It’s so far north here that the locals experience ‘midnight sun’ It’s a summer phenomenon wherein the sun doesn’t fully set for around 50 days (late May to mid-July); in winter, from early to mid December, the sun barely peeks above the horizon.

If you want snow and a chance of glimpsing the Northern Lights, winter is the best time to go (I went in mid January), but wrap up warm as it’s freezing, albeit stunning. In the brief midday light (10am-2pm), the camp’s natural surroundings look truly beautiful; sun gleams over sparkling snow as I trek out for a little adventure, snowshoeing through the nearby forest and over a frozen lake.

Next, my Sámi guide, Juvva, takes me on a short trip via snowmobile to feed their family’s reindeer – all of whom have their own personalities and all of whom get food all over my scarf.

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Reindeer herding in the Sámi culture is crucial: reindeer antlers, which are shed naturally, are collected and carved into tools, while reindeer skin and fur are used to make shoes, furnishings and even bags to store coffee. The Sámi people make use of everything natural; nothing goes to waste. Something we could all learn from.

As night falls, the on-site sauna is a great way to unwind. It features a large double window that affords an epic view across the lake and up to the starry night sky. Dinner, served at the farmstead, is smoked Arctic char (similar to mackerel) and moose stew with salad, all beautifully prepared and cooked by Lennart (guests are welcome to help with preparing meals, if they wish). We eat by candlelight with a crackling fire blazing in the hearth.

I took my digital SLR camera with me, which I’d recommend if you want good photographs of the sky at night here. Rather handily, Lennart is also an experienced photographer and gives great advice on capturing images of the scenery. For me, I was in luck: the sky is cloudless, inky black and dusted with thousands of stars. Then, slowly, a thin band of green light appears, at first sitting low on the horizon, then it begins to move and the Northern Lights dance across the sky. It’s a wonder to see, never mind to photograph, and the Sámi belief that the lights are the spirits of ancestors who have passed on makes it an even more awe-inspiring experience.

Witness the Northern Lights in the most authentic way imaginable