Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.
Ever heard about Lapland? Oh yeah! the Official home on Santa Claus. It was during the winter- over the Christmas period when this place struck my mind. Obviously I am not a Santa Claus fan but the idea of going to see a Arctic winter midst the Icy wilderness fascinated me. Rovaniemi is the much heard of touristy bit where kids and Adults flock over the Christmas/new year period – However we dint want something touristy.Quickly opened Google maps to find what is further north from Rovaniemi. And there it was Saariselka – A silent village some 250Km’s north of Rovaniemi and above the Arctic circle. As with any place which isn’t the norm the first question is –what are the Top 5 things do in Saariselka? Explore Saariselka with us.
We had an amazing time while in Saariselka and fell in love with the place. The Rustic ice landscapes, pine wilderness and vast stretches of absolutely nothing but ice is mind boggling. So here are is our list of the top 5 things to do in Saariselka.
1. Northern Lights :
Well I guess everyone must have heard of the magical northern lights all by now and I’m sure there are many articles online. We did read a lot but nothing prepares you for the first sight of the Aurora Borealis in full glory. We had been earlier to Iceland and returned empty handed, but we were positive this time around – had to be second time lucky!
The Day we arrived the Solar activity was at its peak. We used Northern Lights app for tracking the probability of solar activity and kp index for the day. Other than the KP index the other essential factor is having clear sky and this day both were inline. We checked into our hotel and off we went towards the nearby Aurora trail which is a walking distance from the small village centre. The Trail has a hut called the Aurora hut which provides a good shelter in freezing night temperatures. To be well prepared for both the Northern lights and the winter – Read our tips.
Quickly set our tripod and Camera and then the wait began and it wasn’t long!!!!! Suddenly a green tinge of light appeared from the open sky in front of us and started waving in the starry Arctic sky. The Green light became more and more strong when it approached towards us and then ultimately crossed us above waving and flickering all the way. The “Fires of the North” lit up the snow-covered peaks and woodlands. There are no words to describe this amazing feel.
The Lights covered the entire Saariselka Village and it was a stunning show on our very first day here. However, we soon ran out of our luck – The next 2 days was capped by heavy snow showers and clouds. On the Last day we moved further north towards Ivalo and after waiting for hours and just 5 minutes before winding up we saw the magical Aurora for not more than 5 mins. Though a quick show we felt that it was here to wave us a final goodbye as we head back home.
Relive our entire Journey –
2.Husky Sledding
Have always been a big fan of anything which is wild and remote. Our previous journeys has taken us from the plains of Serengeti to the wetlands of Pantanal in Brazil. And always the motivation was courtesy my favourite TV channels – Nat Geo and Discovery. One thing which always fascinated me on TV was Husky Sledding – A Husky pulled Sled drawn in the middle of a Arctic wilderness where all your eyes can see to the furthest point is just Ice, Ice and more Ice. We had pre-booked this Adventure with Husky and Co Safaris.
The Day after the Amazing Northern lights show we were quickly whisked to the nearby Husky farm. After changing into the winter overalls, we were quickly instructed on how to use the Sled, how to brake and instruct the dogs. One Stands as a Driver and the other sits comfortably on Reindeer fur. And then finally off we went – The dogs are nothing short of crazy – They just run like there is no tomorrow. This is an unrivalled adventure and experience. Twisting and turning past the pine forests we rode to our pit stop in the middle of the forest – A Smoke hut. The Winter was at the peak and we needed a break for sure. Be well prepared for the winter here — Read more.
While the dogs rested we quickly snugged inside the smoke hut where the guides prepared a nice Salmon Soup lunch and the very tasty Hot berry juice (I couldn’t have enough of it). Sitting by the fire, listening to stories of the dogs, the wilderness and hard life at this end of the world was a surreal experience. Finally, after getting our body temperatures up we changed drivers and head back to our starting point. Did get a chance to see some Husky puppies who were quite shy to interact with anyone!
Again, a top-notch experience both with the barking enthusiast dogs and the beautiful landscape.
3.Reindeer Safari
It’s said Lapland is all about Santa and how can one think about Santa without imagining a Reindeer Sleigh. After an awesome day with the Husky dogs we were all set for a new experience and what better to follow in the footsteps of the Sami people as you travel in the old age way.
We were quickly whisked away to a nearby Reindeer farm and after changing into the overalls – A must for this weather –Read more. Unlike the husky adventure this was going to be a more comfortable one. We made ourselves comfortable in the Sleigh with reindeer hides and blankets and then off we went.
This I must say is the best way to experience the Authentic and tranquil Lappish nature. We moved slowly through the silent woodlands only to be broken by the snap of reindeer hooves or the breaking of the dried-up twigs against the sleigh.
