Off To See The Northern Lights

It’s at the top of many bucket lists, but with seeing the Northern Lights a matter of luck, Adelina Tan discovers there’s a lot more to do in Rovaniemi than keeping an eye on the sky.

- Adelina Tan

To know a place intimately, speak to the people who live there. “There’s something to do here in every season,” says Samuli, my guide from Visit Rovaniemi, the local tourism bureau. There’s the Midnight Sun of the summer months, when it’s bright throughout the day – even at midnight (hence the name)! In autumn, the time of my visit, the many leaves wear beautiful shades of red and gold. Winter is when crowds flock to Rovaniemi for the quintessential Arctic experience. In spring, winter activities run till early April. And when temperatures start climbing, you’ll witness chunks of ice flowing downstream. So just how did I end up in Rovaniemi, in the north of Finland: official hometown of Santa Claus, capital of Lapland, and right on the Arctic Circle?

Day 1 GETTING THERE

I’d been walking up and down the perimeters of Helsinki’s Central Railway Station, luggage in tow, when I finally relent and pull out Google Maps. The short coloured line on the screen leads me to Eliel Square right by the station, where I join a queue for the Finnair City Bus bound for Helsinki-Vantaa airport. Busses depart every 20 minutes, with the journey taking about 30 minutes from the city centre for a very reasonable €6.90 (RM33). Not bad at all given Finland is the eighth most expensive country in Europe.