Finland. 'The Land of Midnight sun'. ''A Land of thousand lakes'. Each year travelers flock to Finland to see the magnificent Aurora Borealis aka The Northern Lights. We began planning our dream vacation to Finland for the same reason. What we realized - The Laplands have so much more to offer than just the Auroras . Little did we know we that we would end up striking off loads of things from our bucket list!
Though seeing the northern lights was the crowning glory moment of the trip, this blog for a change isn't about the lights! The 9 out-of-the-world things we experienced in the northern Scandinavian country Finland that is not just chasing the northern lights:
1) The Ice Breaker Cruise
Kemi is a small town situated on the banks of ‘The Gulf of Bothania’. During winters, this part of the Baltic sea gets frozen due to the minimal salt content in the sea. We were in Kemi to break some ice. The Sampo Ice-Breaker Cruise is a 4 hour cruise through the frozen Baltic Sea. During the cruise, we were given a complete tour of the ship, served brunch and experienced the vastness of the frozen Baltic sea! And guess what! We were even given diploma certificates upon completion of the Ice-Breaker Cruise.
2) Floated with Ice Rocks
The joy of floating on the icy waters of the Baltic Sea was immense while the Sampo liner was docked in the middle of the frozen sea.
We were given bright red survival suits that kept us afloat and ensured thermal insulation during the ice swimming. The blue skies, the ship and the frozen sea! Sigh, Unforgettable!
We reached the Santa Claus Village in the morning for our Snow Mobile Safari. It was a 64 kms ride from the Santa Claus Village to ‘The Arctic Circle Wilderness Lodge’ and back. We had an amazing guide on a separate snowmobile who led the way during our mini-expedition.
4 of us on 2 snowmobiles. Wild Nordic Finland provided us with all the necessary gear which included overalls, gloves, boots, helmets to keep ourselves warm. Being warm is so relative. Trust me. We were freezing inside.
4) The Husky Safari
Wild dogs, wilder terrain, a German dude as our guide and the 4 us. N rode the huskies while I sat inside the sledge and clicking pictures of the amazing terrain and the huskies.
It wasn’t just about the ride. It was about the underlying partnership between man and beast. You absolutely cannot leave Finland without experiencing this!
5) The Arctic Circle
We were in one of the northern most tip of the world. It was cold, touristy and a great bucket list place to be! We ate some delicious food, shopped for some souvenir, and enjoyed the dream like Santa claus village!
5) Meeting the Real Santa
The 'Real' Santa lives in the Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi on the Arctic Circle. There are rein deer rides, great food, post office where one could send letters to their future and others. We met the man himself. He was exactly how we all imagine him to be. Happy, merry, and fun! He promised us that he knew where we all lived and he visited us every christmas. We took some quick pictures with him! Meeting santa was a treat to the little girl in me :)
6) Staying on a Frozen Lake
How do you like the idea of staying the night in a mobile glass cabin dragged to the center of a frozen lake so you get the best view of the Northern lights if it turns up?
Lake Inari Mobile Cabin gives you this beautiful experience. Esko, the owner hand built each of these cabins and drags you to the middle of the frozen lake in the nights so you can have the billion star view!
8) Ice Skating
Helsinki is home to one of the nicest ice skating rinks! They give you the right kind of boots and the access to the rink for 12 euros as long as you want in a day! We fell, we crawled, and we learnt. It was so much fun!
9) Skinny Ice Dipping
The perfect answer to this question everyone asks "What's the craziest thing you've ever done?"
Step 1: Sit in the traditional Sauna for a good 15 mins in a swim suit and get yourself warmed up.
Step 2: Step out, walk 100 meters at -12° celsius in knee deep snow on the frozen lake, jump into the small hole drilled into the lake.
Step 3: Climb back on to the snow and RUN to the sauna.
One of the best experiences we’ve ever had!
Finland is a dream and is a perfect place was bucket list keepers and strikers! Are you one of them? You've got to plan it!