Insiders View on Lapland

By Annekreet Heinloo

One little known fact that everyone should know about when travelling to Lapland…

The Lapland region actually consists of northern parts of Finland. Sweden and Norway, as well as northwest of Russia. It covers 17% of Europe and corresponds in area to France, Germany, Spain and Portugal put together.

What is a must buy when in Lapland?

Lapland offers a great variety of local handicraft. You can buy items made of reindeer antlers or carved from the local wood. You can also find small shops offering beautiful silver jewellery.

My personal favourite is the special symbol called ‘komsiopallo’ – a decorated cradle ball (often used as a necklace pendant), which indigenous people of Lapland gave to their babies to protect them from bad spirits and bring good fortune.

One take-away after a visit to Lapland?

There are no end to the adventures we can have, if only we seek them with our eyes open.

What is your advice to first time travellers?

Do not be offended if local people look too serious and reserved, as it is the way people are in the North. Give them some time, they will warm up and can actually be extremely friendly and helpful. Nordic people have warm hearts, but they are very shy to show it out.

One thing to definitely pack when travelling to Lapland?

When traveling in summer months during the Midnight Sun period (May – August), it would help to bring a sleeping mask with you. Many people are disturbed by daylight during the night and have difficulties in falling asleep. During winter, you must not forget a good pair of gloves and a warm hat!

Which are the must do activities in Lapland?

There are three must-do activities in Lapland: snowmobiling, reindeer ride and husky ride. Representing different ways of transportation in the Nordic areas, all the three are fantastic experiences and great fun.

Where should anyone, travelling to Lapland, definitely get their picture taken?

At the Arctic Circle, one of the main circles of latitude, located in the Santa Claus Village nearby Rovaniemi. You can take a funny photo standing on the line or jumping over it!

Which is the best place to get a panoramic photo of Lapland?

There are various beautiful viewpoints all around Lapland, depending of your travel destination. If you are in Saariselkä region, don’t miss the hill top restaurant Huippu – you will find amazing views. In Levi, head to Tuikku.

Best place to enjoy sunset/sunrise in Lapland?

The most interesting experience is to miss the sunset and sunrise!
As Lapland is situated North of Arctic Circle, the sun is above the horizon for 24 continuous hours at least once per year (and therefore visible at midnight) and below the horizon for 24 continuous hours at least once per year. On the Arctic Circle such events occur, in principle, exactly once per year, at the June and December solstices, respectively.

Most romantic place to take a special someone to.

The most romantic place would be in the wild under thousands of stars and in complete darkness. There are many fireplaces with small shelters built in the nature, on the lake shores and hill tops, where anyone can enjoy the beauty of Lapland. Take warm blankets to keep the two of you cosy and there is nothing more romantic than staring at the stars in the wild solitude.

Best place to have local food?

Everybody knows that Mothers are the best cooks in the world!
Find a small family run hotel or guest house and you will not regret it. Only there you can taste the best simple local delicacies!

Favourite local dish and drink that you would recommend.

Poron käristys – reindeer stew with mashed potatoes and cranberry jam.
For a drink, try out Finnish digestive called ‘Salmiakki kossu’ – a dark characteristic liquid of vodka and liquorice.

One place only the locals would know…

Where are the best fishing places!
Finnish men are crazy about fishing and they know the best spots for it. Every laplander has a secret place in the nature, where he goes to take some time off. It can be walking in the woods, fishing in the river, swimming in the lake – places that you cannot really find on a map.

The best pub and best place to catch up n a drink..

Rovaniemi is the capital of Finnish Lapland where you can find a variety of very good pubs to catch a drink. If you want to experience local life – you should stop at one of these tiny village centres, where gas station, grocery store, post office, and pub – all are located at the same house.

A local festival you feel more travellers should come and see..

Every spring there are reindeer sprint races that take place in the bigger cities. It is a strange sport, but fun to see. Rovaniemi Reindeer Sprint is the oldest and biggest one of the races, only best of the reindeer are invited to compete here. The race takes place at the end of March.

The things guide books won’t tell anyone about Lapland?

Lapland people often swim naked. But don’t worry, you most probably will not see it, because it happens in the wilderness, where no swimming suite is required and there is no one around. It is considered an expression of wild living and freedom.

