See the 24 hour daylight for yourself

In Finland this weekend the locals will be celebrating the arrival of Mid Summer, for many is their favourite holiday. With Finlands extreme seasons you can understand why the years longest day is something to celebrate.  

After a winter with such short days, especially in Lapland where the sun disappears completely for a month, in December, you can appreciate why they mark Mid summer with such enthusiasm. That enthusiasm usually takes the form of heading out to lakeside or forest summer cottages with friends and family, swimming in lakes, taking saunas and of course eating and drinking.

In Lapland the continuous day lasts for almost two months with the sun never setting. Summer days can get on a good day up to 25°C or higher. There is nothing nicer than lying in your row boat on a Finnish lake, at midnight, enjoying the sunshine and a glass of wine!

To see the midnight sun in Finnish Lapland for yourself click on the locations below to link to a webcam.

Kilpisjarvi

Levi fell

Kemi

Posio

Pyha and Luosto

Rovaniemi,

Saariselka

Salla

Yllas 1.

Yllas 2.

13 June 2009 in Muonio, Finnish Lapland

Snow levels, Lifts and Pistes.

Finland and in particular Finnish Lapland is enjoying what used to be typical winter conditions after a couple of years of slightly milder weather. Frequent snowfall ensures that the already healthy snow levels continue to be topped up.

This is the perfect time to be in Lapland and Northern Finland, spring has arrived. That is not the spring as those further south in Europe envisage it, bulbs flowering and the greenery emerging, but the Arctic version of long, long sunny days, crystal clear blue skies and perfect winter sport conditions.

Below are the Snow and piste information for Finland top Ski areas.

Information as of 23 March 2009
Resort	Location	Lifts open	Pistes Open	Natural Snow Level	Cross country ski trails open
Levi	Western Finnish Lapland	26 of 26	44 of 44	80cm	230 km
Yllas	Western Finnish Lapland	27 of 29	58 of 61	100cm	300km
Ruka	Northern Finland	19 of 20	28 of 29	75 cm	519.5 km
Syote	Northern Finland	12 of 12	24 of 24	80 cm	120 km

28 December 2009 – 01 January 2010.

Blow away the cobwebs after all the over indulgences at Christmas with an exhilarating activity holiday in Finnish Lapland. Emagine offers two brilliant locations.

For Adults and Older teens – Hotel Harriniva

In a pretty riverside location in Lapland on the Finnish-Swedish border this holiday offers extensive activities in a beautiful setting. Enjoy a 50km snowmobile safari, a husky safari, tobogganing, visit a reindeer farm and eat lunch in a Snow Castle. See in the New Year not once but twice!

For further details click here.

For everyone – Hotel Jeris

Set deep in the forest over a frozen lake Hotel Jeris is the ideal location for those wishing to get away from it all. Accommodation is in pretty cabins set in the forest or the hotel. The holiday offers the ideal combination of exciting activity (Snowmobiling and a husky sled ride)  and free time allowing you to explore this beautiful location and to enjoy your cosy accommodation as a family. You set the pace.

For further details click here.

Enontekiö Ice Fishing weeks 24 Apr – 01 May 2009.

Emagine Santa holidays for December 2009 go on sale.

Emagine have launched their Santa Holidays in Finnish Lapland and Northern Finland for December 2009.

The holidays are for 3, 4, 5 and 6 days. They have chosen beautiful locations that really allow you to get the most from this winter wonderland. Among the many activities included in the holidays are snowmobile safaris, reindeer sled rides, ice fishing, husky safaris and tandem skiing. Most importantly they include meeting Santa, privately as a family while he rests in the forest and then once again at the Christmas dinner when he brings gifts for everyone.

Hotel Harriniva in Muonio (Hotel room accommodation)                                                                                       

A cosy family run hotel sitting on the banks of Muonio River. Over 250 kms north of the Arctic Circle. Excellent safaris from the door of the hotel. 

11-14 Dec 2009/ 19-23 Dec 2009 / 23-27 Dec 2009 / 27 Dec 2009 - 01 Jan 2010

Hotel Jeris near Muonio (Cabin and hotel room accommodation)                                                                          

An stunning location deep in the forest overlooking a frozen lake. Ideal for those wanting to combine winter activities with quality family time. 

19-23 Dec 2009 / 23-27 Dec 2009 / 27 Dec 2009 - 01 Jan 2010.

Hotel Syote Keskus, Syote (Hotel room accommodation)                                                                                   

 Set on top of a fell in Northern Finland this hotel offers a warm welcome and amazing views. Excellent family accommodation and safaris. 

18-21 Dec 2009 / 21-23 Dec 2009 / 23-27 Dec 2009. 

Hotel Iso Syote, Syote (Cabin and hotel room accommodation)    

Very popular fell top cabins and hotel in Northern Finland with breathtaking views and memorable activities.

18-21 Dec 2009 / 21-23 Dec 2009 / 23-27 Dec 2009.

Hotel Riekonlinna, Saariselka (Hotel room acommodation)     

A popular hotel located in the pretty resort in the far north of  Lapland. Excellent facilities and an exhilirating toboggan run close by. 

19-23 Dec 2009 / 23-27 Dec 2009.

Simply Saariselka                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Hotel Tunturi, Saariselka (Apartment suite and hotel room accommodation) and Hotel Holiday Club Saariselka (Hotel Room accommodation)  

The Simply Saariselka holidays offered to both hotels allow guests flexibility to design their holiday to meet their needs and budget while still experiencing the highlights of a Lapland holiday.   

19-23 Dec 2009 / 23-27 Dec 2009.       

Lapland Day visits. Due to popular demand they are also reintroducing Day Visits from London Gatwick 19 Dec 2009, Manchester 21 Dec 2009 and Leeds Bradford 23 Dec 2009.

For full details of Emagine Lapland Santa holidays click here. 

Takes place in Kemijärvi, Finnish Lapland, 3 – 5 April 2009

16 – 19 Dec free child place if booked by 10 November 2008*.

A free child place when travelling with two adults to the beautiful Hotel Jeris in Finnish Lapland.  Offer applies on 16 – 19 Dec 2008 departure from London Gatwick.

A choice of accommodation in hotel rooms and lovely cabins. Cabins all have a private sauna.

The holiday includes a snowmobile safari, husky safari, reindeer rides and meeting Santa twice; once as a family and once again at the Christmas party. The holiday also includes full board and upon arrival you will be provided with outer clothing (Outer thermal suit, boots, mitts, balaclava and thick socks) for the duration of your stay.

For full holiday details and prices click here.

* subject to availability.

Going fast!

The signs are all there that the festive season is fast approaching: the shelves in all the supermarkets are already stocked with jumbo sized packets of sweets and tinsel, children are vying for places in the nativity play and writing their Christmas wish lists. Santa and his elves are already working long hours ensuring that their route maps are precise and everyone is accounted for.

For those wanting to add something extra special to their festive season a visit to meet Santa in Finnish Lapland is a must. Meet Santa, while he rests in the forest to tell him your Christmas wishes and once again at a Christmas party. Warmly dressed in the amazing thermal outer clothing and boots provided you will take part in husky safaris, snowmobiling, ice-fishing, reindeer rides, tobogganing and tandem skiing

At this late stage in the year only a few places remain. They are as follows: 

Hotel Harriniva:  From Gatwick

A friendly family run hotel offering cosy simple accommodation in a wonderful setting. Excellent activities from the door of the hotel.

Availability: 

12 - 16 Dec (A handful of places remain)

16 – 19 Dec

19 – 23 Dec  (A handful of places remain)

23 – 28 Dec (A handful of places remain)

New Year 28 Dec – 02 Jan (A handful of places remain)

Hotel Jeris: From Gatwick

In a stunning setting deep in the forest on the edge of a national park. Accommodation in cabins where you can relax in the private sauna and by fireplace after a day of exhilarating activities.

Availability: 

16 – 19 Dec

23 – 28 Dec (A handful of places remain)

New Year 28 Dec – 02 Jan

Riekonlinna: From Gatwick

In the pretty resort of Saariselka surrounded by rolling fells. A popular, friendly hotel. Excellent safaris.

Availability: 

19 – 23 Dec  (A handful of places remain)

23 – 28 Dec (A handful of places remain)

Holiday Club: From Gatwick

At the heart of Saariselka this hotel has the added benefit of a large spa swimming pool which is free to all guests.

Availability: 

19 – 23 Dec  (A handful of places remain)

Tunturi: From Gatwick

In an excellent location over looking the fells in Saariselka the hotel offers spacious apartment accommodation.

Availability: 

23 – 28 Dec (A handful of places remain)

Syote Keskus: 16-19 Dec from Manchester only, 22-27 Dec from Manchester and Luton.

A firm favourite with our guests this lovely hotel sits in a stunning fell top location. Amazing views and

very freindly welcome.

16 - 19 Dec

22 – 27 Dec (A handful of places remain)

Book now for the 16-19 Dec 2008 Special offer to visit Santa in Syote.

Book before the by 31 July 2008 and receive a £75 per person discount on the brochure / web prices for the 16-19 December 2008 departures from Manchester and Luton to visit Santa in Northern Finland.

Syöte, which is often called the gateway to Lapland and is located in northern Finland just below the Arctic Circle, and is home to Finland’s southern most fells.

This really is a beautiful, but isolated location, the nearest large village with shops is 35km away, but is a must for those looking for unspoilt nature, open spaces and a wide range of exhilarating activities.

The hotels, Iso-Syote and Syote Keskus, sit on top of these gentle fells and allow easy access to the surrounding nature, excellent tobogganing and a chance to try skiing on the adjacent slopes.

Meet Santa, once, as a family while he rests in a forest cabin and again at the Christmas party on the final evening. Take part in husky and snowmobile safaris. Try your hand at ice fishing, snow shoeing, riding in a reindeer pulled sled and quad biking.

For further details on the 16-19 December holiday to Hotel Iso Syote click here

Be a Snow and Ice Princess for a day.

Over the past few years we at Emagine have had the pleasure of arranging many weddings in the far north of Finnish Lapland at Hotel Kakslauttanen.  The couples have always been unique, varying in age, some travelling alone and others with hundreds of guests but the one thing they have all had in common is their dream of a winter wonderland wedding.

At Kakslauttanen they have created the perfect setting. Accommodation is in individual cosy log cabins set in the forest.  All have fireplace and sauna, ideal for those evenings in. Alternatively there is the Queen suite complete with four poster bed and private outdoor hot tub!

Weddings can be arranged in a simple wooden chapel or when conditions allow a stunning Ice Chapel. The most popular method of transport between the cabins and chapel has been reindeer pulled sleighs. Round the day off with celebratory drinks in a glass tepee and a wedding dinner in the hotels pretty log restaurant.

There is something else that adds to this special location…….igloos. You can choose between heated glass igloo’s that allow uninterrupted views of the nights sky and hopefully Aurora Boralis or the may braver choose Ice igloo’s that are created at the start of each winter.  In the Ice igloos you will be provided with cosy sleeping bags and sleeping hats to ward off the cold.

While at Kakslauttanen many of our wedding couples and their guests have headed out on exhilarating husky safaris and explored the beautiful nearby fells on snowmobiles. They certainly come home with pictures of their wedding or honeymoon unlike anyone else’s.

 For further details of weddings at Hotel Kakslauttanen in Finnish Lapland click here.

We would like to thank Mr & Mrs Greensmith for allowing us to use some of their photos of their special day.

Short breaks throughout December at cosy Hotel YlläsHumina.

For those wishing to visit Lapland but wanting greater independence we strongly recommend our Exclusive Arctic breaks to Finnish Lapland in December 2008. Direct flights from Gatwick throughout December 2008 including Christmas and New Year make visiting this winter paradise a breeze.

