Amy Hope

Lapland has an incredible amount to offer for families with older children - it remains a magical destination for families even when Father Christmas is no longer the top of the list of priorities! From our experience, with our own families, this magical winter wonderland is the perfect place for kids of all ages to let loose and have some fun. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and trying something is a guaranteed way to create shared experiences and memories. It also helps that in Lapland these involve 'cool' things such as Snowmobiles, huskies and (hopefully!) the Northern Lights! 

Something about the snow takes everyone back to being kids again! It is not always the most obvious activities which bring the most fun - building a snowman, sledging and snowball fights also put a smile on everyone's face too. 

There are so many benefits from a holiday in Lapland but here are the main ones which repeatedly are mentioned in our happy guest's feedback:  

• Quality time with your children: Lapland is the perfect place to spend quality time with your children. There are so many activities to do together that you'll be able to bond and create memories that will last a lifetime.

• Peace and quiet: Lapland is a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The peace and tranquillity will be a welcome change of pace for both you and your children.

• Unique experiences: Your family will have the opportunity to experience things that they would never be able to do anywhere else in the world. 

Here are just a few of the activities your kids will love in Lapland:

Northern Lights hunting: Lapland is one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis. Go on a Northern Lights hunting tour with your kids and share this bucket list experience together as a family to see if you can spot these amazing natural lights.

April is nearly upon us and the days are getting longer; with that, summer 2022 is fast approaching. This is the perfect time to book your next family holiday together which will help to make up for lost time. Summer 2022 is the perfect time to go on an adventure with your loved ones. So, we have picked six of our Family Travel Expert’s favourite summer adventure holidays to offer you some inspiration.

Portugal – Surf’s Up on the Alentejo Coast

The Alentejo coast is Portugal’s best-kept secret. With stunning scenery that ranges from dramatic, rocky cliffs to expansive sandy beaches, there is plenty of space for an amazing family getaway. This is the ideal location for surfing enthusiasts, with the gorgeous coastline creating the perfect conditions to achieve great surfing waves. It is an area known for its delicious local cuisine and extreme natural beauty, with the Mira, Europe’s cleanest river, running close by. The Alentejo coast offers a great combination of sun and activities that are perfect for a family adventure holiday.

Our Product Manager Amy has plenty of experience visiting our winter destinations and it’s always extra special when she gets to experience the magic of Lapland with her family! Here she gives her expert advice on how to dress children for a family winter holiday. 

It is safe to say that here at Activities Abroad we get very excited about the onset of a new winter season. Not only do the winter months in the Arctic bring with them a host of exciting family activities such as dog sledding and reindeer sleigh rides, they also give our families one of the first opportunities to go in search of the Northern Lights!

The first Auroras of this season were sighted at Brändön Lodge in Swedish Lapland on the 13th August 2024! On the same night the Northern Lights were visible across the UK and at several of our Arctic destinations. We experienced a significant geomagnetic storm in May, followed by another one in mid-August, which is quite a brief interval within the aurora seasons and a clear indication that we are in a solar maximum. If there was ever a perfect time to book a trip to the Arctic to witness the aurora, it's now!

What is Solar Maximum? 

For the full scientific explanation please head on over to our sister company - The Aurora Zone which has lots of fascinating scientific articles explaining such as 'What is the Solar Maximum' 

In a short (ish!) summary: Since human's earliest fascination with space, and scientists began observing the Sun's activity, it becsme clear that the number of sunspots fluctuates over time. This pattern typically spans about 11 years, though it can extend up to 14 or 15 years, and is known as the Solar Cycle. Within each Solar Cycle, the number of sunspots increases to a peak, called the Solar Maximum, and then decreases to a low point, known as the Solar Minimum. 

We are right in the middle of the current solar cycle which in short not only means more frequent but also more spectacular Auroras! 

Having worked at Activites Abroad for almost 9 years I have always dreamt about taking my family to Lapland.  I am very lucky to be able to visit many of the wonderful destinations that we offer as part of my role as Product and Operations Manager and I consider many of our local partners as friends rather than just business associates.

We recently caught up with Laura from our marketing team to find out about her experience meeting reindeer in Finnish Lapland, here's what she had to say:

So, I’m a little bit of an animal lover (ok - major animal lover) and when I heard I was going to Finnish Lapland and getting the chance to meet reindeer, I couldn’t have been more excited!

I caught up with Laura from our Marketing Team to chat about her experience of whale watching in Madeira. Here is what she had to say:

Madeira is an island well-known for the wine that bears its name and its astounding botanical wonders, but something that not everyone knows about Madeira is that the waters surrounding the island are literally bursting with marine life!

We love Finland here at Activities Abroad and we can’t wait to celebrate 100 years of independence with them - but what makes this amazing country one of our favourite places to go on holiday?

Here are five reasons we think you should make Finnish Lapland your next family getaway:

We know it’s hard to make a decision about where to go on your winter family holiday, so why not take some expert advice?

We asked our Activities Abroad and here’s what they had to say: