ice hotel and northern lights

poe.tuesday

Kakslauttanen is a hotel resort and Inghams do not go there, if you want to go there then you will have to book directly with the hotel and get flights to Ivalo - there are no direct flights there so you will have to go with either Finnair or Blue1 and change at helskinki - the other option is to get a ski flight to Kittila which you can get with inghams or charter flights etc and then either get a bus, taxi or drive yourself the 3 hours up to Saariselka

personally I think you will find it very expensive to go to Kakslauttanen so maybe you are best going on a package deal with Inghams to Saariselka and have that as your base and do all the activites with Inghams (they are by far the cheapest option) and then maybe book one night in the Igloos in Kakslauttanen

richardc1983

Sounds good... having never done anything like this before this is why I want to make sure we get it right.

Whats Saariselka like?

poe.tuesday

ah saariselka - it's my fav resort - it's a small town, it is full of trees and nice shops and places to eat - it really is lovely there - it has all the amenities of Levi and the charm of Yllas - if you are thinking of going with inghams then the flight goes to kitilla and then you have to go on a 3 hour coach transfer to saariselka - sounds like a nightmare but it's all part of the adventure

how many of you are planning to go and when do you want to go, do you want self catering or hotel etc - let me know what you want from this holiday and I can hopefully point you in the right directions - also what you want from your resort

richardc1983

poe.tuesday wrote: »

ah saariselka - it's my fav resort - it's a small town, it is full of trees and nice shops and places to eat - it really is lovely there - it has all the amenities of Levi and the charm of Yllas - if you are thinking of going with inghams then the flight goes to kitilla and then you have to go on a 3 hour coach transfer to saariselka - sounds like a nightmare but it's all part of the adventure

how many of you are planning to go and when do you want to go, do you want self catering or hotel etc - let me know what you want from this holiday and I can hopefully point you in the right directions - also what you want from your resort

Self catering is good for us, we dont mind if somewhere offeres b&b though that is also good.

There would be two of us going, we love the idea of the cosy wooden huts to stay in they look lovely and cosy!

I just love snow, my partner would probably want to go skiing or snowboarding but I am happy doing safari type stuff like snow walks and on the snow mobiles etc etc

THanks for your help so far its been great .

poe.tuesday

I would suggest that you go to saariselka with inghams, staying in their log cabins

http://www.inghams.co.uk/ski-holidays/hotels/item91371/saariselka-log-cabins-i8859/?departurePoint=MAN&dateFrom=09/01/2011&duration=7&adults=2&children=0&infants=0

these cabins are ideally placed and are not over crowded - they are basic and you may find them a bit rustic but they are wonderful - you can get better standard of cabin but you will pay conciderably more for them - in saariselka there are 2 supermarkets and lots of places to eat along with nice little shops - the ski resort is small with 12 runs, if you don't want to learn to ski then you can spend your time on the 1km taboggon run whilst your OH learns to ski etc - there is a resturant at the top and base of the ski resort and the ski bus takes you to the top too so you don't have to walk or get on the chair lift if you don't want to

you will be able to book all the added extras such as the huskies (do the super husky and you can drive it whilst your OH gets in the sleigh - it's amazing fun) and the reindeers which if you do the afternoon trips you will be in twighlight in the sleigh whilst you plod through the snow, it's a slow trip but like being in narnia - it will be very romantic - the snowmobiles are really fast and great fun, do the shorter trip first and then if you like it you can go on a half day trip

you will need to get kitted out - have a look at https://www.lapland.fruitbandit.com for clothing advice

when are you planning to go?

richardc1983

poe.tuesday wrote: »

I would suggest that you go to saariselka with inghams, staying in their log cabins

http://www.inghams.co.uk/ski-holidays/hotels/item91371/saariselka-log-cabins-i8859/?departurePoint=MAN&dateFrom=09/01/2011&duration=7&adults=2&children=0&infants=0

these cabins are ideally placed and are not over crowded - they are basic and you may find them a bit rustic but they are wonderful - you can get better standard of cabin but you will pay conciderably more for them - in saariselka there are 2 supermarkets and lots of places to eat along with nice little shops - the ski resort is small with 12 runs, if you don't want to learn to ski then you can spend your time on the 1km taboggon run whilst your OH learns to ski etc - there is a resturant at the top and base of the ski resort and the ski bus takes you to the top too so you don't have to walk or get on the chair lift if you don't want to

you will be able to book all the added extras such as the huskies (do the super husky and you can drive it whilst your OH gets in the sleigh - it's amazing fun) and the reindeers which if you do the afternoon trips you will be in twighlight in the sleigh whilst you plod through the snow, it's a slow trip but like being in narnia - it will be very romantic - the snowmobiles are really fast and great fun, do the shorter trip first and then if you like it you can go on a half day trip

you will need to get kitted out - have a look at www.lapland.fruitbandit.com for clothing advice

when are you planning to go?

Whats the 1km taboggon run?

Not sure when we are planning to go it was only just decided last night, xmas would be magical but too expensive as peak season I bet so flexible really, want it to be really cold and snowy though!

The husky rides do sound amazing though!

poe.tuesday

that taboggon run is like a lane about 10feet across that winds down the hill and you sit on the plastic sledges that are all about the resorts and you get in and go down the hill, you have to turn the sledges now and again and sometimes they slow right down so you do need to get up some speed at the top and then you go for 1km - it's fantastic and it's not just kids doing it, you will see people of all ages and it's great to see OAP's having a blast on the run

I would suggest that you wait for a deal and go mid jan to feb - watch out in feb though as it's the UK half term but also half term in finland but if you go to saariselka there are not than many Finnish who go to that ski resort in comparison to others as it does not have lots of runs

here's a link to show you the taba run
http://www.luontoon.fi/news.asp?Section=5715&Item=16831

as for the cold, it can go from -5 to -30 in a few hours and the snow will be amazing, it's deep light and fluffy and nothing like our snow, it's dry and crisp and no good for making snowballs but great for rolling about in

richardc1983

Wow it sounds amazing!!!!

What other activities can you do? is there log fires in the cabins and is there like a pub lounge type place on the complex?

poe.tuesday

there are wood burning stoves in the cabins and they are very good.

saariselka is not a complex, it's a town with hotels and houses etc, there are plenty of places to go and have a drink and you will find that most tourists will hang out at the main hotels of which most will have open fires for you to sit around whilst drinking your hot toddy

as for other activities, there is ice fishing, all types of different snowmobile trips, snowshoe walking, cross country skiing, downhill skiiing and snowboarding, sledging, husky and reindeer trips, hotair ballooning (if the weather is ok), horse rides etc - there are loads of outside stuff to do

richardc1983

Plenty of options then... I just liked the idea of kakslauttanen being in the wilderness! But as you say may be more expensive, depends how much though because we dont plant to go till end of next year for my bday.