ARRANGEMENTS FOR YOUR TOUR
If you have not already completed the following, please inform me via email at kahwailin@outlook.com:
- Registration form & waiver: Please ensure that you have filled out and signed the registration form and waiver using DocuSign.
- Let me know if you are booking for single room or double room (sharing). If you are booking double room, please let me know your roommate.
- Arrival and departure information: Kindly provide your flight details, including the flight number, date, and time of arrival and departure.
- WhatsApp group chat: Please add me in your contact list (+16092168607) and send me a message in WhatsApp so that I can include you in the WhatsApp group.
IMPORTANT: Because of the limited space in our car, you may only bring ONE (1) piece of luggage (typically your check-in luggage for your flight), along with your camera bag and laptop bag.
FLIGHT AND ARRIVAL
Arrival and departure at Leknes Airport (LKN).
Please plan to arrive in Leknes no later than 1:00PM on Day 1 of the workshop. Our hotel is located just 15 minutes from the airport, and we will arrange your pickup upon arrival.
On Day 8, we will provide transportation to the airport based on your flight schedule. You are free to book your departure flight at any time that day.
Please keep in mind that Arctic winter weather can be unpredictable, and flight delays are not uncommon. If your schedule allows, we highly recommend arriving a day earlier to avoid any disruptions. Should you choose to arrive early, you’re welcome to stay at the hotel in Leknes downtown, we will gladly pick you up from your accommodation on Day 1 of the workshop.
TRAVEL TIPS (OUTSIDE OF WORKSHOP)
If you are staying overnight in Oslo, there’s two hotels within walking distance from the Oslo Airport, Radisson Blu Airport Hotel, Oslo Gardermoen (closer, just across the street from arrival hall, more expensive) and Radisson RED Oslo Airport (further away but easy walk). You can easily go to the downtown by subway which depart from the airport terminal.
If you plan to arrive early and stay overnight in Leknes, I recommend booking accommodation in the Leknes downtown, such as Scandic Leknes Lofoten. It’s conveniently located in downtown, just a few minutes’ drive from Leknes Airport, and within walking distance of shops, grocery stores, and restaurants. This makes it a practical and comfortable choice for your stay.
If you plan to arrive early and explore the area by car, please be aware that winter driving in Arctic Norway requires extra caution. Road conditions can be challenging, and accidents are common, especially among visitors unfamiliar with icy and snowy terrain. If your vehicle gets stuck in the snow, recovery services can be extremely costly. Even more seriously, getting stranded in a remote area without cell reception can pose a real risk to your safety.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Full trip cancellation insurance, along with accident, medical and baggage insurance, is highly recommended. Before you leave home, ensure your policy reflects your actual dates of travel, covering you from the date you leave home until the date you return. Update your travel insurance coverage to include extra hotel nights, non-refundable flights, etc., if applicable. Confirm that your policy covers medical evacuation from Norway.
CLOTHING
The average temperature of Lofoten from January to March: 23°F to 41°F (-5°C to 5°C), 8-15 snow/rain days, occasionally windy. The lowest temperature can go down to 14°F (-10°C) but it doesn’t always happen. The Gulf Stream does a good job in keeping Lofoten warm despite the high latitude.
HOWEVER, PLEASE TAKE IT SERIOUSLY AND BRING WARM CLOTHING AS THE WIND CAN MAKE YOU FEEL COLDER, AND WE WILL BE STANDING OUTSIDE FOR LONG HOURS.
What to bring in terms of clothing:
- Full thermal gear is essential. Bring thick thermal/wool underwear (shirt, johns and at least 3x socks), a warm fleece coat, a down jacket and a wind-stopper/soft-shell jacket. A good Gore-Tex (or similar) outer layer is really nice in this windy area.
- Warm gloves. Insulated and perhaps water resistant. It’s recommended to bring gloves you can operate the camera with without having to take them off. I am using the gloves from The Heat Company, please see the next section for the discount code.
- Water resistant jackets and trousers. Gore-Tex or similar.
- A balaclava/scarf and warm hat to keep you warm if the weather is intense.
- Waterproof rubber boots and overshoes. We will be shooting at beaches, rivers, waterfalls and your compositions will be limited if you don’t have boots or overshoes. If you are buying the overshoes, you will have to measure the size of your boot (not your foot), because you are wearing the overshoes over your hiking boots. Personally, my favorite choice is Muck Boot Arctic Sport, I have been using it for years, it is warm enough to be use in the cold weather, and tall enough to stand in the water for seascape photography (you should order one size up if you plan to wear thick socks). Here are some of the recommended overshoes and boots:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WG7B2W
- Crampons is essential for walking in the snow or icy surface. We highly recommend something similar to this:
https://www.amazon.com/Traction-Crampons-Stainless-Climbing-Mountaineering/dp/B07H4H7MKR/
PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR
- Camera and lenses. We recommend bringing an ultra-wide angle zoom lens like the Canon 11-24 or 16-35mm, Nikon 14-24mm or Sony 12-24mm; a standard zoom like 24-70mm or 24-105mm; and a telephoto zoom lens like 70-200mm or 100-400mm.
