Vicki from our office was in Finnish Lapland last week checking hotels for our Northern Lights Holidays – she had an exceptional evening under the aurora borealis.

30 November 2011 – After getting kitted out in my thermal snowsuit and equally fetching accessories I headed out to the snowmobiles with the rest of my group. A quick, but comprehensive lesson later we mounted our steeds and were ready for the off. As my thumb depressed the accelerator trigger my anticipation built with the noise of the engine and then we were off. Slowly to start with we headed along the trails into the forest, under bridges and across frozen lakes, the only lights to guide us coming from the full beam of the headlights. As we increased our speed, the cold blast of air hit the only exposed flesh of my cheeks and I was suddenly grateful for my fetching thermal attire which was more than doing its job. The heated handle grips helped, as did the warm juice during our mid-safari break and it was here in the darkness of the wilderness that we first saw the faint glow of the silent northern lights. Back on board and with twice the confidence we hit the throttle and were off on our homeward journey. A quick pit stop in the middle of the forest to let the others catch up resulted in an unforgettable experience, as above us the night sky came alive with the most incredible aurora display. Vivid green bands of light danced in the sky creating swirls and waves before the colours faded only to emerge again in a new location. As the colours turned from green to red to a hue of blue I lay on my snowmobile, head resting on the handle bars and lost myself in the silence of the moment, knowing that this could possibly be a once in a lifetime experience. And it is one I will never forget.

photo taken from the snowmobile

Wildlife & Wilderness will soon be bringing a range of European wildlife holidays to the website as a recognised tourism partner of PAN Parks. PAN Parks is a Europe-wide organisation committed to saving the best wilderness areas of the continent. It is doing this through a sustainable tourism programme. As we fully support this initiative are introducing a range of wildlife trips in some of these specific areas soon. In the meantime if you wish to learn more click here.

We are pleased to announce that some of our winter activity holiday fixed departures are still possible for 20 and 23 December allowing you to enjoy a cool Christmas full of snow activities such as dog sledding and snowmobiling in the magical winter of Lapland. Contact us for full details.

Have you felt the crunch of snow under your feet and are you longing for more? It’s not too late to book your winter activity holiday for this winter. With more snow falling outside at present we are dreaming of days exploring the white wilderness of Finland with huskies, running silently through the snowy landscapes spotting wolf tracks and living a simple life in cosy wilderness cabins. Husky safaris are an increasingly popular activity. But for the less adventurous you can whizz through the forests on snowmobiles or take a gentle reindeer sleigh ride and learn some more about the reindeer herders, then retire to a warm log cabin or nice hotel for a sauna and cuisine full of the flavours of the north. The last thing at night step outside on snowshoes and search for the northern lights, the enigmatic aurora borealis. If you would like to know more visit our Winter Activity Holidays page.