Is there any particular month you would recommend travel to Lapland and what would that reason be?

Most people prefer to travel to Lapland during winter (December – March), but one of the most beautiful time to visit is actually September, when everything green turns into yellow, red and purple before fading to grey and falling in winter sleep. This special time is called “Ruska” and is the most loved time in Lapland.

In one sentence, Lapland is..

Everything is possible, because Lapland is magic.

Our associate in Lapland, Annekreet is an avid traveller and has been in the industry since 2004. Originally from Estonia, she knows a lot more about what people like about Lapland than the locals do. 

Watch her as she takes a dip in her private Jacuzzi in this video.

 To know more check out our latest package

When God switches on the Lights…

By Srinivas Krishnan

Ever seen an abstract painting in which the sky is the canvas? The colours are nothing but sheer light in magical shades while the dark sky is the background on which this divine work of art is presented. Watching this play of light in the night sky high above the Earth is an experience that cannot be replicated; the effect is simply mesmerising. After all, it’s not an ordinary human artist, but a divine one that’s putting up the show for you.

Called Aurora Borealis or the Northern Lights, this is a majestic spectacle that occurs in the high latitude regions of the planet. There is of course a purely rational, unemotional and dry scientific reason as to why this natural phenomenon occurs – and that involves words like magnetosphere, solar wind, charged particles, magnetic field, ionization, etc. But what the scientific description can never tell you is how spectacular, mystifying and jaw-dropping the phenomenon is, when you see it with your own eyes.

So where best in this whole, wide world do you get to see this fantastic light show? Read on…

Trippy lights

The Aurora Borealis is best witnessed in the Lapland region of Finland. Lapland is the largest and the northernmost region of this beautiful country. It seems far away from the rest of the world, and is virtually untouched by light pollution which allows you to see the Northern Lights in all their glory. And the best time to do that is during the winter months – starting November, and going all the way up to April. During this time, there is snow wherever you look and the Lapland gets coated in white – juxtaposed by the mysterious lights in the dark nights.

And there is a beautiful way of seeing it too. While you can always wait for the darkness to set, sit in a capable 4×4 and hunt down the Lights, you can also chase the lights the way explorers used to do a hundred-plus years ago: sitting in a reindeer sled! Watch God’s light show unfold in the skies as the reindeer pulls you along at it pace.

You can also get an adrenaline rush while hunting down the Northern Lights: on a Snowmobile! With skis at the front, caterpillar tracks at the rear and a handlebar to manoeuvre, you can leave tracks on the snow in search of the elusive Northern Lights.

In the Lap of the Gods

Of course, Lapland is more than the Aurora Borealis. It is a stunning winter destination that will fill up your senses with beauty all around and your lungs with chilled, unpolluted air. Understand the unique flora and fauna of this region where it is snowed out nearly seven months of the year: visit the Rauna wildlife zoo, where over 50 species of wild Arctic animals, including moose, wolves, lynxes, foxes and of course the polar bear can be seen, as well as birds that live ‘at the top of the world.’ Speaking of fauna, you can also get close to the lovable huskies that can be called the Finnish’s best friends and of course go along on a husky sled ride!

The Lapland is also home to the indigenous Sami people, who have developed their own unique customs and culture in tandem with the unique geography of this place. Open your eyes by meeting and interacting with the Sami people, and maybe even learn how to make reindeer boots!

Lapland is also where you get to meet a big, burly, bearded man wearing a red outfit. Yes, you can meet Santa Claus! Where? Well, at his own village, of course. Ho! Ho! Ho! You can click pictures with him, meet his reindeer’s and even post letters back home from Santa Claus’s own post office! Stay in a luxurious glass igloo at Santa Claus village, where in the winter, you can see the Northern Lights unfolding in the sky through the glass roof of your own igloo. The Arctic Circle passes through here, so it’s one for your travel record books.

Tick this one off your must-visit, must-do list. Head to the Arctic Circle in Lapland this winter and let God switch on the lights!

Also check out our latest package on the Northern Lights

Call us or email us on the following coordinates, today!

