Unlike conventional cruise ships, there is no big entertainment programme on board — a deliberate measure to ensure guests enjoy the “fascinating nature” characterised by mountains, islands, fjords, waterfalls, small villages and much more.
Contact: Sonia Rashid on +971 50 1593 263 Dubai or visit www.hurtigruten.ae
What the client said
Emirati Jinan Fari told ATN that her recent trip to Scandinavia with her nephew was “just incredible”. She said many Arab Nationals were bored of travelling to the same old places each year and that many, like her, wanted to explore new places, particularly in Europe.
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Ms Faris and her nephew flew from Dubai with KLM via Amsterdam to Stockholm. From here they explored Sweden, Norway and Finland. The highlight of their trip, Ms Faris told ATN, was the six-night Norwegian coastline cruise with Hurtigruten where the scenery, she said was “out of this world”.
“You cannot believe what you are seeing — it’s incredible,” she said. “There is so much green, so many waterfalls and just breathtaking scenery.”
Ms Faris said Norway was “more beautiful” than Switzerland and Austria. “The waterfalls are what surprised us the most,” she added.
A country breakdown
DENMARK: No matter where you are in Denmark you are never more than 30 miles from the sea. The country boasts more than 400 islands, cosmopolitan cities such as Copenhagen, classic and cutting-edge design and architecture, as well as quaint off-the-beaten-track and fairytale villages.
FINLAND: The majority of Finland’s landscape is lakes and forests. Each region has its own distinct character, from the wilds of Lapland in the north, the lakes of the east to the archipelagos of the south west. Most Finns live in the country’s many cosmopolitan cities such as Helsinki, where music, art, technology, fine food and cutting-edge design is the emphasis.
NORWAY: is a country full of wide open spaces and breathtaking landscape, from tall mountains that plunge into the sea, fjords and waterfalls, to glaciers and the northern lights. In the summer, jump on a midnight sun cruise, join a safari or play golf in the middle of the night. There’s also a chance to meet the Sami people — Norway’s original population dating back to 11,000 years ago.
SWEDEN: Fresh air, wide open spaces and wilderness, all near city centres such as Stockholm and Gothenburg are what attracts tourists to Sweden. One can shop, dine and sightsee today and go hiking or fishing tomorrow. Clients can alsotour the forests and lakes, explore the coastline or pursue active adventure in Lapland.
Key facts
Location: Northern Europe — to the north of Germany, to the east of the UK, to the south of the Arctic and to the west of Russia.
Number of countries: Five — Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden are all located in Northern Europe and Iceland is located in the Atlantic Ocean, almost equidistant from the UK and the US.
Getting there: SAS flies from Dubai to Copenhagen three times weekly during the winter season and offers quick connection times to most major Scandinavian cities.
Getting around: SAS offers good connections across Scandinavia and into Europe.
Useful links
UAE contact: www.scan-connect.com or www.hurtigruten.ae
Scandinavian Tourist Board (STB): www.goscandinavia.com
Visit Denmark: www.visitdenmark.com
Visit Finland: www.visitfinland.com
Visit Norway: www.visitnorway.com
Visit Sweden: www.visitsweden.com
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Sep 23, 2009 , United Arab Emirates
Without doubt Scandinavia is a beautiful region and I must commend Ms Rashid on her efforts to drive tourist traffic from this part of the world where people are always looking for new destinations to explore.