Hotel YlläsHumina is a friendly family run hotel in western Finnish Lapland at the foot of Ylläs Fell in the village of Äkäslompolo. It is the ideal base for winter activities. If it is skiing that you are looking for, downhill and cross country, the ski centre of Ylläs is just 5km away and cross country ski trails run through the village. Alternatively you can choose from an exhilarating range of husky, reindeer and snowmobile safaris from the village.

You are guaranteed a warm welcome to this hotel. At its heart is the reception building also home to a popular restaurant and the Humina pub where you can relax in front of an open fire. Its cosy accommodation is located in individual rustic log houses each of which has four comfortable hotel rooms.

Holiday dates: 12-15 Dec / 15-19 Dec / 19-23 Dec / 23-28 Dec / 28 Dec - 02 Jan 2009.

For full details of the holidays click here.

To download the information click here.

Snowmobiling Lappish summer style!

In the far north of Finnish Lapland in the small town of Ivalo the locals obviously just couldn’t survive a whole summer without their beloved snowmobiles so they came up with a unique and crazy annual event……The Water Cross Races.

As the snow has long melted the competitors decided to race their snowmobiles across the Ivalo

River that flows through the town. The event attracts competitors and spectators from all over Lapland.

For details of visiting the nearby resort of Saariselkä throughout the year click here. 

Under the Midnight Sun of Finnish Lapland.

This crazy and unique tournament takes place in Tornio, on the border between Finnish and Swedish Lapland from 25-28 June 2008. Making the most of the famous never ending summer days of Lapland the event is played around the clock.  Another anomaly of the unique setting is that during each round players will be crossing times zones and the border!

The teams are made up of six players, each of whom has to play 90 holes during the event. The tournament is not for the faint hearted but is starting to attract the attention of golfers across the world.

For further details contact Green Zone Golf Course

tuula.nyholm@telia.com

An amazing week of activities for everyone in Finnish Lapland.

New for 2009 is a wonderful activity week in one of Finnish Laplands most spectacular and unspoilt locations, Hotel Jeris. The hotel and cabins are set deep in the forest in western Lapland, 45 minutes from Kittila airport and 20 minutes from the small village of Muonio.

For those wanting to truly get away from it all and relax doing, fun, new activities as a couple or family this is the ideal place.

Accommodation is in cosy cabins set in the forest. All have a private sauna and fireplace.

At the heart of the location is the main hotel building, where meals are taken in a restaurant offering panoramic view across the frozen lake. You can also relax after a busy day with drinks by the fire in the bar.

During the week your guides will show you how to cross country ski so you can set off in your free time to explore the miles of silent trails through the national park. They will take you out on a snowshoe walk through the spectacular surrounding forests pointing out the local nature.

You will visit a local reindeer museum to learn more about reindeer husbandry and feed the reindeers.  On another day, following tuition from your guide, you will set off on an adventure on snowmobiles (children travel in sleighs) across the frozen lake and through the forest stopping to take in the beautiful views across the fells and for a picnic lunch. For many the highlight of the week will be the visit to the small friendly husky farm where you can meet the dogs and will be whisked off on a 2 hour husky safari.

While all the activity is great fun what many will remember from their visit to Jeris will be the smaller things. Such as the silence, taking a crazy dip in the lake ice pool, the fun evenings tobogganing through the forest or standing on the huge frozen lake mesmerised by the Aurora Borealis.

Jeris allows you to combine some much needed quality private family time with once in a life time experiences.

For the full itinerary and prices click here.

Three fabulous locations in Finnish Lapland – which one is for you?

At Emagine we have chosen three very different locations and itineraries for our New Year holidays but whichever you choose we promise you will return special memories that will last a life time. After a hectic Christmas there is nothing better than escaping to clean air, exhilarating activities and a chance for some quality time away from the TV and daily stress.

Come and recharge your batteries in Finnish Lapland.

Hotel Jeris, near Muonio, Finnish Lapland.

For all ages.                           

6 days.

Our New Year guests at Hotel Jeris in Lapland last year never stopped talking about the setting, the scenery and the silence. It is a wonderful location, set deep in the forest, by a huge frozen lake and with a National Park on its boundary.

The holiday is a balance of activity and free time. It includes a snowmobile safari to a reindeer farm and a husky safari but on the other days you get to set the pace. Some guests chose to book on additional safaris, some collected cross country skis and explored the trails through the National park, others relaxed in the spa pools or curled up and read a book. It is fair to say that everyone tobogganed!

Following dinner on New Years Eve everyone had their fortune told and then headed onto the lake, a drink in hand, to see in the New Year and admire the fireworks.

Jeris is ideal for those wishing to get away from the crowds, have some activity but still have free time as a couple or family enjoying the cabins with their private saunas and fireplaces.

For further details click here.

Hotel Harriniva, Muonio Finnish Lapland.

For teens and adults only.     

6 days.

At Harriniva for New Year our safaris are longer so not recommended for younger visitors. When you head off on snowmobiles it will be across the fells, taking in the most spectacular views and with a stop for lunch in a lakeside chalet along the way.  Your husky safari will take you though the forest, with simple lunch served in a traditional kota.

Even though the group will not include children it doesn’t mean you have to hide the child in you, especially when we head off to the local ski slopes for some tobogganing!

There is also an opportunity to learn more about the region, its animals and the indigenous Sami people during a visit to the village of Hetta. Lunch will be served in the amazing Hetta Snow Castle.

Life at Harriniva are quite relaxed with evenings spent relaxing over dinner, a drink in the bar or maybe soaking in the lakeside hot tubs.

On New Years Eve following dinner and some fortune telling head outside onto the ice, not once but twice to celebrate the Finnish and then the Swedish New Year with drinks and fireworks before hitting the disco in the bar.

For further details click here.

Hotel Riekonlinna, Saariselka, Finnish Lapland.

For all ages.               

7 days.

Hotel Riekonlinna is located in the lovely northern Lapland resort of Saariseka. We have planned the holiday so you have a mixture of organised and free time so you can design your holiday to meet your family’s needs. It includes a long snowmobile safari and a long husky safari, both with lunch served along the way. On other days you can choose from an exciting range of additional optional safaris. You may decide to head off to the nearby ski slopes, spa swimming pool or try the resorts 2km toboggan run. We have included some dinners in the hotel so you can make new friends and other evenings are free so you can try the resorts excellent restaurants whether in search of pizza or some local delicacies!

On New Years Eve enjoy dinner in the hotel before stepping outside to take in the fireworks that are set off around the resort.

Emagine staff will be on hand throughout your stay to help you make the most of the amazing location.

For further details click here.

Syöte enjoys its first winter snowfall.

The pretty area of Syöte in Northern Finland and home to Hotel Iso- Syöte and Syöte Keskus reported its first snow fall today.

The hotels sit atop Finland’s southern most fells in perfect isolation. The nearest town, Pudasjarvi is over 30km away.

This is early days so the snow will probably melt as the day warms up but it indicates that winter is on its way and the beautiful and colourful autumn this region experiences is at an end.

During winter the region attracts, skiers and those looking for adventure on snowmobile and husky safaris.

Over 700km south in Finland’s capitol, Helsinki, they had several hours of sleet.

To visit Syote this December click here.

Saariselkä in Northern Finnish Lapland received its first snow overnight!

The Elk are winning!

There are estimated to be 100,000 elk in Finland and during winter young pine trees are their main source of food. The elk love to eat the new growth at the crown of the sapling. The good news is this doesn’t kill the tree but does cause it to grow crooked therefore making it considerably less valuable as sawn timber.

Some of the foresters spray their saplings with an array of natural and chemical deterrents but few seem to be effective. The alternative is culling. The government grant hunting licences each year but only for a fraction of the 50,000 winter population that the Finnish Forest Research Institute (METLA) estimate would have to be culled to give the forests a better chance of being productive.

For the full story in Helsinki Sanomat click here.

if the Late Finnish President had been successful!

The late Finnish President Urho Kekkonen had offered half of Lapland to the Soviet Union in 1968. The offer was made to former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev in exchange for Karelia.

An recent article by Juha Pohjonen in Kaleva reveals that Kekkonen had proposed offering the area north of the 67th parallel. The region would have included several municipalities including Enontekiö, Inari and Utsjok would have been swapped for Karelia.

"The deal did not take place, but it was meant to spark interest in the matter among top leadership in the Soviet Union," said Pohjonen.

In return, Finland could have asked for the city of Vyborg back, the region west of the city, and the Saimaa canal.

The deal however did not move forward. Pohjonen said that the Soviet Union was not interested in the trade.

"If the USSR would have accepted the proposal, I would assume that Kekkonen would have been ousted from power," Pohjonen said.

Results of the eight month feasibility study have been presented.

The Fédération Internationale de Ski ("FIS"), have reported on plans to create an indoor ski jumping facility in Ylitornio in Finnish Lapland.

The area is trying to develop plans to become the first venue to stage indoor Ski Jumping competitions. The municipality, close to the Swedish broder in western Finnish Lapland, presented the results of an eight-month long feasibility study to the representatives of the Finnish Ski Association on Tuesday.

The innovative plan calls for building three hills side-by-side, a Ski Flying hill (K 185) enabling jumps of up to 250 meters, a large hill (K 120) with jumps of approx. 140 m, and a normal hill (K 90).

The top part of the in-run track is planned in a tunnel to be dug into the Aavasaksa mountain. The rest of the facility would also be covered to ensure that weather conditions have no impact on the competition results and that safe and equal conditions can be ensured for all competitors. Given the indoor set-up, the hills could be in use almost ten months a year.

The estimated budget for the project amounts to €30 million and financing is expected to be available by the end of 2007. The construction is estimated to begin in 2009 and last 2-2.5 years.

“The Aavasaksa project is very interesting and innovative. I have followed the project’s planning phase carefully,” said Janne Marvaila, Director of Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined at the Finnish Ski Association. “Having the will to push things forward is very positive. The Ski Jumping Committee of the Finnish Ski Association will review the detailed proposal this Friday and formulate its official stance.”

In addition to the Aavasaksa project, a competing Ski Flying hill project is underway at Suomu, Kemijärvi, in the eastern part of Finnish Lapland. This plan foresees a normal Ski Flying hill with construction completed by 2011. There is currently no Ski Flying hill in Finland.

you can take a dip!

After an exciting day of husky safaris, snowmobiling, ice fishing and of course meeting Santa we return to our hotel.

For many there is no such thing as too much snow and they head straight back outside to go tobogganing, skiing or making snowmen.

Others they reach a point where they can’t spend another second in all of those layers of thermals, jumpers and safari clothing. Some head for the bar for a well earned drink while others decide they are off for a dip.

Taking a dip varies dramatically depending where you are……….

In Saariselka, north eastern Lapland, in the Holiday Club Hotel is the fabulous  swimming pool with slides, spa pools and wave machine. Entrance to the pool is free to Holiday Club guests. Guests from other hotels are welcome but pay an entrance fee.

At Hotel Iso-Syote in Northern Finland guests can enjoy a relaxing warming sauna and take a dip in their cooling indoor pool.

At Hotel Jeris, western Lapland, taking a dip can involve more of a challenge if you are feeling brave.

While most guests choose to soak in the wonderful warm lakeside spa pools the crazier guests take a short swim in the outdoor lake pool!

At Hotel Harriniva, in western Lapland, there isn’t a pool but clients can hire an outdoor hot tub in a snowy riverside setting. The braver adults can take a dip in an ice hole!

It goes without saying that as this is Lapland all of the locations have a warming sauna to hop into after your dip!

A unique gastronomic event in Finnish Lapland.

On Saturday 29 September 2007 Levi in western Finnish Lapland will spend a day celebrating the gastronomic delight that is reindeer.

The day that is organised by the Reindeer Herders’ Association and companies at Levi area will start with an indoor Lappish market where handicrafts, reindeer meat and delicacies will be on sale. During the day there will be cooking demonstrations and an exhibition will be held depicting “Reindeer life by the fell Levi”.

