'Doctors gave me three years to live - now I'm thriving with my kids in Lapland'
You know when you find yourself in a moment and you look at the person you're with and you just know you're both thinking the same thing? For us, this weekend it's been "WHAT A LIFE!"
I genuinely don't think I can do justice to the magic we've just experienced at Santa's Lapland, Saariselkä. It is like nothing we've done or seen before. It is all the Christmas magic you can hope for and it's impossible not to be wowed when you're surrounded by sparkling snow the whole time.
The twinkling lights on Christmas trees just feel more magical covered in snow. You can hear little whoops of joy from all the kids - and adults, too! Our son who is four had never seen snow before and he was blown away by it all. Everything felt authentic and not too commercialised which is what were hoping for.
My children loved playing in the snow and making snow angels (Supplied)Unbelievably, this trip was gifted to us so that I could tick 'Visit Santa in Lapland' off my 'Living List' and you can imagine the excitement when we found out. Picture us jumping up and down squealing like a pair of kids in the kitchen. I actually felt sick with excitement overload!
In 2018, doctors told me to aim for three years of life. Yet here I am five years later - still bringing home the clear scans. I never thought I'd get to experience Lapland, but here I am.
Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts
As a kid, who LOVED The Chronicles of Narnia and spent many hours sitting in my wardrobe convinced it would open up at any moment, the idea of a winter wonderland is my dream. And now that I've actually experienced it, it feels even better than anything I could have imagined.
I will be forever grateful to Santas Lapland for capturing the very essence of Christmas and for giving us an experience we could only have dreamed of. We stayed for two nights and the whole package is organised by Santa's Lapland - package holidays are a dream with kids, literally everything is done for you. There are different options to choose from, but we did the 'Santa's Magic' package.
We got pulled along by huskies and it was truly magical (Supplied)
The temperatures reached up to -18C (Supplied)WHAT'S INCLUDED:
- Getting to Lapland
- A full day of Activities
- Snowsuits, Boots, Gloves and Socks
- Half Board - buffet style breakfast, lunch and dinner, including a final evening gala with food and entertainment for the kids.
THE HOTEL
We stayed at Santa's Hotel Holiday Club which comes recommended for families. There are six different types of accommodation you can choose from. Our hotel was everything we needed - you can even upgrade to the dreamy glass cubes or a log cabin for the ultimate festive feeling.
When we arrived, I was prepared for a long queue due to the number of guests arriving at the same time but we had already been checked in and we were given our keys without any wait - What a treat! We had a family room with a glorious view which made us feel like we were in a painting.
There was a double bed, with a sofa bed for the kids, a drying cupboard for our clothes and a shower. Our booking also included access to the pool - which is brilliant. Water chutes, lazy river, saunas (it's custom in Finland to be completely naked in here so enter with an open mind!)
HERE'S WHAT TO EXPECT:
Day 1
- Flight
- Arrival
- Hotel
- Dinner
- Activities
Our flights were from Manchester to Ivalo with Jet2 and as soon as we checked-in, we knew it was going to be cheery all the way. The women on the desk were great with our kids; Ivy, nine and Bill, four. They gave them a passport for their teddies and helped to hype them up for Santa.
Weather maps forecast 750-mile blizzard dropping three inches of snow next week
We'd surprised them with the news a couple of hours earlier, what an adventure! The flight was almost four hours and the pilot delivered a special message from Santa which was such a magical touch. We sang Christmas songs and played games; it was the best flight we've ever been on. Everyone on board was going on the same trip and the energy was contagious.
It's a memory my children will have foreverElves were waiting for us when we landed to sing while we waited for our bags - and again on the coach to the hotel. The drive was only around 25 minutes and we got to see wild reindeer and sing and shriek with gallons of joy! The drive was beautiful, they only get 3-4 hours of daylight in the winter months and it was pretty dark when we arrived. But the light from the snow against the dark sky was confirmation that this was going to be unforgettable.
A quick pit stop to collect our snow gear before heading to the hotel, eating and getting out into the snow as soon as we could. You can hire sledges from the hotel for five euros but there really isn't any need as you'll find them dotted about everywhere. The kids loved being pulled along to the toboggan run and from there it was FUN, FUN, FUN!
We had hours of laughter on the slopes and hills as well as jumping into the snow to make snow angels. I think the kids would've been happy enough to do that for the whole weekend. It's been really special for them to see us having so much fun and uninterrupted time with them - Ivy kept telling us to smooch all weekend and I think she just loved seeing us all so free and easy. What a wonderful thing.
DAY 2
- Breakfast
- Pick up
- Activities
- Lunch
- Gala Night
We were given a pick-up time the night before so made sure we were up for brekkie with plenty of time. Breakfast was pretty bonkers, everyone wants to be out as soon as they can to enjoy the snow, so I would suggest getting there early or hanging on until late. Breakfast was a hot and cold buffet with the most delicious freshly baked bread. If you go, you have to try it!
After we'd eaten, we changed back into our snowsuits and the coach was ready to take us on our magical Santa day - there is never any waiting around, everything feels so effortless. The activities available throughout the day are planned with thoughtful and creative detail.
