We know...
This holiday is specifically designed to enhance your chances of experiencing the Northern Lights.
Your base will be the homely Nellim hotel and Apartments and from there, we will head out to some of the best Aurora viewing spots anywhere in Western Europe. One of these is our very own Aurora Camp situated on an island amidst the endless frozen ice of mystical Lake Inari.
It's a remote place far from any artificial light pollution making it the perfect spot to gaze skywards in wonderment.
And don't worry about the cold, we'll provide you with thermal outfits, a blazing fire and plenty of warm soup and drinks to keep the midnight chills at bay. The time passes swiftly in such a remarkable place!
You know...
“Enjoyed every minute - had a fantastic time - enjoyed everything. Our comments? Thank you for a truly wonderful holiday and experience.” Michael Edwards - March 2010
Suitable for
Suitable for anybody aged 18 years or over.
Thursday: Flights, transfers and welcome
A day which starts with the hustle and bustle of London’s Heathrow Airport will end in a remote family run hotel approximately 200km North of the Arctic Circle.
Friday: Snowmobile lesson, snowshoes, ice fishing and Aurora Camp
After breakfast you will receive a safety briefing and instruction during a snowmobiling lesson.
This afternoon you will be provided with snowshoes and your guide will lead you off the beaten track to explore the wilderness on foot. You will also get the opportunity to catch your own dinner with a spot of ice fishing.
You aren't quite done for today. This evening we'll take you out to the Aurora Camp on Lake Inari. With no light pollution and a North facing base, there are few better places from which to gaze in awe at the Northern Lights and the vast Arctic sky. There's even a small wooden cabin with a fire in which to keep warm. We think it's one of the best Aurora view points in the world!
Saturday: Lake Inari husky safari and Aurora Snowmobile Safari
Today you will harness up your dog sleds and take the reins for a safari on the thick ice of frozen Lake Inari. You may well pass Aurora Camp which looks very, very different in the daylight, but equally beautiful.
Your safari will last for approximately 4 hours.
Tonight's evening snowmobile safari continues the Aurora hunting quest. Anybody who is unsure about snowmobiling at night can ride with the guide or in a sleigh pulled by snowmobile.
Sunday: Snowmobiles, reindeer and Aurora Camp
After breakfast, you're back on the snowmobiles and heading towards a local reindeer farm where you’ll meet the animals and their herders and learn something about the culture of the region and the importance of the reindeer to the Sami people.
After your farewell dinner you will head back to an Aurora camp for another stake out and with any luck the Northern Lights will come to bid you farewell.
Monday: Depart or extend your stay
Today it is time to return home. If you can’t quite bring yourself to wave goodbye to Finland then you can spend some extra time at Nellim trying out some additional activities or simply relaxing during the day and searching for the Aurora at night.
Alternatively we can arrange for you to spend the night in a snow or glass igloo at Kakslauttanen Igloo Village. Both provide a truly memorable night’s accommodation.
Available
Limited places
On request
Pricing Notes
Overnight at Kakslauttanen Glass Igloos
Price includes transfers, half board and winter clothing.
Dates
This trip can be operated on any date for groups including 2 or more adults.
Getting there
Flights
Manchester departures available upon request (supplements will apply).
Tourism in Finnish Lapland has become the main source of employment and income, replacing traditional industries such as forestry. Working within this growth industry in rural and remote areas means that we must take a great deal of responsibility; socially, environmentally and economically. We fully appreciate the impact of tourist visits on local communities and their residents and strive to ensure that we are having a positive effect.
The wilderness hotel in Nellim is owned and run by the Lappalainen family, whose Sámi routes have been in this area for centuries. They have a strong sense of tradition and we encourage all of our clients to respect and embrace the lives and culture of all Nellim’s local inhabitants by learning a few important words: hello, goodbye, please, thank you etc. We have also included activities with a cultural base. In addition, we always encourage our clients to get involved in local events and activities which help to sustain traditional values and customs.
In all of our destinations we ensure that we use local accommodation, transport and activity providers, enabling locally owned businesses and the economies in which they work to benefit directly. The hotel in Nellim also serves as much local produce as possible and stocks locally made souvenirs. Through the tourism multiplier effect, this all helps to generate incomes and employment where the drift might otherwise be towards larger employment areas such as towns and cities. In a small and remote village such as Nellim the effects of such a drift could be devastating.
The use of small family run hotels and businesses means that the tourism income, generated by our presence stays where it should, in the local economy. We firmly believe in paying a fair price for all the services provided by our suppliers regardless of where they are in the world.
Our holidays rely on visiting beautiful and un-spoilt areas, and they don’t come more un-spoilt than Nellim. Naturally we wish to maintain the natural settings in which we work, not just for the future of our company, but also for future generations. We will always insist that our local providers are equally conscious of this need.
We do appreciate that some may feel that snowmobiles should not be included in such itineraries however in areas such as Nellim they are a way of life. They are the only means of keeping in contact with remote reindeer herders and communities as the road infrastructure is not extensive. All trails are well managed. The alternatives to snowmobiles would in most cases be large, gas-guzzling off road vehicles. All snowmobiles are regularly serviced and kept as fuel efficient as possible. The snowmobile service industry is also another vital source of employment in these remote areas.
We always ensure that all litter is removed from any of our activity sites, we strongly encourage group transfers to reduce traffic volumes and we make our clients aware of their obligation to the environment. We always offset our air travel emissions and would encourage you to do the same.