Holiday Club Saariselka

Santa!!!!!

by helsbels

No trip to this part of the worl would be complete without a trip to see 'The Big Man Himself!'
We were lucky enough to get a personal home visit, but he's often found resting in his cabin in the woods near Saariselka.
I think the ear to ear grin shows how chuffed i was!

Kareoke in Saariselka.

by helsbels about Guksi Bar

There's not much nightlife in Saariselka! The Guksi bar has a club upstairs only open at weekends, the music is your normal cheese, but never loud enough!
Downstairs they offer kareoke (in finnish AND english) a small dancefloor, dart board, air hockey, pool table and a few arcade games.
Tends to be very unpredictable as to when it will be busy, sometimes a wednesday night will be packed and other time a saturday night empty. No dress code that i know of, but on some nights its compulsary to ut your coats into the cloakroom. The 2 Euros pays the coat mans wages which is why they get stroppy with you if you dont want to put your coat in!

Based on Saariselka in December.....

by helsbels

Lots of socks,
Balaclava,
Hat which covers your ears, or hat and ear muffs,
Sunnies (not coz you get any sun! but sometimes handy to keep wind chill off your eyes),
Scarf,
Good gloves,
Thermals,
Thermal oversuit or good sallapettes and ski jacket.
Good non slip boots.

Please note. Children will get colder easier and they will find it harder to warm up and stay happy if you have a long day of activities. Better for them to be too warm than too cold. Lipsalve, Vasaline and Hand cream- your skin can get really dry when you're in and out the cold and wind.
No Pharmacy in Saariselka so any medical supplies you may need take with you. Whatever you have, plenty of amazing photo opportunities. Northern Lights, Sunsets and Sun Rises, Santa, Snow............ Salt and Vinager crisps,
Marmite,
Ribena.

Cheap accommodation

by Jarra about B&B Aliisa

If you really need the rest, this is your place. Quiet neighbourhood, but ice-fishing possibilities and reindeer farm in within walking distance. Only two rooms available. Real Finnish sauna and kota (outdoor barbecue place). The owner of the B&B Aliisa also makes lether works.

Out there

by sinoda about Nammalakuru

Nammalakuru is a two-parted cottage - one side free for everybody to use and another side which has to be booked in advance and which costs a little something... I don't know how much, didn't use it.

The tupa (living, bed, and "dining" room) has at one side, by the wall, two story beds, for some max. 20 persons, a very powerfull stove, two tables and some chairs...

There are a sink, pans&pots etc, litter basket and sometimes left-overs from previous guests... so much for the cooking corner.

Hygienic facilities are outside (of course) a little bit up the hill. During fall and winter there is no activity in the small café down the hill (some 50m), therefore you can enjoy the perfect silence all by yourself...

Except maybe in the nights when curious reindeer approach to receive their casual neighbours...

All in all this is a unique location with everything you need - and one even gets used to sleeping on hard, wooden beeds.

Log Cabins in the Snow - Levi

by PaleFace_Fields about Levi Cabins

Levi is a small Ski holiday town right up in the frozen north of Lapland. The ski courses of Levi fell are used regulaly for ski competitons - probably because snow is, as you can imagine, quite reliable in the artic circle. We stayed in the Levi cabins - cute looking log cabins in the forest just on the outskirts of town. This is how lapland should be done, throw a log on the blazing fire and have a reindeer steak while looking out over the snow covered pine trees.
The place had it's own little sauna as well, which was good for relaxing a battered body after a day's snowboarding.
TV, washing machine and full kitchen was all there. The cabins are close to the road where the ski bus stops every 15 mins - 30 mins. It's possible to walk to town, it'll take
about 20 - 30 mins. If you like the remote log cabin in the snow experience - this is very good, at the sacrifice of not being in the centre of town.

Putting Saariselka on the map!

by helsbels

"Saariselka in December"

This page is going to be more about Saariselka than Ivalo, VT doesnt seem to recognise it yet so i'm putting it on the map!

"Why Saariselka?!"

Well, i was offered a job in Lapland with a company which usually specialises in Ski holidays, it's the first year for the Lapland programme and i jumped at the chance to be part of it and to go somewhere i might not normally get the chance to go. The home of Santa, reindeers, Huskys,Northern Lights, and lots of snow, what better way to spend Christmas 2004.