I would advise taking the ride for a shorter duration – probably 2 hours as after a while its quite monotonous and also the sleigh’s are not cushioned (so you know what I mean!). Finally, we were back to the reindeer farm to have some warm coffee and freshly bakes cakes, with the herder telling stories about reindeer herding and reindeers in general. A perfect experience.
4.Ice Fishing with Snowmobiling
I guess one can comfortably say that no trip to Lapland would be complete if you don’t have a go at Snowmobiling. And it gets even better when you combine this with your favourite hobby- Ice Fishing.
The next day we were all geared up and after receiving a thorough tutorial from our wilderness guide we were all set for our first snowmobile experience. Well remember snowmobile is a powerful machine which has a set of skates below it and you are driving this on fine snow – so the grip/friction is negligible. So basically, it’s not as easy as it sounds.
Off we went twisting and turning through the Lappish nature and mountain peaks and as we progressed I seemed to get a hang of riding this mean machine. After almost an hour ride we reached a site of a silent wooden cabin with twin frozen lakes. The site here was absolutely mesmerising.
The next part was the fishing. Again, inspired by my childhood memories of Eskimos drilling a hole to fish for their survival in Arctic ice, I couldn’t wait to start this. We quickly made our way onto the lake — So here I was standing in winter wonderland and I was walking on Frozen water—someone more powerful I’m told walked on water many years ago!! The Sun was out, the sky was crystal clear blue, it was pin drop silent and I was on a vast frozen canvas- what can be better than this.
The Guide then showed us how to drill a hole and how to set a bait/reel. And then the wait began. Well we were unlucky this time around and couldn’t land anything. So, after our patience ran out we made our way to the log cabin on the banks of the lake where our wilderness guide enticed us with stories of the wilderness, rarely seen bears and lynx, their tough lifestyle and of course their friendly neighbours – The Russians.
Finally, we made our way back to Saariselka – however this time we had 2 mishaps and went off the tracks twice. Luckily for us the snow is almost waist deep so there is very less chance of injury here. We stopped for some quick pictures at Kaunispaa Huippu before returning to Saariselka. The Thrill of driving a snowmobile through snowy forests and venturing far from civilization to try our hands at Arctic fishing was a remarkable experience.
5.Aurora Trail
So, we had done all the activities which the tour operators provide, but what’s the fun in going to any place on this beautiful planet and not exploring what’s around on your own. As I said before, the weather is quite harsh, so before venturing out in the open be well prepared – Read more of our tips.
If you are living in the Saariselka village and you wanted to explore something off the beaten road the Aurora trail is your best bet. The trail starts right in the Saariselka village and is circular path and doesn’t need Snow shoes. There are quite few trails around but remember that its winter and there are places with waist deep snow and getting stuck here can be a quite bad experience. Stick to trails which can be walked with regular boots/hiking shoes.
Map Download : AuroraTrail
Along the Aurora trail you can find the Aurora hut which is very good place to relax and unwind. It has a fire place as well where you can grill some sausages and unwind during a hike. And of course, this is Northern lights spotting place during the night.We did the trail while it was snowing heavily and was absolutely freezing – but was well worth it. Experiencing nature in all its glory, we did have some fun times with Amoli doing her first snow angel!
Relive our entire Journey –
Now that we are done with the top 5 things to do in Saarisleka , let me give you something extra - A bonus. So number 6 --
6.Finnish Sauna and Ice Dip
This is definitely a bonus – Supposedly every house in Finland has a Sauna and it’s a substantial part of Finnish culture. Nowadays there are more electric saunas everywhere but historically it was all about the traditional smoke saunas where people got in butt naked even at the public ones. We have always heard about how the people around the Arctic look very young and its mostly to do with the hot/cold therapy. People tend to visit the hot Saunas and then cover themselves in ice or take a dip in ice cold waters. And now we had to do it. A good place to experience this is the Kiilopaa Fell Centre which can be easily reached using the Ski bus from the Saariselka town.
Walking from the changing rooms to the external sauna was a terrifying experience in -20’c temperatures. The Sauna is an awesome experience but quite busy with having to constantly throw water on the hot stones which would get the room filled with smoke. It was really very hot at times and we left it after a while for the next enthralling bit — Take a dip in the ice cold Kiilopuro fell brook. It was an agonising few steps down to the waters and the waters were absolutely freezing.
The feeling soon after was of a great accomplishment and also refreshed and relaxed beyond imagination. That night I did have one of the best sleeps of a lifetime.
I hope the top 5 which I have listed here helps you better experience Saariselka, especially for the ones who are here not just for meeting Santa Claus.
More memories of Saariselka to inspire you –
If you have queries or comments, feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you at the earliest.
This is Aldrin and my partner Amoli. We bring you "Earths Pilgrim" - a unique insight into our travel escapades while leaving life in a cubicle. If you are looking for some inspiration to break the shackles of a regular life, then you are the right place. Read more about us- Click here.
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