Christmas in Rovaniemi: Our Family Trip from Australia
Planning Christmas in Rovaniemi from Australia? This is our family’s complete experience – from booking the Santa Claus Express to choosing activities with Wild About Lapland, with a full day-by-day December itinerary. After COVID hit in early Twenty-Twenty, we didn’t know when or whether we could ever get our dream European white Christmas. We’d planned…
Scandi House Levi Recommendation
A Lakeside Retreat at Finland’s Largest Ski Resort A disclosure before we begin – I haven’t personally stayed at Scandi House Levi. But after interviewing its host – five-time Winter Olympian and Levi resident Lydia Lassila OAM – in depth for the Lapland Lowdown and spending time understanding every detail of what she has built…
Holiday Club Saariselkä Review
Comfortable, central and surprisingly affordable I’ll be honest – Holiday Club Saariselkä wasn’t somewhere I researched and selected from a shortlist of options. I booked it through my timeshare membership, which made it an easy decision from a cost perspective. But what I found when I arrived was genuinely impressive and by the end of…
Get off the Lapland tourist trail – stay at Jauri Resort, Kemijärvi
Kemijärvi, is a picturesque town of Lapland and translates to “Lake Kemi,” a name inspired by the pristine waters of Lake Kemijärvi that define the region’s charm. Conveniently located near iconic Lapland destinations like Rovaniemi, Kuusamo, Ruka, Levi, Pyhä, Luosto, and Posio, Kemijärvi offers an authentic Finnish experience with fewer crowds, making it an ideal…
Scandi House Rovaniemi – a riverfront home at the Arctic Circle
A disclosure before we begin, I haven’t personally stayed at Scandi House Rovaniemi – but after interviewing its host, Olympic champion and five-time Winter Olympian Lydia Lassila and reading through every detail of the property, I’m recommending it with confidence as one of the most thoughtfully designed large-group accommodation options in Rovaniemi. You can watch…
Santa Claus Holiday Village Review – cabin stay at the Arctic Circle
There’s a reason Santa Claus Holiday Village appears on nearly every Finnish Lapland accommodation shortlist – staying in a cosy cabin at the Arctic Circle, just steps from Santa Claus Village and surrounded by genuine Lapland wilderness, is a special experience. I stayed in a double cabin in autumn and came away with a clear…
Rovaniemi Airbnb review – budget family accommodation
Finding affordable family accommodation in Rovaniemi over Christmas is genuinely challenging. The city fills fast, prices spike and the options that sit within walking distance of the city centre are heavily in demand. When we found a centrally located Airbnb that could fit our family of four on a realistic budget, we booked without hesitation…
Kotatieva Resort Cabin Review, Rovaniemi wilderness accommodation
Kotatieva Resort is one of the newer wilderness accommodation options available near Rovaniemi and if you’re looking for a Finnish Lapland cabin stay that puts you directly inside resort life – with Arctic forest views, aurora potential and activity access built in – it’s worth understanding exactly what this experience offers and just as importantly,…
Hotelli Aakenus Rovaniemi review – the best budget hotel in the city centre
If you’re searching for budget accommodation in Rovaniemi that puts you exactly where you need to be – without the resort price tag – Hotelli Aakenus deserves a close look. I’ve stayed here twice, once in September and once in January and it’s my go-to recommendation for anyone travelling solo or as a couple who…
Is Saariselkä the right Finnish Lapland destination for you?
When long-haul travellers start planning a trip to Finnish Lapland, three names come up first – Rovaniemi, Levi and Saariselkä. They’re all in Finnish Lapland. They all offer husky safaris, reindeer experiences, snowmobile tours and Northern Lights hunting. But they are not the same – and choosing the wrong one for your travel style can…
