2_9_ScanMag_75_April_2015_Text_Q9_MADS_Scan Magazine 1 07/04/2015 21:42 Page 82
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Destinations to Visit in Norway 2015
Dreams of the very north Situated just outside of Svalbard’s largest settlement of Longyearbyen, at nearly 79 degrees north, is Mary-Ann’s Polarrigg – the place where dreams of the very north come true in grand fashion. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to see a polar bear in its natural habitat, or perhaps go boating from glacier to glacier? Maybe you’ve dreamed of experiencing the midnight sun, or the enthralling Northern Lights as they dance across the sky during the winter? Offering a base for your stay closer to the North Pole than most people go, Mary-Ann Dahle is just the right host for all your northern adventures. By Julie Lindén | Photos: Mary-Ann’s Polarrigg
These are busy days for Dahle, as she is wrapping up yet another successful conference at the grand accommodation that is her Polarrigg. “I’m busy all the time,” she laughs charmingly, “it seems I never have a quiet moment.” However, she assures us she is anything but tired: “No, of course not! This is what I do – it’s what I love.” Indeed, Dahle has founded her extremely successful business on doing what she loves the most: inviting guests to
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one of the coldest, most remote locations on earth with the warmest welcome you could possibly imagine. Something new – and different She explains that she thrives when she can tell international visitors authentic stories of old Svalbard, when the vast majority of the island’s inhabitants were miners, and guests from other parts of the country were rarely encountered.
“I love walking guests through the different rooms at the rig, telling stories about the archipelago and how people went about their lives back in the day,” she says, continuing: “These stories are reflected in the décor throughout the rig. I’ve collected memorabilia and items from the old coalmines, and integrated them with the rest of the interior. Guests seem to appreciate this – travellers today are looking for something new, something different, when they come to these kinds of destinations. This rig may not be part of a large international hotel chain, but it has spirit and soul. I think that matters to people today.” Treat yourself at the world’s northernmost spa Everything at Mary-Ann’s Polarrigg is the result of meticulous attention to detail, and a desire to create experiences out of