To round off the special day the highlight will be a reindeer dinner cooked the regions top chefs.

Jack and the recruits experience extreme Finnish Lapland with Emagine UK Ltd.

As well as arranging holidays to Finnish Lapland to meet Santa, Lapland winter activity holidays and general travel to Scandinavia here at Emagine we are sometime approached to put our Arctic expertise to other uses. When Ginger TV, part of the Scottish Media Group, were looking for a cold location to challenge Jack Osbourne as part of the Adrenaline Junky 3 series they came to us.

We knew just the place and set about putting together a journey through one of Europe’s last true wildernesses, in north western Finnish Lapland. The journey was to use husky teams and would cover over 100km, setting up camp on fells and frozen lakes along the way.

Filming took place in late April 2007 to make the most of the already long Lapland Arctic days, when it stays light until after 10pm, when there is hopefully lots of sun and the area is still covered in several metres of snow.

The program, currently being aired on ITV2, shows Jack and the recruits experiencing some extreme conditions and taking in some breathtaking sights during the journey.  Prior to arriving in Finnish Lapland they had already been filming in New Zealand and the steaming jungles of Sarawak so the Arctic conditions seemed even more extreme.

After kitting them out with essential cold weather clothing, suits, boots, mitts and hats they were ready to face the Arctic.

The journey started in Kilpisjarvi (Finnish Lapland), over 350 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle. The region they travelled through is above the tree line so the only vegetation poking through the snow is shrub but certainly not trees therefore allowing vast breathtaking uninterrupted snowy vistas.

This really is the middle of nowhere so all equipment and supplies have to be taken in with you.

Jack and his recruits were put through their paces at Harriniva, one of Europes largest Husky farms. Experts gave them advice on handling their husky sleds and tips on motivating their team of huskies which would be essential once in the wilderness.

After a day of training in calm weather conditions they harnessed up their husky teams, loaded their sleds and set off towards the fells. It wasn’t long before they found themselves in the middle of a blizzard with strong winds swirling snow, limiting visibility and making going tough. The only option was to set up an emergency camp making the most of the limited shelter in this open terrain.

The team fought to put up their tents in gusting conditions. Once this was achieved all they could do was crawl into their sleeping bags, exhausted, and hope that mother nature would be kinder to them the following morning.

The following morning brought a spectacular cold bright Arctic day. Crystal clear blue skies, perfect visibility, a warming sun and never ending pure white snow.

For the rest of the adventure you will have to tune in to ITV2 next week to see how Jack and his recruits coped in the Arctic.

If you want a taste of what Jack and the recruits experienced, in possibly less extreme conditions why not join one of our husky safaris this coming winter.   Click here for details.

Taking place in Levi, Finnish Lapland on 8 September 2007.

On Saturday competitors will meet in Levi in western Finnish Lapland for the 24^th Ruska (Autumn) Marathon.  The route starts in Levi and runs between two fells to the village of Kittilla before they turn back north for the return leg.

For many runners in Lapland this is seen as the final event of the season but for international runners the Ruska Marathon is part of the Northern Marathon series taking in four races in Tromso, Reykjavik, Levi and lastly Loch Ness in Scotland.

The event also features half and quarter marathon categories and junior races.

The first three winners in each category will win a cup.

Daytime temperatures in Lapland are currently at about +10°C during the day but dropping to as low as -6°C at night.

Ruska is coming!

What would you rather be doing this New Year?   Is it a tough choice?

Our New Year holiday at Harriniva is designed with adults and teens in mind as we wanted to offer safaris that will take your breath away. These safaris are not tasters, they are the real thing.

Maybe the following will help you to decide where you want to be this New Year!

Would you rather be.......

staying at home

Queuing for the winter sales!

in Lapland

Taking an exhilarating drive on a snowmobile through what is Europe’s last true wilderness.  Stopping for lunch in an isolated wilderness cabin while taking in the views across the frozen lake.

Would you rather be.......

Under duress, take the dog for a walk in the drizzle.

in Lapland

allowing an energetic team of huskies to take you for a ride of a life time, a truly breathtaking adventure.

 Following a tour of one of Europes largest husky farms and training by the experts you will be off along trials through beautiful snow covered forests only stopping for a fireside lunch along the way.

Would you rather be.......

Having yet another evening lolling on the sofa watching repeats on TV and picking through the remains of the Christmas chocolates.

in Lapland

Taking an evening walk along the banks of the frozen Muonio river or soaking in one of the riverside hot tubs while, if lucky, enjoy one of the most amazing light shows provided by nature; Aurora Borealis or the northern lights. If you are going to experience them anywhere in the world it will be here. Every time they appear they are unique in their combination of colour and fluidity.

Would you rather be.......

Going to bed in your pajamas and socks and leaving the heating on

in Lapland

Curling up in your sleeping bag wearing your woolly hat in a chamber in the ice igloo! After a bedtime hot chocolate, the days activities and the fresh air will soon see you fast asleep.

Would you rather be.......

Spending New Year with the same old faces, queuing for taxis and waiting for Big Ben to chime.

in Lapland

Enjoying dinner in the fireside restaurant then out on to the ice twice to see in the Finnish and an hour later Swedish New Years with drinks and fireworks. The party continues until the early hours.

We could go on for ever, we haven’t even mentioned the visit to the reindeer farm, tobogganing down the fell, dinner in the Lapp kota, ice fishing………..for the full itinerary click here.

Whether it is for an hour or for a week Finnish Lapland is the place to go.

Husky safaris, dog sledding, mushing are names used for the same amazing experience, being in charge of a very fit team of well trained dogs that are pulling a sled across a snow covered landscape. It is the most exhilarating way to travel that also allows you to get close to nature and experience the silence of some of the last unspoilt regions of Europe.

Traditionally mushing would have been with pure Siberian huskies or the larger Alaskan huskies / Malamutes but over the years the people sledding at a competitive level have cross bred their huskies with other breeds for greater speed or endurance. This was very effective but the dogs just don’t have the beauty of the pure huskies. Throughout Lapland you will find quite a combination of dogs although they tend to be going back to using purer Siberian pedigrees.

A visit to Finnish Lapland during winter will give you an opportunity to try a husky safari for your self whether that is for an hour or for a week.  Once you are kitted out with the appropriate outer safari thermal clothing you are ready for the training. A husky guide will explain how to handle the sled, control the break, set the anchor and for longer safaris how to motivate and care for your dogs.

It may be one or two people per sled, one standing and controlling it and the other seated. Which ever you choose it is a ride of a life time. Initially as you approach the teams they are all barking and jumping which is quite intimidating but you soon realise that is only because they are so desperate to get underway. Once you take your foot off the break and they set off and there is total silence which is an absolute contrast to the mayhem of just seconds before.

There is nothing sweeter than crossing a frozen lake or open fell pulled by a husky team at full stretch. Put your foot on the break at this point and you will be repaid with dirty looks from your dog team that will leave you in no doubt as to what they think of your actions! However that is not always the case, if the snow is very deep or the hill steep you have to be prepared to hop off the runners at the back, not letting go of the sled or you can wave goodbye to you team and cargo, and push like a team player.

We have husky safaris throughout Lapland to meet everyone’s needs and time scale. Many start with just an hours drive but always end up wanting more. Many of our clients joining the husky activity weeks are returning to Finnish Lapland for the second or third time having caught the mushing bug!

Short but sweet Husky safaris in Finnish Lapland and Northern Finland.

Husky Safaris lasting from an hour to a day.

Saariselka

Iso Syote

Loma Vietonen

Harriniva

Jeris

Yllas in December

Yllas January – March

Kakslauttanen in December

Kakslauttenen January - March

Luosto

Rovaniemi

Ruka in December

Longer Husky Safaris in Finnish Lapland and Northern Finland for winter 2007 / 2008.

Harriniva husky weekend

Harriniva husky week

Harriniva activity week incl 2 day husky

Finn Jann Multi Activity week incl 3 days husky  

A saving of £260 for a family of two adults and 2 children.   

4 days in Finnish Lapland staying at Hotel Riekonlinna, Saariselka for the weekend. Packed with thrilling activities, a wonderful setting and lots of care and attention. The ideal way to meet Santa in person, not once but twice!

Your holiday includes:

Return flights from London Gatwick to Ivalo, transfers, accommodation, full board, Safaris (Arctic activity day, reindeer ride, husky safari & snowmobile safari), outer thermal safari clothing, Meeting Santa one family at a time in a forest cabin and again at a Christmas dinner, A Christmas gift for everyone, Snowkids club and Emagine guides resident to assist throughout your stay.

Adults £799 and Children £699.

Offer Valid until: 31 August 2007.

Please quote reference 708SR when booking or on your booking form to receive the above discounted price.

To read the full itinerary and to book click here.

For special offer details click here.

The latest leg of the Off Road Orienteering Cup.

Competitors will be arriving in Raajärvi, Lapland today to prepare for tomorrows early start of this 24 hour orienteering event. The Old Mining Village in Raajärvi, the best off road centre in Finland, is located approximately 65km from the Lapland capital of Rovaniemi. This is the third Lapland Trophy.

Lapland is still benefiting from the midnight sun making this 24 hour event a little easier for the competitors.

Competitors travel from control point to control point in 4x4 and all terrain vehicles in this orienteering and endurance competition. Upon reaching a control point competitors must take a photo of themselves simultaneously touching their vehicle and the control point number card as proof.

The Lapland Trophy is the second competition of the Finnish Off-Road Orienteering-CUP series this year.

The mention of a snorkel in the recommended equipment list must give competitors cause for concern!

A winch is highly recommended. If the car does not have one, an off road jack and/or manual tackle is strongly recommended as a minimum. Snorkels and other special equipment may be recommended when necessary.

The images are of previous Off Road Orienteering events.

Below are the competition rules in case you want to prepare for next years event.

Common rules for all competition classes:

            • Local traffic regulations MUST be observed when driving on public roads

            • During the competition the speed limit on unpaved roads is max 50 km/h, some roads may have a lower speed limit, indicated by speed limit signs

            • On paved roads the speed limit is max 80 km/h, unless a lower speed limit is indicated by speed limit signs

            • Always wear a seatbelt while driving on the road

            • Control points sign support (tree etc.) must never be used for winching

            • You may cross power lines, but driving along them is forbidden, and power line poles may NEVER be used for winching

            • Phone lines, oil- or gas pipes, railways etc.; same strict restrictions than for power lines

            • If an area is limited by sealing off lines, the winch cable may cross the sealing off line, but the car must NOT cross the sealing off line

            • Any equipment in and on the car must be properly fastened

            • Double wheels, traction chains etc. are forbidden

            • Axes, saws, chainsaws etc. must not be used and must be removed from car

            • Any assistance outside the competition is forbidden

            • Assistance offered or accepted by the organisers and equally available to all competitors is allowed

            • Only the competitors in the team are allowed inside the car, except in emergencies

            • Car maintenance and repairs may be done only by persons registered as competitors or service persons, and service cars must be registered in advance to the competition

            • Assistance from other competitors or their service persons is allowed

            • A competition car may only be towed by another competition car, not by service cars or outsiders

            • Outsiders may not carry competitors, service persons, tools, spare parts etc. for or to the competitors without competition jury permission in advance, except in emergencies

            • Service cars may only drive along roads that are suitable for a normal road car

            • Trailers are not allowed to be used during the competition to move competition cars

For further details of the event and to follow the event click here.

For details on visiting Rovaniemi click here.

When will the Lapp ski resorts commit?

Every year in Finnish Lapland and northern Finland ski areas compete for the honour of getting at least a few of their ski slopes open first. 

This mad race takes place months ahead of anything the ski resorts in the Alps could dream of. If temperatures are right the snow machines are switched on in early October.

