October 2015

As a travel expert at Activities Abroad, i’m often asked for holiday inspiration... Here are some great ideas for family winter holidays.

For younger families there may only be one chance to meet the ‘real’ Father Christmas in Lapland.

Credit: Marko Junttila & Hotel Gulo Gulo

Our Father Christmas and Arctic Animal Encounters ensures a memorable and magical experience for both children and adults alike. The focus of the holiday is of course the Santa visit......Travelling as a family by snowmobile pulled sleigh through the snowy Lappish Forest, the trail leads to a cosy cabin where you will be welcomed by Father Christmas himself. If you like the idea of a private Santa Claus experience, this is perfect, with the children getting around 20 minutes to talk with him about his most important of jobs!

During my time with Activities Abroad I have visited Nellim twice.

My first experience at this wonderful place was in September, during the Finnish ‘Ruska’ – a time when the trees are a palette of orange and gold and the forest floors are carpeted with mushrooms and berries.

My second time was in the depths of winter, a time when the region comes alive and showcases the most incredible winter scenery. The drive here takes you down quiet winding roads, lined only with trees and the odd wooden cabin. Located on the banks of the frozen Lake Inari, Nellim Wilderness Hotel is warmly welcoming, a charming home-from-home set idyllically in the snow which endlessly covers everything. At this time of year, the sun rises just barely over the horizon, keeping daylight hours to a minimum and bathing the region in unique blue polar light.

Any light that there is however reflects off the snow so it is much lighter than you would think!