During the 9-day cruise, Bui Xuan Viet had the opportunity to admire the Arctic fjord landscape in the Tromso city area by yacht and hunt for the beautiful aurora borealis. These are two of the most amazing experiences in the world that anyone would want to experience at least once.
“I really like taking landscape photos, especially night landscape photos. And of course, besides the milkyway, the aurora is something that everyone wants to see in the sky at night. The reason I chose Tromso in Northern Norway to see the aurora is because this is the best place to see the aurora in Europe. It is located at a much higher latitude than Iceland or other places in Southern Norway, so the probability of seeing the aurora and the intensity of the aurora is also much stronger. I chose late 2023 early 2024 because this is the time when the aurora reaches its peak in the past 20 years. If I miss it, I will have to wait another 10 years until 2034,” the male photographer confided.
During the 9-day cruise, Xuan Viet had the opportunity to admire the Arctic fjord landscape in the Tromso city area by yacht and hunt for aurora borealis.
Cruise through the Arctic fjords
Bui Xuan Viet started his journey in December, when winter gradually descended on all the landscapes in Norway. Here, he had the opportunity to cruise on the Arctic fjords. Fjords are waterways connecting a bay to the ocean, one of the typical landforms in Norway, formed by geological activity, glaciers and some other factors.
The photographer was particularly impressed by the quiet electric yacht, allowing him to enjoy the peace and purity of nature. On the yacht, he was also lucky to see humpback whales, a rare wildlife in this sea. However, he was not able to take pictures of them, only seeing the spray of water when they breathe.
Bui Xuan Viet started his journey in December, the time when winter gradually fell on all landscapes in Norway.
He had the opportunity to go on a cruise on the Arctic fjords.
A fjord is a channel of water connecting a bay to the ocean, and is a characteristic landform in Norway, formed by geological activity, glaciers, and other factors.
“I joined the whale watching tour, but I was unlucky because I was drifting at sea for 8 hours and still couldn’t take any photos. The waves in the Norwegian sea are very strong, so even though it was a luxury cruise, passengers still got seasick and dizzy,” said Bui Xuan Viet.
In addition to enjoying the time on the cruise, the photographer and the group spent the whole day visiting and taking photos of the Tromso - Sommaroy Palace. The natural landscape picture is impressive with typical Norwegian houses located along the coast and curved roads winding through the mountain range.
The photographer was particularly impressed by the quiet electric yacht, which allowed him to enjoy the peace and serenity of nature.
A corner of Kvaloya Island - the fourth largest island in Norway, home to diverse natural landscapes and rich wildlife.
A view of Tromso city from above with snow-covered roofs by the sea.
Finland - Norway border route
Hunting for breathtaking aurora borealis in Norway
Talking to Travellive, the male photographer said: “Tromso is not a popular destination for Vietnamese tourists, so it was extremely difficult to research and plan here. At first, I planned to go to Iceland or Rovaniemi to hunt for the aurora. However, after about two weeks of research, I chose Tromso to have the most beautiful aurora. I had to read and filter a lot of information because most of the advertising images of aurora hunting tours in Vietnam were collages or downloaded from the internet.”
The aurora in Tromso appeared on the first day Bui Xuan Viet set foot in Norway: “I was quite lucky to have a day when the aurora was very strong. It lit up the whole sky and curved for 30 minutes, very pleasing to the eye.”
Auroras occur due to the collision of particles in the solar wind and gases in the atmosphere.
Auroras are known as moving arc-shaped beams of light with many colors in the night sky. The aurora phenomenon occurs due to the collision of particles in the solar wind and gases in the atmosphere.
To get breathtakingly beautiful photos of the aurora, the photographer did not hesitate to share his secret: “If you just take out your phone or camera to take pictures, 100% of the photos will not be beautiful. The aurora is a halo of light that dances with constantly changing intensity in the sky. So I have to change the shooting parameters continuously when taking photos of the aurora to get the best pictures.”
Aurora Borealis in Tromso appeared on the first day Bui Xuan Viet set foot in Norway
All the experience of hunting for aurora
According to Bui Xuan Viet, the aurora borealis in Norway can only be photographed between September and April every year. The time to go photographing the sky must be clear and cloudless, and you must also avoid days when the moon is big, as this will overshadow the aurora borealis.
To capture impressive aurora moments, he advises visitors to prepare a tripod and camera to be able to expose without shaking because taking pictures with a phone will not be beautiful. Many people only focus on the aurora in the sky without choosing a reasonable foreground even though this is also a part of the photo. Besides, it is necessary to set up parameters suitable for the intensity of the aurora. In particular, move to a dark enough place. The light from the city will greatly affect the viewing of the aurora. Choose a location far from the city to have the best pictures.
The Sommaroy Bridge is 522 m long, connecting the islands of Kvaloya and Sommaroy.
Above all, the photographer advised that whenever you go to the snowy areas, wear red, orange, and yellow jackets because these colors will make you stand out in the snow. Tourists should absolutely avoid black and white, if they do not want to be lost in the surrounding scenery.
A few small houses are scattered at the foot of the snowy mountain.