Call Farah: 9820904765

Email: askus@thewanderers.co.in

Signature Trips 2019

Most of us start the New Year promising to transform ourselves – that we will eat less, exercise hard, read more and travel extensively. The last one, though enjoyable, can be a tedious one to achieve. Nevertheless, help is at hand for you to stick to that last resolution. Presenting Signature Trips from The Wanderers.These are our showpiece journeys that remove the tyranny of figuring out where to go, what to do and how to go about doing it. Leave all that to  us, because we have been passionately curating travel experiences for over two decades now.

Our Signature Trips

THE HIDDEN NORWAY 
Rugged but stunningly beautiful, the mountains of the Lofoten Islands stand like sentinels above the restless Norwegian Sea. It’s a piece of dramatic wilderness that the Norwegians prefer to keep secret.

LOFOTEN ISLANDS, NORWAY

 

CALL US TODAY TO VISIT IN JUNE, JULY OR AUGUST

KAILASH MANSAROVAR, TIBET
AN INNER JOURNEY
Will you be called this year to visit this holiest of all holy mountains? Will you be invited by its famous resident to make the divine trek and seek his blessings?
SUBMIT TO HIM & CALL US TO VISIT FROM MID-MAY TO MID-OCTOBER

OLGEI, MONGOLIA- MONGOLIA IN A SNAP
Go on a photo tour with renowned photographer Swarup Chatterjee and discover the lives of throat singers, camel herders and traditional nomad families who are an intrinsic part of the distinctive Mongolian landscape.
CALL US TODAY TO VISIT IN JUNE, JULY OR AUGUST

MOSTAR, BOSNIA
BEAUTY IN TRAGEDY
Bosnia & Hercegovina made headlines as a battle-ground, but now is a beautiful, peaceful land layered with history and culture. Mull on the human condition while visiting Stari Most, or the old bridge.
CALL US TODAY TO VISIT FROM MAY TO OCTOBER

LOWER ZAMBEZI NATIONAL PARK, ZAMBIA
CREATURE COMFORTS
Live it up in the spectacular African bush. Enjoy terrific sightings of the magnificent wild animals of Africa in great comfort and luxury in the well-appointed lodges in the Lower Zambezi National Park.
CALL US TODAY TO VISIT FROM JULY TO OCTOBER

TRANS-SIBERIAN RAIL JOURNEY
THE LAST GREAT TRAIN ADVENTURE
A railway journey that covers almost one-third of the Earth’s surface. Get on board the Tsar’s Gold Train, and watch the landscape unfold from Moscow all the way to Beijing via Lake Baikal and Mongolia.
CALL US TODAY TO BOARD BETWEEN JUNE AND EARLY SEPTEMBER

NORTHERN LIGHTS, SWEDEN
TURN ON THE LIGHTS
Stay in an isolated tree house hotel in the Lapland forest and watch the magical Aurora Borealis put on a show as you lie in the open or via the skylight in your bedroom.
CALL US TODAY TO VISIT FROM JANUARY TO MARCH 2020

AMAZON RAINFOREST, ECUADOR
IT’S AMAZIN’!
Live the life of an adventurous explorer. Walk on a bridge suspended over the rainforest canopy, paddle through creeks, climb a kapok tree, swim in a black-water lake, search for the world’s tiniest monkey…
CALL US TODAY TO VISIT FROM FEBRUARY TO APRIL 2020

ANTARCTICA
THE LAST CONTINENT
The ultimate travel destination. Go on an expedition cruise to the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands to experience the fascinating and extreme part of our planet – the last pristine region of Mother Earth.
CALL US TODAY TO VISIT FROM JANUARY TO MARCH 2020

CHERRY BLOSSOMS, JAPAN
BIG IN JAPAN
The sakura is not a mere flower, it is an obsession. Join millions of Japanese in celebration of the pink cherry blossoms, an annual ritual called hanami, and rejoice in all things Japan.
CALL US TODAY TO VISIT FROM FEBRUARY TO MAY 2020

Consult Your Wanderers Professional

For more information drop us al mail at askus@thewanderers.co.in
Or buzz our travel experts at any of our offices close to your city: 
Alifiya @ Kolkata: +91 9831087222
Farzana @ Nagpur: +91 8888226634
Shradha @Mumbai : +91 920041279
Carolyne @Mumbai : +91 9619054538
Sharad @Mumbai : +91 8291445737
Sarang @ Ahmedabad : +91 9601256551
Keyur @ Ahmedabad : +91 8888226634

“An Insiders view on Lapland”

..Everything the guide books or tourism websites won’t tell you about the place..