The popular ski resort of Ruka in eastern Finland has already published dates for its opening weekend as   26-28 October 2007. The event attracts skiers from all over Finland where they celebrate when not skiing listening to the numerous live bands around the resort. The weekend culminates in the seasons first Suomi Slalom, a giant slalom race, on the Sunday.

Other ski areas: Levi, Yllas, Iso-Syote and Saariselka have yet to commit to opening dates but weather permitting they will be aiming for October or early November. All locations like to mark the opening weekend in a party atmosphere so pack your skis and dancing shoes and head north!

As well as the battle to open the slopes just as important, for the Finns possibly more so, is the race to get the first kilometres of cross country trails open. Cross country ski teams from across the world rush to Lapland to get in that all important pre season training.

To find out more about Lapland ski areas click here.

To visit Ruka for a pre-Christmas Ski break click here.

A must for summer visitors to Finnish Lapland.

This excellent museum is located in the small village of Inari in northern eastern Lapland. SIIDA exhibitions show how nature and the indigenous people, the Sami, have adapted to life in these extreme northern conditions.

The centre is home to the Sami Museum and the Northern Lapland Nature Centre who have combined their skills to present an interesting and informative exhibition about the northern seasonal cycle and the evolution of the region from the Ice age to the present.

During summer old Sami dwellings are on show in the adjoining open air museum.

As well as the permanent exhibition the museum has several one off seasonal exhibitions on throughout the year.

One of this years most popular is People of the North.

People in the North 01 June – 31 Oct 2007
Through photographic material and documents, the exhibition introduces the audience to the colonization of the northern areas. The focus is on photographs taken by explorers, anthropologists and ethnographers as well as on their accounts of their journeys to the North in the 1800s and the early 1900s. The exhibition has been produced bŧ Bildmuseet, a museum which specializes in photographic art in Umeå, Sweden. The Inari Sámi Museum has complemented the exhibition with material from Finnish archives and collections.
Arranged by: Inari Sámi Museum

For further information on Siida click here.

Cycling event takes place in Finnish Lapland on 04 August 2007.

A challenging course has been set for cyclists through the Kätkä fell’s surrounding Levi in Western Finnish Lapland for this 40 and 80km event.

The mens individual and team event is 80 km and the women’s event is 40km.

There is prize money for winning teams and for route record holders.

For further details click here.

Santa will wave off runners at this popular Rovaniemi event!

The evening of Saturday 30 June 2007 will see competitve and fun runners from around the world setting off on the marathon from Santas office and crossing the Arctic Circle. Santa will be there to watch the start..

This light hearted event welcomes everyone whether competing in the the full, half marathons or 12km race. Everyone sets their own pace, even if that involves walking. It is an opportunity to enjoy the great scenery and make the most of the Lappish endless summer days.

The marathon route winds around Rovaniemi, crossing the Ounasjoki and Kemijoki rivers. The finish will be in Lordi Square, named in honour Laplands newest heros.    

For further details click here.

December getaways to Lapland with direct flights from Gatwick and Manchester.

For those who want to get away for a short break in December and benefit from beautiful locations, romantic accommodation, great activities, direct flights but do not want to be part of a group or to visit Santa, Emagine is offering four Exclusive Arctic breaks locations. They will appeal to couples wanting to get away from the crowds or families that may have visited Lapland before and this time wants to do things at a more leisurely pace. Departures available pre Christmas, over Christmas and for the New Year!

Hotel YllasHumina in Akaslompolo / Yllas, western Finnish Lapland, is a small family run hotel with cosy cabin room accommodation for one to four people. It allows easy the excellent ski slopes or you can choose from a wide range of optional activities. You set the pace.

Direct flights from: London Gatwick with holidays from 4 to 6 days.   

Departures: 07 Dec, 10 Dec, 14 Dec, 17 Dec, 21 Dec, 23 Dec, 27 Dec.

Activities available in the resort: Skiing, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, reindeer safaris, husky safaris.

Hotel Kakslauttanen near Saariselka, Finnish Lapland. This is a popular location for those looking for a quiet romantic break. Accommodation is in pretty cabins set among the forest all with private sauna and fireplace. Meals are take in the log cabin restaurant in front of roaring fires. Explore the area on cross country skis or joining one of the exhilarating safaris. A highlight of staying at Kakslauttanen is the opportunity to overnight in their unique glass igloos while watching out for the Northern Lights!

Direct flights from: London Gatwick with holidays from 4 to 6 days.   

Departures: 07 Dec, 10 Dec, 14 Dec, 17 Dec, 21 Dec

Activities available from the hotel:  cross country skiing, snowmobiling, reindeer safaris, husky safaris.

Hotel Jeris – Adult Activity break 10-14 Dec 2007.

A chance to experience amazing activities and stay in a wonderful, quiet setting deep in the forest either in a hotel or in a lakeside wooden cabin. Jeris is located in western Finnish Lapland.

We are aware that some adults are looking for longer activities that are just not possible when there  are children in tow they have designed this trip with longer safaris and just for adults.  

Direct flights from: London Gatwick for a 5 day holiday..   

Departures: 10-14 Dec.

Activities included in your holiday: 50km snowmobile safari & 5 hour husky safari.

Other activities available from the hotel:  cross country skiing, reindeer safaris, ice hole swimming, snow shoeing.

Hotel Rukahovi in the wonderful resort of Ruka in Northern Finland.

18-22 Dec 2007.

This is a great location for anyone wishing to ski or snowboard. The slopes and lifts are just a few steps from your hotel door. If that doesn’t appeal join a great range of safaris, the activity company is next to the hotel. Ruka always has a great buzz about it, with a great range of cosy bars and diverse restaurants to relax in after an energetic day. The dates make this the ideal trip to start your holiday break allowing you to get some pure fresh air and exercise before the Christmas gluttony!

Direct flights from: Manchester for a 5 day break   

Departures: 22 Dec 2007

Activities available from the hotel:  Down hill skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, reindeer safaris, husky safaris.

For further details of the holidays click on the headings above of click here.

Stunning scenery, wide open spaces, magical never ending days AND the sun is coming........Summer Finland, heaven!

The coming weekend in Finland sees forecasts of 20-25C and above. The population are already heading out of the cities on weekends to their lakeside cottages and putting their yachts into the water along Finland’s extensive and beautiful coastline.

The country blossoms with the arrival of summer, which is made, even more special due to those never ending days. In the north of the country, Finnish Lapland, the sun will not set for two months. This means the normal daily timetable goes out of the window. It is not unusual to be invited to midnight picnics, take saunas and lake swims in the early hours.

Midsummer celebrations, this year the weekend on 23 & 24 June, sees the summer city exodus in earnest with many families starting their long summer vacations until late July or even into August.

Even above the Arctic Circle summer temperatures are taking hold and the regions most famous resident will be donning his summer outfits and making plans for his summer vacation.

For Finnish weather forecasts click here

Telegraph article tells all about visiting Santa in Finnish Lapland.......

When the travel presenter Judith Chalmers took her grandsons on a surprise trip to see Father Christmas she was just as excited as they were.

  
You know when you have been planning something secret for a long time? As the occasion nears you get excited: you want it to be the day to reveal all, yet you almost want to hold the pleasure back as it will all be over so quickly.

For the full story click here.

Limited availability remaining, click here for details.

Work has started on the igloo at Harriniva.

The team at Harriniva in Finnish Lapland have started work on their Igloo. The excellent snow levels and cold nights, already at times as low as -30, are ideal conditions for building.

Guests staying at Harriniva during the winter can book a room in the igloo to stay in for the night. At Harriniva they build this one large igloo with a central chamber which will be furnished with an ice table and chairs in the coming weeks. Individual bedroom chambers then lead off the central room.

The cosy sleeping bag and crisp clean air are the ideal conditions for a good nights sleep, even when it is -30 outside.

Pictures of the finished, decorated igllo to follow shortly.

For further details on visiting Harriniva this coming winter click here.

Results not great for the Finns but event is a success.

After a false start in Sölden, when the racing was cancelled owing to rain and unseasonably warm weather, the FIS World Cup season got under way at the Lapland resort of Levi over the weekend, with a women's slalom competition on Saturday and the first-ever men's World Cup competition hosted in Finland on Sunday.

By contrast with the inaugural 2004 Levi event, when Finnish #1 Tanja Poutainen took the women's slalom competition, the Finns were much more generous hosts, and neither Poutiainen nor Kalle Palander, who was returning after a long layoff from injury, could get into the top ten.

     
Poutiainen, who has normally shown a sunny disposition even when things did not go as planned, was visibly disappointed with her 14th place in the season's opener, while Palander was left with mixed feelings about his race. 
Poutiainen was fully 2.7 seconds behind winner Marlies Schild of Austria, with nearly two seconds of the gap coming on a rather erratic first run. Schild was followed home by Nicole Hosp and Katrin Zettel to give the Austrians a clean sweep. 
In recent years it has been unusual not to see Poutiainen's name among the top ten finishers. Apart from a few falls, she has been remarkably consistent and has only been outside the top ten once in the last four years, back in January 2004. She blamed her poor showing in part on early season excitement.
     

Kalle Palander, on the other hand, demonstrated eventually that he has recovered his old form after surgery on a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee. His first run was something of a trainwreck, however, leaving him dangerously close to not qualifying, down in 25th place. 
But his second try at the Levi Black hill produced a much better performance and the 3rd fastest time, hauling him up to 11th overall and putting a smile on his face. 
It was also a pleasant experience for the Finn to ski home safely in front of his mother: on the previous occasion in Åre in the spring, the first at which his mother had been present to see him ski at the top level, he had the accident that obliged a visit to the operating theatre.
     

Top honours in the men's event went to Benjamin Raich of Austria, making the weekend something of a family celebration, since Marlies Schild is Raich's girlfriend. 
Raich was the Olympic gold medallist in Torino, and so his win - the 23rd of his career - came as no great surprise. Second place went to Markus Larsson of Sweden, and the other spot on the podium was taken by Italy's Giorgio Rocca, the defending World Cup slalom champion. 

The next races on the calendar will be in Lake Louise, Canada (for the men) and Aspen (for the women) in two weeks' time.

For details on visiting Levi click here.

Visitors to Harriniva this December will be able to meet the Husky litter.

Avalon, Aragon and Aurin and their sisters Akita and Aura are keeping their mother busy and are growing fast. Any time now they will be transfering to the kindergarten where they will have more space and greater independence.

Harriniva already has a decent covering of snow, more is forecast for the coming week and temperatures are constantly dipping below -10. This means that the puppies are looking on with interest as the older dogs at the husky farm are setting off on training runs as the first husky safaris will start by the end of the month.

If you are visiting Harriniva this December you will be able to meet the huskies in person. Please send us your favourite photos of them.

For further details on visiting Harriniva in December click here and for the remainder of the winter click here. 

The big freeze at Harriniva!

Lapland is already enjoying temperatures at night as low as -25 and is looking amazing.

River Muonio that flows past Harriniva is just starting to freeze and the hotel is planning to build its igloo in the coming days.

You learn something new everyday.......

In Finland, especially as you head north towards Lapland hunting is a way of life. Not the pointless shooting at anything for fun hunting but the lets stock up the freezer for the winter variaty. At this time of year it is mainly elk and bird hunting. 

Each hunting club is allocated a set number of elk each year that they are allowed to hunt. This varies dramatically year to year with the powers that be using a formula and doing counts in sample areas to estimate the elk population. The hunters then get together usually at weekend during the season keeping strictly to their allocation. For many it is the socialising rather than the hunting that appeals.

So now for the new part. It was only yesterday that I discovered that to gain a hunting licence each hunter must take a test every 3 years to ensure that they are skilled enough to carry a gun. The test involves shooting 3 moving targets. Many hunters take the test annually, I can only assume this is to reassure themselves and their hunting companions. 

