Savukoski is a very remote region of Finland, where tourism is limited and the wilderness is pristine.

This holiday is designed to showcase the people, the place as well as highlighting the beauty and the need for conservation of the environment.

In a region where traditional industries such as forestry have declined tourism has taken a role in ensuring that the local people are able to remain in their areas and help to preserve the culture and environment. This region is little developed in comparison to some others and therefore the tourism here is managed closely and developed responsibly.

Our holiday is based in the Marjasuvanto cabins. These cabins have been built using sustainable materials. The cabins are located in a wilderness area and so the environmental impact has been assessed. The cabins’ water supply comes from the local rivers and lakes and the toilet facilities are eco dry toilets.

Guests spend a great deal of time learning about the flora and fauna of the region, learning about the culture of the people who have lived in the region for centuries and being well informed by our local guides.

Wherever possible we use local suppliers and locally owned accommodation in order to help ensure that the benefits of the tourist pound are felt in each destination and the economic leakage in the region is lessened.

The holiday explores the relationship of man and the environment here and how one has been utilised by the other in a sustainable manner in order to survive the harsh conditions. Guests are taught some traditional trapping methods used in the region but they are also told about the sustainability of the practice and the usage for any animal which is caught. There is no waste here and hunting is demonstrating as a survival skill rather than a hobby.

A snowmobile safari is featured. We do however feel that the use of these machines is justified in a region where there are few alternatives other than huge 4x4 vehicles. The Sámi people who herd their reindeer in the region have been able to swap their sleds and snowshoes for snowmobiles allowing them much better access to their reindeer herds and a better quality of life.

Thursday: Flights, arrival and introduction
This morning finds you amidst the hustle and bustle at Heathrow or Manchester Airport but by evening you’ll be enjoying dinner in Finland’s least populated area. After the transfer from Rovaniemi, you’ll meet your guide, be provided with cold weather clothing and settle down for dinner at the Hotel Samperi. To say it’s a day of contrasts would be an understatement.

Friday: Wildlife, Sámi reindeer herding and basic survival
If you’re going to understand the wilderness you need to familiarise yourself with it. After breakfast, you’ll visit the Nature Centre where you’ll learn about the area and its wildlife (or food supply as it’s known locally). Following lunch, you’ll be visiting the real experts. The Sompio have lived in Forest Lapland for centuries as reindeer herders. If anybody knows how to survive the elements then it’s these guys. You’ll visit a reindeer farm, take a short sleigh ride and learn some of the secrets to Sompio survival success. 

After lunch, you’ll be shown probably the single most important survival skill, fire making, as well as taking a short snowshoe foray for some orienteering practice and that most Arctic of pastimes, ice fishing. The evening brings the chance for a traditional wood-heated sauna followed by an icy dip. Apparently, it’s extremely good for you! Dinner at Hotel Samperi.

Saturday and Sunday: Arctic survival
Today you’ll leave the comfort and safety of your cabin and set out on snowshoes on an overnight wilderness adventure. You’ll be employing the skills taught yesterday but also learning techniques such as shelter (kota) building, orienteering, cross country skiing, hunting methods used to trap forest birds, fox, hare, reindeer, elk and even bear.

You will sleep in a wilderness camp either in a traditional kota or under canvas. Don’t worry; you won’t be too far away from a cabin in case it all gets too extreme. You’ll return to the relative civilisation of your cabin on Sunday afternoon. Dinner at Hotel Samperi.

Monday: Huskies and snowmobiles
You’ve had a couple of pretty exhausting days and we couldn’t let you go home without trying some mushing and also showing you how most Sámi do their herding nowadays. So, today is reward day. Bizarrely enough, driving a team of huskies is probably the least Lappish thing you will do during your stay here in Finland. Huskies were only introduced from North America during the 20th century so they play little part in Lappish tradition. Regardless, there are some things you just have to do so we’ve included a 13km mush, just so you can tell your friends. The Sompio aren’t daft and there’s little doubt that the advent of the snowmobile has made their lives a lot easier. You get to try this too. Your 3 hour safari will take you to the summit of Vasatunturi to savour the amazing wilderness vistas. A farewell dinner at the hotel this evening brings proceedings to a close.

Tuesday: Return airport transfers and flights
The worst thing about Finnish Lapland is leaving but we hope you’ve learned a whole host of new skills and fallen in love with a genuinely pristine wilderness.

Savukoski is Finland’s most sparsely populated municipality with 1,300 people living in an area covering 6,470km². That equates to 1/5th of a person per square kilometre. Survival skills are important here!

Living the Lappish Lifestyle

This holiday is all about learning the skills and sampling the lifestyle in Finland’s least populated municipality. Our local wilderness guides will show you the basic skills required to survive in such remote terrain. To stay true to this philosophy, you will be staying in one of two shared cabins at “Base Camp” which enjoys a lovely location on the banks of the Kemijoki River.

 Suitable for anybody aged 18 years or over.