I had often pondered the idea of going to Lapland, but for various reasons had always discounted it, but this Transun holiday to Northern Finnish Lapland sounded so good I began to think about it again.

It was a three night package, flying from Stansted and staying in the Hotel Ivalo on the banks of the River Ivalojoki and included full board and lots of activities – snowmobiling, a reindeer sleigh ride, Husky sledging, a Gala Dinner and, of course a visit to Father Christmas himself. Our family have always enjoyed visiting warmer climes, but we decided this sounded such fun we just had to try it.

Most Lapland holidays are to the resorts of Yllas and Levi which are much further South than we were going and as the holiday drew closer I did start to feel slightly nervous about just how far North it was, really quite close to the Arctic Ocean and probably the closest we’d ever get to the North Pole itself. In reality temperatures averaged -17° during our stay but with the right clothing this was not a problem.

After the 3½ hours flight to Ivalo our aircraft was met by two Sami men dressed in traditional costumes waiting with a reindeer, this caused a frisson of excitement and was a lovely start to the whole trip. We were efficiently whisked through all formalities and taken to the clothing warehouse to get our thermal suits and boots before setting out on the short journey to our hotel. The Hotel Ivalo was warm and comfortable and our room was huge with two twin beds and bunk beds for the kids. Directly behind the hotel the River Ivalojoki was frozen solid and we spent an exhilarating hour skidding down the banks onto the frozen river on sledges – hugely enjoyable but hard on the backside!

After breakfast the following day we headed off for a Lappish Ceremony in a Tepee, with a local Shaman, an opportunity to try reindeer milk (a bit like Evaporated). Snowmobiling followed, and after a short lesson on ‘how to drive a snowmobile’ everyone was buckled into a helmet and we roared off with my husband driving and me clinging on behind him. The children were towed behind us in their own sledge complete with reindeer-skin blankets. When we stopped we had some free time for fun in the snow – it was incredibly deep, up to our knees and the children had a lovely time, lying down and doing ‘Snow Angels’. A short walk brought us to a small clearing with a log fire where we waited our turn for the reindeer sleigh ride, a circular route through the forest, 2 adults to each sleigh. Reindeer are much smaller than I was expecting, they outnumber people in Lapland by 30 to 1 and are farmed by the local Sami people.

Warmed by some hot juice it was now time to go in search of Father Christmas. Arriving outside a little wooden house with a reindeer parked outside, who should come to the door but Father Christmas himself! Our girls were older than the other children there, but still enjoyed the Christmas magic. Each child was promised everything they had asked for in their letter to him! A bit rash, I thought – some of the parents visibly paled at this, especially the ones whose child had asked for a digital camera plus all the attachments and had thoughtfully added a full pricelist! I thanked my lucky stars that my kids have stopped asking for a pony every Christmas! The elves gave all the children a really cute cuddly reindeer, a nice memento of their visit with Father Christmas. Later that day we made use of the sauna and indoor swimming pool at the Hotel Ivalo – the pool was traditionally absolutely-freezing-cold but it had to be done!

The following day there were no activities scheduled, so most people paid extra for an activity of their choice, we chose a 2-hour Husky Safari which turned out to be the highlight of our trip. When we arrived at the Husky Farm we could hear the Huskies making a tremendous racket, they were all harnessed up and ready to go – and they knew it! I was expecting to sit in a sledge and be expertly driven by an experienced local, who would point out reindeer and other critters as we whooshed through the forest, but for some reason they insisted on teaching us the basic principles of Husky driving. When we got to where the Huskies were waiting there were about 8 sledges, with 6 dogs harnessed in front of each one, the Husky Man looked at our children and said that because they weren’t ‘little kids’ they would have to be passengers and my husband & I would have to drive a sledge each! I thought he was joking, I tried to object, I even tried a bit of ‘damsel in distress’ on my husband, but he wasn’t buying it. The sledge itself was like the sort of trolley things you get at Garden Centres, with some elongated runners instead of wheels and a crude handle for me to cling onto. The driver has to balance on the back of the runners, the ‘brake’ was a metal plate on a spring that you stand on to slow the Huskies down or stop them. I had visions of falling off the back of my sledge and being run over by the braying pack of Huskies behind – perhaps even being torn limb from limb by the Huskies…! I now know that the Huskies wouldn’t have torn me limb from limb – they would have wee’d on me!