At this point I am usually asked if they hunt reindeer and just to clear that up the answer no. The reindeer are semi domesticated animals that roam through northern Finland and Lapland grazing freely.  

Iso-Syote, amazing weather and stunning views!

After a flight via Helsinki we arrived in Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland. It was then a gentle two hour drive south to the amazing fell area of Syote.

Unfortunataly pictures will have to follow so you will have to take my word as to how amazing Syote looks. At breakfast in the hotels panoramic restaurant we just watched in awe as the sun rose over the opposite fell and sat on top of the blanket of mist in the valley, truely breathtaking.

The trees, hotel and cottages are already covered in a pretty layer of frost and snow. The temperature waivered between -8 and -10 all day with bright sunshine and crystal clear skies. The safari guides were already out preparing the snowmobile roots for the coming season and the snow cannons were on the slopes.

If Juha and Katarina at the hotel Iso Syote have their way you will soon be able to admire the views for yourself from their webcam. It will be worth getting up early to see those sunrises.

The locals mentioned that they had already seen Santa out doing some pre-season training with his reindeer. It appears that the amazing summer has left them a little lazy and above their prefered flying weight. Nice to know that it isn't just humans that have to get in shape for the festive season! I will let you know if we see him or the northern lights.

Tap into the network of cameras across Finland and Lapland to experience the quiet life!

A Finnish website set up primarily by the authorities to monitor weather conditions on their roads allows you to get a glimps of Finnish weather and life. Until not many years ago staff in a network of cabins along the main routes would call in weather updates but now the cameras along with other roadside technology allow authroties to decide when the snowplows should be dispatched on any given stretch.

The first thing that hits you is the lack of traffic, especially when you look at the cameras in Lapland. You will also be able to see that Lapland already has a decent covering of snow, 30cm has fallen in recent days.

To link to the website click here.

As temperatures plummet, lakes start to freeze and the snow appears.

Hotel Iso-Syote, a wonderful hotel set on of one of Finland southern most fells, just below the Arctic Circle, is enjoying the best of both worlds - bright sunshine and the arrival of winter. Temperatures are now regularly dropping below -10 which is vital at this time of year to ensure that lakes and swamps freeze before the arrival of the heavy winter snow.

The ski slopes tend to open mid November and the first husky and snowmobile safaris set off in early December or ealier if snow conditions allow.

Syote enjoys some of the heaviest snowfall in Lapland with the trees you see in the pictures being transformed into snow pyramids. The image below was taken last December from the hotel overlooking the ski lifts. The views from the hotel and cabins are breathtaking what ever the season.

For further details of spending Christmas in this Winter wonderland click here.

Life in the nursery in Lapland.

A few photos to show how Harriniva's latest puppies are progressing. They are growing so fast.

There is already snow on the ground in places in Lapland and at night time they are experiencing temperatures as low as -10.
That of course will be nothing to the puppies, as the winter progresses they must be prepared to function in tempratures as low as -40.
As a rule it is the warmer weather the dogs dislike, even temperatures of -5 are not pleasant when the dogs are working, whisking their sleds through the forzen forests. They are happiest and -10 and below! 

If you want experience husky sleding in Lapland click here.

Finland is home to 5000 reindeer herders.

About 40 percent of Finnish reindeer meat is sold by the herders themselves, or small-scale meat packers. Finnish law allows those who raise reindeer to sell the meat directly to the consumer. In direct sales, the transaction must take place on the property of the herder. 

Reindeer meat is low in fat and high in protein. Reindeer have their calves in the late spring. 
Most of the reindeer that are slaughtered were born the same year, because the meat of a young reindeer is considered to be of higher quality. More mature individuals are left in the forest to multiply. 
   

The reindeer herding area of Finland comprises one third of the country's surface area. It includes all of the Province of Finnish Lapland, as well as the northern and eastern parts of Oulu Province. Finland has about 5,000 reindeer herders, who comprise 56 reindeer-owners' associations.

Reindeer, or rangifer tarandus tarandus are ruminants - the semi-domesticated version of a wild animal of the same species. 
In 2005 predators killed nearly 3,000 reindeer.
     

Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 17.10.2006

The way ahead with lower emissions and less noise pollution.

The Finnish factory of Canada Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) has developed the world's first natural gas-powered snowmobile, it said Wednesday.

The Lynx-branded model is to be sold mainly to central European skiing resorts, which requested the development of a gas-powered alternative a couple of years ago.

Using gas instead of petrol as fuel significantly cuts emissions as well as engine noise. Further, natural gas is up to 70 per cent cheaper than petrol.

In Austria, for example, there are about 40 natural gas filling stations.

To visit Finnish Lapland to try snowmobiling, sadly not yet the natural gas-powered verion click here. 

Meet the latest arrivals at the Harriniva Husky farm in Finnish Lapland.

It is a wonderful life at the Harriniva husky farm. These youngsters are the newest members to the 350 strong husky family! The boys above are Avalon, Aragon and Aurin.
Below are a couple of their sisters, Akita and Aura.

The puppies are currently living in the nursery with their mother where they are given lots of love and attention. In a few weeks time they will move onto the kindergarten. It is then that the husky farm staff start to watch them playing, with their expertise they will be picking out which will be the husky team leaders of the future and which will be the muscle.  As they get older they will gradually be introduced to an experienced husky team, working alongside them. Once fully grown they will have lots of opportunities to do what they love most….to run. They will be whisking guests through the forest on sleds for hours or days on end.

Watch this space for more pictures of the Harriniva puppies as they grow-up.

For further details on visiting Harriniva and seeing the puppies in person this December click here.

We try and answer the eternal question………

While sitting by a lake in Lapland, deep in the forest one evening this summer a discussion started between me and some friends about just how old Santa Claus is.
As we sipped cloud berry juice and cooked sausages and fish over the fire the discussion went on long into the night, or is that day, this Finnish midnight sun is so confusing!

We were all lucky enough to have known Santa for many years as we were either locals or had met him while visiting Lapland on many occasions over the years.

Between the eight people present there was a huge variation in what we believed to be his age from a pitiful 183 years to a rather unbelievable 536 years.

Several of us were just guessing but others spoke with great authority.

Mikko, the local reindeer herder, felt certain that Santa was 428 years old. He pointed out that after all he should know as his family had been caring for Santa’s reindeers since his great, great, great, great, great grandfather was a boy!

Ilkka, the chief elf, just laughed and said that every elf knew that Santa is 498, they already had a committee planning his golden golden birthday, just 2 years away. After all wasn’t it the elves that had found Santa, then just a young man of 200 and something, wandering across the isolated fells and helped him build his secret cabin deep in the forest.

The discussion went on and on until Ilkka asked his grandson, Arto,the youngest in our group, to go to Santas house and ask him how old he is. So off the young elf ran.

We fed the passing reindeer, fished, had a sauna and napped by the fire but still the young elf had not returned. As we packed up to leave and were saying our goodbyes the young elf eventually appeared. As we all awaited the answer Arto promised that he had indeed asked Santa Claus the question. As he rocked in his chair by the fire the great man had started to count off the years, telling him of some of the highpoints of each year, smiling at the thought of some good years and weeping at others. We all encouraged him to tell us his final answer but the young elf had to admit that Santa had got as far as 415 and had fallen asleep!

If you want to visit Lapland and ask Santa how old he is click here.

A unique New Year at Hotel Harriniva, Finnish Lapland.

Hotel Harriniva’s unique location, and the hosts’ Kopi and Maria’s thirst for festivity and fun, mean that guests to the hotel get to see in the New Year not once but twice, first with the Swedes and then with the Finns!

Harriniva is in an idyllic setting on the banks of the Muonio River, which is the natural border between Sweden and Finland, in North western Lapland. 

For many guests the New Year’s Eve celebrations round off a visit crammed with amazing, and for most, once in a lifetime activities. The location is breathtaking with snow encrusted trees, natural ice formations and those carved by local craftsmen, and the highlight for many, if lucky, seeing the Northern Lights.

As well as the warm welcome, upon arrival hotel guests are provided with special clothing that will allow them to make the most of the Arctic conditions; after all, it is over 200km above the Arctic Circle!

During their stay, guests will get to test the clothing and their taste for adventure to the limit, taking part in exhilarating safaris. A full day is spent on snowmobiles exploring the beautiful forests and fells enjoying lunch in an isolated chalet. A particular highlight is a tour of the hotel’s husky farm, home to over 350 dogs, before harnessing up a team and setting off on a husky sled adventure.  There is also time to learn about local culture and the native reindeers who roam the area. In the quieter moments there is an opportunity to don cross country skis or snowshoes and explore the surroundings.  For those still looking for excitement there are always the toboggans.

Accommodation is in warm, cosy rooms, made of local wood and stone. All have private facilities. You will not find a TV in the room, but with so much going on outside and a welcoming bar where everyone meets to share stories of their day’s adventures, you won’t miss it.

The New Year’s Eve celebrations start with a wonderful dinner in the fireside restaurant, later moving outside onto the ice for the countdown and fireworks to see in the Swedish New Year. Afterwards, the brave can stay outside and enjoy drinks from the ice bar, keeping watch for the northern lights, and explore the igloo and carvings. An hour later it all takes place again!  The party then continues inside in the bar with dancing until the early hours.

Harriniva really is the place for New Year, new experiences, new friends………….

To experience New Year at Harriniva for yourself click here.

Image provides by flickr, Scott Robinson

Wonderful image of Northern Lights in Lapland gets the votes.

If there's one lesson to be learned from Max Pickering's winning picture, it is that persistence pays off. The picture was taken by Max earlier this year, while on holiday in Lapland - his seventh visit to within the Arctic Circle.

"I go primarily for the photography," says Max, of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. "It's pretty much become an annual holiday because of the aurora, which is at its best around the spring and autumn equinox."

The winning picture was taken on the last night of his week-long visit and owes much to his careful planning.
"In the evening at about 9pm I'd go out to a location and set up the cameras and plant myself there for several hours, just trying to stay warm."
Temperatures at the time were averaging -25C, he says.
With light levels so low, long exposures of 20-30 seconds were required for each shot. But so as not to miss a shot if one camera was in the middle of an exposure, Max took three cameras - all digital SLRs (single lens reflexes) - which snapped in rotation.

Max's mantra
The winning image was taken with a specialist ultra-wide angle lens (an expensive piece of equipment) to capture that broad sweep of sky.

So what are his tips for anyone who might hope to take a picture to rival this winning image? Some pricey kit, perhaps?
"For me photography is 75% anticipation. I'm always looking for a shot that's about to happen, but staying open minded enough to switch at the last minute. You don't need expensive equipment to take good pictures. It's in the eye," says Max, who, since taking the picture, has gone professional.

"This picture is a good example - getting everything ready to be in the right place, at the right time; setting stuff up so you can operate it with boxing gloves on and then just being ready to get the shot."

Did he use any post production to boost the colour?
"Absolutely not. The aurora is amazing. I took it to be printed up and they said they couldn't - the printer couldn't render that amount of green."

To see the winning image click here.

To visit Lapland to take your own images and experience the Northern Lights click here.

Breakfast view from restaurant at Hotel Iso-Syote!

We took the above photo while we were sat enjoying a leisurely breakfast on our final morning at Hotel Iso-Syote in northern Finland last December.

After 4 crazy and wonderful days of snowmobiling, husky sledging and of course meeting Santa we were all quietly sat reflecting on our trip when the cloud settled and this amazing view opened up before us.

It just summed up our breathtaking location and unforgettable Santa holiday.

Alec.

Northern Finnish Lapland gets its first snow.

As we are basking in our Indian summer it is hard to believe that this week has seen the arrival of snow in the north of Finnish Lapland. At the moment Finland is definitely a divided country when it comes to weather. While Helsinki basks in day time temperatures of +20, in the far north evenings are already a chilly -3.

