LAPLAND AWAITS FOR YOUR DREAM FAMILY HOLIDAY
by Wendy Buckley, Travel With Kidz, www.travelwithkidz.com.au
Can you image celebrating Christmas with your family at Santa’s hometown of Rovaniemi in Finland? Wake to snow on the ground, have the real Santa give your children a present, decorate a Christmas tree with Santa’s helpers and enjoy a husky-sleigh-ride over the snow. Does this sound like a Disney movie? This is not just for kids!
Australians wake on Christmas Day to heat and humidity with the kids up early looking anxiously under the Christmas tree. Aussie Christmas Day traditions include a roast in the oven, fresh prawns or a barbecue and to cool off we jump in the pool or visit the local beach. Yet many of us long for the white Christmas we see in the movies.
Your family will think all their Christmases have come at once on this unforgettable experience set in the blue twilight of the Arctic Circle where starry skies and the colourful dance of the Northern Lights create an enchanting atmosphere.
On Christmas Eve, children will visit Santa’s secret forest hideaway down a winding trail where fresh sledge trails and the occasional ‘spilt’ gift indicate the magical presence of the man himself. In a little decorated hut, children will enjoy a Christmas Eve snack of chicken paella, dessert rice pudding with berry juice soup and hot drinks with gingerbread cookies. A personal letter from Santa promises them that if they help feed his forest friends of birds and other animals, he will pay them a special visit in the evening.
Other highlights include joining Santa’s helpers searching for and decorating Christmas trees, obtaining an ‘International Reindeer Driver’s Licence’ and partaking in a special Lapp ceremony of crossing the Arctic Circle. During the tour children will also meet Santa and receive a present as well as visit the Snowfun site for awesome activities such as mini-snowmobiles, four-wheeled forest scooters, kick sledges, tobogganing, ice fishing, ice golf, snow hockey and more – all washed down with hot drinks served by the campfire throughout the day.
Experience the wonders of snow and ice at Lake Lehtojärvi, Rovaniemi! Arctic SnowHotel offers you an exotic opportunity to spend a night sheltered by snow and surrounded by picturesque and placid Lappish nature.
The SnowHotel (as the name suggests) is made of snow and ice. You can sleep in a warm sleeping bag safe from the cold and dark winter night. Frost will not spoil the enchanting peace and quiet of the rooms because the temperature always stays between 0 and −5oC, even in extremely cold weather. Live the dream with your family before they grow up, and have a white Christmas in Santa’s hometown.
Kid-friendly activities in Santa's hometown
SANTA CLAUS VILLAGE
There are many souvenir shops, cafés and restaurants here as well as Santa’s Main Post Office where all the mail is sorted. And of course, Santa is there too, in his chamber every day of the year.
CHRISTMAS EXHIBITION – CHRISTMAS HOUSE
This exhibition covers today’s Christmas customs as well as centuries-old Finnish and foreign Christmas traditions.
SANTAPARK
Santa Claus’s Office is in a mysterious grotto in the depths of the earth. Meet Santa’s little elf helpers at work, study at the Elf School or decorate gingerbread figures with Mrs Claus.
ARCTIC CIRCLE HUSKYPARK
Huskies just love to run, and the sensation of gliding through this winter wonderland behind a team of eager huskies is a highlight for young and old. Children ride sitting with a parent, whilst grown-ups can all take a turn at actually ‘driving’ their own sled on this thrilling 15-minute adventure.
JOULUKKA ADVENTURE FOREST
This reindeer sleigh ride is an ideal way to move around the area, and you can hop on and off as needed within the park.
JOULUKKA ELF SCHOOL
Warm up with a fun lesson at the Joulukka Elf School, where children can join in a session of learning all about elfin tricks, songs and traditions. They also get to decorate their own tasty gingerbread.
ARCTICE – WINTER WONDERLAND
The icy ambience of Arctice’s large igloo literally reaches from the floor to the ceiling. The art gallery is filled with animal figures and story characters that are carved out of ice in stunning detail. The ice bar and café serve kids with raspberry red beverages and adults with icy clear drinks – and the drinking glasses are made out of ice, of course!
100% SLIDE
This fierce but safe ride is one of the greatest achievements of the art and science of slide-making. The speedy ride will tickle your toes and tug at the bottom of your belly. Settle into the snowtube – and brace yourself! A large slide has been built for grown- ups, while kids can race down a slightly smaller one.
RANUA WILDLIFE PARK
There are about 60 species of arctic and northern wild animals at Ranua Zoo, including the only polar bears in Finland, lynx, wolf, wolverine, moose and many, many more.
SEARCH FOR SANTA
The highlight of the day is setting off by snowmobile-sled on your family’s own search for Santa! Tucked away in the woods you will find his little log-cabin home, and meet Santa Claus himself in an exclusive, private family meeting, with his helpers on hand to ensure there is magic in the air.
ARKTIKUM
Arktikum is a science centre and a museum. The exhibition of the Arktikum leads you through Arctic and Finnish Lapland’s human and natural history. Find out about the life of the moose and bear in the wild, take a glimpse at city birds and learn about the pearl industry.
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