The Wanderers in conversation with Annekreet Heinloo

——

One little known fact/trivia that everyone should know 

about when travelling to Lapland…
The Lapland region actually consists of northern parts of Finland, Sweden and Norway, as well as northwest of Russia. It covers 17% of Europe and corresponds in area to France, Germany, Spain and Portugal put together.

What is a must buy when in Lapland?
Lapland offers a great variety of local handicraft. You can buy items made of reindeer antlers or carved from the local wood. You can also find small shops offering beautiful silver jewellery.

My personal favourite is the special symbol called ‘komsiopallo’ – a decorated cradle ball (often used as a necklace pendant), which indigenous people of Lapland gave to their babies to protect them from bad spirits and bring good fortune.

source: Taigakoru

One take-away after a visit to Lapland?
There are no end to the adventures we can have, if only we seek them with our eyes open.

What is your advice to first time travellers?
Do not be offended if local people look too serious and reserved, as it is the way
people are in the North. Give them some time, they will warm up and can actually be extremely friendly and helpful. Nordic people have warm hearts, but they are very shy to show it out.

One thing to definitely pack when travelling to Lapland.
When traveling in summer months during the Midnight Sun period (May – August), it would help to bring a sleeping mask with you. Many people are disturbed by daylight during the night and have difficulties in falling asleep. During winter, you must not forget a good pair of gloves and a warm hat!

One activity anyone travelling to Lapland should not miss..
There are three must-do activities in Lapland: snowmobiling, reindeer ride and husky ride. Representing different ways of transportation in the Nordic areas, all the three are fantastic experiences and great fun.

Where should anyone, travelling to Lapland, definitely get their picture taken?
At the Arctic Circle, one of the main circles of latitude, located in the Santa Claus Village nearby Rovaniemi. You can take a funny photo standing on the line or jumping over it!

Which is the best place to get a panoramic photo of Lapland?
There are various beautiful viewpoints all around Lapland, depending of your travel destination. If you are in Saariselkä region, don’t miss the hill top restaurant Huippu – you will find amazing views. In Levi, head to Tuikku.

Best place to enjoy sunset/sunrise in Lapland?
The most interesting experience is to miss the sunset and sunrise!
As Lapland is situated North of Arctic Circle, the sun is above the horizon for 24 continuous hours at least once per year (and therefore visible at midnight) and below the horizon for 24 continuous hours at least once per year. On the Arctic Circle such events occur, in principle, exactly once per year, at the June and December solstices, respectively.

Most romantic place to take a special someone to.
The most romantic place would be in the wild under thousands of stars and in complete darkness. There are many fireplaces with small shelters built in the nature, on the lake shores and hill tops, where anyone can enjoy the beauty of Lapland. Take warm blankets to keep the two of you cosy and there is nothing more romantic than staring at the stars in the wild solitude.

Best place to have local food?
Everybody knows that Mothers are the best cooks in the world!
Find a small family run hotel or guest house and you will not regret it. Only there you can taste the best simple local delicacies!

Favourite local dish and drink that you would recommend.
Poron käristys – reindeer stew with mashed potatoes and cranberry jam.
For a drink, try out Finnish digestive called ‘Salmiakki kossu’ – a dark characteristic liquid of vodka and liquorice.

One place only the locals would know…
Where are the best fishing places!
Finnish men are crazy about fishing and they know the best spots for it. Every laplander has a secret place in the nature, where he goes to take some time off. It can be walking in the woods, fishing in the river, swimming in the lake – places that you cannot really find on a map.

The best pub and best place to catch up n a drink..
Rovaniemi is the capital of Finnish Lapland where you can find a variety of very good pubs to catch a drink. If you want to experience local life – you should stop at one of these tiny village centres, where gas station, grocery store, post office, and pub – all are located at the same house.

A local festival you feel more travellers should come and see..
Every spring there are reindeer sprint races that take place in the bigger cities. It is a strange sport, but fun to see. Rovaniemi Reindeer Sprint is the oldest and biggest one of the races, only best of the reindeer are invited to compete here. The race takes place at the end of March.

The things guide books won’t tell anyone about Lapland?
Lapland people often swim naked. But don’t worry, you most probably will not see it, because it happens in the wilderness, where no swimming suite is required and there is no one around. It is considered an expression of wild living and freedom.

Is there any particular month you would recommend travel to Lapland and what would that reason be?
Most people prefer to travel to Lapland during winter (December – March), but one of the most beautiful time to visit is actually September, when everything green turns into yellow, red and purple before fading to grey and falling in winter sleep. This special time is called “Ruska” and is the most loved time in Lapland.

In one sentence, Lapland is..
Everything is possible, because Lapland is magic.

———-

Our associate in Lapland, Annekreet is an avid traveller and has been in the industry since 2004. Originally from Estonia, she knows a lot more about what people like about Lapland than the locals do.
Watch her as she takes a dip in her private Jacuzzi in this video.
 

Trailing the Northern Lights in Lapland!

We started our journey in beautiful Tromso (one of Norway’s Northernmost cities and a great place to spot the Aurora). Although we had no luck with the Lights here, we did manage a beautiful cruise on the harbour. Their hunt for the lights took us onto a fantastic overnight cruise through the Norweigan Fjords, where we were rewarded with some unique scenery but we had no luck with the Northern lights again..

Disembarking the next morning at Honnigsvag, off we went for a rather adventurous and bumpy boat ride,  to the island of Gjesværstappan – one of the largest bird nesting areas in Norway; this was preceded by a fantastic excursion to the Nordkapp (the North Cape – arguably the Northern most tip of Europe) and finally, quite when we were not expecting we witnessed the Northern Lights!! 

So after 4 days of waiting and watching we were lucky to get the sight of sheer beauty! Needless to say, we are thrilled.

Our story continues as we are still enjoying the many wonders that Lapland offers… we have now spent a couple of days relaxing  in a beautiful little resort on a lake in the Finnish wilderness, walked with the huskies, a couple more excursions to see the lights, learning a bit about the local Sami culture, we enjoyed the brilliant hospitality of our hosts. We are taking in the stunning Finnish autumn.  All this and we still have a more days to go and a lot more experiences in store..we will keep you posted!

To know more check out our  Northern Lights package

An account of a journey one of our client took to Lapland in October 2013, accompanied by a great local guide adding to the experience.

Come alive…in the Arctic landscape – By Abhik Dutta

By Abhik Dutta

It’s snowing, huddled in the cosy little room in the Arctic Finland (Lapland), I know the temperature is roughing out between a minus 6 to minus 18. And that is really cold. The daylight is for approx 4 hrs only from 1030am to 2.30pm (sunrise and sunset resp). But then, surprisingly, this is the time when this region, called Lapland comes alive.

A land which holds a Narnia like appeal…a land, if you look at the map is loosely the Northern tip of Europe covering northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia most of which is within the Arctic Circle. I spent a couple of days last week in Finnish Lapland in the small town of Saariselka, considered to be one of the Northernmost resort towns in the world.

A land where the white winter calls out like a siren to me.

 

Day 1: The Finnair flight from Del-Helsinki connected to another flight to Ivalo, 250kms inside the Artic Circle. A short 25min drive brought us south to Saariselka where we spent 2nights. Cold, dark and snowing, the mercury had plummeted to minus 15 deg C. We were escorted to our glass igloos in the resort village of Kakslautannen, a small resort with log cabins as well as igloos (both ice as well as the more comfortable heated glass igloos). The glass igloo had a small attached toilet (no shower) and twin beds. Small but cozy and definitely had a warm appeal to it. What took our breath away was the glass dome, a way to ensure that in case anyone sees the Northern Lights, all you need to do is peep out of your blanket and voila!  But unfortunately, the Aurora Borealis proved elusive that night.

After unpacking, we trudged to the other side of the frozen lake (on which Kakslautannen is located), to the communal sauna. Walking on the wild side, we decided to go by the old adage, “When in Rome…do like the Romans” In this case, we followed the local Finnish custom, we went into the sauna, got suitably warmed up, then ran in the buff to take a snow roll and run back inside. After another 10 mins inside the sauna, we ran another 20mtrs to the lake, where they had carved a hole in the ice, took the ladder down to the icy waters of the lake for a dip, came out, searched for a white towel in the white landscape in a disoriented state, abandoned the search and ran back to the sauna..the towels would follow later, some day.