So I pulled myself together and without further ado, we set off! Novice drivers on all 8 sledges with 2 Husky Men buzzing up and down the line on snowmobiles to sort out fights (between the Huskies, not the tourists) and pick up those who had fallen by the wayside. The start of the course was a steep slope with a tight right-hand turn at the bottom and was probably one of the most difficult parts. Needless to say we had to stop almost immediately as someone had fallen off already! While we waited for the faller to be reunited with her sledge, my husband’s Huskies took the opportunity to wee up my legs. Once again we raced off, the scenery was breathtakingly beautiful, snow-covered trees against a pinky-blue sky, it was quite magical. I had no concept of time during the safari as I was so busy hanging on, making sure my daughter was okay, slowing my dogs down and snatching occasional glimpses at the pristine beauty around me. Once, we had to stop at the bottom of a steep hill without crashing into the sledge in front, this was difficult because the icy ground prevented the brake from gaining purchase, my Huskies all leapt expertly aside at the last moment, except one, who from then on I lovingly referred to as ‘Squashed Dog’! What actually stopped our sledge was the fact that it smashed into the legs of the man driving the one in front – very embarrassing, but he was very nice about it. Having successfully negotiated everything so far I felt I’d really got the hang of this and was feeling quite smug, soon after this my illusions were shattered when we rounded a tight left hand bend and before I knew what was happening I was flying through the air and had landed face down in the snow, making my own ‘Snow Angel’. My trusty dogs carried on regardless with my daughter completely oblivious to her mother’s fate, my dear husband also thundered past – I do believe he laughed! Perhaps I hadn’t quite mastered it after all! Eventually we stopped deep in the woods and the Husky Men tied all the Huskies up. Set back a little from the track was a Tepee where a fire was swiftly lit and hot drinks were passed out. Each person was given a large sausage on a stick to cook over the fire, the best sausage I have ever tasted. Slightly defrosted and full of sausage, we headed back to our Huskies and set off for the final leg of the safari, just fifteen minutes later we were back at the Husky Farm and warming ourselves in the cosy café, eagerly discussing the highs and lows of the past few hours – everyone agreed that it had been a great experience.

That evening it was the Gala Dinner, a special feast which took place in the barn behind the hotel. It was a delicious spread and everyone was in a buoyant mood. A nice touch to the evening was the surprise re-appearance of Father Christmas, who brought yet more presents for the children (thoughtfully tailored to the age and gender of the child – my girls were absolutely delighted with what they got). He posed for photos and didn’t seem at all stressed, despite the fact that it was just 5 days before Christmas Eve – I suppose he has elves to do all his worrying for him. It had been a long, memorable day and soon after Father Christmas left the party, so did we. The next day would be our last in Lapland and we were just beginning to get used to it….

On the last day we were taken once more to the Husky Farm. Everyone had a chance to drive a team of Huskies on a short circular track, about 400 metres in all followed by a chance to admire the Husky puppies and some sledging fun for the kids. From there we were taken to nearby Saariselka for lunch and then a chance to do some souvenir shopping. Reluctantly we boarded the coach and headed back to the airport, I think we all felt we would have liked to stay a bit longer, especially as it had started to snow quite heavily. At the airport the Transun Representative, who I must say had been very helpful, presented each family with a souvenir photograph taken with Father Christmas at the Gala Dinner, an Arctic Circle Crossing Certificate and our Lapland Passports listing the activities we had participated in.

If you are contemplating a trip to Lapland next Christmas I do highly recommend it. My family and I thoroughly enjoyed our time there; it’s a very special and memorable experience. I was impressed with the care and attention to detail that had gone into the planning of these holidays and the simple unspoilt beauty of Lapland is stunning. They say it’s a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience but I know my girls are determined to go back and I have a feeling we may be returning some time in the not-too-distant future!

I will be delighted to discuss Lapland with you if you are interested in going, so please do come in and see me at Travelux. Everyone booking a Lapland holiday with us will get a unique list of ‘Hot Tips for Cold Trips’.

Caroline Poyton