Anne Van Dyke - Christmas Travel: Lapland

The age old question may be “does Santa exist?” However, did you know his village is for real and whether you're five or fifty you can fly there for a unique winter wonderland experience.

His hideaway happens to be thousands of miles away on the other side of the world in Finland where seasonal cheer is a long held tradition.

Santa's magical village is actually located near the remote town of Rovaniemi, Lapland just above the Arctic Circle and it's now known as his official home-open for visitors all year round with Christmas understandably being the most wondrous time of all. For children this is Heaven on Earth. There's Santa's Post Office, Santa's Park, an underground fantasy cavern, snowmobile excursions and of course a chance to encounter the jolly man himself.

Being way up near the North Pole means a white Christmas in the extreme sense of the word... And apart from Santa and his elves there's also living, breathing en masse reindeer.

With this in mind a must do is a visit to a local reindeer farm to experience a reindeer or husky led sleigh ride through the beautiful ancient forest.. And if you're lucky you may even catch a fish while ice fishing.

If you yearn for adventure then book a trek by sled for an overnight stay in a remote cabin in the woods where you'll relive the traditions of the locals and their nomadic ancestors.

There are great options when it comes to meals and somewhere warm to stay.

The restaurants and bars are cozy, fun and celebrate local flavours. If so inclined you can even order a delicious Reindeerburger!

Accommodation is of good quality and varied. There's the Santa Claus Holiday Village apartments that are perfect for families or the stylish but quirky Snowman World Igloo Hotel constructed from ice. If you prefer something back to nature a special experience is a stay at the Arctic Circle Wilderness Lodge surrounded by a seemingly endless network of hiking trails.

However you choose to experience this truly unique destination remember to avert your eyes upward in search of the spectacular Northern Lights.

For further information and how to get there, check out www.santaclausvillage.info

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and may your 2015 travels be happy ones!


To book your well planned adventures visit: www.annevandyke.com