Frozen Finland

I went to Helsinki and Rovenami, Finland. Helsinki is cool if you are looking to explore brutalistic history, but Rovenami is where it’s at. The hotel I stayed in, Aito, was deep in the woods. Finland is very expensive but so worth it. A taxi from the city center to this hotel is around $200 euros one way. Sure, there are a few hotels in the city center, but they are your typical hotels. This one offers treehouses, igloo tents, and cabins. No way to connect with arctic nature other than here.

Coming to Rovenami, it was particularly one of the worst travel days I have ever had. The flight got switched to a much later one because the pilots went on strike. There was a woman refusing to leave the property (because of this situation), and a man complaining about the staff misplacing his luggage, but after an hour it was his own fault. The staff is very responsive and active here trying to do everything possible to accommodate me because they understood all I wanted was to get a few hours of sleep due to my first-ever night tour to chase the northern lights and only have an hour before my day tour. They gave me as many refreshments as I could possibly ask for, kept my luggage, constantly kept checking if my room was ready, and gave me free food to feed the reindeer. Yes, they have a small reindeer farm on the property! These majestic beings lit up my entire mood and I didn’t care that it was -20 F degrees. All I cared about was connecting with these cuties! This gave me a chance to connect with locals (the workers) as well and learn more about Finland. Even though the menu there is limited, it was some of the best fish I have ever had! They have a frozen lake which even if you don’t drive onto it, looks picture perfect. They also have a spa area where you can chill in saunas and salt areas and take in the beautiful view through large and tall glass windows. (reserve spa block in advance with them through WhatsApp) When I finally did get into my room, such a cute, cozy cabin feel! Just stepping into it made me feel so warm and so satisfied.

The Northern Lights chase was an adventure! You get briefed in an office first and if needed, they provide suits. You drive all the way through Lapland, which could mean leaving Finland! You could be entering Sweden, Norway, and possibly Russia and because it’s pitch black and the guide is focused on chasing activity, it will always remain a mystery: did you leave or stay in Finland? This tour requires a lot of patience and endurance, and that is something I struggle with, but I was taught here patience is so worth it sometimes. I was with a wonderful family from Indonesia and we all instantly turned into little children when we got to the parking lot. We kept bugging the tour guide, “Whennn?” And it took maybe two hours of waiting around and the guide being the bravest of us all and coming out every five minutes to set up the camera, just in case. This is how much they care. They do this multiple times a night every week to give people a sense of the magic of seeing the skies dance! Finally, I almost dropped everything I was holding when I saw the sky light up. Even though it wasn’t a solar storm, something about that cast of light mixed with the stars over a snow covered road in the middle of unknown territory hit hard. I can’t believe I got to see a wonder of nature totally determined by mother nature. A night I will never forget! (Note: No matter where it is in the Arctic and/or other countries, the Northern Lights are never a guarantee and when they do show up, everyone can do their best to predict and track but nobody can promise how they show up, lightly or a storm.)

The next day, I got to be a kid again and visit the Arctic Village. Again, the staff at this hotel saved me and gave me a wake-up call because my taxi I pre-ordered was already waiting half an hour AND provided me with quick snacks for breakfast. This was the only time in my life where I have overslept during my travels. I made it though, and am so happy I did! The arctic village just screams “you made it”. It is definitely a family-friendly activity with so many smiles all around, but I enjoyed it just as much solo. They have a very large store where you can find beautifully crafted gifts such as candles, ornaments, and more. There are plenty of food options around. Santa and Mrs Claus are the main attractions, and take time, but you can write your name down for a later time to get in line and go do other things like send a polar post card and get your arctic passport stamp. The conversations are worth it with these two, so cute and funny! Make sure you buy your printout of pictures then and there, because there are small issues with digitals sometimes. I then went to the reindeer and husky slay ride. I was worried about the ethics here, but I have never seen animals BEG to do something like this. They truly truly love it and just want to play all day, and all the workers take the time to brief you while providing yummy berry juice and cookies, also sometimes issuing you your very own license as a unique souvenir! You do have an opportunity to pet the doggos and feed the reindeer, but keep in mind, just like with any other wildlife; be careful, respect them and their boundaries, and listen to their caretakers. The slay ride moment was breathtaking. It feels like you stepped into the movie Frozen. Yes, most of Frozen was inspired by the snowy roads in Austria, but again, Finland just has that type of air that makes you feel like you’re living in a winter wonderland. I hope you decide to experience its magic soon! Another wildlife opportunity is the arctic zoo, and that is SO worth it to safely see unique wildlife to that region, even spotting a polar bear!

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Finland page.