With the leaves still on the trees the region had not even seen the end of Autumn or as it is called locally ruska before this light snow shower earlier in the week. The covering will probably last just a few days before melting or being washed away in the rain. It may be several more weeks before the snow arrives in earnest, but it is a gentle reminder that winter is on its way.

For Finnish weather information click here.

To visit Finnish Lapland click here

It is the ideal way to experience Finnish Lapland.

While there is a mad exodus come winter by Brits to the Alps, Rockies and just about anywhere else that allows them to throw themselves down black runs or show off their skills on a Super Pipe, but mention cross country skiing to them and they look at you as if you have gone mad!

As Lapland is usually the first place to see snow in Europe there is an influx of international Cross country Ski teams from all over the world desperate to get in some pre-season training. A first flurry of snow last October saw the arrival of 6 international teams to the resort of Saariselka in the far north of Finnish Lapland. Each team arrived with hundreds of pairs of skis, a huge support team and operated in great secrecy. They have experts to wax their skis, a chef to prepare their food, this is serious stuff. 
Having to gain access to one of the conference rooms a team was using to prepare and store their skis, the hotel manager rang the team manager on our behalf to ask permission. The team manager adamantly denied the request due to secrecy until he realised we were British, when between chuckles he changed his response implying that we were no threat as Brits know nothing about cross-country skiing! Hurtful but on the whole true.
As the days warmed once again the snow quickly began to disappear leaving the teams competing for an ever shrinking short distance of track! We had the last laugh the following day when we passed all six teams out jogging along tarmac roads in glorious sunshine!

I have to admit that in the past the mere mention of cross country skiing would be met by a rolling of eyes and yawns but after many years visiting Finnish Lapland during its long beautiful winters I have  slowly been won over. Not by the Finns, I think they quite like our indifference as it means all the more never ending trails for them, but by nature. Come spring, not your British spring of daffodils and gambling lambs but the Lappish variety, metres of snow, crystal clear blue skies and long sunny days, there is nothing more amazing than setting out on a trail through the silent forests for a days trek.  

I guess the equivalent in the UK is hiking or rambling. The Finns take their cross country skiing seriously, there isn’t a village in Lapland that can’t boast at least a 250km network of trails, all lovingly cared for and maintained. For those crazy people that wish to ski on the short winter days of November to January there are also illuminated tracks. Along the network of trails you find small Kotas (Lapp tepees) where you can rest, make a fire to prepare lunch, or in the middle of nowhere cabins where coffee, soup and cakes are on offer.

There are a small number of people in the UK that have discovered cross-country skiing. Put the skis on children and they are off, making it look so easy. For many people that hike it is not the process of walking that they love but the scenery along the way. Once they had mastered the basics of cross country skiing they would soon love exploring, Finnish style!

In Finnish Lapland you are spoilt for choice when it comes to cross-country skiing, to learn more about the villages and resorts click here.

Saunas play a major part in Finnish life.

If the entire population of Finland was told to immediately enter a sauna, they'd all be accomodated. With a population of around five million, there are more than 2.5 million saunas. That means almost every household has its own sauna.
And there are plenty of public saunas.

"Sauna is basically in the nature of everything here," says Jari Etelalahti, who runs local tour company Eat and Joy Helsinki.
"A lot of homes have them and Finnish people are crazy about summer cottages which all have sauna."

For Finns, going to a sauna is more than a passtime. It is part of their Nordic culture.
"In the old days, that was the only place that was really heated," said Etelalahti.
"It was hygienic also so you gave birth in a sauna ... you spent half of your day in the sauna.

As a tourist, there are many opportunities to experience the traditional Finnish sauna.
Public saunas are open daily and you may be lucky to be invited to enjoy some Finnish hospitality at a local's home.

Traditional sauna is a wooden building where the bathers sit on benches splashing water on the hot stones of the stove and gently beating themselves with leafy birch whisks.
More common in homes nowadays are electric saunas.
"The real sauna is the smoke sauna which is heated for like six hours before the whole event and it stays like that."
"Saunas can be electrical ... many of these flats nowadays have electrical saunas.
"But for me the wooden heated saunas are the best."

Temperatures can range from 70 degrees celcius to 180 degrees celcius for the more hardcore sauna lovers.
"It can get up to 150 or 180 degrees and the guys sit there happily sweating."
There are even competitions where people attempt to stay in the sauna for a lengthy time at a high temperature. Etelalahti said men were particularly competitive.
"Of course when guys have a sauna, they want to be competitive and there is also a world championship for people to see who can stay in the sauna the longest at some high temperature," he said.
"But usually it is about being therapeutic so you can stay in the sauna as long or as little as you want. Of course when guys have a sauna, they want to be competitive and there is also a world championship for people to see who can stay in the sauna the longest at some high temperature. "Guys are always competitive and many have fainted in the heat of the battle.
"But usually it is about being therapeutic so you can stay in the sauna as long or as little as you want."

Certain rules generally apply to saunas. "Sauna is not supposed to be a connection to business so the rules are: no politics, no religion, no business and hardly no sex talk at all," says Etelalahti. "It is just about pure and natural things. It is nice to just talk about everyday subjects like the weather or food."

A trip to the sauna usually takes a couple of hours and involves a whole process of activities.
One must first get naked and shower before entering.
Sauna is usually done nude - it is more hygienic that way - and in public places, male and females are normally separate.
At home, saunas are usually mixed. "Every time you go naked because it is more hygenic not to go with the swimsuit," says Etelalahti.

The term sauna refers to the whole bathing process and includes several repeated periods of perspiring in the heat and the steam, known as "loyly", produced by the water thrown on the stones.
Loyly is described as the spirit of the sauna. It is a Finno-Ugric word going back 7,000 years.
Between bouts in the sauna room, people often bathe in cold water.

In winter, people cut holes in the ice in the Baltic sea or any lake and jump in for a short time.
If there is no water nearby, people will often roll around naked in the snow.
"If you have water next to you, of course you want to jump into it," says Etelalahti.
"If you don't have the ocean or a lake near you, you always go outside and chill out in the cold for a while."
"It is addictive, both sauna and going into the icy water."

Jonathon Moran, Sydney Morning Herald. September 12, 2006
Image provided by the Finnish Tourist Board.

To visit finland and sauna among the experts click here.

Saunas play a major part in Finnish life.

If the entire population of Finland was told to immediately enter a sauna, they'd all be accomodated. With a population of around five million, there are more than 2.5 million saunas. That means almost every household has its own sauna.
And there are plenty of public saunas.

"Sauna is basically in the nature of everything here," says Jari Etelalahti, who runs local tour company Eat and Joy Helsinki.
"A lot of homes have them and Finnish people are crazy about summer cottages which all have sauna."

For Finns, going to a sauna is more than a passtime. It is part of their Nordic culture.
"In the old days, that was the only place that was really heated," said Etelalahti.
"It was hygienic also so you gave birth in a sauna ... you spent half of your day in the sauna.

As a tourist, there are many opportunities to experience the traditional Finnish sauna.
Public saunas are open daily and you may be lucky to be invited to enjoy some Finnish hospitality at a local's home.

Traditional sauna is a wooden building where the bathers sit on benches splashing water on the hot stones of the stove and gently beating themselves with leafy birch whisks.
More common in homes nowadays are electric saunas.
"The real sauna is the smoke sauna which is heated for like six hours before the whole event and it stays like that."
"Saunas can be electrical ... many of these flats nowadays have electrical saunas.
"But for me the wooden heated saunas are the best."

Temperatures can range from 70 degrees celcius to 180 degrees celcius for the more hardcore sauna lovers.
"It can get up to 150 or 180 degrees and the guys sit there happily sweating."
There are even competitions where people attempt to stay in the sauna for a lengthy time at a high temperature. Etelalahti said men were particularly competitive.
"Of course when guys have a sauna, they want to be competitive and there is also a world championship for people to see who can stay in the sauna the longest at some high temperature," he said.
"But usually it is about being therapeutic so you can stay in the sauna as long or as little as you want. Of course when guys have a sauna, they want to be competitive and there is also a world championship for people to see who can stay in the sauna the longest at some high temperature. "Guys are always competitive and many have fainted in the heat of the battle.
"But usually it is about being therapeutic so you can stay in the sauna as long or as little as you want."

Certain rules generally apply to saunas. "Sauna is not supposed to be a connection to business so the rules are: no politics, no religion, no business and hardly no sex talk at all," says Etelalahti. "It is just about pure and natural things. It is nice to just talk about everyday subjects like the weather or food."

A trip to the sauna usually takes a couple of hours and involves a whole process of activities.
One must first get naked and shower before entering.
Sauna is usually done nude - it is more hygienic that way - and in public places, male and females are normally separate.
At home, saunas are usually mixed. "Every time you go naked because it is more hygenic not to go with the swimsuit," says Etelalahti.

The term sauna refers to the whole bathing process and includes several repeated periods of perspiring in the heat and the steam, known as "loyly", produced by the water thrown on the stones.
Loyly is described as the spirit of the sauna. It is a Finno-Ugric word going back 7,000 years.
Between bouts in the sauna room, people often bathe in cold water.

In winter, people cut holes in the ice in the Baltic sea or any lake and jump in for a short time.
If there is no water nearby, people will often roll around naked in the snow.
"If you have water next to you, of course you want to jump into it," says Etelalahti.
"If you don't have the ocean or a lake near you, you always go outside and chill out in the cold for a while."
"It is addictive, both sauna and going into the icy water."

Jonathon Moran, Sydney Morning Herald. September 12, 2006
Image provided by the Finnish Tourist Board.

To visit finland and sauna among the experts click here.

Santa will let Finnair do the flying when he visits New Delhi.

Finnish carrier Finnair's soon to be introduced non-stop flights between Helsinki and New Delhi would be accompanied by some happy chortling, with the airline planning to fly Santa Claus from the Arctic Circle to the tropics to promote the service.

The Finnish Santa Claus, who lives above the Arctic Circle in Lapland region and each year receives over 11 million letters from believers across the world, including India, would visit New Delhi shortly after the inaugural flight on October 30.

"It (Santa's visit) will be part of the promotional campaign," Finnair President and CEO Jukka Hienonen said.
Finland already considers Santa Claus as its most important PR person who receives loads of visitors at his home in Rovaniemi in Lapland.

In fact, a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis by the Finnish Tourist Board lists Santa as Finland's unique selling point, besides the country's serene environment.
Santa Claus, who has his own post office in Finland, will take part in the official opening of the airline's services in New Delhi on November nine and will also visit kindergartens and some hospitals in the Indian Capital.

Finnair, more than 40 per cent of whose business is already Asia related, is betting big on the direct India service, which would be scaled up to five a week by summer 2007 from the initial three flights.

For more information about meeting Santa in Lapland this Christmas click here.

Some phrases and words that you may find useful if planning to visit Finnish Lapland in the coming months…….you never know who you might bump into.

Hauska tavata!   = Nice to meet you!

Hyvää huomenta!  = Good morning!

Hyvää iltaa!   = Good evening!

Hyvää päivää!   = Good afternoon!

Nimeni on ….  = My name is …….

Kyllä kiitos  = Yes, please

Ei kiitos  = No, thank-you.

Kiitos!   = Thank you!

Kippis!   = Cheers!

Kylmä    = Cold

Ulkona on Kylmä  = It is cold.

On todekka Kylmä = It is very cold.

Sataa lunta  = It is snowing.

Lämmin    = Warm

Minulla oli mukavaa.  = I had a nice time.

Hei!    = Hi! 

Hei Hei!   = Bye-bye

Näkemiin!   = Goodbye

Tämä on hyvää!  = This is good!

