Of all my memories of the frozen world of my February visit to Longyearbyen, snowmobiling out to a remote ice cave in Svalbard was definitely the highlight of my trip. … even though it was an activity I almost didn’t do because I had the worst anxiety I’d experienced in the last decade. Luckily, my…
The furthest north you can fly on a commercial flight, Svalbard is so far above the Arctic Circle that it’s equidistant to the North Pole and the northernmost point of Northern Norway! Since it’s known for its polar bears, the Svalbard archipelago conjures up icy images, but in reality, Svalbard is generally a bit warmer…
While Svalbard is a beautiful place to visit, it’s also an extremely expensive one… which means it becomes even more imperative to pick the right time to visit Svalbard for the experiences you’re hoping for. Here’s the rub: for many, Svalbard is a “once-in-a-lifetime” type of place. Between expensive flights and the necessity of taking…
Svalbard is home to the world’s northernmost settlements, endless nights that stretch on for months, and enough polar bears that residents can’t leave the main town without a firearm. So it’s logical to assume that the Svalbard archipelago, located far north of the Arctic Circle at 78° N, would have some of the best chances…
Perhaps the most famous destination in French Basque Country, Biarritz is synonymous with glitz and glamor. But in my view, even with its jet-set reputation, Biarritz manages to maintain its laidback charms implicit in any beach town… despite the Hermès store posted up casually downtown. In fact, that’s part of the main draw of Biarritz…
Salt Lake City may just be one of the most picturesque cities in America: a gorgeously constructed town in the Salt Lake Valley, set amongst the towering Wasatch Mountain Range and bordered by the blue waters of the Great Salt Lake. The city itself is a beautiful mixture of turn-of-the-century architecture and a modern landscape…
Part of the windswept Atlantic coast of France’s Basque Country, Saint-Jean-de-Luz is often compared to its flashy, fashionable neighbor, Biarritz, just 20 minutes away. But don’t let that comparison fool you into thinking Saint-Jean-de-Luz doesn’t stand out. It deserves to stand alongside Biarritz, rather than in its shadow. The town center is compact enough that…
Usually, when I create an itinerary for a place, I take my cumulative experience there (often collected after multiple trips — I love going to the same place and seeing it in different lights and seasons) and streamline it into one timeline with only the best options. However, that approach creates a problem when creating…
Not sure how to start when it comes to planning a trip to Rovaniemi in winter? I’ve visited Finnish Lapland multiple times — as well as other areas in the Arctic region — and this post is designed to make it easy to plan a quick and easy Rovaniemi itinerary with all the best winter…