Lapland husky safari and activity holiday, Finland
| country: | Finland |
| location: | Finnish Lapland |
| departures: | 2009: 6 Dec, 13 Dec 2010: 3 Jan, 10 Jan, 17 Jan, 24 Jan, 31 Jan, 7 Feb, 14 Feb, 21 Feb, 28 Feb, 7 Mar, 14 Mar, 21 Mar, 28 Mar, 4 Apr, 11 Apr |
| price: | From £1245 (8 days) including flights from the UK |
| more info: | Price includes flights direct from Gatwick to Kuusamo (Manchester departures on request), return airport transfers, 7 nights accomm full board, activities as per itinerary, all winter clothes and equipment for the duration of stay, fully qualified wilderness guides and instructors. Minimum age 16. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Peace, quiet, silence and calm, Saija encapsulates them all. A sauna or a stroll along the banks of the snow covered lake are about as lively as it gets in the evenings. Take a few good books and unwind in the silence. Bliss! "Saija" (pronounced "Sigh-ya") translates from Lappish to English as "the quiet place" and rarely was anywhere better named. Situated on the shores of Lake Jokijarvi, this lodge is the ultimate getaway.
Accommodation: Saija Lodge
If wild nightlife is your thing then there’s little point in reading further. This remote lodge was built in traditional Finnish style during 1991/92. Constructed entirely from wood and located on the shores of Lake Jokijarvi, Saija is ideal for combining activities with rest and relaxation.
There are just 19 wooden built cottages here each housing two apartments. Each apartment has two floors. On the ground floor you will generally find the living area (with TV), shower and toilet room and the obligatory sauna. The beds are situated on the mezzanine level. It’s a very short walk from the cottage to the main building which houses the cosy and characterful restaurant.
On the site itself, there is a husky farm and 25kms of managed cross-country ski trails leading almost directly from the main building into the surrounding countryside. You can rent cross-country skis for around €10 per day and venture out on your own with a trail map. Don’t worry about losing your way as there are three well marked trails which are easy to find and difficult to lose....honest!
Accommodation: Saija Lodge
If wild nightlife is your thing then there’s little point in reading further. This remote lodge was built in traditional Finnish style during 1991/92. Constructed entirely from wood and located on the shores of Lake Jokijarvi, Saija is ideal for combining activities with rest and relaxation.
There are just 19 wooden built cottages here each housing two apartments. Each apartment has two floors. On the ground floor you will generally find the living area (with TV), shower and toilet room and the obligatory sauna. The beds are situated on the mezzanine level. It’s a very short walk from the cottage to the main building which houses the cosy and characterful restaurant.
On the site itself, there is a husky farm and 25kms of managed cross-country ski trails leading almost directly from the main building into the surrounding countryside. You can rent cross-country skis for around €10 per day and venture out on your own with a trail map. Don’t worry about losing your way as there are three well marked trails which are easy to find and difficult to lose....honest!
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Flights, Arrival and Transfers. You will be met on arrival and transferred to the lodge. After settling in, it’s a short walk over to the main building for a welcome meal. |
| Day 2: | Cross-Country Skiing School You will be taught the techniques required for cross-country skiing before a short tour. Approximately 2 hrs. After lunch, we suggest hiring your own skis (€10 per day) and exploring the three well marked trails that start from the lodge. Trail maps are provided. |
| Day 3: | Introductory husky safari and ice fishing You will meet the dogs and receive instruction on managing your team and sled before leaving on a circuit of around 2 hours introducing you to the winter surroundings. After lunch you head for the lake to try and catch dinner in the traditional winter fashion. After drilling through the thick ice you feed the line through the hole. Sit back, relax, enjoy the fabulous scenery and wait for the line to twitch. Good luck! |
| Day 4: | Snowmobile Safari Snowmobiles are a way of life here in Finland and you will immediately understand why once you are speeding along the well-managed trails, crossing frozen lakes and negotiating the forest routes. Lunch included. Approx 5 hrs - 2 people per snowmobile. |
| Day 5: | Snowshoeing Snowshoeing is like walking through deep, deep snow on tennis racquets. The beauty is that you don’t sink up to your waist in the white stuff. Your guide will tell you about the animals which dwell in the forest and point out their tracks. Approximately 3 hours |
| Day 6: | Husky Safari The huskies love to run and their howls of excitement make it plain that they are anxious to be on the trail. There are few experiences to match the thrill of your sled’s runners cutting through the snow as you traverse the crisp white landscape. Lunch around a campfire. Approximately 5 hours - 1 person per sled |
| Day 7: | Reindeer Farm The local reindeer farm owner will show you his herd and tell you all about his life. After coffee and smoked reindeer (delicious!) sandwiches we head for Taivalkoski village for some last minute souvenir hunting before returning to the lodge. Approximately 4 hrs. |
| Day 8: | Departure, Transfers and Flights. All good things must come to an end and after a fun-filled week it is time to head back to the airport for your return flights. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. how this holiday makes a difference
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Community
Tourism in Finnish Lapland has become the main source of employment and income replacing traditional industries such as forestry. Development from a period of extractive industry to an industrial society has come about quickly. In 1950 the largest part of Laplands inhabitants lived in rural areas and more than half the workforce worked in forestry and agriculture. Today 65 % of the workforce are in the service industry, 22% in processing and 10 % in primary production. This huge growth in tourism and service provision has been developed in conjunction with a long-term sustainable tourism plan with one of the primary objectives being to maintain nature in its natural state while guaranteeing the traditional way of life. Much of this has been achieved along with membership of EU development programmes, aimed at diversifying sources of livelihood, effective usage of resources and to increase export. Approximately a quarter of Lapland's 100 000 strong workforce was unemployed in 1997. Promoting entrepreneurship, ongoing re-education of the workforce and development of the educational system to suit the needs of enterprises is continuing. The target is to diversify the sources of livelihood, increase the value of refinement production and develop new enterprises particularly in the area of tourism. National measures as well as EU-programme measures support this objective. We embrace this philosophy, employing local activity providers and using only locally owned hotels. In this manner we help to maintain jobs in an area where unemployment was, until recently, very high. Additionally, the use of local suppliers ensures that the tourism spend filters through to local economies via the tourism multiplier effect. Saijia Lodge is absolutely no exception. It is one of the most peaceful destinations we offer and so the responsibility attached with that is great. The environment is pristine and the accommodation is locally owned and cherished. The food served is locally produced and their focus is on traditional regional dishes which give guests a great insight into the culture and traditions of the area.  Saija provides a vital source of employment to local people and is run by a delightful couple whose heart and soul has gone into their business. Their knowledge and passion of the area makes Saija all the more special and their passion for their 100 sled dogs is totally evident. Environment Saija is a small destination and the level of tourism is closely matched to the environment in which the activities take place. It is all very well managed and trails are all well maintained. All the wooden accommodation is built from sustainable sourced timber. There is a strict recycling policy in place and a leave no trace principal is applied to all activities. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |