Name: Aurora Nights
Address: Office 8 Empingham House, 1e Uppingham Gate, Ayston Road, Uppingham, Rutland
Rating: 4.88

“We had a really interesting time and enjoyed the experience very much. At last we saw a proper Aurora-on the very last night. I do think we may have been better doing one of our husky sledding and snowmobiling trips at Abisko as the scenery and generally, the weather, are better there as well as the fact you can do them straight from the lodge rather than having to go on a bus to another lodge from the Ice Hotel. Neither the Ice Hotel nor the Abisko Mountain Lodge offered a wake up service if an Aurora appeared-I was under the impression they did. This meant we became very tired as we had to wake up regularly just in case. I was surprised the room was not serviced at the Abisko Mountain Lodge. The Car Park Area is rather like a dumping ground for containers and kit and is rather untidy spoiling the view. The food was surprisingly good-everywhere. Changed days for Sweden. The people were lovely, too, and very welcoming. We subsequently discovered that we could have toured the Iron Ore Mine at Kiruna-we would have loved to have done that but did not know until it was too late. Could you offer it as a trip? The downhill skiing at Bjorkliden was really good-we organised this ourselves but others may be interested to know. We had a great time-the above comments are just for your information.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“My review is one of very mixed feelings. After all the excitement and anticipation we never saw the Aurora. Having spent so many months waiting to fulfil one of the trips on my wish list, that was very very disappointing but of course, is one of the risks one takes when booking this kind of trip but that does not mitigate the disappointment. As for the Mattaraakha Lodge, the hotel was as expected. The rooms were small but very clean and comfortable, nice and warm and slippers provided. Just a couple of small niggles. It would have been nice to have a robe for each guest in the bathroom and the two towels provided for each guest were minimal in size and could have been bigger. Now to my comments on the staff. ABSOLUTELY SUPERB FROM THE MOMENT WE ARRIVED AT KIRUNA TO BE MET BY LOUISE. They could not do enough for all of us who arrived at the same tim and nothing was too much trouble. All of the activities were excellent and the time flew by. Our highlights of the trip were the Husky Sled drive and falling off the Snowmobile into 2 metres of soft snow! Great fun and not to be missed.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“Great break. Great sights. Great food. Great guides. Great people. Great experiences. Great accommodation. Great memories. Great pictures. Absolutely nothing negative or anything requiring constructive criticism - except perhaps the lack of the appearance of the Northern lights in our boat trip but we shouldn't be greedy as they made an appearance at the wilderness cabin and I suppose the natural.phenomena is out of your hands!! ;-)”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

Great Feedback ! Thank you. Regards Abigail

Posted 8 years ago

“Despite not seeing the northern lights the remainder of our trip was more than enough to compensate”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

Dear Graham, I am so pleased that you had a super time despite not seeing the Northern Lights. Sometimes I wish they were on a switch as that would really make my job easier! Thank you for taking the time to feedback. Regards Abigail

Posted 8 years ago

“Wonderful short trip. The people were so friendly and nothing was too much trouble. The food was also surprisingly good. A great experience.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

Dear David, thank you for taking the time to feedback and delighted you had such a super time. Regards Abigail

Posted 8 years ago

“We were very impressed with our trip - the collections/transfers and excursions were very well executed with no problems at all. Our trip was made easy with everything already being organised for us. An excellent weekend and would recommend Weekend A la Carte to anyone.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

Dear Sandra Thank you for your kind words and I am very pleased you had such a good time. Regards Abigail

