We had a lazy morning because we went to bed around 4am after the long day before. Even though we woke up late, we still felt tired. We stayed in for a good old cup-noodle lunch and even squeezed in a post-lunch nap. It gets dark around 2pm here, so it felt like we’d stayed in all day. But the rest was much needed for the evening ahead.
We booked reindeer feeding and sledding for today. Antoine checked the aurora app and saw that the activity was stronger than yesterday and the sky looked clearer. We felt optimistic — both about the reindeer and about our chance of seeing the northern lights. Feeling much more energetic after the nap, we headed out.
We hopped on a big bus to the reindeer camp. On the way, some people started saying they could see the aurora. We looked out the window and spotted a faint green line in the sky. We got excited and couldn’t wait to get off the bus to take proper pictures. After about 10 more minutes, we arrived at our destination. Everyone jumped out with their cameras like it was Black Friday. A very promising start to the night.
We started by meeting the reindeer. Around 300 of them were roaming freely in a huge field. It was my first time seeing a reindeer — let alone 300 all at once. We were given buckets of food, and as soon as you held one, the reindeer came straight up and shoved their noses into it. Some even had tiny antler battles to get their turn, and I kept trying to give everyone a fair chance like a stressed kindergarten teacher.
While feeding them, I suddenly felt something poking my butt. A reindeer was repeatedly nudging me with his antlers to get my attention. Excuse me, sir… where are your manners? He eventually gave up and wandered off to poke someone else. Meanwhile, Antoine was feeding them like a professional, handling them confidently like he handles our dog Hazel. In fact, he was so into it that he didn’t notice his hat slowly sliding off. We later checked the photos and could literally see the hat slipping lower and lower with each picture. Our guide collected lost items, and thankfully Antoine’s hat was in the pile — miraculously not covered in reindeer poop.
After feeding the very enthusiastic herd, we went on a reindeer sled ride — a peaceful loop around the field. We even saw a bit more aurora during the sledding. Then we headed to the dinner tent for reindeer stew. The Sami guide explained that they respect reindeer deeply and only use meat from old or weak animals. That made me feel slightly better about eating them.
While waiting for dinner, our guide suddenly announced that a stronger aurora had appeared. Everyone rushed outside, and sure enough, the sky was glowing much brighter than before. We got super excited, taking tons of photos and videos. Watching the green lights dance across the sky felt truly magical. They kept shifting and swirling, and we kept running to different spots trying to capture these beautiful moments. We even managed to get a few pictures with reindeer under the aurora — freezing cold but absolutely worth it.
After taking hundreds of photos, we returned to the tent for dinner and gathered around a big fire to learn about Sami culture. We learned that the Sami are the only people allowed to herd reindeer in Norway, and their lifestyle traditionally follows the movement of the reindeer. They shared how they were once suppressed by the Norwegian government, how they regained their rights, and how they’ve preserved their traditions. Our Sami hosts were wonderful storytellers, and it was fascinating to listen to them.
After all that magic — reindeer, aurora, stories, and a million photos — we headed back feeling grateful and happy about this incredible night.