The real Father Christmas? Lapland UK leaves you all in no doubt

THE REAL FATHER CHRISTMAS?
Lapland^UK will leave you all in no doubt.

It’s that time of year again - synonymous with visits to (or from) Father Christmas. He just managed a turn at our Infant School Christmas fair would you believe? A busy man, right now he can be found in department stores up and down the country, garden centre grottos here and there, and sometimes even riding through dusky town streets on his sleigh. Wherever it is that children see him though, there’s often a question that follows, “But he’s not the real one, is he?”

There is one place however where that question is never asked. Never even thought of. And right now, some very lucky families will be excitedly packing bags, boarding flights and heading on the long journey north to Roviemi, Finnish Lapland, to visit Father Christmas at his official home on the Arctic Circle; the snowy white wonderland that it is.

We went two years ago, with our two daughters, then aged four and seven, and as you’d imagine, it was a fairytale adventure from start to end. For Lapland cannot fail. Which to be honest, was part of the reason why I was totally apprehensive about visiting another Lapland with them recently - not quite as far north this one, indeed it was just up the motorway. But really, how on earth was Lapland^UK ever possibly going to compare?

ARCTIC CONDITIONS

There's an unspeakable beauty about a place like this.
And really… seeing is the only way of truly communicating that beauty.
For breathtaking, it renders the observer mute.
And how could one possibly recreate that vision through words anyway?
Visiting for yourself is the only way to understand. 

When she's not off gadding, Freelance travel writer Emma Oliver can be found WritingLifeAsItIs.blogspot.co.uk

Northern Highlights - reindeer racing in Lapland 2015

You can read my travel feature on Lapland here.

NORTHERN high LIGHTS - A travel feature

Travel writer Emma Oliver takes her family on the 

trip of a lifetime to experience Arctic conditions in Lapland 

Do you want to build a snowman? Or an entire snow family for that matter? Then this is the place to head. And while you are here, pop in on Santa (of course).

Families will appreciate all that Lapland has to offer though - not just the Father Christmas magical experience of a lifetime, which kids of any age will love. We found a destination to suit families that enjoy the great outdoors - and all manner of unique activities that the Arctic Circle provides. 

Since 2002, the award winning tour company Activities Abroad has been bringing families (children aged 4+) to Luosto in Finnish Lapland, to revel in adventure; including husky safari, reindeer sleigh ride, amethyst mining, cross country skiing, and my particular favourite, ice fishing.

Just imagine sitting on reindeer skins holding fishing rods, the worm end of which dangles down through the metre thick ice you just drilled a hole into. There's no doubt that seeing my young children settled a la Eskimo style is going to stay with me forever, but that's the thing about this sort of visceral holiday; it is the trip of a lifetime.

Scandi Living

Until last week, Scandi Living was a shop up the road from us. But then my family disappeared into Finn Air, only to be seen again disembarking at Rovaniemi Airport, Lapland - into Arctic conditions. The sign announcing 'reindeer burgers' greeting us, acknowledged Scandi Living as our new reality; and so, Finnish Lapland and an adventure courtesy of Activities Abroad, began... 

Northern HIGH-Lights will be out in the Oct/Nov issue of Little London Magazine - available to buy Sept 2015.