Cruise to Norway's Arctic north reveals a land of natural wonders bathed in mystical light
It is late morning on board the MS Trollfjord when the announcement comes through: 'Land in sight!'
Advertisement
It is welcome news after sailing 523 nautical miles – 970km – between Honningsvag, on the North Cape, and
Longyearbyen , the largest town on the island of Spitsbergen, in Norway's remote polar north.
It is the last major stage on the Spitsbergen route of the Norwegian shipping company Hurtigruten. The company discontinued the service in the 1980s, but resumed it in summer 2024. You can only book a trip aboard the MS Trollfjord from May to September.
The cruise starts in Bergen on Norway's southwestern coast and heads some 3,000km (1,860 miles) to the Svalbard archipelago – the name meaning 'cool coast' in Norwegian – in the Arctic Ocean.
Bergen, on Norway's southwestern coast, is where the cruise starts. Photo: Shutterstock
The 500 passengers can still use their mobile phones and laptops thanks to the ship's reliable wireless network.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
02-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
3 ways to escape the crowds in Thailand's Phang Nga
From 1,000 feet in the air I could see where the sea shallowed, allowing the white sand to shine through the water around Thailand's Panak Island, east of Phuket . That would be a good place to anchor a boat for a swim, I pointed out to the pilot. Koh Yao Yai's serpentine sand spit changes shape with every tide. Photo: Shutterstock Then, as he banked the small aircraft into a right-hand turn, I saw the serrated outline of the Phang Nga mountains poking through the haze to the north. A good place to go exploring with a 4x4 truck, we agreed. Advertisement And that was how my friend Torben Kristensen and I decided on three modes of transport as ways in which to explore this corner of southern Thailand . Each, in its own way, would allow us to escape from the crowds of tourists that claim the area's more accessible spots. By air Torben Kristensen, a newly minted private pilot, checking up the Zenith 701 STOL plane for take off. Photo: Cameron Dueck Exploring by air requires very little of me. Kristensen, a newly minted private pilot, was keen to take me up in the tiny ultralight he flies out of the Phuket Flying Club. Although the club offers joyrides to paying tourists in its four-seater Piper aircraft, the two-seater Zenith STOL CH 701 plane provides a more intense experience of Phang Nga Bay from the air. The sun beats down on the Plexiglas windscreen filling the cramped cockpit with a stifling tropical heat as we prepare for departure. Each movement we make rocks the aircraft as Kristensen completes his preflight checks. Exploring Phang Nga Bay in the STOL plane. Photo: Cameron Dueck Clearance for take-off comes over a scratchy radio transmission and we start to wobble down the grass runway. The aeroplane bumps once, twice – a little more throttle – three times, and then we climb into the air with the scream of an overworked engine.
South China Morning Post
29-04-2025
- South China Morning Post
What to do in Portugal's Algarve, world's ‘best value' holiday spot
In less than two hours in a hire car you can travel to any drivable part of southern Portugal's Algarve region from Faro Airport, its only international airport, even at a leisurely pace. Advertisement The region is a well-known holiday destination for families. Other than the beautiful beaches and weather – it is said to have one of the best year-round climates – there are also plenty of places and activities that are suitable for children of all ages, including water parks and theme parks, family golf centres, go-karting, food festivals, and fun daily excursions. What is more, the Algarve has reclaimed the 'best value spot' after nine years in the UK Post Office's 2025 Holiday Money Report, its list of the best holiday hotspots for bargain-hunters. But where should you head to if you are travelling as a family? Natural arches extend over the sea near the Praia da Marinha beach in the Algarve. Photo: Shutterstock The Algarve is roughly divided into the eastern and western Algarve. Advertisement The east – called 'Sotavento', meaning facing away from the wind, and also known as 'Sandalgarve' – runs from the Spanish border to around Faro and is suitable for smaller children, with its sandy beaches that only gradually get deeper.
South China Morning Post
14-04-2025
- South China Morning Post
History of Bangkok's Chinatown from Teochew enclave to red light district and business hub
Chinatowns are often portrayed as gritty underworlds riddled with prostitution, gambling and drug trafficking. Some of this is rooted in truth, but that unfair depiction is largely the result of rampant xenophobia and cultural ignorance, especially in the West. Advertisement In a series of articles , the Post explores the historical and social significance of major Chinatowns around the world and the communities that shape them. Thailand, the only Southeast Asian country that was never colonised by any European power, has always been a popular destination for Chinese immigrants, and its capital city of Bangkok boasts what is considered to be one of the biggest Chinatowns in the world. The first Chinese migrants settled in Siam – the official name of Thailand before 1939 – in the 14th century, working mostly as tin miners and merchants hoping to find fortune overseas. A vendor prepares food in Bangkok's Chinatown. Photo: Shutterstock In the mid-1600s, many people left China during the 'tumultuous transition' from the Ming dynasty to the Qing dynasty, says Thai historian Pasuk Phongpaichit. Even more followed in the ensuing decades as social unrest continued in southern China – especially from Chaoshan, a region in eastern Guangdong province Advertisement