Posted 8 years ago

“An excellent experience topped by an amazing aurora. All the activities are of good quality led by knowledgeable and enthusiastic guides who are very happy to give their insight on the topic and the Swedish lifestyle . Food was very good quality at the hotel where the staff were friendly and always willing to help. Organisation via Weekend al la carte was flawless and all info was supplied in a timely way. Hotel has quite small rooms but that was really not an issue as you don't spend much time there!! Loved it!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“The overall experience was fabulous helped by an exceptional 75 minute Aurora light show in Abisko on the Photography evening. The staff, location and activities at Pine Bay Lodge was exceptional with the only downside being Aurora only came out to play very briefly and was only just visible to the eye although the camera picked up some great shots. There was confusion over the Sauna which was an optional extra which was not made clear and was only bookable in advance. The food was a delight as were the owners, staff and especially Thomas who took did the meet and greet and Tommy who took us on the snowmobile tour. The dogsledding was greatly enjoyed and the hosts (Anna and family) were delightful and very warm hearted towards us which made us feel special. On arrival at Abisko, we were initially very impressed with the Lodge, accommodation and location. We travelled up from Lulea with another couple who we'd met at Pine Bay Lodge and on reflection all thought the food was not up to the same standard as Pine Bay and also the staff were not as personable. One gripe being the hot tub which was not made available unless booked in advance. Also, a major problem for guests coming back from night activities was the bar closing early and so being closed when getting back from the photography evening and sky station visit. All in all a memorable and thoroughly enjoyable holiday”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“We were looking for an active, personalised holiday without the hassle involved in organising all the finer details ourselves. Weekend a la Carte delivered the goods, and we had an amazing stress-free holiday of a lifetime. The hotels and excursions are well chosen and the activity centres are brilliant.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“We were lucky and saw the aurora every night, though one night was very cloudy, so we saw what we came for. We had a superior room at the mountain lodge which was roomy and very comfy. The staff were very helpful, polite and friendly. Someone had made a mistake which meant that we weren't booked on the transport service but the lodge staff helped out and on one occasion drove us to our destination in their private car, If they hadn't we would have missed one of the excursions. The food at the lodge was also excellent. Finally, thanks also to the people who ran excursions such as dog sledding and snow mobiling - also very friendly and informative. If you're looking for somewhere to go to look at the northern lights I would highly recommend Abisko, the mountain lodge and Weekend a la carte.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“The trip went very smoothly with transfers and accommodation meeting our expectations. All of the experiences laid on were excellent and even the lights decided to dance for us on two evenings! My only comment was that the return flight connections were very tight, not helped by a lack of communication on the part of the flight attendants and in the airport itself. There was an enormous queue for security and passport check which only increased our anxiety over catching the connecting flight. I know that this is nothing that WalC can do but with so many clients using this connection maybe a suitable comment can be made to either the airline or airport to smooth the connection passage!”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“Fantastic trip with superb organisation excellent excursions with knowledgeable staff and staying in lovely hotels.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

Thank you for your kind feedback. I am delighted everything went so well.

Posted 8 years ago

“Everything was good apart from the dreadful accommodation. Weekend a la carte failed to deliver the room we booked. As a result we would never consider booking a holiday with them again and certainly could not recommend weekend a carte to anyone.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

Dear Philip Thank you for the review. I am pleased on one hand that you enjoyed the trip but concerned that the room issue spoilt your overall appreciation of the holiday. I am sorry that our paperwork was wrong but hopefully now you are home you will be able to establish that the booking you made and paid for included the standard room category, which is what the lodge gave you. I am sorry for the confusion and any disappointment caused. Regards Kevin Collins Managing Director Weekend a la Carte

Posted 8 years ago

“After returning from the Aurora Coast to Coast Adventure we are now wondering how on earth are we going to follow that adventure. All the arrangements made were spot on from phone calls to Kevin to book the holiday to being met at the airport and transferred to our accommodation. The stay at Pine Bay Lodge was so peaceful and idyllic with enjoyable meals shared with fellow travelers. The activities were all well thought out, planned and timings flowed well with a good balance of free time. We transferred to Abisko by train in a winter wonderland, staying again in comfortable accommodation, attentive staff and to top it all views of the Aurora. Excellent holiday and would recommend every aspect.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“This was a perfect half-term holiday for us and our 13 year old twin grandchildren. It was our first trip to Iceland and the suggested itinerary and activities were excellent. We would highly recommend Weekend a la Carte to other Icelandic novices. We enjoyed everything we saw starting with the Blue Lagoon, followed by a day on the Golden Circle tour, then a morning at the fascinating Settlement Museum and a drive to the South Coast and a final day with a guide in a super jeep overland in the valley to Thorsmork. We even caught a glimpse of Northern Lights on the last evening. The hotels were both excellent. We were lucky with the weather and driving hire car on the winter roads was fine except on the last morning back to the airport from Hotel Ranga, when we had to drive very cautiously over the mountain pass towards Reykjavik with blowing snow.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

I am so thrilled you had such a great time and it was such a success as I know you were a bit nervous about parts of it - especially the driving. Thank you so much for taking the time to feedback and i'm sure you are considered THE best grandparents ever! Regards Abigail

