Part two of our tour of Norway and the North. In this second part, we have two wonderful hotels we would recommend staying at both situated in stunning locations with tonnes of things to experience and do when staying.

Snowhotel Kirkenes is a serious must stay. The location of this hotel is superb with boundless opportunities for every sort of lake, sea and land activities you could hope for. Every year, during the winter months, this award-winning hotel changes its theme and ice sculptors to keep the imagination alive. Most of the inspiration is taken from Sami Folklore. Even though some of the rooms during the winter are made out of ice and the temperature in your rooms will drop to -4 degrees centigrade, you can be safe in the knowledge that seriously warm and cosy bedding is provided to make sure you do not freeze during the night! Dinners and drinks are served in the ice bar which is also re-designed and rebuilt every year the temperature drops.

Other activities in the winter include the traditional husky sledging adventures – let a team of huskies take you on high speed, thrill ride through the surrounding landscape. Or hop on board a rib, geared up to the nines with warm sailing gear so you can bring up the catch of the day with the activity of King Crab fishing. How about exploring Kirkenes’ history by visiting the Andersgrotta WW2 bomb shelter. Many of activities you can enjoy throughout the winter can also be experienced within the summer months as well – just in case you thought you may be missing out. They just have a different spin to them, without snow!

Accommodation at Kirkenes Snow Hotel differs from cosy cabins with large windows so you can enjoy the Aurora Borealis, or during the winter months snuggle into the Ice rooms as mentioned above, cold but cosy.

Our next property would be the Manshausen. Situated in 55 acres of its very own wilderness on a very remote and simply stunning island. Hard to believe, but there are even white sandy beaches, juxtaposed against mountains and oceans. The cabins at Manshausen are architecturally breath-taking. Unique in design, they all offer different views of the mountains and ocean, each view being as incredible as the last. This peaceful slice of Norway offers a very relaxed pace of life with something to suit everyone’s needs, wants and wishes. Quirky yes, but these comfortable cabins combined with their dramatic views over pristine Norwegian scenery is one not to be missed.

Manshaussen’s motto is ‘where the land meets the sea’ and some of the wonderful activities you can enjoy when staying here are kayaking or fishing in the nearby waters, take a backpack and go for a glacier trek taking in these mighty mighty natural constructions. Bird watching is a must too. Rock climbing, hiking, dive into the regions cultural heritage or simply grab a good book and sit back and relax in the ambient surroundings.

These two properties are probably our two favourites throughout the North of Norway. Not only are they perfect to relax at and take in the culture and surroundings, throughout both summer and winter, but they also offer the most wonderful activities – the possibilities are endless!