in a row. Don't wait up, this trip always sells out quickly.
Interesting and important travel news and articles
Join us in the Arctic in 2027!
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After very happy trips to the Arctic last year and another one in a week, we are planning to return in 2027 again. For now, with only one date, though we are trying hard to add a second week.
This is a very special trip crafted with love and care for the local traditions and culture. We will let Sami culture speak and take the lead into showing us what life is like so close to the North Pole.
Respectful and responsible Sami immersion
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The Sami people are the indigenous population of the Arctic. Their land is often referred to as Lapland in marketing materials, and extends from Norway to Russia.
Despite it being used by travel companies and Government bodies, Lapland is a derogatory term we have decided not to use.
There are many reasons Sami culture is under threat, and we will meet several women keeping this heritage alive. Some are activists, some are business owners, some are Swedish who relocated to the Arctic, some married into Sami traditions, others were born into it.
Thanks to our local relationships, we will be fortunate to immerse ourselves in Sami culture and listen to beautiful "yoik", the singing storytelling tradition used to past down knowledge to future generations, in a traditional teepee tent, around the camp fire. Their stories will touch your soul.
We will stay at some of the Arctic's most beautiful and exclusive accommodations, from Arctic Bath's stunning cabins to cozy Sorbyn Lodge, and the incredible Ice Hotel, world's first of its kind turning 35 next year.
The amazing, and now Michelin Key awarded, uber-luxe, floating Arctic Bath resort will be booked exclusively for our tour, and it is likely we will be alone at Sorbyn Lodge too.
At the IceHotel, we will have both warm rooms and the chance to spend a night in an ice room.
Arctic spa rituals
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Almost every day, you will get to enjoy the Arctic spa ritual of hot sauna and cold plunge in the natural frozen lakes.
Saunas are an essential part of Scandinavian culture, but will you be brave enough to participate in the full circuit?
We will stay at the Arctic's most exclusive spa hotel, Arctic Bath, where you can participate in the full ritual using local cosmetic products from a female owned company. We have also reserved exclusive use of the sauna and cold plunge at other hotels.
Expect to go back home with renewed energy, better mood and a healthier glow!
Food in the Arctic is fresh, it is local, and it is tastier than you ever tried before, because it is simply cooked but prepared with the most beautiful seasonal ingredients.
Nordic cuisine is all the rage these days and we'll learn more about how it combines modernity with Sami traditions through a foraging workshop. There is so much that lives in what appears to be a frozen land. I promise you this part of the trip will surprise you the most.
Reindeer herding and traditions
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Unlike in other Nordic countries, Sami people are the only ones allowed to own reindeer in Sweden, and they are an integral part of Sami culture.
We will meet Anna, a reindeer herder living in the forests of the Arctic, who is preserving Sami traditions and taking care of these adorable animals the traditional way. We will hand-feed them with moss and get up and close to these friendly creatures.
Anna will cook a traditional meal for us in her cozy teepee tent, sing and share stories around the fire. This is THE absolute highlight of this trip.
We'll head out into the snow-covered forests on a half-day convoy of husky sleds which you will get to ride and drive.
We will learn all about huskies, and how to mindfully train them with Ylva, who decided to pioneer a new approach that is more respectful, more intentional and calmer.
We will pet the dogs, give them a massage and learn what it takes to drive a sled. Hint: It is easy but requires more grit that it seems!
Snowmobiling
When everything is covered in snow, the fastest way to get around is on a snowmobile.
We will get to drive them on a super fun and exciting adventure through snowmobiling tracks, over frozen lakes and thick forests, adrenaline pumping!
Ice Hotel
The Ice Hotel is built every year in November and melts away into the Arctic rivers every April.
We will spend 3 nights in a warm room with the option to upgrade to an Ice room for one night.
We will tour this amazing structure, carved from ice blocks from scratch every year, enjoy a drink served in an ice glass at the bar, and share a fine dining meal on ice.
This trip is designed to be fully immersive and slow, with plenty of time to not just observe Sami culture, but be a part of it.
Hearing stories, learning about a completely different way of life, discussing the challenges of every day life in a frozen wonderland and while part of a very small minority,... this is a beautiful opportunity to learn more about a different traditional way of life.
Northern Lights
The Swedish Arctic is one of the best places in the world to spot the Northern Lights and we have picked the end of March / beginning of April because they are still visible this far north.
We spotted them on 5 and 2 nights respectively during the tours this year, one evening they covered the entire sky. There is a very high chance you will too.
Travel news and developments you need need to know about and interesting articles to read:
Conde Nast has just published an article titled Madagascar is like Bali 40 years ago, a quote from a luxury hotelier. The article talks about the barefoot luxury island resort we stay at during our trip, Tsara Komba. The resort is so wonderful that determines the dates of our tour, that's why we have to launch it 2 years in advance, so we can take over the resort for 2 nights and be the only ones in the 8-room paradise. While I do not like comparisons, and in my opinion, Madagascar has nothing to do with Bali, plus this comparison is another colonial way to view it, Madagascar is indeed wonderful. Check it out and snatch the LAST spot left on the tour.
It having children a duty towards society? See this map with how European countries feel about this statement.
โMeet the first female ranger driver in Amboseli Park, Kenya.
โThis ranking rates the morality and ethics people think those in their own country have.
United has announced a new rule that will ban passengers using their devices without headphones on. Read here.โ
Women in Afghanistan pose in their buqas with the sports equipment for sports they can no longer play. See here.โ
A very thought and in-depth look at how the last century of tourism shaped Bali today. This article is very interesting and also insightful into why Bali got to where it is today. Bali is one of my most favorite places in Southeast Asia, but not the Bali you see on social media, the gentrified, digital-nomad focus Bali but the quieter and more traditional parts of the island, that still occupy most of the island, the ones we visit on our tour, with heart, with love, with a smile. The women we meet, the places we see, the peace we experience, it is hard to explain, you must live it. Come to Bali with us.
I hope your week is fabulous and talk to you on Friday!
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CO-FOUNDERS, SOLO FEMALE TRAVELERS
Solo Female Travelersโ C/ Europa 18 5-2, Sitges, 08870
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