Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort (in pictures)

You can't be on the internet without seeing photos of the alluring glass igloos of Kakslauttanen, so it was high on our bucket list aurora chasing trip of a life time. Had I investigated prior to booking flights, I would have flown from Helsinki to Ivalo, and then got a car to Rovaniemi  to fly back to Helsinki after, however, as it was, we were arriving and departing from Rovaniemi and used the transfer company, who were on time to the minute for both pick up and drop off. We had decided not to drive ourselves due to being inexperienced with snow and ice on roads, while on the opposite side of the road, and we didn't know what to expect with the darkness. There is also a bus, but with our limited time, we decided to drive and arrive at times that suited us, to get the most of our time at the resort.

The drive up was at sunrise and we arrived, three hours later at sunset, so the whole trip showcased the glorious scenery in a golden glow.

We had a family chalet for five with a glass igloo, and it's own sauna.

My only complaint was weirdly the kids got the glass igloo, not us! You pay extra for a fire, but it was a lovely way to spend the evening in this fairy tale location.

If you are staying for longer, there's a kitchenette to self cater.















On arrival you toboggan your luggage down to the chalet, and the kids then spent the afternoon racing the sleds up and down the paths.

The resort offers a myriad of tours and adventures - husky rides, reindeer sleigh rides and so on, but as we'd already booked those for our return in Rovaniemi, we opted just to relax and the youngest and I went to see Santa at his home and visit Celebration House.

This tour takes about an hour, lead by an elf who tells the stories of each building and the other elves that live there and the work they do for Santa.  You visit Santa in his home. and even get a peek at where he sleeps! Interestingly there were only 3 children in the group of twenty of us, so age is really not a limit when it comes to the magic of this place.

In Finland, there's so much more to Santa than 'what do you want?', it's more 'what do you want to do and how are you going to give back?' There was a lot of talk about what you wanted to change in the world and how you needed to start thinking about how you were going to start to do it.

No visit to Santa would be complete without feeding his reindeer!  There is also a stop at a Nativity by a Finnish artist.

Dinner and breakfast were included in the price and the kids were accommodated too. Walking over to the restaurant was a fun adventure in itself and the villages are lit up like a magical wonderland.

The big draw of this resort for me, was the ability to stand in the warm igloo and watch the Northern Lights. There was no need to run outside in the freezing cold. So I was lucky to watch the white/grey lights dance across the sky for almost an hour in the middle of the night. The resort doesn't have phones in the rooms and doesn't organise an aurora alarm, which is a pity, but you can get apps to ring you or if keen like me, just keep getting up to check.






Due to costs, we only had one night there, but you could easily amuse yourself for longer.

















An unforgettable experience, located amidst stunning scenery with a higher probability of the Northern Lights. A magical place on the planet.

PS I regret not getting one of the house elfs that adorn the resort at the time, thinking I would buy one in Rovaniemi, which proved impossible. If you want one, buy it there!

 

Practicalities:
Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort http://www.kakslauttanen.fi/
Transfer company http://www.kukkolanbussit.com/

Linking with #Skywatch & #GaleriaHimmelsblick

© Lydia C. Lee. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from the author is strictly prohibited. Please contact for prices if you wish to use the photographs or content.