Snowbird Reschedules Flights to Lapland

We understand that Finnish airline Snowbird have recently rescheduled and cancelled a number of flights to Lapland over the 2014 Christmas period.  The extent of any schedule changes have not yet been confirmed but we are aware of a number of clients who have been affected.

If you have received notification from Snowbird that your flight is no longer flying or has been cancelled then we may be able to assist in getting you to Lapland in time for Christmas.

Owing to a change in aircraft we have a number of new seats available for purchase from London Gatwick on the following dates: 

London Gatwick to Kittila (Lapland)

• 20th December 2014
• 23rd December 2014
• 27th December 2014
• 30th December 2014

Flights leave Gatwick at 11:00 and depart from Kittila at 18:15.

Seats are limited, so please contact us on 01206 708888 to discuss your plans.

Kittila is conveniently located for the ski resort of Levi, and also is a short transfer from Harriniva, Jeris or Torisieppi.  Sweden, Enontekio and surrounding resorts are also reasonably close.

We have no affiliation with Snowbird, but advise you to contact your credit card or travel insurance provider if you receive any notification of changes from Snowbird.

MEETING SANTA

 There are many reasons to visit the Arctic north in winter. So much to see and do – the Northern   Lights, Husky mushing in Norway, Sweden’s Ice Hotel, Iceland’s volcanoes, cross country skiing in Finland or Greenland’s wildlife.

Lapland has one very special resident though who is a must see for families who want a taste of Christmas Magic. That resident is, of course, Santa and whether the visit lasts one day or is a short break, this will be an amazing experience.  

Santa lives in a small village in Finnish Lapland, with his elves and reindeers. He is always delighted to see his friends, young and old.  Even though Santa is very busy at this time of year but he can always make time for visitors.  If you decide to stay for a few days, you can also partake in many other artic adventures like husky mushing, racing on snow mobiles,  tobogganing, reindeer rides and general fun in the snow. And when night times falls, there is a good chance you will see the best Christmas illuminations in the world, Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights.

Wishing you a very merry Christmas from Lapland and all at Nordic Experience.

Why is it so Cold Santa?

The farther north you go, the colder, more authentic it is
(says Jane Knight)
THE TIMES Saturday 6 November 2010)

Santa's Log cabin in the woods at Harriniva

It's minus 29C, and I've never been so cold. My finger are burning with the cold and I'm wearing so many layers, topped by special overalls supplied by the hotel, that I make the Michelin man look anorexic.

"I don't like Lapland any more, it's too cold," moans my four-year-old son as we set off husky mushing in the weird half light that prevails here. The mass of howling, barking, biting dogs are so keen that I forget about the cold and concentrate instead on stamping as hard as I can on the brake to stop us toppling over.

This is off the wall, yells a 13-year-old in our group. It also makes a great follow-up to a morning of skidoo-riding, in which we zoom in a convoy of snarling mechanical beasts down forest tracks where the tree are bent with snow.

We're in Harriniva, way north of the Arctic Circle, because it seems that the farther north you go in Finnish Lapland, the more authentic the experience. When I started researching a trip to see Santa, I was shocked at the number of companies based in large ski resorts or where you were bussed to the different activities.

There's none of that here because, although we're in the middle of nowhere, all the activities are on the hotel's doorstep. So too is Sweden, just over the frozen river.

But there are disadvantages. Getting here has pretty much taken a day, with a mad run from one end of the airport at Helsinki to the other to catch a connecting flight to Kittila, followed by a 45-minute bus ride to the hotel. The rooms are simple, with only a shower in the en suite when what you need is a bath. And it is always a huge bun fight to get to the buffet for food that makes school dinners seem tasty.

But we've come to see Santa, which is what we do via a visit to a shaman, who tells us how the first reindeer learnt to fly, and a turn on the reindeer sleigh-(the non-flying variety). Each family has an appointment, and we are bundled up in a sleigh and head off in the gloaming, following a row of twinkling lanterns in the woods. As we draw up at a log cabin, where Santa is waving at the window and "elves" are running between the tree ,I'm as excited as a toddler.

Inside, the cabin is just as you'd imagine: crackling fire huge double bed and an elf taking notes in the corner. Santa, who looks like the real deal with paunch and a proper beard beckons us towards his chair. He answers all my son's questions. "Where is Mrs Claus?" "Buying presents; the elves can't make them all." 'What do you do in January?" "Sleep for a month." "How do you give presents to all the children in the world on one night?" "With a lot of help from the elves. '

We have one last question before we leave to get ready for a gala supper, in which Santa will give presents to everyone. "Why do you live where it's so cold?" asks my son. "Because my reindeer like it," says Santa. You can't argue with that.

What more do I need to add?  This is an independent ringing endorsement of our Father Christmas tours to Harriniva.  If you like what you see, why not  get in touch on 01206 708888