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Lapland: in search of Santa
Why wait for the man in the big red cloak to come down the chimney? Marion Bull discovers that you can meet him on his own ground by visiting Finnish Lapland and taking a reindeer-hauled sleigh ride
Stepping
out of a plane that’s almost at squealing point with excitement into a
blast of Arctic air comes as a shock. But soon we’re whisked away from
the airport by sleigh, kitted out in snowsuits and boots, to a secret
location.
Snow-covered pines stand like sculpted figures against the atmospheric “greylight”. This is the only daylight in December – between 10am and 2.30pm. Otherwise, it’s dark, but it all adds to the magical atmosphere, with log fires and lantern-lit forest paths straight out of a fairytale.
This is Lapland, Europe’s biggest wilderness. Like the thousands of wild reindeer that roam across it, it respects no boundaries, covering northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia.
But the Finnish part is the legendary home of Santa Claus. So what can you expect from a day trip to meet him?
All-inclusive day trips to see Santa Claus leave from several UK local airports (depending on the trip chosen), so you get the maximum amount of time in Lapland. Flights leave at around 7am and return by 10pm.
Outdoor activities include reindeer, husky, snowmobile and sleigh rides which are similar in most locations. It’s a fun-packed day, and we got the chance to try out all these, with time for snowball fights and hot drinks in between. I thought the reindeer rides were the best. Being pulled along at a gentle pace through a fairytale landscape by one of these docile creatures, snow settling on its antlers like tree branches, is just fantastic. It takes up to five years to train a wild reindeer to pull a sled, but only five minutes to see why this is Santa’s legendary form of travel.
Venues differ enormously in atmosphere. It depends what you are looking for, so check what’s on offer. Rovaniemi, the modern ‘capital’, is the most popular tourist destination.
Almost on the Arctic Circle line, at 66 degrees, (you get a certificate to prove that you have crossed the line as you travel north), it is the Santa town – 365 days a year. Just a few minutes’ drive from the airport is Santa’s Village, Santa Park, souvenir shops and (the new) Santa’s Post Office. But with the large number of tourists passing through, you don’t get a private meeting with Santa.
For something more “authentic”, including a private family meeting with Santa, and personal gift, specialist tour operators Canterbury Travel offer trips to smaller, uncommercialised centres in beautiful surroundings throughout Finnish Lapland, with direct flights from the UK.
Arriving at Enontekio airport, with a sleigh ride to the little village of Hetta for lunch, you can try out all the activities, and learn to drive a snowmobile across a frozen lake, with a visit to a specially made snow castle. Canterbury also offer a one-day trip to the original North Pole Post Office (flying to Rovaniemi), where the elves sort the post in an underground toy workshop. An individual meeting with Santa is included, and you have time for all the outdoors activities.
If you decide on a longer stay, Luosto resort is in a lovely setting. Flying to Kittilä, you can stay in a hotel or log cabin with a one-night option to sleep in an igloo, and possibly view the aurora borealis, the spectacular Northern Lights. I have seen this phenomenon as early as October. A ghostly curtain of white light wafted across the sky. It can also be green or red. It happens when solar particles collide with the Earth’s magnetic field. In Sami mythology, the Northern Lights are the effect of the fox swishing his tail, disturbing the soft snowflakes, as he makes his way through the Arctic night.
Lapland is a remote, adventure trip location, and some tours may not be suitable for wheelchairs. Canterbury say that although local staff will help to make the day a great success, there are no special assistants. Adapted vehicles and specialist equipment such as harnesses on rides are not included in the price of the trip. Contact them for advice on the best options.
Larger tour operators, such as First Choice, who offer day trips to see Santa, an igloo and Sami shaman storyteller, and Cosmos, with all the usual activities, both flying to Kittilä, have special advice lines where you can discuss individual requirements.
When the big moment arrives and the children are finally taken to meet Santa Claus, it’s about the only time during the whole day when everything goes quiet. They’re in awe of him in these surroundings. The kindly old man with the long white beard is everything they imagine, and magically, every child gets a gift from a list that they wrote back home, bearing their name. So he’s the real one.
Parents often keep the kids guessing until the last minute about what’s going to happen on such a trip, and even where they are flying to, but my friend’s five-year-old had it all worked out beforehand. He solemnly told me, “Lapland is a house where Father Christmas lives. It’s a secret place where he gets the presents ready. He lives in the Christmas world.”
But this Christmas world exceeded even his imagination.
Useful Tips
Temperatures can plunge lower than -20C, so wear layers of clothes, and you’ll need to take hats, gloves and scarves in addition to the all-in-one snowsuit that is provided on arrival.
The currency is Euros. Change money before you go – it saves time. Limited facilities are available in remote locations.
Factfile
Canterbury Travel’s fully inclusive Lapland Spectacular one-day trip starts at £440 - adult; £420 - child (4-11years); £400 - child (2-3 years). Limited free child places available on early bookings. Luosto hotel, log cabin or overnight in an igloo, to Kittilä 3 nights from £1,197 per person inclusive (child reduction: £100) Children under 2 years: free. Contact local travel agent or Canterbury Travel. Tel: 01923 822388 or 0845 1252752. www.santa-holidays.com
Late offers from: www.rediscover.com (agents).
Cosmos Winter ‘One Day’ Land: from £459 (adult); £412 (child 2-12 years). Tel: 0871 423 8414 or local travel agent. Special needs advice line: 0870 423 8548. www.cosmos-holidays.co.uk/lapland
First Choice Lapland: ‘Search for Santa’ from £389 - adult; £349 - child. Tel: 0871 200 4455. Special needs advice line: 0871 664 0143. www.firstchoice.co.uk
Further information: