Feeling like a queen in the middle of the forest

There is a place in Ruka where luxury and traditional Finnish nature collide. Chalets with all the facilities you can ask for and more but only a few steps from the unspoiled forest. And this place has a name, of course: Rukan Salonki.

First time I was there I was guiding a group of tourist, so I didn’t really have the time to enjoy the surrounding. That’s why I convinced some friends and we went there to spend a few days in those chalets.

When I told them about the chalets, they were very suspicious, and it was understandable! What would you think if I tell you to spend some days in a chalet with sauna, many bathrooms, kitchen, TV, living room, Internet connection… and especially after seeing pictures of the place, where everything is wooden and the decoration makes it cozy but still impressive? For sure you would think it would be too expensive, so my friends did! But high-quality doesn’t mean exorbitant prices. If it was like that, how a group of young people and students as my friends could enjoy those facilities?


I prepared a program where we could always have time on the evening to relax and enjoy the chalet and the surrounding, because they are worth it. The first impression my friends had when arriving to the chalets was a homogeneous “woow”. They started looking around amazed; they could believe that chalet was ours for a few days. “Look, there is a fire-place! And look at the TV! Have you seen the rooms? And there is even sauna! This is awesome!” – they were saying all the time.


That first night, when everyone was more exited and had plenty of energy, we took some kick sledges that were next to the chalet and started exploring around. Of course we had the hope to see northern lights, because the resort is far enough to spot them without light-pollution interruption, but we weren’t lucky that night. Anyway, we had lots of fun with the kick-sledges and the feeling of freedom the place gave us, like if we were really far from any civilization.
After that, we had to warm ourselves, so what’s better than our own sauna in the chalet? Afterwards we were so relaxed that fall sleep immediately until the next morning.


The next morning we had breakfast in the restaurant that is the centre of the resort, Kultala, and we enjoyed a buffet with homemade bread, jam, coffee, tea, chocolate, cookies, cornflakes, ham… whatever we needed for a new day. Later that day, when we came back in the evening after a day outdoors I had prepared a surprise for my friends. When we arrive into the chalet again I told them “take your towels and follow me! No questions allowed!”. They were surprised, but they know me well enough to trust I would bring them something nice. But this time they didn’t even imagined what I was going to show them. An ice sauna! Sounds strange, I know, but it is true. A sauna built of the ice.


We had that amazing experience together and then we decided to have dinner on Kultala, since I told them the food was good and they could see that at breakfast. The menu was some reindeer rolled with vegetables, salad, soup, homemade bread and a sweet dessert with berries. Everything was great!

The last evening we decided to take some snowshoes and walk around hunting for northern lights, enjoying the nature and the beautiful Lappish sky (for me is always awesome with so many millions of stars). Since it was our last night there, after a sauna (it is always very pleasant after a day outdoors), we watched a film on the big screen we had on the chalet while some of my friends connected to the Internet to share those days we spent.

The next morning we had again a delicious breakfast at the cozy restaurant Kultala and spend some time playing with the snow and the sledges on the ice slope they had next to the lake until our transportation came. A friend of mine who loves photography took incredible pictures of the area with the day light and then, once home, we compared with the ones she was taking at night time, and they looked so different it didn’t seemed the same place. At the end, after all the experiences they told me “You were right, that place definitely worth it”.

Ester

Northern Lights - the heavenly fire

Northern Lights are the highlight for most Lapland visitors – and us locals we are mezmerized by them every time. They are the source of many myths and legends and brighten up a dark winter sky quite often… and touch a very soft spot in you.

Ester has been out hunting Northern Lights a few nights, here her story:


There is one thing in Lapland that makes everyone fall in love with it. It is a magic phenomenom only happening in special places in a special time. I’m talking about the Northern Lights.
The sight of the Auroras Borealis (another name for the Northern Lights) is one of the most beautiful natural phenomenoms you can imagine. The lighting colors on the ski, moving as if they were waves, making you feel part of something mystical.

But there is a small problem: the Northern lights are whimsical. There are three things you have to follow if you want to see them. First, you need a dark place. City lights and other light polution can trick your eyes and hide the Northern Lights. Second, a clear sky. Clouds will interfere your vision. And third, and maybe the most important, luck. To be at the right place at the right time. Nevertheless, this winter they are being really active, so it’s a good chance to try!

The better way to try to see the Auroras Borealis is by a night safari. There are several activities around the Northern Lights hunting and all of them are prepared to have the ideal conditions. For example, a great safari which allowed me to see the Northern Lights was a visit to a reindeer farm at night. It started when we reached the farm, were the owners welcomed us warmly. We took part in a Lappish ceremony based on traditional Sámi-people Shaman’s myths and stories. The Sámi are the Lappish natives who traditionally started working with reindeers. They also explained a lot of interesting thing about reindeers and how the herdering is a way of life of many inhabitants in Lapland. After all this information while warming up, was time to start the safari.


We step into a one-reindeer pulled sleigh in couples. It is a perfect place to be with someone special :) The safari starts going deeply into the middle of the nature. You enjoy the special sound of the forests at night while looking at the sky exited to see the Auroras. Meanwhile I was thinking about all the people that used to travel on reindeer sleigh always, when it was the only way of moving through Lapland in winter time. Then suddenly, I saw them: the Northern Lights. It was a breathtaking sight: a huge wave of green and blue colors, brigthening on the open sky, moving as if the blowing breeze affected them. Those were ones of the longest and stunning Auroras I’ve ever seen. When the safari was finnished, we got into a Kota and had some hot drinks while explaining many stories about the Northern Lights, making the night unforgettable.

Another safari that gave me the opportunity of enjoying the phenomenom was in a kick-sled. It was a very funny night, because it was my first time using one of them. It started in a small resort in the middle wilderness, far from any city lights. After some information about the Auroras and a movie, was time to go hunting for them! The nature surrounding the place was as stunning as always and the sky was clear (hoorray!). We started our small adventure by the kick-sledges, having a lot of fun with it, until we reach a special place to stop. Once there, we drinked some hot chocolate (it tastes even better after some exercise and with the coldness around you) while getting through some nice stories. When we were starting to come back, with the feeling to had a good night even if we didn’t saw the Northern Lights, someone called out loud to look at the sky and, can you guess? Green waves of brighten colors were dancing above our heads. “A perfect night”, I thought.


The last, but not least, experience I want to share with you was a night in a snowmobile safari were, even if I couldn’t spot the Auroras, I had a great time.
This special snowmobile safari is a drive through the night in one of those amazing engines. Can be that I’m influenced by my love to motorbikes, but even the most scared people always enjoys the ride from the beginning to the end. We got into the forest, driving away from the city, to have a break by a campfire. I already told you I didn’t saw the Northern Lights that day, but the Lappish sky, when you’re in the middle of nowhere, is just amazing. You can’t figure out how many millions of stars are shinning just above you. I was born in a big city, where spoting one star on the sky is impossible, but even going to the mountains I couldn’t see as many stars as I see in my nights in Lapland. Moreover, that night there was fullmoon, big, round and bright, leading the sky.


When people tell me I’m just crazy to live here I just have to remind all these magical moments to smile and remember why I love Lapland.

And for those who have not yet seen the amazing video by Visit Finland, you find it HERE!
Enjoy! And it is even more spectacular live