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Ella Stearns

Iceland & Nordic Travel Specialist

Travel has always been in my blood. Having been born and brought up in Hong Kong, I boarded my first long-haul flight aged 6 months. I spent my childhood being taken to exotic, off the beaten track destinations by my parents and as I grew older my desire to explore the world only increased.

I knew that a career in travel was for me when I returned from backpacking around Japan, South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.

If I could provide amazing travel experiences and memories for others, like the ones I had, then why would I want to do anything else? It’s a treat every day to be able to share my passion with others.

When I joined Regent Holidays, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to embark on a fly-drive around Route 1, the ring road circling Iceland. A country that I am completely in awe of. It beggars belief that around every corner there is a new and equally spectacular waterfall, lava field or glacier to feast your eyes upon. It’s hard to put into words how breathtakingly beautiful the scenery is, how friendly the people are and how fascinating the history, geology and nature of Iceland is. A particular highlight of mine was travelling down the south coast and visiting Reynisfjara black sand beach and Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon, never have I experienced anything quite like it. There is so much more to Iceland than the northern lights! 

I have also checked off another bucket-list destination with a trip to Greenland so contact me for ideas on how to explore the world's largest island!

This summer my colleague Jo and I visited the Finnish cities of Helsinki, Tartu and Tampere with a visit to the Finnish lakes. One of our favourite stops was Lahti, nestled around the picturesque bay of Lake Vesijärvi, Lahti, situated just 100km north of Helsinki. It is home to cultural gems such as the Lahti Museum of Visual Arts Malva and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, while hosting notable events such as the Lahti Sibelius Festival. Architectural wonders include Alvar Aalto's Church of the Cross and Eliel Saarinen's Lahti Town Hall. The harbour area is great fun and Nosturi Sauna and Beach gets the thumbs up from me.

I concluded the year with an icy Arctic visit to Tromso and Svalbard. In Tromso, we embarked on a Northern Lights hunt, enjoyed a thrilling husky safari, and explored the highly popular Malangen Lodge. 

To wrap up this remarkable trip, we spent some time in Longyearbyen, where the Polar Nights cast a perpetual darkness. Staying in the uber-chic Funken Lodge, our Arctic escapades continued with Northern Light hunting using silent electric snowmobiles, a massive snowcat, and husky sleds. Our final night was spent dining around a cosy fireplace in the wilderness cabin at Camp Barentz, and stepping in to the cold to gaze up for an appearance of the Aurora. 

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