I was absolutely blown away by the beauty of the Loften Islands. Lofoten is an archipelago in the county on Nordland, Norway. And its known for its vast mountain scapes, and icey blue waters.
Getting to Lofoten from Seattle is no easy feat - I flew from Seattle to Oakland, Oakland to Oslo, Olso to Harstad. And from there its a 4 hour drive to Lofoten.
After several hours of flying and layovers, I arrived in Harstad at 10pm. I wasn’t prepared to drive 4 hours solo, so I luckily was able to snag a room at a cute little hotel near the airport called Tjeldsundbrua Kro & Hotell.
The next morning, I grabbed some tasty breakfast at the hotel and embarked on my adventure to Lofoten. The drive was insane, and arguably the best part! I stopped often to enjoy the amazing scenery, including a quick picnic at a waterfall.
When I arrived in Lofoten, I check into the Hatvikka Lodge. Wow, what a cool place! I was absolutely floored by how pretty it was and the owners were so nice and accommodating.
I spent a night chillin solo at the lodge before starting workshop with Nordic photo tours for 4 days. That evening I went to the beach and saw the most magical northern lights show of the trip - too bad I hadnt learned to shoot them yet, but it was magic nonetheless.
During the workshop, we hit all the great spots like the eye of Utakliev, Reiene, Skansanden beach, the hamnoy bridge, and so much more that I can’t spell haha.
We learned how to shoot the northern lights, long exposure, how to use filters, HDR, and editing. It was definitely worth the money.
After the workshop, I had another couple days to myself. So I chose to explore Henningsvaer and look for some of the hidden Dolk art. I found a few, which was really fun! And I had a lovely lunch on the water then checked out the Kaviar Factory modern museum.
My last day, I drove back toward the airport. This time it was getting later and darker and it was really raining so not as fun yet still full of magic. I would definitely do this trip again!
If you plan to go to Lofoten, just make sure you remember that 4 hour drive and be sure to pack light!
