Part One Bodo - Northern Norway
After a short flight of 1 hour 40 mins we arrived and Bergen airport and took a domestic flight to BODO, only 1 hour 40 minutes. BODO is situated just above the Artic Circle and at this time of year we got to experience the midnight sun, the sun never sets and the nights blend into days which was incredible, and we were also told the Northern lights are spectacular from here. We were met by our fantastic guides Kristin and Olga from Visit BODO. The airport is 5/10 minutes’ drive to the centre of BODO where we did a quick check in to the Smart Hotel and then out for a beautiful meal overlooking the harbour at Bryggerikaia.
In the harbour BODO also has a floating sauna where you can jump into the fresh water and warm up in the sauna. An exhilarating experience. The next morning we met Johnny from explore Saltun who took us on his RIB boat into the Fjords to experience an eagle safari, seeing the eagles in their natural habitat and feeding right beside the boat, this was incredible and must be experienced when in BODO. We stopped off and met Elizabeth who transported us back to the Norwegian Iron Age times with her stories, food, and berry juice, again a must do experience. I could have listened to her stories all day. We were then back in the RIB and straight into the world strongest tidal current at Saltstraumen, another must see attraction..
Once we said our goodbyes to Johnny we hopped on a mini bus to catch a 15minute ferry ride to an island where we were given a guided tour of a unique and authentic trading post from the 19th century trading post called Kjerringoy trading post.
We then made our way back to BODO and visited the newly opened Wood Hotel BODO which is a stunning property perched on a hill overlooking the town, it’s made of 99% wood and used old fishing nets to make all of the carpets used throughout the hotel so sustainability is their key message. This is an experience in itself with the most breath taking views, rooftop pool, sauna and gym with an outstanding restaurant and panoramic views. The best place to stay when in BODO.
The last day in BODO was spent at the National Aviation Museum where we had a guided tour, they have 10,000 square metres filled with exciting military and civil aviation history. Learn how aviation united Norway as a nation (with over 70 airports!) and experience icons such as spy planes, F16, starfighter and spitfire up close.
We then travelled to Saltfjell Sami Adventure where we were welcomed with coffee and chaga around the campfire while listening to SAMI storytelling and joiking (traditional singing) You also get to meet their prize reindeers. This was an experience like no other and highly recommend it. We squeezed in a final hotel visit and lunch to the Quality Hotel in the centre of BODO overlooking the marina, an excellent choice if you want to stay in a central location. BODO is a beautiful part of the world with so much to offer and I would strongly advise including it in your Norwegian itinerary.
It was then time to leave BODO and say goodbye to our new friends , Kristin and Olga from visit BODO, we checked out of our hotel and took the short transfer back to the airport and flew back to Bergen in 1 hour 40 minutes to continue our Norwegian adventures ...see Part 2 of my blog.