Boy, were we glad that Day 1 ended at all.

Day 2: In the morning, we packed our bags and walked through snow (roller suitcases/strolleys aren’t meant to be dragged through foot deep snow) to the main lodge for breakfast. Post that we drove over to a husky farm where we were first outfitted with a thick overall and snow boots and then met up with the cutest bunch of snarling huskies for a 30min ride through a frozen forest. I will not use the word frozen again. Whenever in doubt about the state of mind or body or the surroundings, rest assured it was always frozen.

And if we thought that the glass dome and the dip in the icy water was the highlight, Day 2’s husky ride was an experience, which probably, I wouldn’t be doing justice with mere words. A MUST EXPERIENCE!

By now we were hungry, so off we trudged into Holiday Club Saariselka in the heart of town – ideal for families who want to be in the middle of a small town. The resort claims to be the Northernmost spa hotel in the whole world. Its USP is the large indoor heated swimming pool complex. At plus 32C, it’s a fantastic break from the minus 15C outside.

Post lunch we returned to Kakslautannen Resort to our 2 bedroom log cabin. Equipped with a kitchenette, common bath in the living room, a children’s room with 2 bunk beds, a fireplace and the master bedroom with a private sauna;) this is ideal for a couple with 2 children. After another mandatory sauna, we left for another spectacular trip. Northern Lights hunting on snow mobiles. These 800cc bikes are easy to use and fun to ride. Once again we were outfitted with a warm outer dungaree, balaclavas and snow boots. A rudimentary lesson on snowmobiles followed. But we had all seen Mr. Bond plowing his snowmobiles all over the world in countless movies to know how to ride one. And so off we went. The 10 snowmobiles zooming off into the winter landscape in single file with headlights on. By now the snow was soft but fell relentlessly on us. We followed a forest trail sheathed in white, the trees laden with pure white snow and drooping onto our trail. Soon, we left the city lights behind us. The soft glow of white light of the Arctic sky brought out the eerie beauty of the place. We zigzagged through narrow forest trails, over a frozen river bed, revved up small mounds and zipped down the inclines. Pure adrenaline rush. After a while, we halted. The guide asked us to turn off the engines and soak in the Arctic night. Nothing prepared me for this. The stillness of the landscape punctuated by the silence of falling snow. We were on a mound with the fell below us. The soft, white light of the Polar night illuminated and embellished the landscape. There would be no sighting of the Aurora tonight. The snow was heavy. But, it didn’t really matter. We started on our journey again. A few minutes later, we reached the end of a trail. The guide asked us to switch off the snowmobiles and follow him down an incline towards a frozen stream. A small tent awaited us there. We sat around in a semi circle on reindeer skin rugs, while the guides went about their business of preparing a small fire, putting the kettle on it for some hot tea and coffee and grilled up some excellent sausages! 30mins later, we were off again, this time bound for the city lights, which would appear soon enough. But till them we would continue with the ride of our lives.

Day 3: We boarded the 9am coach from the highway bus stop. This is a daily Saariselka to Rovaniemi coach and costs Euro 42.60 per person for the journey. A very scenic drive of 3-1/2hrs with a 20min halt in a small town for a rest break. The bus eased into Rovaniemi bus station at 1230pm, from where we were picked up by our taxi. There is no train or flight between Saariselka and Rovaniemi. The road journey is excellent. In summer, the snow would disappear giving way to nature to show its true colours. After checking in at Santa Claus hotel in the town centre, we took a cab to the Arktikum (the museum), followed by a drive around town and were later dropped off to the Santa Claus Village. A fairy tale village which comes alive in winter!

And guess who was in none other than Mr. Santa Claus – who I had the honor of meeting and just when I thought that I had seen and done it all, I had Mr. Claus tell me that he had heard good things about me! Photography is not permitted as they take their own snaps and video for you to buy. Santa Claus also has a house in Saariselka and there you can meet him in private without the rush of Rovaniemi and can take your own snaps. Needless to say, kids will love the place as will adults. Next up was the Post Office which handles hundreds of thousands of letters every year with December being the month when Santa is flooded with mails from all over the world. There are 2 boxes. If you post your letter in the red one, it gets posted immediately. If you drop it in the orange one, it will be posted during Christmas. We returned to our hotel and later were driven 10kms out of town to a reindeer farm. Here we put on the warm overalls, and went for a short, sweet ride in a reindeer sleigh. Not thrilling like the husky dog sled, but quite an interesting one. We returned to our hotel, went to the sauna for a mandatory run in and later at midnight, went to a local Karaoke bar which was packed to capacity on a Wednesday evening and stayed on till 2pm listening to drunk, middle aged Finns singing out-of-tune Finnish songs.

