Secrets of Enjoying your encounter with Father Christmas in Lapland

Father Christmas in Lapland

I was just indulging and enjoying enjoying my cup of coffee in Cafe Nero this morning with the Sunday newspapers, and came across an article in the Mail on Sunday (Page 56 October 31st 2010) where Fred Mawer (The Craft Traveller) wrote an interesting article on enjoying a visit to see Santa in Lapland at Christmas.
Imagine how pleased I was to see Nordic Experience mentioned, and listed as one of the suppliers of trips to Lapland. (I would link to the article, but currently it's not showing on their website)

Anyway, as Fred quite rightly points out, "Analyse carefully what's included in your package", all of the various competing products offers variants on a theme, and it can be quite difficult to decipher which ones offer the best content, as opposed to the best price.

Nordic Experience were mentioned as "a good bet for uncommercial Lapland trips", which shows that Fred has done his homework.  We don't offer the cheapest trips to Lapland, but we do offer an experience that is different to that of the other holidays on offer.

We have two main locations that we offer the chance to visit Santa in Lapland (Harriniva & Nellim).  Both of these are small scale family run hotels, which pride themselves on a warm welcoming experience, rather than a bland no-nonsense approach that you might receive from a larger hotel chain.

After all - a visit to see Santa in Lapland at Christmas is a once in a lifetime opportunity for you to see the joy and wonder on your children's faces as they meet father Christmas at his home in Lapland.

New Years Eve in Rekyjavik Iceland

Christmas and New Year in Iceland

New Year’s Eve in Reykjavik is a unique Nordic Experience, with many large bonfires around Reykjavik city and spectacular firework displays that rival the best in the world.  Virtually every house sets off a dazzling display    at midnight to toast the New Year, and you will be treated to warm hospitality at all the fantastic night spots that the city is legendary for.

Iceland at Christmas is a wonderful experience, with festive decoration and entertainment.  Fine cuisine and gourmet dining is on the agenda throughout the year, and none so much as during the Christmas period.

What are you waiting for ?  Iceland is only a few hours away, yet so far from anything you have experienced.

Ice Driving at the Swedish Icehotel

Ice driving in Sweden

Further to my earlier about the Sorrisniva Snow Hotel, it suddenly occurred to me that some of you might like to visit the ICEHOTEL in Sweden.
Most ICEHOTEL holidays encompass an overnight stay in a "cold room" and another night or two in one of the various types of "warm" accommodation, with guided snowmobile tours and husky sledging rides and general fun in the snow, but how often will you get the chance to drive a high performance SAAB at speeds up to 100km/hr on a specially built ice track.  Test your driving skills to the maximum before trying out the king of the "quad bikes" - the Polaris Ranger ATV, with tilt steering, ultra low centre of gravity and extreme power to weight ratio for an positive adrenaline rush.

If this sounds like fun, then take a look at the brochure and give Nordic Experience a call.

71 Degrees North - The Icehotel Experience

Did anyone watch last nights episode of 71 Degrees North where the winning team of Joe and Andrew were given the luxury of staying at the "Celebrated Ice hotel".
Two things struck me as odd when I saw this.  Firstly, they are filming in Norway and the world famous ICEHOTEL is actually located in Sweden, and secondly they were doing a dis-service to the snow hotel they were actually staying in.  (If you're wondering why I've used the phrase snow hotel rather than ICEHOTEL, it's because the Swedish ICEHOTEL have a registered trademark and prohibit the use of the word ICEHOTEL by other similar properties.  Oh, and it has to be written in CAPITALS)

Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel

The actual property that the celebrities were given the opportunity was the Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel in Alta (as shown briefly above the doorway in the 71 Degrees North episode).  This is a fantastic alternative to the ICEHOTEL in Sweden, and has all the glamour associated with staying overnight in an Igloo, drinking from glasses made of ice, and the knowledge that warm accomodation is available should it be needed.

There are many activities on offer around Sorrisniva, with snowmobiling, husky dog sledging, snowshoe walking and just about anything that you've seen on the television can be arranged - though it's not for the faint hearted.


If you're looking for somewhere different to visit, or are looking for an alternative wedding venue then this can all be arranged for you.  Definitely worth a visit, but don't leave it too late or it might melt.

Arctic Experience 2010 Brochure launch

The Nordic Experience Arctic Adventures brochure 2010 has gone to print and should be ready for distribution on 1st October.  If you can't wait, you can download an electronic copy of the brochure (6mb) from our website.

ICEHOTEL with Nordic Experience

It's 100 days until Christmas 2010, which means that it won't be long before Swedens ICEHOTEL will start to rise from the frozen ground. All things being well, the ICEHOTEL will be built in mid December, just in time for Christmas.

We'll keep you posted, but you can keep and eye on on the ICEHOTEL webcam.

(BTW, if you're wondering why I've capitalised the word ICEHOTEL, it's because it's a registered trademark)

Nordic Experience Winter Brochure to Launch soon

Our Winter 2010 Nordic Experience brochure is going to print next week, and will be hot off the press in just under two weeks.

We've many exciting new tours, in addition to the former Scantours programme that we have included and revitalised. If you would like a copy of the brochure, please register at the Nordic Experience website, and we'll send you a copy as soon as we have it.