Date: 05/04/2013

A Lapland Odyssey

Author: Laura
Location: Finland

Lapland is a name that conjures up images of frozen northern landscapes, generous old men who ride reindeer sleighs and the mythical wisps of radiation that reach nearly a hundred million miles across the solar system to trace strange patterns of lights across the night sky – the Aurora Borealis.

Most of us have heard the term Laplander, but not so many realise that this actually refers to a collection of ancient nomadic tribes who used to roam over northern Scandinavia, moving through areas of Norway, Finland, Sweden and Russia. Migrating with their herds of reindeer these Laps or Sami as they refer to themselves, subsided off fishing and fur trapping, their culture is inextricably associated with their reindeer, using them for transport, clothing, shelter, food and tool-making. The indigenous Sami have largely been assimilated into the cultures & countries in which they now reside and have left their traditional way of life behind to embrace the modern world. But at an out-of-the-way resort hidden away in the Arctic circle it is still possible to experience a taste of how they lived and experience a luxury break in the white wilds of Arctic Lapland, with a modern twist.

The Kakslauttanen resort is located amidst the beautiful scenery of the Kekkonen National Park. Ivalo airport is just 35 kilometres away with a bus transfers available straight to the hotel front-door and easy connections available from Helsinki international airport. Here it is possible to stay in a number of settings; from luxury, yet rustic log cabins where you can tend a log fire to heat your room with the glorious aroma of crackling birch logs, to exclusive glass-domed igloos so you can lie on your bed and watch the Northern Lights spreading their mysterious glory on the canvas of the night-skies above.

During the day there are a host of winter activities to indulge in, with museums to learn about the Sami culture, traditional dinner in a Sami dwelling while listening to a Laplander telling the legends & stories of his people, reindeer sleigh rides in the evergreen forests, Arctic safaris while being pulled by your own team of husky sled dogs and expeditions to explore the area on high-powered snowmobiles.

The options available are too many to list here but if this kind of winter break sounds up your street then please get in touch & we can talk you through some of the options.

Find your perfect holiday in Finland

Join our Newsletter

Be the first to hear about our latest offers and news We use a 3rd party service to help us manage our mailing list - please read our privacy policy for details.