Svalbard: The Real North! (PT1).

If you’ve never heard of this place, don’t stress. Until like a couple of months before coming here myself - neither had I.

This place is honestly such a trip!

A few notable points:

• It’s a little island close to the North Pole - like really close! 1,383.98 km or 859.96 mi close. For my South African readers, I’m closer to the North Pole than Cape Town is to Joburg.
• The sun doesn’t go down for about 5 months of the year, and we have 1 night that lasts about 3 months! 
• The Global Seed Vault is located here.
• As snowy as it is here, it’s so dry that Svalbard is classified as an Arctic Desert.
• And, probably the most important point - YOU DON’T NEED A VISA TO COME HERE!

So, as I’m sure many of you will be asking: “Why the hell does a black South African decide to go and live by the North Pole!?”

Long story short: it was a deep sense of “F*** it, why not?” 

The second question you’re probably wondering is how long I’ve been here:

At the time of writing this post, it’s been about 7 months. I came at the end of April 2023 - and no - I have no intentions of leaving any time soon - except for vacations every now and then.

And, last but not least, probably your most pertinent question: “Isn’t it hella cold up there!?”

Yes! It absolutely is. But you’d be surprised at how quickly you acclimate and by how surprisingly tolerable the temperatures can be.

If you’re scared of the cold, the best time to travel here is the summer -  between mid-May and mid-September. 

In 2023, at this time of year, the average temperature was around 10-17 °C. By June, a lot of the snow and ice had melted enough to go on some incredible boat trips and see the Arctic's wild and marine life. (Including polar bears)

But if you’re able to brave the cold for a little bit, for me, my favourite time is March to July.

This time of year, the sun is out, but everything is still frozen and covered in snow - which means IT’S SNOWMOBILE SEASON! Honestly, as much as I love boat trips, there’s no better way to see this beautiful place than on a snowmobile.

There’s a ton of other cool stuff to do here, too, including visiting The Seed Vault, Husky rides, visiting glacier caves or ghost towns, and taking mountain hikes to some of the most incredible views of The Real North.

In either event, this is a winter wonderland with a little something for anyone with a sense of adventure!

It's definitely a bucket list destination.

If you wanna plan a trip here or need a little more convincing - check out Living in The Real North!