Saariselkä, Lapland trip – spotting the northern lights three times!

By Ria Mair, University of Helsinki, Finland

A must-do trip while studying at the University of Helsinki is to visit the beautiful northernmost region of Finland, Lapland. Experiencing the expansive snowy landscapes, Arctic wildlife, and cosiness of my cabin made the trip once in a lifetime, filled with joyful memories.

17 hours travelling…

The journey there is one I’ll never forget. 17 long hours, tucked up in my thermals amongst a busy coach full of excited exchange students, waiting for the hours to pass and reach Lapland. Along the way, we made several stops at service stations, which all had that functional Nordic feel. Every station came with a massive supermarket, essential for going grocery shopping amongst our cabin groups to prepare for the following days, and the classic Finnish restaurants, which of course meant we would treat ourselves to a filter coffee and a cinnamon bun.

After a cycle of sleeping, chatting and snacking, we finally arrived at the residence of Santa Claus, otherwise known as Lapland’s capital city, Rovaniemi. Eager to explore, we all got out of the coach and wandered around the snowy Santa Claus village, full of life and the awe of many young children. The village was home to a few four-legged friends, where I acquainted myself with a few lovely reindeer and alpacas. We even got to greet Mr Claus himself in his magical workshop, and send off a postcard to our loved ones to be delivered on Christmas Day.

The last stop here was grabbing a warm hot chocolate, where I noticed an interesting chair purely constructed of horseshoes – the lucky chair. So naturally, when each of my friends and I sat down to make our wish, we only had one in mind, and that was to see the magnificent northern lights …

Cross-country skiing

On arrival, I instantly felt at peace stepping into the luxurious cabin that exceeded all of my expectations, especially because the chills from the walk from the coach were soothed by the underfloor heating. That night we enjoyed a wholesome home-cooked meal with our cabin family, during which we received a text from the Lapland group chat: “Northern lights spotted from one of the cabins!”. We immediately fled outside, and squealed when we saw the electric green beams in the sky. Like nothing I had ever seen, but little did I know the following two aurora borealis I would see were even more beautiful.

The first activity of the trip was cross-country skiing, an activity home to the flat and snowy landscapes of northern Finland. Having never skied before I was quite nervous, and perhaps rightfully so…

The skiing journey involved a loop, in which the first half I managed quite well, even enjoying a fun glide downhill by using the technique of bending my knees and tucking the ski poles behind me. I had felt a sense of accomplishment when reaching the end, then began the journey back. I was to go before my friend, skiing along the snow-made track one by one. Surrounded by an open vastness of silence and a snowy terrain. To my surprise, along the journey I heard my friend behind me shout, and was suddenly alerted by a cart making its way down the track behind us to clear it. In a moment of panic, both her and I chose ‘flight’ and dashed ourselves into the surrounding snow to clear the track. An act which led to 15 minutes or so of attempting to get back, but in a losing battle against the sinking snow and difficult to manoeuvre ski shoes.

After returning to the cabin, I was happy to call the saga a funny distant memory as the trip looked onward.

Reindeer Feeding

The next activity was one I was most definitely anxiously awaiting – feeding the gorgeous reindeer belonging to a loving Sami family. It felt like something out of a fiction, walking alongside the reindeer and watching them meander around their idyllic home. I didn’t expect to learn so much about the Sami people, the indigenous society of northern Europe, from this visit. The Sami Family, whose farm it was, invited our group into a traditional hut where we learned about their culture and, importantly, their values about preserving and looking after nature.

That night, we took a long walk in a quiet area of Saariselkä to wind down and reflect on all the fun we had had so far. At one point, there was a break because we had to wait for a bridge to be cleared to cross the river – and thank goodness for this! While we waited and took pictures of the scenery, we noticed just a glimpse of colour through the camera lens when pointed at the sky, we got lucky with the northern lights another time! From that moment to crossing the bridge and admiring the sky at the other side (annoyingly for the group guide wanting to run a strict schedule), the hues of purple and green intensified, along with the group’s “wow”s. A perfect end to the second day.

Husky Farm

An experience I could not wait for was here – meeting the Huskies! This activity began with meeting the owners of the farm, who explained how they ethically care for the huskies and train them to take people husky-sledging, which is actually beneficial for the well-being of these Nordic huskies, who train their muscles and work as a team to ensure everyone stays balanced on the ride.

During the husky-sledging ride, the skill and teamwork of the huskies were very impressive, as well as the views (partially blocked from the snow coming right at our faces). After the ride, we were able to play with the many huskies of the farm, in an area which could have been their school playground. In fact, this comparison became more accurate when a brawl began between two huskies, leading the farm owner to get involved and separate the deviants.

We said our goodbyes, then made our way to the very top of Norway, to a city called Bugøynes. This serene little fishing town was home to a family-owned restaurant, where I had the pleasure of trying their authentic Salmon soup. After eating, we made our way to the most thrilling experience of the trip.

Arctic Swim + Sauna

Prior to reaching the sauna, I felt nervous for the ominously labelled “Arctic dip activity” because I didn’t know what to expect. On arrival, we all got changed into our swimwear and met in the sauna, where we had our briefing: we were to heat up in the sauna, then make our way down to the beach, carefully walking on the icy path, and then plunge into the Arctic Ocean to cool down. After conversing nervously in the sauna, I felt hot enough to make my way down to the ocean. My friends and I held hands in preparation and then ran into the sea with no time to rethink the decision. Feeling the rush and coolness of the ocean waves, while having a view of the snowy beach, made this experience truly one in a million and truly gave my body a reset. An experience capturing the Finnish love for health and wellbeing activities.

This brought us to the final night of this dream. Having seen the northern lights twice and had plenty of unforgettable experiences, I was certainly sad to be leaving but also fulfilled with the richness of the experience. Just as I put my pyjamas on, I received another text message – more northern lights spotting! My whole cabin stepped outside, and we saw the most magnificent lights of the whole trip – colours of pink, green and purple dancing in the sky. In this magical moment, I felt so grateful and it will always stick with me.