- Sturdy tripod.
- A camera remote (IR/wireless or wired).
- Filters: polarizer, ND (6 and 10-stops) and GND (3-stops soft).
- At least two big microfiber cloth which can be handy while shooting seascape or in the rain. Bring blower and lens brush too.
- Memory-cards and camera batteries. Make sure to bring chargers.
- A solid backpack for all your photography gear, preferably with a rain cover.
- The power plugs and sockets in Norway are of type C and F (we use types A and B in US). The standard voltage is 230 V (US: 120 V) and the standard frequency is 50 Hz (US: 60 Hz). Bring power plug adapter and voltage converter. This is what I am using: voltage converter (https://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-Universal-100-220V-Converter-Worldwide/dp/B07R2JMHQR/?th=1) and travel adapter (https://www.amazon.com/Adapter-Worldwide-Universal-Adaptor-Charging/dp/B01DJ140LQ/)
- A headlight/lamp and extra AA/AAA batteries. It gets very dark at night, and we will be out hunting the Northern Lights.
- (Optional) laptop and external hard drive for backups.
- (Optional) drones, certain areas are drone friendly. Keep in mind that it is your responsibility to fly the drone in compliant with the drone regulations in Norway.
DISCOUNT FOR PRODUCTS
For NiSi filters and lenses, Fotopro tripods, iwata-Tech lights, please use the following discount code to shop at my camera store (https://stetindenphoto.com/):
NiSi filters (15% off): LOFOTENAURORA2024
Fotopro tripods (15% off): LOFOTENAURORA2024
NiSi lens (5% off): LOFOTENAURORA2024a
iwata-Tech lights (5% off): LOFOTENAURORA2024a
For The Heat Company gloves, please use 10% discount code kahwailin22 to shop at: https://www.theheatcompany.com/
For f-stop camera bags, please use the 15% discount code JP91X2996 to shop at: https://shop.fstopgear.com/
For Cotton Carrier, please use the 10% discount code KAHWAILIN to shop at: https://www.cottoncarrier.com/
ACCOMMODATION
During our stay in Lofoten, we will be accommodated in traditional fisherman’s cabins, known as “Rorbuer” in Norwegian. These cabins are luxurious and highly sought-after for their authentic charm. The cabins we have reserved are newly built, spacious, and designed for comfort. Each cabin consists of 2 or 3 rooms, with each room equipped with two beds, a private bathroom and toilet. Additionally, the cabins feature a spacious shared living room, kitchen, and dining area. In the living room, you will find amenities such as a TV, sofa, and table. The kitchen is fully equipped with modern appliances, including electric stoves, an oven, and a microwave, allowing for convenient self-catering.
FOODS
Our trips are primarily based on self-cooking, but we are flexible to dining at restaurants if you don’t want to cook. We aim to have at least one group outing to a restaurant during the trip. In both Leknes and Reine, there are a couple of outstanding restaurants that serve exceptional dishes, including their renowned baked cod and steak, which are unbelievably good. It’s important to note that these restaurant visits are optional.
Depending on our location, we may have a late breakfast or lunch at a café or restaurant between sunrise and sunset. While we can also have dinner at a restaurant, it is not recommended to do so every day, especially on days with a higher chance of aurora and clear skies. Winter in Lofoten has limited daylight hours, and we cannot predict when the aurora will appear. Therefore, self-cooking provides more flexibility rather than waiting for food in a restaurant and potentially missing out on the aurora experience.
For our food supplies, we will do our shopping at grocery stores. The cabins we stay in are fully equipped with almost everything you can imagine, including cutlery, kitchenware, oven, microwave, and coffee machine. Leknes has several large grocery stores where we can find everything we need. As a rough estimate, the cost for one week of shopping would be around 2000 – 4000 NOK. For restaurant visits, the approximate cost per meal would be 300 – 600 NOK. Most stores accept credit cards such as Visa/MasterCard, Eurocard, and American Express.
INTERNET ACCESS AND CONNEVTIVITY
Check with your mobile provider to confirm whether your smartphone will work in Norway. Some of the more remote locations may have spotty cell reception and Wi-Fi connections in the Lofoten Islands can be limited.
We recommend purchasing a Norwegian SIM card at a 7-Eleven or Narvesen kiosk at the Oslo airport. Best provider is Telenor. Do not purchase Netcom, they offer ineffective coverage.
LAUNDRY
Laundry is available at the cabin, self-service. You can purchase the coins and detergents at the reception.
CONTACT
Please add my phone number to your contact list: +16092168607. Afterward, kindly send me a message in the WhatsApp with your name and the date of your workshop. I will then add you to the WhatsApp group chat where all the communications will be shared during the workshop.
Rest assured, my cellphone will always be switched on during my stay in Norway, and this is the same number through which you can reach me.