GETTING THERE
Finnair operates direct
flights between Delhi and
Helsinki that last 7 hours 30
minutes. From Helsinki, take
a 45-minute flight to Kittilä
and reach Levi city centre in
another 30 minutes via car.STAY
Check into a Junior Suite
at Hotel Levi Panorama in
Kittilä, which sits on the edge
of a snow-clad cliff and offers
a view of the valley overlooking
Levi Fell. Upward of `13,000
per night for two; levi.fi. For a
once-in-a lifetime experience,
stay for two nights at a
premier suite at Levin Iglut to
witness the Northern Lights
from the warmth of your room.
Upward of `24,000 per night
for two; leviniglut.fiSKI RENTALS
The Zero Point equipment
rental store is the largest
in Levi, offering gear for allsnow sports such as skiing
and snowboarding.
VISIT
Elves Hideaway
It’s Christmas all year round
at Elves Hideaway in Tonttula.
Here, Santa Claus’ elves dress
up in Christmas costumes to
welcome children and adults
for a wonderful experience
with plenty of food, cookie-
making sessions, and poetry
readings. Here, you can meet
scores of friendly huskies and
reindeers, and indulge in forest
explorations and cross-country
skiing. lapintonttula.fi
Café Panorama Laavu
Seek out this hidden café in the
mountain that’s a short
distance from Hotel Levi
Panorama, for an extraordinary
experience. Sit by the bonfire,
grill marshmallows, order a
cup of hot chocolate, and allow
the cosy atmosphere of this
tiny wooden café to overwhelm
you. golevi.fiEXPLORING LEVI
Levi is a fabulous Arctic winter destination that can
prove to be very enjoyable if you know how to pack right.
Everything, from overalls to gloves, is available at shops
and can be rented on per-day basis, but it is advisable
to carry enough clothing to layer up.the glass walls, not knowing which colour to look for. The
restaurant was packed with diners enjoying the romantic,
candlelit ambience, oblivious to the phenomenon
that was expected to take place. Oh, the locals! They
wouldn’t understand!
Thirty more minutes had passed when the phone rang,
and I jumped. My guide and photographer for the night
had arrived and was waiting outside for the pick-up. I
headed straight out the door, making a mental note that I
would come back another time to enjoy dinner. John had
come by in a black, eight-seater SUV, bringing with him
six other tourists, looking as thrilled as I was. I climbed
into the back seat to blend in with the homogenous party
in overalls, and like old friends, immediately set out to
discuss the homework each of us had done. We were all
first timers, and the sheer thought of sharing what was
about to become one of the memorable nights of our lives
broke the ice between seven adults who were unlikely to
be found together in any other context. We drove through
the city beyond the last house, then the last streetlight,
and finally the last stray car on the highway.
Fifteen minutes later, everyone fell silent, having
exhausted the scope of conversation. We were on
a completely dark highway now, our headlight being the
only source of light for the road ahead. The stars shone
brighter as we left the city lights behind, but nothing could
override the sense of complete blankness that was taking
over. The car came to a halt and swerved onto the side
of the road. We filtered out into the silence. It was -20O
Celsius that night, and a crisp wind swept our faces numb.
John brought out his tripod and a small ladder so we could
set up our cameras for long-exposure shots. Out went the
headlights and then the car lights, revealing a darkness
I had never seen before.
I followed his silhouette as he vocalised his actions to
let us know that he was setting up his equipment. “Now
we wait,” he said in a heavy Finnish accent, “If we don’t
find it here in the next half-hour, we drive a few kilometres
further.” The Northern Lights at that time of the year were
sporadic and predictions could be tracked on an app.
“It said in the app today that the lights will be strong.
So, maybe, we’ll see some,” he continued.
“There!” he exclaimed moments later, pointing in a
direction we couldn’t make out. “Do you see it?”
We narrowed our eyes to investigate the darkness.
“Where?” one said. “There!” he repeated. “I can’t even see
where the finger is pointing!” said another.
And then we saw it. A burst of green light that had shot
up previously was now becoming stronger from the invisible
horizon behind the pine forest. Then, another ran diagonal to
cut through the first. Then, a third rogue ray at the left end of
the sky. We screamed in delight. John moved quickly to get his
first shot and called out the numbers that I will remember for
the rest of my life, “ISO 3200; f8; shutter speed 30.”
At once, each of us took one hand out of the glove to
operate the camera, while the other held out a phone for
light. Once again, the phone died and then the bare hand.
“Look behind! It’s there too!” Rays of green light were now
emerging from different areas of the sky. We took turns
to set up our cameras on the ladder. For what seemed like
forever, we just couldn’t get the settings right. After a few
tries and tweaks, I put mine up once more, refusing to
succumb to my amateur photography skills.
Click.
Everybody bent over my camera and stood still for
30 long seconds. The shutter made the closing second click.
I gasped. On the screen was our first perfect capture of the
Northern Lights. “Well done!” said one. “We did it!”
I replied and huddled with everyone.
Not much later, we found ourselves heading back to the
hotel. Silence fell inside the car once more, but this time,
we were engrossed in thought, knowing fully well that this
experience had changed something within us. I realised
how puny we were on the larger scale of things. And when
nature decides to put on such an extraordinary show, we
must be grateful. We must look up and watch.FINLANDLEVIHELSINKIKittilaZero PointHotel Levi Panorama Levin IglutRovaniemitravelandleisureindia.in