Day 4: Drove to Rovaniemi airport (10mins away). Flew back to Helsinki where it was a warm minus 8! The Baltic Sea was frozen as was the quaint city.

Sitting down to pen my words, I go back to every second of my stay – every experience which, I equate to being a book in my Travel Diary. The magic, the mysticism, Santa Claus, the huskies, the Northern Lights…Wandering has never seemed better! Packing my bags, but already working out my schedule to head back yet again into the white magical land of Lapland.

Wanderers’ Flavor in Lapland:

  • There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.
  • Winter tours in the Arctic in Lappish Finland till mid April. Catch the Aurora Borealis on snow mobiles, ride a husky dog sled, meet Rudolf the reindeer and be an easy rider.
  • Stay in igloos or log cabins; soak in the sauna; go skinny dipping in a frozen lake.
  • For the adventure buff, there’s a lot more in store for you. In winter, go cross country skiing, snow-carting, snow rallying, ice fishing, heli-skiing, multiday wildness safaris on snow mobiles or on husky sleds.
  • Experience the ice breaker Sampo
  • Learn to ski, build an igloo, go on a snow shoe trip
  • In summer, go for hikes, experience the land of the midnight sun, go fly fishing

Check out our new package on Finland 

Indian tourist in Europe

We would like to share the experience of one of our clients, Rishiraj Singh who has just returned from his holiday around Europe and couldn’t stop raving about the experience he has had.  Here he gives us a detailed account of his journey.

Starting off the tour to the Arctic Circle !!!



Commenced the long journey to Helsinki via Frankfurt. Slept throughout the plane journey to Frankfurt, only to get soaked in football fever in Germany. Kind of a festival atmosphere at the airport. Ventured out in the 7-hour stopover with Kiran, my wife. Met a Brazilian named Eugenia in the subway train to Frankfurt city central. The helpful local took us to the old city as against her plans to show us around. What a sweet way to start the sojourn !! enjoyed the tranquility of the atmosphere there in, feasting on a fantastic pork pizza and strawberry cake along the way only to end up having yummy pasta on the onward flight to HELSINKI. And now it’s 11:30 pm here and we can still see daylight and scores of youngsters soaking in the atmosphere. Sitting in a pub called Teerenpeli wherein the Jack Daniels and amazing scenes have helped get over the jet lag!! Not to forget the picturesque Hotel Helka where we are staying. DAY 2 will take us to Rovaniemi.

A Colourful day in HELSINKI …



Helsinki had a lot of surprise in store for us. Instead of booking city tours, we set off on our own for a walk around to the main places in the city. All the key locations were nearby, the market, the station, STOCKMANN- the departmental store for bargain lookers like us and the main attraction – The Senate Square + the Lutheran Cathedral. With green and white decorating the beautiful monument, the Square bore a very lively look. The entire youth brigade with balloons had descended in thousands on what was a parade. Crossdressers as air hostesses, decorated canines, even a few nude chicks, varied hairstyles, Bavarian girls.The colors were endless and to back it up was live music. A local named Oulen briefed us on the significance of the party atmosphere. Headed further to the Orthodoxan Cathedral and then to the Esplanade market, studded with souvenirs. Bought some tasty fresh strawberries and even witnessed a Finn wedding. A long walk for 4 hrs and we had seen the heart of the city. Made our way on foot to the station in the evening to head for the Arctic Circle. A cute twin cabin and a cozy bed. Santa here we come…

Rovaniemi – high up in Lapland !!!


Rovaniemi was full of nature which one could come across only in Lapland. Luckily we were there when the Jutajaiset festival was on and it was actually the last day – 4th July. A Folklore Festival with World Music. We had Finnish, Europeans, Africans, and Asians amongst the performers.

