A-Z||F.

In this addition I will be researching Finland. As you may remember I have already done a feature post on Finland, and for those of you which haven't read it yet you can go back and view it by clicking HERE.

As we are approaching the cold winter months and more importantly Christmas!! I have decided to focus on one of Finland's most visited wintery places LAPLAND.

Lapland itself is situated on the Arctic Circle in Finland. The biggest towns in Lapland are Rovaniemi, Kemi & Tornio. Only 3.6% of the Finnish population live here in Lapland, so it therefore has very spacious land. It is a visually stunning place and well known for its nature and wilderness. It is the home to the only real Santa Claus and thousands of Reindeer's (which you can ride if you want to). It is here where you can also find the Northern Lights. (To find out more about the Northern Lights click HERE.)

Getting there...

One of the main- and easiest ways to visit Lapland is by plane. Some airlines do offer direct flights to Lapland these are mainly found in the UK and Finland itself. If however you are planning to travel from far away places, like the USA, Australia and Africa you will find that you have to take a flight to the capital Helsinki and then get a connecting flight from there straight to Lapland.

It can be a very expensive trip especially if you decide to visit at Christmas time, which is very popular with families who have small children. So I would suggest booking well in advance if you want to save some money. You should also plan your route online well ahead of schedule because of this.


Where to stay..

Trying to find a place to stay can be expensive also, but again if you do your prep before it doesn't have to be too impossible. One of my favourite websites to compare hotels and log cabins can be found HERE it is a very handy tool to use when trying to get the best deal for your money.

I would especially recommend staying in a Lapland Log Cabin. This is something I have always wanted to do myself, I think it would make the entire wintery experience all that more magical. They usually sleep up to 12 people so they are very ideal if you plan to take all the family.  You can get a price guide HERE.



Another Place which is magical and which would add to the overall festive experience is a visit to Lapland's very own Ice Hotel. The hotel itself is actually located in the Swedish village of Jukkasjarvi (200km inside the Artic Circle). Seasons at this hotel start from the 6th Dec- 31st of March and the duration of the stay is usually for 4 days/3 nights.

Before you decide to book you are given a choice of warm or cold accommodation. The staff do recommend for your own comfort to mix it up a bit- alternating between the cold and warm rooms on different nights of your trip. You receive a choice of 3 types of cold rooms with are complete with a bed made entirely from snow and Ice. There is also a sauna room in the hotel which you are allowed to use and this is included in the price.

If you choose the warm accommodation option you are again given a choice of 3 types of rooms. the Kaamos Hotel room, the Nordic Hotel Chalet and the Northern Lights Chalet. All the rooms come complete with the necessities and are standard double beds or twin beds. One thing I absolutely love about this whole hotel is there is so much choice of where to stay!- Be warned!! This is a very popular place to stay around Christmas so booking must be made well in advance to secure your spot.

For more information about the different tour packages you can buy in Lapland you can visit HERE.

That's it for Finland! Hope you enjoyed reading!! It certainly had me reaching for the reindeer jumper and mince pies!
Next up is Guatemala.