Places to stay
Aurora Safaris: A Late-Summer Night Afloat in Swedish Lapland
On Lake Degerselet, near Gunnarsbyn, a floating camp makes room for a different kind of safari: chanterelles on the islands, a sauna beside the bedroom and an evening I could barely bring myself to leave.
By Lina Skandevall
Published
The rain had been pouring down. Then, during my August stay with Aurora Safaris, the weather changed and the lake became a mirror. Mist lifted from the water, the evening held on to its light, and there seemed very little reason to look at the time.
We took a sauna. Swam. Talked, and then said almost nothing, watching the horizon and the fire. Of all the stops on my road trip through northern Sweden, this one stayed with me.
A bedroom on the lake
The Floating Safari Camp sits on Degerselet, part of the Råne River system in Swedish Lapland. Forest surrounds the water, and the raft brings you close enough to make the lake part of ordinary things: sitting down, having dinner, going to bed.
I slept in the double room, looking out through its glass doors towards the deck and water. The sauna was next door. There were also two safari tents, an outdoor kitchen and plenty of places to sit and let the view occupy you. For me, this was luxury: the sense that the outside world could wait.
Finding dinner with Jonas
I went out on the lake with Jonas, one of the owners, to look for chanterelles on the surrounding islands. Travelling across that water, with so few buildings in sight, and stepping ashore to hunt for mushrooms made me wonderfully happy.
Back at the raft, the chanterelles needed cleaning. There are worse places for that particular job than a table beside a hammock, looking over a still lake.
We were served cheese from Vuollerim with cloudberries and fresh thyme. Later came chanterelles on toast and trout marinated in chimichurri, as mist rolled in over the water. These were the meals of my visit, shaped by that day and what we had found, rather than a menu to expect on every stay.
An evening worth staying up for
After the sauna and bathing, we let the evening run on. There was no urgency to fill the silence. We watched the water and the fire, and did not go to bed until around half past one. I simply did not want it to end.
Aurora Safaris is run by Jonas Gejke and Naila Sher, whose background includes running safari businesses in Kenya. Here, their setting is the Råne River valley. My own safari was a modest one in terms of distance travelled, but it brought me very close to the things I had come north for.
I would choose this for time with someone who enjoys being outdoors, eating well and letting a day take its course. Couples or a small group of friends could make a great deal of very little here. The pleasure is in having the lake close, and enough time to notice it.
Before you book
The Floating Safari Camp is a summer stay offered for exclusive hire for up to six guests, with two tents and a double room. Choose self-catering or a catered stay; arrange meals and guided outings with the hosts.
The facilities suit the setting: a wood-fired sauna, deck hot tub, dry toilet and a simple shower in the sauna. Canoes, kayaks, paddle boards and life jackets are available. It is worth understanding that practical setup before booking, especially if you are expecting a conventional hotel bathroom.
Details and enquiries: The Floating Safari Camp at Aurora Safaris.
For another stay on the water, further south, read about the floating cabin at Annerstad in Småland.