The only thing we had to have a time slot for was the husky ride. We're told about how the dogs are cared for (I actually did a little reading before we arrived as I wasn't sure how I felt about it.) They thrive in colder conditions and they love to run. When we approached them, they were so excited - like when you show your dog their lead and they lose their minds.
Once we'd set off, they were calm and quiet and we even got to snuggle them afterwards. What a glorious feeling - gliding through the snow 250km above the arctic circle. Although one of our dogs had to go for a 'Number 2' mid-run. The kids were both horrified and hysterical in equal measure!
After that, we went into one of many the Kota's (warming huts.) In there, you can get hot berry juice and pancakes and warm up by the fire. These were a godsend for defrosting our fingers every so often. The kids were desperate to go sledging/tobogganing after the thrills of the first night and they spent a good while laughing at mummy falling off! After checking the activity map, we decided to try the magical reindeer sleigh ride.
I would recommend balaclavas for young children as their snoods kept falling down (ivy in snood)We didn't know at that point we were going to be driven through the snow, to a log cabin with none other than Santa Claus himself waiting for us. His cosy Finnish cabin was magical and he was everything we hoped he would be. I don't want to say too much more about it because I think a lot of the magic is in the unknown.
I felt like the child in me came back to life! The adults were all having as much, if not more fun than the kids. Pure merriment! The skidoos were a hit. Adults have the option to hire snowmobiles in Saariselkä. It feels like a scene straight from 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' to see ice hockey and kick sleds and twinkling lights everywhere. Honestly, my heart has been filled to the brim since we got home.
The Ice Bar - this was incredible. To see a giant igloo up close is flabbergasting - the tables in there are cut from ice on the lake. It's obviously freezing but we warmed up with hot choccies - with cream of course. Then we popped over to an even bigger igloo for a short 10 minute show from the elves who interacted with the kids so joyfully. 10 minutes was the perfect amount of time as there's lots to do.
The day is jam packed - but the activities are short and there's plenty of time to do it all without worrying that you'll miss anything. You can do any of these activities at any point in the day. They're every 15/20 minutes and the coaches back to the hotel are frequent if you plan to leave earlier.
The Gala night is held at Hotel Turin just a few minutes walk away. (Christmas jumpers encouraged!) Again, no queue, great food options and some lovely entertainment for the kids later on. Every single member of the team we met were amazing with the children, they stayed in character the whole time and really gave the impression that they were enjoying themselves, which is really special.
Day 3
Sadly, it was time to go home. We made sure to set the alarm early so we could enjoy our last few hours in the snow. We wandered to the souvenir shop and had another play before being picked up and delivered safe and sound to the airport. We were so sad to be leaving but lost for words at the level of joy in our bones.
WHAT TO PACK:
Thermal base layers, gloves and socks - I was never cold anywhere other than my face, and hands. Definitely hot hands : these were an absolute godsend. The temperate reached -18 when we were there and even with the suits, boots, socks and mittens provided, if we had a mitten off for too long, the cold started to burn. There were a few tearful toddlers who naturally wanted to touch the snow!
Santa's Lapland don't recommend taking children under two because of the extreme cold. We wore these trapper hats and snoods. I would probably have brought a balaclava rather than the snoods for the kids as they kept falling down and it's hard to pull up when you have giant mittens on! But the trapper hats were amazing for keeping our cheeks snug. I'd recommend getting one which fastens under your chin.
I think my children would have been happy to just spend the whole time sledging and playing in the snow (Supplied)NORTHERN LIGHTS
The best time to see them is from December to March and you have a really good chance in Saariselkä if the sky is clear. Sadly we didn't get to see them, but we were having so much fun tobogganing to be too sad. It's just another reason for us to go back! There is an option to book a tour to see the lights and I hear the guides really do their best to find them.
SÁMI CULTURE
Sámis have their own culture and languages which are different from Finn's. Historically, they used to roam free as peaceful Reindeer herders, never once claiming possession of the land. The ancient Sámi believed that all objects in nature had a soul, whether that be people, animals, plants or stones. And their traditional outfits are beautiful.
FUN FACTS
- Finland has some of the cleanest water on earth and I swear, it's delicious. Fresh from the tap, clear and icy cold. You'll be gouging your little socks off!
- There are more reindeer in Lapland, than humans.
- They only have 2-4 hours of 'daylight' in the winter months - vitamin D is a staple over there!
- Some Sámi people go to a special reindeer school to learn how to care for them.
BOOKING
You can fly from 14 regional airports. There are limited places for 2024 already but they do offer half price child places on selected dates and you can book with £150 deposit per person. If 2024 is too soon, or your dates are fully booked, they have a wait list for 2025. They even do discounts for grandparents!
THINGS TO HAVE FUN WITH
- Toast marshmallows (bring your own)
- Bring balloons and food colouring and make giant ice balloons
- Bring bubbles, they freeze mid-air and it’s fascinating to see
TIPS
I'd recommend leaving it until you're ready to go out the door before putting your snowsuit on, as the hotel is well heated and if you're prone to the odd hot flush like myself, you'll be in a desperate hurry to to get outside and roll around in the snow ASAP.
We will remember this experience and these moments for the rest of our days. The magic we felt filling our tums all the way up, will now be shared with our children. They will carry this feeling of joy with them forever - and that is a gift for us to always be grateful for. I do declare this the most magical place on earth.
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