Poro    = Reindeer

Anteeksi   = Sorry / Excuse me

Joulu   = Christmas

Joulukuusi  = Christmas tree

Joulupukki  = Father Christmas / Santa Claus

Tonttu   = Elf

Revontulet  = Aurora Borealis

Iso tuoppi!   = Could I have a pint of beer, please!

And if all else fails………………………………En puhu suomea.  = I don't speak Finnish

If you want to put your new vocabulary to good use visit Lapland or meet Santa.

Image provided by Loraine Highfield.

To do it justice everyone should visit at least four times or stay for a year!

I love the fact that Lapland has such defined seasons, even if they vary dramatically in length.
I have been asked on many occasions, often by Finns, which I like best and have struggled to come to a conclusion. When in Lapland I always have a very strong feeling that Mother Nature is in charge and when left to her own devices does very nicely thank you.

Ruska, as they call Autumn in Lapland,

is spectacular. Once the cold nights set in the trees dramatically change colour to a breathtaking array of reds and gold’s. What always amazes me is that the Finns have pretty much managed to keep this secret season to themselves with them flocking north for hiking, mushroom picking and just to sit on top of a fell and take in the spectacle. It can compete with anything the New England has to offer but, yes sadly there is one, it is a short as it is sweet. Lasting just a few short weeks it can start at any point during September. There is nothing nicer than hiking with friends through the forests, stopping to cook sausages over an open fire by a lake and breathing in that cool fresh air.

Winter

The first flakes of snow can fall in early October but winter for real doesn’t kick in until late November. In the far north of Lapland from mid November the sun disappears below the horizon and will not surface again until mid January. This doesn’t mean it is completely dark, for at least 4 hours a day the glow of the sun just below the horizon lights up the sky often with spectacular effect.  Nature as always is kind, on cloudy days it is much warmer but on those cloudless days when temperatures of -30 and below are not unusual you are compensated with skies with a range of colours that do not seem exist anywhere other than the arctic.
The snow is deep enough to start to enjoy the arctic activities such as snowmobiling, husky safaris and reindeer rides. Another treat that are often seen in Lapland are the Northern Lights.

Spring

This is very different to our spring, while we experience the appearance of flowers and blossom, Lapland is still under a deep layer of snow but the days are now drawing out at a dramatic rate. In March and April you are experiencing long sunny days and cold nights. It is the perfect time for taking those long husky or snowmobile safaris, with stops along the way for fireside picnics and over-nighting in wilderness cabins or igloos. This is when the locals sit out on the huge lakes for hours on end ice fishing, take saunas followed by a refreshing dips in ice holes or set off on cross-country skis through the silent forests.

Summer

Nothing ever prepares you for the midnight sun. Although everyone tells you that it is light all the time you never quite believe them until you experience it for yourself. On a sunny day, of which Lapland has its fair share, midnight does look the same as midday. There is nothing nicer staying in lakeside cottage, taking late night saunas, swimming in a lake and then gently in a boat and reading under the midnight sun. Just as the locals do!

To experience it for yourself click here.

Lordi continues to catch the attention of the worlds press.

Finland's rock monsters go pop

A cola soft drink has been launched in Finland to honour the hard rock group Lordi, who won the Eurovision Song Contest this year.
Ritva Sinisalo, the head of soft drinks products at the brewer Olvi Group, said Lordi Cola — which will have labels featuring the monster-masked band members — is targeted at all consumers “from babies to grandparents”.
The group ended Finland’s 40 years without a Eurovision success with their tune Hard Rock Hallelujah.

The Times    17 August 2006

The Lionising of Lordi!

BEFORE the Finnish heavy metal band Lordi won the Eurovision Song Contest in May with its anthem Hard Rock Hallelujah, its many critics warned that the latex-wearing monster mutants would embarrass Finland, inspire Satanic worship and scare children by blowing up Barbie dolls on stage.

But after ending Finland's 40-year losing streak at the Eurovision contest, the world's biggest celebration of pop-music kitsch, the quintet has been transformed from national scourges into national heroes - suggesting the winner still takes all, even in self-effacing Finland and even when the winners dress like Gothic trolls.

The lionising of the former outcasts has reached such surreal heights that there are plans in the works for a Lordi postage stamp, Lordi action figures, a Lordi comic book series, Lordi commemorative coins and Lordi the movie - a horror film starring the band members as themselves.
The President of Finland, Tarja Halonen, once lobbied by horrified Finns to withdraw Lordi from Eurovision, recently praised their retractable Satan wings and slasher-film inspired lyrics as "Finnish quality work". Pepsi has begun advertising its drinks in Finland with the slogan "Hard Drink Hallelujah," and Finnish magazines are publishing cut-out Lordi monster masks that children can wear at school.
Town officials in Rovaniemi, the home of Lordi's lead singer, Tomi Putaansuu (aka Mr Lordi), near the Arctic Circle, recently renamed a central square after Lordi and built a wall of fame with the band's handprints.

Previously derided for polluting the morals of Finnish youth, the band's drummer, Kita, has had a youth centre named after him in his home town, Karkkila, in south Finland.
Mantasala, the birthplace of Amen, the band's guitar-playing mummy, has paid homage by erecting an abstract rock sculpture called "Hard Rock" near his old high school.

Finnish observers say the Lordi fever is part of a general sense of cultural assertion as Finland grows into its role as the holder of the revolving presidency of the European Union, basks in its high-technology economy and sheds any complexes it might have about what it means to be Finnish.
Even the Prime Minister, Matti Vanhanen, is solidifying his heavy metal credentials: he was recently photographed with the band, his pinky, index finger and thumb raised in a rock-music salute.
"We are now seen as the miracle of the north, the land of Nokia and high-tech, one of the most competitive economies in the world, and a country that is rocking and rolling," said Alex Stubb, a Finnish member of the European Parliament.

Putaansuu, also the band's leader, has a theory about Lordi's sudden rehabilitation.
"Being a hero is easy: You just have to win the Eurovision Song Contest, apparently," he said recently. "Until a few weeks ago the whole nation was against us totally - they did not want us to represent Finland. Now all the magazines in Finland are printing Lordi masks for children. There's not much logic going on inside. But let's face it, people are stupid."

The New York Times 15 August 2006

To link to the Lordi official website click here.

Is the long hot dry summer is taking its toll on Laplands berry crop?

The hot dry summer has had an effect on the usually bountiful supply of berries in Finnish Lapland. Forest berries have been part of the Finnish diet for hundreds of years. Everyman´s rights in Finland allow people to walk and pick up wild berries even in forests and swamps that they do not own or without any permission from landowners provided that they don’t damage the environment. During August and September Finns make frequent visits to the forests and fells collecting berries for their own use or to be sold by the kilo / litre to berry traders that take up residence in market places throughout Finland for the berry season.

About 67 % of adult people pick up forest berries in Finland. When the crop is good, people pick up about 50 million kilos of berries. Of these 35 million kilos are for personal home consumption and 15 million kilos are used commercially. Berries collected include lingonberries, cloudberries and bilberries / blue berries.

In recent years berry pickers from Russia, Ukraine and even as far a field as Thailand have arrived in Finland during August and September to collect berries, all being paid by the kilo. In the past they have been able to pick enough to cover their travel, accommodation and food costs and still make a profit.
The drought and dry summer, have resulted in a poor berry crop this season in some areas of Lapland creating problems for the foreign berry-pickers. Many Russian and Ukrainian berry-pickers, who have travelled to Finland with high hopes of earning money by picking wild berries feel cheated and would like to go home, but have no money for a return trip or for food.  They are turning to local authorities for help.

Locals agree it is a poor year but those with a good local knowledge are heading to the “wet” areas where berries can still be found and are finding enough for domestic use. Even more of a worry to the Finnish forest food pickers is the lack of mushrooms, another highlight on the Finnish calender.

For areas traditionally offering good berry and mushroom picking

In Finland click here.

In Sweden click here.

When are the Aurora Borealis most likely to appear in Finnish Lapland?

The particles causing the Northern Lights come from the sun, from which they are catapulted out into space at speeds of up to 1000 km a second on the so-called solar winds. The Northern Lights typically form at a height of 100 km as a result of charged particles (electrons and protons) accelerating in the Earth's magnetic field and colliding with air molecules. These give up part of their surplus energy in the form of light. The phenomenon is rather similar to the formation of an image in a television tube, or to the emission of light by a neon lamp. The usual greenish-yellow, and occasionally reddish, appearance of the aurora is produced by the oxygen in the atmosphere, whereas the blue and violet light is due to nitrogen.

The Finnish name for the lights (revontulet) comes from a Sami, or Lapp, legend whereby the tail of a fox running along snow-covered fells strikes the snow drifts, sending a trail of sparks into the sky. Revontulet literally means "foxfire".

The systematic observation of the Northern Lights began in Finland in the mid -1700’s. From the 1970’s the Finnish Meteorological Institute has operated auroral cameras at several stations allowing them to compile extensive statistics, images and monitor seasonal variations.

Today, the FMI maintains a modern digital all-sky camera system that takes the auroral pictures without film directly to the memory of a computer. At the moment there are five cameras in operation. The pictures are transmitted, principally in real-time, through Internet to be seen everywhere. Due to light nights in Lapland during spring and summer, the auroral cameras have been switched off. The photographing begins again in autumn.

Where and when are the Northern Lights most seen?
Statistics reveal that the most Northern Lights are observed in the Kilpisjärvi region of Lapland. With a clear sky during the dark period of the year on average the auroras is seen there on three nights out of four.  The 100 % (every night) level is only attained in northern Norway, along the shore of the Arctic Ocean. Further north still their occurrence again decreases. As one travels south, the incidence diminishes so that in the Sodankylä region the Northern Lights are seen every second night, and in the Oulu-Kuusamo area every fourth night.  On cloudy nights, of course, it is not possible to see them at all.

 
At 9 pm in the evening, Finnish time, the average probability of occurrence in Lapland exceeds 50 %. It reaches a peak at approx. 11.30 pm, when there is a magnetic midnight and the disturbances in the Earth's magnetic field that the lights depend on are at a maximum. After midnight the incidence of the lights dwindles, so that by 4 am to 5 am the probability of occurrence falls below 50 %.
In North-Finland, north of the Arctic Circle, the best season for seeing auroras is December - January. During the summer, the nights are too bright for observing auroras.

For the best locations to experience the Northern Lights this winter click here.

Climate change leads to healthier reindeer and large salmon in Lapland.

SHORTER winters, longer summers and a slight rise in temperature in northernmost Europe are proving a boon for arctic wildlife, agriculture and tourism.
In spite of dire warnings about climate change, the most northerly reaches of Scandinavia are basking in good news: reindeer are growing stronger and the salmon larger. New possibilities are opening up for tourism trade and even for wine-makers.

In Rovaniemi, Father Christmas’s Lapland home in northern Finland, reindeer are putting on weight. Jan-Eric Paadar, a herdsman’s son in the northerly Inari region, said recent shorter winters meant Finland’s 200,000 reindeer had longer to graze on grass and lichen. “It’s easier to find food when the winter comes later and later all the time,” he said.
The same applies to Norway, where the government reindeer department has reported four bumper grazing years. “They are in good condition. Last year there was a very good market for reindeer meat,” said Christian Lindman, a spokesman.

Salmon farmers are also benefiting. At Volden, a family-run salmon and trout producer in the coastal town of Alta, an employee said higher water temperatures made fish eat more and grow faster.
Professor Eystein Jansen, of the Bjerknes centre for climate research in Bergen, said changes in the North Sea ecosystem were among the clearest signs of climate change.
Norwegian fishermen can now net bigger cod and herring catches as both species migrate further north. An increase of 1C had made Norway’s waters the optimal temperature, the professor said.
According to Inger Hansson-Bauer, of the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, farming patterns are also changing because of a rise in spring temperatures of 1.5C in the past century.
“There is a very clear tendency for spring to come earlier and autumns to be warmer,” she said. “In some areas there is a positive effect for farming. Where there was just one hay harvest, they can now harvest twice.”

