Northern Lights short break in Nellim, Finland

Environment

This short break to Nellim allows guests to experience and appreciate a true wilderness environment which is a real rarity in the modern world. When guests experience such a location, it is hard to escape the deep sense of responsibility for ensuring that this pristine environment is preserved.

This is a responsibility that we and the team at Nellim take very seriously. Everyone who lives, works or visits the region must leave it as pristine as they found it and the team on the ground adhere to this fully and a leave no trace policy is in place.

Whilst the holiday may include both dog sledding and snowmobiling, these take place on monitored, specific tracks, meaning that the impact on the flora and fauna is very limited. Our guests do not enter deep snow off the trails and so disturbance is minimised. When it comes to the dogs their welfare is of paramount importance and all of the animals are regularly checked and are very well cared for in line with the stringent Finnish regulations.

The trails are always very well maintained for all activities which involve either horsepower or paw power and when provided with full instructions, guests are also shown how to minimise the chances of any disturbance by driving effectively and efficiently. The snowmobiles are 4 stroke engines which are far less polluting than a 2 stroke or a 4x4 vehicle and they are exceptionally well maintained, both for guests’ safety and to help minimise the impact on the environment. Guests will travel two per sled as standard and in small groups to limit the number of machines or sleds on the trail.

The hotel is also very keen to limit light pollution in any way that they can as this serves three purposes. One is that it is environmentally friendly, two is that is it economical and three is that it provides dark skies in which guests can view the Northern Lights.

The hotel has always been incredibly responsible when it comes to preventing waster and preserving resources and it is a passion for the owners. They want their guests to experience the very best of Lapland and for future generations to still be able to experience this wild environment.

Community

As a destination, Nellim provides a huge number of jobs in the local economy and supports a population in the local area which may otherwise be dwindling due to the lack of employment options. This employment and investment means that the money that tourists spend here, stays in the local economy.

The benefit of the hotel being locally owned and primarily locally staffed is that guests get a real insight into the traditions and culture of Lapland and its indigenous Sami culture. This knowledge provides a much great appreciation for the destination and its people. The hotel also tries to use local produce and ingredients wherever it can to help to educate its guests on local flavours as well as helping to increase the tourism multiplier effect.

It is also very much worth making a note on snowmobiles at this stage as we appreciate that these petrol engines may not seem the most responsible inclusion. These economical and efficient machines are modern and well maintained. They form part of everyday life in this region and are a lifeline for the communities in the winter. They are far less polluting than the 4x4 vehicles that would replace them and also form a very important part of the economy in this region as the industry employs a large number of people.