Saariselkä, Finland is the most enchanting place to spend your Christmas holiday. It was definitely my most memorable Christmas. I felt like I was in a children fairytale, it was truly magical. (For those who used to watch or read
The Moomins as a child, you would feel like you have just entered their world.)
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| Comic and story book version |
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| Japanese anime or cartoon version |
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Saariselkä is north of Finland in the arctic circle (also known as part of
Lapland). During Winter it can get down to -30°C, although it sounds like it is unbearable weather (as that was my first thought when I heard it) it is actually not that bad, as there isn't much wind so as long as you keep moving you don't actually feel that cold. Dress appropriately, good ski wear, thermos underwear, gloves, scarf and hat, then you will be fine.
When I was there last Christmas with my mum, our luggage was lost and did not reappear until the end of our stay. At the beginning I thought our trip would be ruined as Lapland is known for its' outdoor safari trips, such as Husky and Reindeer rides. Without warm clothing it is just not doable, so we ended up buying a few extra bits, such as extra thermos, but not much else as you can borrow ski wear from the safari shops. (I just layered as many layers of clothing as possible. I ended up wear about 5 layers, including the ski wear that I rented.) I think normally if you have your own ski wear, if you wear your own and the ones they give you that would be more than enough.
Saariselkä is a very small town, you can actually walk about the town centre in a few hours. There are only a few shops, one supermarket and a handful of hotels and restaurants. Although some might say there isn't much to do around the town center, but you go to Lapland for the nature and the safaris, not for a shopping spree. Finland is a very expensive country, so you would definitely need to save up for this destination. An average meal is around 50 euros per head (not including alcohol.)
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| Hotel Riekolinna |
During our stay, we resided in the
Lapland Hotel Riekonlinna. The hotel is a 3 star hotel, it isn't the fanciest hotel there but it is very convenient and good value for money. The rooms are simple and pleasant, if you like to relax in a hot sauna at night, you can request a bathroom with a private sauna, which is a lovely touch. If all those rooms are fully booked, there is a communal one downstairs.
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| View from my hotel room balcony |
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| View from my hotel room balcony |
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The hotel staffs are helpful and attentive. They continuously checked up on the luggage status for us, and when we asked for restaurant recommendation, they helped us book as well. Although when you book the hotel they will ask you whether or not you would like to book for your Christmas eve dinner and Christmas dinner. If you are arriving a bit earlier, I will definitely try to eat elsewhere as the restaurant isn't great. It is alright for breakfast, but if you are looking for fine dinning, this is not what you are looking for. Their Christmas eve dinner is a buffet style but with very little choice.
Here are a list of hotel which looks amazing and I think is worth a try:
- Kakslauttanen Hotel & Igloo Village http://www.kakslauttanen.fi/en/ My mother stayed in this hotel for her fist visit, and she highly recommends it. They have log cabins, ice igloos and glass igloos. It is a bit further away from the town center but it is a lovely hotel.
- Tunturihotelli http://www.tunturihotelli.fi/Suomeksi.iw3 This hotel is right opposite Hotel Riekolinna. It is the newest hotel in Saariselkä. I haven't stayed there but from what I hear from the locals it is a lovely new hotel with great decor. A winter cabin with a modern touch.
If you are looking for fine dinning in Saariselkä, you must try
Siberia. The food there is sensational, great ambiance and fantastic service. The decor is modern and sleek, accompanied by a contemporary menu. Their menu is a great marriage of contemporary cooking with traditional Lapland ingredients, such as reindeer meet and arctic charr (fish), locally sourced, beautifully fresh and stunningly presented. If you would like to kick back and relax after a safari adventure, their cafe is opened during day, where they serve coffee, teas and cakes.
Normally you would not need to book, but for special
occasions such as Christmas, it is wise to book as most good places are
booked up.
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| My amazing main dish - Reindeer meat. It was the best Reindeer meat I have ever tasted. | | |
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Here are a list of other restaurants I have tried and highly recommend:
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| Starter at Tunturihotelli - Crayfish in three different ways |
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| Main in Tunturihotelli - Reindeer meat in red wine sauce |
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| Dessert in Tunturihotelli - crepe with berry sauce |
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| Lunch in Hotelli Kieppi - Arctic Charr in seafood sauce. |
Finnish winter food is very hearty and tasty. My taste buds were definitely in for a treat while I was there. I even started experimenting and cooking Finnish food at home because I like it so much. :)
Lapland is well known for its stunning landscape and nature scene. So going on safaris is a must while in Saariselkä. There are plenty of different safari companies around the area, there will normally be one in the hotel you are staying in, so it is very convenient. The prices for the safaris between each company are pretty much the same, but the time they depart and the days they go on specific safaris are different. They have 2 hours or 4 hours safaris, depending on your need. The daytime period is very short during winter, so you need to be early birds if you want to go on as many safaris as possible.
Here are the different safaris and activities available:
- Reindeer safari
- Husky safari
- snowmobile safari
- North light safari
- Cross country ski
- Ice fishing
Due to the luggage scenario and the short period of stay, we were unable to do everything. We only went on the Reindeer and Husky safari, but they were both great fun. The husky ride is more exciting as you get to control your own speed. Two people per sledge, one sitting and the other standing at the back controlling the speed. For the one who is standing at the back, you should be careful as I did fly off twice while I was controlling the speed. If you go too fast around the bend you will be thrown off. Luckily the snow was very soft so I didn't get hurt, plus we were the only ones who wanted to do the 4 hour husky tour so we had a private tour. Which was great because the guide was able to come back and help us out without a sting of people behind us waiting for us or crashing into you. Having our own private tour was great because we had the whole path for ourselves, so it felt very secluded and you really get to enjoy the environment around you.
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| Views from the Sledge |
With the 4 hour safari you do get a lunch break, where the guide will light a fire in a hut and cook you lunch. The lunch consists of soup (meat or fish), bread and some tea. It doesn't sound a lot but it does the trick.
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| The view outside the hut |
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| The hut with our husky waiting outside |
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| Lunch cooking by the toasty fire. |
If you want to relive a childhood magical moment, then the reindeer safari is a must. You are first greeted by a member of the local tribe known as Sami. Who will lead you to their reindeer farm, where the reindeer safari begins. Reindeer sledges are built different to the husky ones, they are a lot wider and without the breaks at the back. Two people per sledge where you sit side by side, so great for a couple ride. This ride is slow where you can take photos around you.
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| Sami getting the sledges ready |
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| Beautiful Reindeer |
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| During the reideer ride |
This Christmas holiday was amazing, and I would definitely revisit Finland again. If you have children, this will definitely live up to their expectation of a white Christmas.
