Lapland holidays: Meeting Santa and husky rides in Finland
My wife Julia and I felt that if we were going to do a Santa trip we should go while our four-year old twin boys George and Max were still young enough to be thrilled by the chance to meet Father Christmas.
I spent a lot of time researching options and settled on a trip to Finnish Lapland. We had to fit our visit into a weekend and I decided to use scheduled flights (I liked the idea of flying from London Heathrow via Helsinki).
Just Lapland has a log cabin in Yllas (pronounced oo-lass) that is perfectly placed for a visit to Santa Claus and to enjoy other fabulous winter activities available.
Seeing santa: George and Max - like children all around the world - are enthralled by Father Christmas
Yllas is reckoned to be one of Finnish Laplands oldest and most picturesque winter resorts.
We organised the flights ourselves but everything else was arranged by Just Lapland starting with, on arrival, the 40-minute taxi ride from the airport.
Arriving at Yllas we discovered a refreshingly laid-back and pleasingly uncommercialised place.
Moosh: Tourists catch a ride from huskies in Lapland
Our log cabin was warm and attractively furnished. Yllas presents itself as the original home of Santa Claus, so from the moment we arrived you can imagine how excited George and Max were.
But there was an exciting outing before our audience with Santa: we were going on a husky ride through the snow. Before climbing aboard the sleigh, we were all kitted out in warm weather clothing that is provided for you and you r! eally ne ed it, as it gets incredibly cold.
But once youre in the right gear you dont notice the temperature. Then you are taken to a husky farm where you are introduced to the dogs.
Julia sat on the sled with the two boys while I had the thrill of being the driver learning how to moosh the huskies (you really do tell them to moosh from the French marche, meaning walk).
I was in my element driving the ten huskies forward. After 15 minutes halfway through the allotted time for our ride Julia and I swopped places and she had the chance to drive the sleigh.
The boys absolutely loved every minute of it it was such a magical experience.
Driving the sleigh managing the dogs and applying the brakes when necessary is quite a job, but someone follows you on a snowmobile to make sure that everything is safe.
Wonderland: Yllas is said to be one of Finnish Lapland's oldest winter resorts
Its a unforgettable experience and for me it was the highlight of our trip. For our boys, of course, the highlight was meeting Santa, which was beautifully arranged.
Father Christmas was lovely: he arrived with two elves and they all seemed ready to stay for as long as you wanted. The boys were thrilled: it was an experience they will always remember the day they met Father Christmas.
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Julie and I enjoyed the trip so much that wed love to go back without the children. Finnish Lapland is a great place to take the kids, but it would also be the perfect place for a romantic break without them.
Travel Facts
For details on Yllas, visit www.lappvillage.fi/en_index.html. The Lapland cabin is available from Just Lapland (www.justlapland.com).
Prices from 738pp for seven nights this month and 1,090pp in December. For activities, see www.snowfunsafaris.com.
For flights to Kittila call 0845 680 1298 or visit www.ski-flights.com. Other tour operators that offer trips to Santas Lapland include Transun (01865 265 200, www.transun.co.uk), which offers day trips from 449pp and short breaks from 499pp including return flights, meals and activities.
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