Aurora Lodge, Bettles Alaska
Bettles is one of the remote areas in Alaska. The reason I decided to choose this location is I prefer checking out the Northern Lights compared to the sea cruise or wildlife explorations. As most of you all know, I am scared of the sea and huge polar bears (and ghost stories).
Bettles Lodge is the historical building located a walk away from the Aurora Lodge and it was not meant for accommodating stays. So I stayed in the Aurora Lodge, a very well-kept and neat place.
The owners, Kevin and his wife, and their staffs were very accommodating and you will feel like home. They made sure breakfast, lunch and dinner are served well. One of the staffs, Lindsay, even make sure I had my dinner when it was already time. The meals served were light but filling. Drinks were available free flow 24hrs at their dining area. I love their homemade peanut butter cookies. I cannot eat peanut butter but I ate 3 pcs of it! So.. u know.
The day Lindsay woke me up, I actually overshot my afternoon nap and I thought someone knocked on my door cos the Aurora was out...hahha..I love to sleep here! The total darkness in the room and 100% silence are my favourite factors of this lodge and the area. I slept throughout the night and I don't mind going there again just to have a good nite sleep.
To reach this place, you will need to take a private plane. I started from Air Warbelow's at Fairbanks. It was an extremely beautiful one-of-a-kind experience. You will love it cos I did!
One of the uniquely interesting aspects about this place is it is not crowded which means there are only like less than 30 people. I was told the population currently is 23, if I am not wrong. So, basically everyone knows everyone including the dogs. I actually fall in love with the dogs. I remembered Timber, another one name starts with 'M' and the 2 husky dogs that seems to bodyguard me when I was walking from Evansville to Bettles. I remembered how out of nowhere about 6-8 dogs came running to me while I was walking towards Evansville. After they sniffed me and I screamed for help but no one was there, they decided to leave me alone. Maybe they realised I was just a child. The dogs were in-fact homely though I did not touch or play with them.
One of the reasons tourists visit Bettles is the Aurora viewing. It was a unique experience. If you are lucky enough, you can view the stunning auroras especially if the sky is clear. I was there during cloudy days, so well, I just caught the glimpse of it. It was still a beautiful view. Anyway, the entire feelings being in Bettles was an overwhelmingly memory. I cannot explain in detail. It has its own character and incomparable with any other places I had been.
Most of the visitors were from other parts of the world. Everyone was optimistically vibe and mainly were there for one purpose; check out the Aurora at night. We will mind our own time most of the time and chat when there were opportunities. During the daytime, I enjoyed those moments chatting with new friends, skiing, and snowmobiling with Sven who owns the snowmobile/dog sledding service. The snowmobiling experience was filled with picturesque panorama throughout the journey in the jungle of trees covered with ice and finally I managed to cross the frozen river.
So, if you are in Bettles and staying in Aurora Lodge, remember to enjoy the daytime too! And feel those moments as it will be once in a lifetime experience that you would like to remember forever.
Rating:
Staff Friendliness & Helpfulness - 10/10
Accessible to Food/Shops - Nope. There are no shops except the Post Office. So, if you need anything, you will have to either purchase before you arrive in Bettles or just buy from the Aurora Lodge such as Mineral Water bottles.
Cleanliness - 20/10
Quietness - 20/10
Size of room - Just nice.
Feel safe - Yes! They don't have crimes in Bettles. The residents takes good care of the area and making sure there are no crimes.
Expectation - So much Over my expectation!
Price - I booked through a package so I have no idea much about their room prices. It comes with the Air Warbelow flight package, tour within Bettles and Evansville Village and meals.
Aurora Lodge, Bettles Alaska
1 Airline Drive, Bettles, AK 99726, United States
T: 1-907-692-5111
http://www.bettleslodge.com/
Bettles Lodge is the historical building located a walk away from the Aurora Lodge and it was not meant for accommodating stays. So I stayed in the Aurora Lodge, a very well-kept and neat place.
The owners, Kevin and his wife, and their staffs were very accommodating and you will feel like home. They made sure breakfast, lunch and dinner are served well. One of the staffs, Lindsay, even make sure I had my dinner when it was already time. The meals served were light but filling. Drinks were available free flow 24hrs at their dining area. I love their homemade peanut butter cookies. I cannot eat peanut butter but I ate 3 pcs of it! So.. u know.
The day Lindsay woke me up, I actually overshot my afternoon nap and I thought someone knocked on my door cos the Aurora was out...hahha..I love to sleep here! The total darkness in the room and 100% silence are my favourite factors of this lodge and the area. I slept throughout the night and I don't mind going there again just to have a good nite sleep.
To reach this place, you will need to take a private plane. I started from Air Warbelow's at Fairbanks. It was an extremely beautiful one-of-a-kind experience. You will love it cos I did!
One of the uniquely interesting aspects about this place is it is not crowded which means there are only like less than 30 people. I was told the population currently is 23, if I am not wrong. So, basically everyone knows everyone including the dogs. I actually fall in love with the dogs. I remembered Timber, another one name starts with 'M' and the 2 husky dogs that seems to bodyguard me when I was walking from Evansville to Bettles. I remembered how out of nowhere about 6-8 dogs came running to me while I was walking towards Evansville. After they sniffed me and I screamed for help but no one was there, they decided to leave me alone. Maybe they realised I was just a child. The dogs were in-fact homely though I did not touch or play with them.
One of the reasons tourists visit Bettles is the Aurora viewing. It was a unique experience. If you are lucky enough, you can view the stunning auroras especially if the sky is clear. I was there during cloudy days, so well, I just caught the glimpse of it. It was still a beautiful view. Anyway, the entire feelings being in Bettles was an overwhelmingly memory. I cannot explain in detail. It has its own character and incomparable with any other places I had been.
Most of the visitors were from other parts of the world. Everyone was optimistically vibe and mainly were there for one purpose; check out the Aurora at night. We will mind our own time most of the time and chat when there were opportunities. During the daytime, I enjoyed those moments chatting with new friends, skiing, and snowmobiling with Sven who owns the snowmobile/dog sledding service. The snowmobiling experience was filled with picturesque panorama throughout the journey in the jungle of trees covered with ice and finally I managed to cross the frozen river.
So, if you are in Bettles and staying in Aurora Lodge, remember to enjoy the daytime too! And feel those moments as it will be once in a lifetime experience that you would like to remember forever.
Rating:
Staff Friendliness & Helpfulness - 10/10
Accessible to Food/Shops - Nope. There are no shops except the Post Office. So, if you need anything, you will have to either purchase before you arrive in Bettles or just buy from the Aurora Lodge such as Mineral Water bottles.
Cleanliness - 20/10
Quietness - 20/10
Size of room - Just nice.
Feel safe - Yes! They don't have crimes in Bettles. The residents takes good care of the area and making sure there are no crimes.
Expectation - So much Over my expectation!
Price - I booked through a package so I have no idea much about their room prices. It comes with the Air Warbelow flight package, tour within Bettles and Evansville Village and meals.
Aurora Lodge, Bettles Alaska
1 Airline Drive, Bettles, AK 99726, United States
T: 1-907-692-5111
http://www.bettleslodge.com/
Snapshots of Aurora in Bettles <Aurora>