Posted 8 years ago

“We enjoyed a superb experience in Iceland with everything going very smoothly in terms of travel, accommodation and the guided trips we chose. We would recommend this to anyone, although Iceland is quite expensive for food and drink!”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

Dear Roger, Thank you for your kind feedback and for taking the time to tell us how much your enjoyed it. Regards Abigail

Posted 8 years ago

“We did a 3 night break to Swedish Lapland and stayed at the Matttarahkka Wilderness Lodge. The staff there are very friendly and the co-ordination for all the trips and dinners was brilliant. We really did enjoy our break and for me the Husky Sled Dog was the best trip. Sally Bush”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“Great holiday. Very friendly and helpful guides, hotel staff, drivers etc. The food was excellent. We really enjoyed the dog sledding, the snowmobiling and the aurora photography evening, which was especially enjoyable. So all following comments are in the vein of constructive feedback, not gripes: 1. It's great to pack loads in but, actually, it's quite exhausting dealing with the weather, constant changes of clothing etc when you're not used to it. By Sunday, even my teenagers felt a bit of a break would have been good - we had an hour or two here and there between activities but the only long break we had was when we first arrived at about 3.30pm and had the rest of the day free. Having less than an hour between some activities felt almost too full on. 2. The trip to Narvik was not as scheduled, which seemed a bit odd with such a detailed and otherwise accurate itinerary. We were given train tickets and got ourselves there and back. The downside of this was that we didn't visit the places en route that had been listed in the itinerary, and we had 2 and a half hours to kill in Narvik on a Sunday when everything was closed. We had a nice walk down to the waterfront and back, but felt a bit at a loose end. I think the train is probably the more scenic route, which was an upside, however we didn't all get great seats. For example, on the return trip, we had a table seat for 4 but the 5th seat was in a different row at a seat with no window, so no company or view. It was too crowded to find another seat, or to get close enough to a window to take photos. So although we had a good day, it could perhaps have been better. 3. The Sky Station evening was quite odd - this is entirely down to the Sky Station system itself. The ski lift at night, with the aurora dancing, was one of my best experiences ever. But the dinner was strange (although very delicious). They served it so slowly that we didn't get outside to view the aurora until after 9.15pm, and we'd been told to allow a good half hour to get down the mountain for a 10.40pm pick up - if we were late they'd have to leave without us. This meant we spent nearly 3 hours indoors, and less than an hour outside to watch the aurora, which was the main reason for going. My four teenage boys were so hungry that by the time each course finally arrived, they were starving again from such a long break since the previous course. Other than these minor points, as I say, it was a great holiday. There was a slight hiccup on Monday morning, and I was very happy with the help Jan gave me. I phoned her and she 'magicked' everything alright really quickly and reassuringly. So thank you.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“I booked this trip as a surprise for my husbands 40th birthday - boy and what a trip it turned out to be. The whole experience was magical from start to finish, I paid extra for the deluxe suite and I am so happy that I did! The deluxe suite was worth every penny, it was completely private with an electronic key door so nobody else could view it, this made the whole experience extra special. We felt like a king and queen. The staff at weekend a la carte were absolutely amazing, especially Kevin! There was a slight hiccup with our meal reservations at the ice hotel - although they had been pre booked unfortunately the hotel had no recollection of either reservation at the ice hotel or the old homestead - although we did manage to get food I was slightly disappointed as we had to share a candle lit table on my husbands 40th birthday evening with another couple - who didn't speak English so the whole thing was rather uncomfortable and we couldn't wait to leave. However the food was amazing and this was only a small hiccup as the rest of our trip exceeded all of our expectations and we wouldn't hesitate in recommending weekend ala carte. The value for money was exceptional, the whole trip was action packed and made a very memorable and magical experience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

“I had a great time on my trip to Abisko. All the staff at the Mountain Lodge were very friendly and helpful. The food was of a high standard. I enjoyed the dog sledding over at Laxforsen, which was a wonderful experience. Thanks to all, in particular to Patrick on the informative trip to Narvik and Sarah who kept enthusiastic, even in the face of a cloudy evening for photos.”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago

Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods	Postal Service
On-time Delivery	Greater than 94%
Customer Service
Communication Channels	Email, Telephone
Queries Resolved In	Under An Hour
Customer Service	4.9 out of 5

Aurora Nights Reviews