As holidaymakers swelter in the south, northern Europe’s tourist industry is set to gain. Norway’s holiday home market is booming, with good coastal properties fetching £500,000 to £1m each.
Watersports are also drawing more followers. In Finland, there are 10,000 windsurfers and 1,000 more take it up every year. Pasi Rahikka, the manager of the Surf.fi windsurfing company, said climate change was making a difference.
“The summer seems to last a month longer than five or 10 years ago,” he said.

Richard Bisgrove, a plant scientist at the University of Reading and author of a well-regarded report on climate change, agreed that tourism would extend north with the onset of climate change.
“I’m in my early sixties and maybe when I retire I will go further north rather than south,” he said.
Denmark is already nurturing a wine industry. Although still in its infancy, it exported wine to France last year.
“Warm temperatures and long summers are helping us to mature the grapes,” said Jens Michael Gundersen of the Danish Wine Association.

Experts warn that while looking at the advantages of climate change is “refreshing”, the damage will far outweigh the benefits overall. “There will be gainers in this but the cost on a worldwide basis will be astronomical,” said Bisgrove.

NICOLA SMITH, BRUSSELS. THE TIME ONLINE.

To for reindeer activities in Lapland click here.

The 30th World Gold panning championships takes place in Tankavaara, Finnish Lapland this week.

The event attracts contestants and visitors from around the world. Competitors in various categories are set the task of locating a set number of gold flakes in the fastest time. The winner of last years mens competition Veikko Keranën located the allocated 11 gold flakes in a fraction over a minute!
Visitors to the Tankavaara gold museum can try their hand at gold panning throughout the summer.
The museum is located south of the resort of Saariselka.

For our nearest accommodation to Tankavaara click here

Our visitors to Finland during winter often ask what the huskies get up to during the summer

Having worked so hard during winter whisking people through the forest on exhilarating safaris the huskies spend their summers relaxing and putting their paws up.
At Finn Jann husky farm near Tavalkoski the dogs spend their summer sunbathing, joining guests for leisurely hikes through the surrounding countryside and swimming in the lakes. As Autumn (Ruska) approaches the dogs start to build up their fitness gradually by pulling wheeled sleds along the forest trails.

You can join Timo at Finn-Jann to help with the huskies preseason training and to put the puppies through their paces in November and early December. This is a unique holiday for anyone that loves animals and wants hands on experience at a husky farm.

For further details click here.

Greenpeace join forces with Sami Reindeer herding communities to help save the last areas of reindeer forest.

The Sámi Reindeer Forests of Arctic Lapland are amongst the few remaining areas of ancient forest left in Europe.

So much is at stake here - the Reindeer Forest is under siege by the Finnish government's own logging company, Metsähallitus. Sámi reindeer herding co-operatives have identified areas of forest vital for the free grazing of reindeer - areas that continue to be logged by Metsähallitus. Up to 70% of the timber logged by Metsähallitus in Sámi areas goes into the production of pulp and paper - ending up as magazine and copy paper throughout Europe.

In Inari, Sámi reindeer herding communities are now taking action to reclaim what is rightfully theirs. A team of Greenpeace activists has joined forces with the herding co-operatives, to help save these last areas of Reindeer Forest.

Inari reindeer herders disappointed on Natural Resources Plan
Joint working group of Inari reindeer herding co-operatives sent out a press release on June 21st. They are disappointed on the Natural Resources Plan of Metsähallitus. The reindeer herders call for negotiations, but Metsähallitus will start logging in August.

TRANSLATED PRESS RELEASE FROM JOINT WORKING GROUP OF INARI REINDEER HERDING CO-OPERATIVES
WWW.INARINPALISKUNNAT.ORG
= = = = =

STILL NO NEGOTIATIONS – LOGGING IN INARI WILL CONTINUE
Joint working group of Inari reindeer herding co-operatives is disappointed in the new Natural Resources Plan (NRP) of Metsähallitus. Logging in reindeer grazing forests will continue.
The Inari reindeer herding co-operatives have for many years asked for negotiations to solve the forest dispute. Instead of negotiations, Metsähallitus in a joint meeting today presented its new NRP, which has been made without participation of the reindeer herding co-operatives.
Metsähallitus also proposed discussions separately with each reindeer herding co-operative about the specific locations of logging plans in their area. These discussions cannot be regarded as negotiations, because Metsähallitus has not agreed to negotiate forestry decisions in all important reindeer grazing areas as a whole, but will only discuss the locations of next loggings.
The NRP is an internal planning system of Metsähallitus, where Metsähallitus alone holds the decision-making power. Its central aim in theory is to guarantee the rights of the Saami culture and reindeer herding in forest use. The Finnish state has through legislation committed itself to safeguard the preconditions of reindeer herding livelihood in the Saami area.
The aim is still not reached, because the annual logging quota is still too high to protect the important reindeer grazing areas. The mandate and means of State´s enterprise Metsähallitus to make decisions are not sufficient to safeguard local jobs both in forestry and reindeer herding.
The inadequate mandate of Metsähallitus was the primary reason for the failure of the previous negotiations between the reindeer herding co-operatives and Metsähallitus in the summer of 2005. That fundamental problem is also the reason why the Inari reindeer herding co-operatives did not take part in the new NRP. Instead, the co-operatives have many times appealed to the Finnish government to start real negotiations with the co-operatives.
The logging quota in the new NRP would only leave a few of the important grazing areas outside of forestry. Most of the grazing areas of crucial importance would still be left in foresty use. The distribution of protected areas between co-operatives is even more unequal than before. For instance, the Nellim herding group and Muddusjärvi co-operative would be left completely without protected areas. ”The logging quota should be adequately reduced and the reduction must be distributed between the co-operatives so that there will be enough winter grazing areas for everyone”, says the chairman of Muddusjärvi co-operative, mr. Pentti Valle.
The way how Metsähallitus plans and carries out the loggings has become even worse during the NRP process. Since the summer of 2005, Metsähallitus has not negotiated with reindeer herders at all about logging plans. Now Metsähallitus has again marked logging plans in the important grazing forests.
The joint working group of Inari reindeer herding co-operatives appeals once again to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to start the negotiations about the forest dispute.

Information on reindeer herding and forest dispute in Inari: http://www.inarinpaliskunnat.org/index_en.html

Just released for sale is the Emagine New Year programme for this year featuring a choice of locations and activities.

After the over-indulgence of Christmas what better way to see in the New Year, with your friends and loved ones, than escaping to the fresh air of one of Europe’s last great wildernesses to enjoy a host of winter activities.
We offer a range of New Year holidays departing from London Gatwick on Wednesday 27th December, with varying levels of activity included and various types of accommodation.

At Harriniva Wilderness Centre the accommodation is in rooms and the programme is full and action packed and designed for adults or those travelling with teens only as the safari’s are longer.

At Hotel Jeris the programme is for all ages with a choice of room or cabin accommodation for familieswho want to escape from it all. Our arrangements include full board and limited activities.

Hotel Tunturi, in Saariselka is a great location in which to set your own pace, so we have designed the programme with some meals and without activities, however for those looking for a little added excitement there are a wide range of activities to choose from, you just tell us how many and when. Accommodation is in rooms or apartments.

Previous Client Comment
“We have just returned from a holiday to Lapland through yourselves, it was absolutely fantastic!!
We have never heard of Emagine before and have never been on a winter holiday before but this was the best holiday EVER. The organisation of everything was exemplary. The whole holiday was organised with unbelievable efficiency.
Many thanks for providing us with such a great holiday, and well done to all your staff.” Andrea & Brian Speak, Knighton, Leicester

Full departure details can be found in the New Year holidays section of our website

http://www.emagine-travel.co.uk/lapland-holidays/lapland-new-year-holidays.asp

New accommodation capacity is to be built in Saariselkä Finnish Lapland

New from Lapland Hotels and Lapland Safaris will be Riekonlinna Chalets in Saariselkä due to be ready by February 2007

To complement the existing Lapland Hotels Riekonlinna a stylish and comfortable hotel which already offers 196 rooms is coming the new “Riekonlinna Chalets to offer even more choice of accommodation types.

“Riekonlinna Chalets” will be a high standard apartment hotel situated next to Lapland Hotels Riekonlinna, in the very centre of Saariselkä village. Riekonlinna Chalets will consist of 36 high standard and spacious apartments.
 
These 43 – 58 m2 apartments are all equipped with own sauna, kitchen and balcony and have a choice of 1 or 2 bedrooms.
 
Riekonlinna Chalets will be ready for use by February 2007.
 
Lapland Hotels Riekonlinna is featured by Emagine year round as part of our Lapland holiday programmes details at: http://www.emagine-travel.co.uk/holidays-in-lapland/lapland-saariselka.asp#1
 
And also during December as part of our Santa Claus holidays programme our 4 day itinerary can be seen at: http://www.emagine-travel.co.uk/santa-claus-in-lapland/santa-hotel-riekonlinna-saariselka-4day.asp

The final Husky Safari’s  and Winter Activity Weeks for this winter will leave from Harriniva on 9th & 16th April 2006
 
Having your own husky team and taking part in a fantastic husky safari experience will for some represent a unique holiday and one that will never be forgotten. Add to that an additional £50 discount off the brochure price for these final two departures of the current season and you will see there has never been a better time to book this once in a lifetime experience

Full details of Emagine husky safari’s at Harriniva can be found at: 
http://www.emagine-travel.co.uk/holidays-in-lapland/lapland-harriniva-husky-safari.asp
 
Also

This seasons last opportunity to enjoy a Winter Activity week offering a combination of winter snow activities including both husky and snowmobile safari's.
 
Full details of Emagine Activity Weeks at Harriniva can be found at: 
http://www.emagine-travel.co.uk/holidays-in-lapland/lapland-harriniva-winter-activity-week.asp

New Santa Holidays Brochure Available!
 
Emagine Santa Brochure for December 2006 covering visits to Lapland & Northern Finland has just been published.
 
The fully informative Santa brochure for this December is now available and compliments the detailed information available on the Emagine recently updated website. Including Santa dates and itineraries, informative information on the different types of Santa holidays available, resort and village information and lots of helpful facts that will com ein handy when you are visiting Santa in Lapland.
 
To obtain a brochure just visit our website and complete our brochure request form.

Just released for sale is the Emagine December 2006 Santa Web Site full of magical visits to Finnish Lapland and Northern Finland.

A full range of departures are available throughout December featuring various durations of stay from 1 day visits to 3, 4, & 5 night holidays.

As ever Emagine pay full attention to the smallest of details to ensure a memorable and enjoyable experience for all family or party members.

A high standard of personal service is the hallmark of all Emagine Santa Holidays as can be seen by the number of satisfied guests who choose to write to us to express their views.

Previous Client Comment
“Our family of 5 went on a 5 night trip over Xmas and I just wanted to let you know that it was fantastic from the beginning to the end and all my family have memories from it we will treasure forever.
The guides could not have been nicer or more helpful and were part of our holiday, the details that are thought of by your company amazed me and I have to say I was worried that I was looking forward to the holiday too much and it wouldn’t meet expectations, however it exceeded them.
A BIG THANK YOU to emagine , you do a great job.”  Katie Blake Smith, Sheffield

New for 2006 is the addition of Hotel Jeris which is situated on the shore of lake Jerisjarvi and is now owned and operated by Kopi and Maria Pietikainen the owners of Harriniva. This small and cosy hotel not only offers a number of recently refurbished hotel rooms but also features a choice of small & large wooden cabins all within easy access of the hotel where all meals are taken.

Full departure details of all Emagine Santa holidays can be found at http://emagine-travel.co.uk/santa-claus-in-lapland/santa-claus-holiday-dates.asp