Post a quiet soothing walk across the Ounaskaki river which passes through Rovaniemi overlooked by the Ounasvaara peak, we crossed the CANDLE BRIDGE to reach the venue for the festival. Luckily the finale of the evening – a Finnish Band Piirpauke was left and we decided to go for it. Had a kick-ass pizza at Valde – Mari, studded with reindeer meat and then we were a witness to the best music for a long time. With Ghanaians joining the impromptu jugalbandi with the Piirpauke, it just proved one point – music builds relations very strongly. The music still rings in my ears. The same day we visited ARKTIKUM – an encyclopedia on the Arctic Circle – quite an experiential tour.

The next 2 days were a toast to the area’s wildlife, the Ranua Wildlife Park which had the polar bears, musk ox, brown bears, wolverines and the snowy owl (finally saw a park without lion, tigers and elephants) and the Reindeer Park Safari which was the actual place where we crossed 66.32 latitude – THE ARCTIC CIRCLE.

The reindeer were against our assumptions, extremely noble guys, clean and furry and even WHITE – one in 1000 is white and we saw 2. But the cherry on the cake was the husky dog Safari, ferocious looking cute canines. The customary visit to the Santa Claus village filled in the itinerary. With Lapland done, the definition of Finland was complete – a large forest with a 1000 beautiful lakes and rivers and a few inhabitants. A truly different experience.

Fascinating Tallinn – Estonia !!


The last day in Helsinki was an extensive tour of the city by foot, and studded with loads of shopping – KARLFAZER chocolates are a must and designers clothes (if the pocket helps the same). The clothes are bizarre and beautiful at the same time – and they prove the fact that Helsinki is the WORLD’S DESIGN CAPITAL. A visit to Soumenlinna – an adjoining Sea Fortress and sipping on coffee at the beautiful cafes therein relaxed us before the oncoming hectic schedule.

The next day was Tallinn – Estonia and undoubtedly the most picturesque city which we would have ever seen. Surprising to find how beautifully an Old Town has been preserved and maintained – complete with Cathedrals, Mosques, passages and culture. Felt a part of History at St. Catherine’s Passage, tried my hand at archery and roamed a lot at the marketplace which was complete with locals in traditional costumes selling traditional wares. Made a pretty sight. Had a stage wherein performances, recitals, fashion shows (dressed up as Russian Czars) rounded up the beauty.

Tallinn made the trip complete. Finished off the first leg of Europe – Finland and Estonia in the traditional Finnish SAUNA – a must do for every tourist in Finland. Relaxing and Unique!!!

Unplanned trip surprises us – SALZBURG …


After a good fulfilling tour of Finland, Munich was a little bit tiring esp as the flight was at 6.55 am. Sort of trudged our way to the hotel and then rested till afternoon. The restlessness of not traveling took us over as well as the eagerness to see SALZBURG in AUSTRIA as was recommended by a good friend.

Unplanned, spontaneous and exciting – left the hotel at 3.25 pm, got tickets from Hauptbahnhof at 3.38 and caught the 3.42 train to Salzburg to see something which could match Talinn in all its grandeur. Salzburg Old Town (Altstadt) with its world famous baroque architecture is one of the best-preserved city centers north of the Alps and made a picturesque location with its green domes and the castle in the background.

It is the place where “Sound of Music” was shot, the art and culture inclination was visible in every aspect –  Mozart, the Cathedrals, Riverbanks et all. Saw the Panoramic view of the city from atop the Museum of Modern Art.
On the way back we caught with a Somali student and an Egyptian national in the train and imagine what connected us and got us talking – SHAHRUKH KHAN. They would literally know each and every movie of his with the release year – believe that he connects to their emotions !!!

Atop Germany – Zugspitze !!



10th of July was atop the highest peak in Germany – Zugspitze – laden with snow and giving a great view of 4 countries surrounding it. Was a perfect goodbye to a fantastic tour of Europe.

The evening saw us catch Germany in its fullest as the 3rd place playoff of the FIFA WORLD CUP – Germany v/s Uruguay was on roaming around Marienplatz we saw all cafes jumping in joy at each goal. A German victory it was to get the entire town on the streets, in cafes, in front of the screens. The lit and lively city with its street performers saw us off with a well rounded off long holiday !!! Too many must dos on a tour like this and too diverse a holiday to match.

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