06 Mar 2024
Absolute rip off. We booked this with such high hopes, and could not have been more disappointed. The evening was perfect, conditions were great and the aurora was BEAUTIFUL! Unfortunately, the guides had no idea how to operate a camera, so the promise of 'professional' photos is a complete lie. Once we arrived at the viewing destination, one guide gave the other a crash course in how to take the photos as they had never operated a camera before.
At the end of the the night we were assured by the photographer that we would receive our images the next day via text. After 48 hours we contacted Wonderlapland who told us that the waiting period would be significantly longer. After two weeks and multiple phone calls we received the images 'as a special favour'. They noted that other tour attendees had not yet received their images, and were were lucky to get them so early.
The photos were a waste of time. Shockingly bad. Photos we took ourselves were significantly higher quality. After querying why the images were so blurry and requesting the high-resolution versions, Wonderlapland stated that it was impossible to take clear photos when the people in the photos were moving. I noted that the images that had no people in them were also blurry, at which time they said they would 'look into it' and 'get back to me'.
Trying to exercise patience, I have waited a month to follow up, in which case I was told that images are deleted after 2 weeks so we could no longer see them (please refer to my abovementioned timeline to share in my outrage). They also don't issue refunds after 10 days (although they neglected to respond to any correspondence within this time period), so we are left with nothing. I can't describe how disappointed we are with the overall experience, how poorly the images turned out and the treatment since. The only consolation is that the aurora was spectacular that evening, but Wonderlapland cannot take responsibility for that! Don't waste your time. If you're in a group it would be cheaper to hire a car for the night and go out yourselves.