 |
| By the Mountainside of Holmen in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden |
Travelling from a city near Stockholm to up north in Kiruna is a big deal. It's a nonstop 14-hour drive (give or take 20 hours with pit stops), and temperatures dropping to at least 10 degrees celcius. We left our house at a temperature of about 4°C and arrived to -12°C in Luleå.
 |
| Cabin in Holmen - Jukkasjärvi, Sweden |
Day 1 of the trip to the Arctic Circle. We started our travel northbound to Kiruna. We booked a hotel in Luleå, about 900 kilometers from home, on the way to Kiruna. We spent the night in Luleå city and tried to get a decent sleep after hours of driving up north. It took us about 12 hours to get there, stopping at gas stations every couple of hours to stretch our legs, get coffee, and have bathroom breaks.
 |
| Trying to take a nap after driving for more than 6 hours. |
In Luleå, we stayed at Comfort Hotel Arctic. We stopped to sleep and recharge. We were driving all day that we didn't realize how cold it had gotten until we stepped out of the car. It had gotten down to -12°C.
 |
| Comfort Hotel Arctic in Luleå |
 |
| Dog Treats for Cash The Rat Terrier |
 |
| Comfort Hotel Arctic in Luleå |
 |
| Shower |
 |
| Cash The Rat Terrier |
 |
| Åive Water - Welcome Gift (Åive Vatten - Välkomstgåva) |
Day 2 of the trip to the Arctic Circle: from Luleå to Holmen in Jukkasjärvi. First order of business was breakfast. We went down to the buffet, prepared to load our stuff back into the car, and continued on to Kiruna afterwards.
 |
| Breakfast Buffet at Comfort Hotel Arctic in Luleå |
 |
| Ginger Shot |
 |
| Reception at Comfort Hotel Arctic in Luleå |
 |
| Reception at Comfort Hotel Arctic in Luleå |
About 3 hours later, we crossed into the Arctic Circle. We got stuck behind two trucks so the travel time became longer. The remaining travel time from Luleå to Jukkasjärvi should have just been a little over 4 hours, but it almost took us 5 hours to get there.
 |
| Entering The Arctic Circle |
As we arrived in Jukkaskärvi and traveled towards the cabin, we drove past The Ice Hotel, which I will post more pictures of later on. We took the English tour, and documented every room of the Ice Hotel 365.
 |
| Feeding Tepees in Jukkasjärvi |
The cabin was easy to get to, but there was a long, narrow road driving into Holmen (the area in Jukkasjärvi where the cabin is situated), and the plots along this road were constructed with feeding tepees. The Saami, who are indigenous to these northern parts, might have been the ones who placed them here to feed the wild arctic animals. Taking care of Nature and its creatures is sacred for them.
 |
| Tepees at Holmen in Jukkasjärvi |
After several hours of driving, we finally arrived at the cabin in Jukkasjärvi. It is in an area named Holmen in a remote place by the mountainside. It was the most affordable we could find, priced at USD 123 per night, divided amongst 4 individuals for 4 days and 3 nights. This place also allowed pets. There have also been comments that it is a great spot for spotting The Northern Lights, and near establishments such as The Ice Hotel and Bar as well as the grocery (Coop).
 |
| Cabin in Holmen, Jukkasjärvi |
The cabin has an old Scandinavian country charm to it, even had a working iron stove, a smaller cabin for two more guests, and an outdoor sauna with receiving area. However, we all decided to stay in one house as there was only one comfort room available for use, which is in the main cabin. Everything was sanitized properly, the bathroom had heated floors, and the entire cabin had been renovated and is in perfect condition. The heaters work well, and this village has their own well where they get their water from. The water is clean, you just have to let it run awhile. If you are quite sensitive about it, just buy bottled water from Coop, the nearest grocery about 5 minutes away by car.
 |
| Cabin at Holmen in Jukkasjärvi |
 |
| Bedroom at Holmen in Jukkasjärvi |
 |
| Living Room at Holmen in Jukkasjärvi |
 |
| Kitchen at Holmen in Jukkasjärvi |
Quilts and pillows were provided already, all you have to do is bring your own sheets and towels.
 |
| Cottage for Two Guests at Holmen in Jukkasjärvi |
 |
| Sauna at Holmen in Jukkasjärvi |
We arrived at about 4 p.m. It was already dark, we then decided to scout the place and check on available activities at the Ice Hotel, as well as buy groceries at Coop.
 |
| Reception Desk at Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden |
Before heading to the grocery and after going to the Ice Hotel, we drove to another place where tourists usually go to spot The Northern Lights. It is called Camp Ripan in Kiruna. The cabin we rented is in Jukkasjärvi, and the town of Kiruna is about a 10-minute drive away, the camp just slightly farther from the town center.
 |
| Camp Ripan in Kiruna, Sweden |
We went there, tried to see if Aurora was present, but it was too cloudy, and possibly too early at night. It was just a little after 7 o'clock in the evening by this time. The Aurora Borealis could best be spotted after midnight, depending on the weather, up to the wee hours of the morning.
 |
| Camp Ripan in Kiruna - Hoping to get a glimpse of The Northern Lights |
So we drove through Kiruna, headed back to the cabin to prepare dinner, and resigned ourselves for the night.
 |
| Kiruna Kyrkan (The Kiruna Church) at night |
 |
| Kiruna Iron Ore Mine - The Largest Iron Ore Mine in the World |
I downloaded apps called, "Aurora" and "Aurora Forecast" to help guide us with our search for The Northern Lights. I received a notification that had we clear skies after midnight, we would have been able to see the Northern Lights already, but we were too tired. I did not wake up from this notification, and I decided to start anew the next day...or the next midnight. The next post would be about Day 3 of our Arctic Experience with the Swedish natives, Saami. We were also able to feed reindeers!
Comments
Post a Comment