IGLOO ANYONE?
The Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort in Finland.
The luxurious resort is in a northern region of the country called Finnish Lapland — 150 miles north of the Arctic Circle.
Surrounded by nature, this unique property is located in the Saariselkä Fell region of Finnish Lapland. The property offers glass igloos and traditional wood chalets and has the world’s largest smoke sauna.
Free WiFi and free parking are available.
The thermal glass igloos feature a bedroom with a glass roof and luxury beds. Some igloos include a bathroom with sauna, while others have shared shower facilities.
The chalets feature cooking facilities, a seating area and fireplace. A private sauna is also included.
Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort offers 2 à la carte restaurants, which serve Laplandic specialties such as reindeer and char-grilled salmon. The hotel’s smoke sauna even has its own restaurant, Savusauna.
6 saunas are available, each has a relaxation room with an open fireplace. A nearby ice hole is ideal for cooling off.
Husky and reindeer safaris can be arranged.
Urho Kekkonen National Park is 3.1 mi away from Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort – Igloos and Chalets.
Couples in particular like the location – they rated it 8.6 for a two-person trip.
Located above the Arctic Circle (from the “capital city” Rovaniemi in the south all the way up to Utsjoki in the north), Finnish Lapland is an exotic region in northern Finland sculpted by round-shaped rugged mountains (tunturi), extensive pine forests (taiga), treeless flat lands (tundra), pristine lakes and rivers with gold nuggets.
Lapland is a unique destination which casts a powerful spell. Offering a wide array of activities for any nature lover, and with a certain sense of magic in the air, travelers visit for the midnight sun, the Sámi peoples, the aurora borealis (Northern Lights) and roaming reindeer.
This is as close as reality gets for those who dream of a winter wonderland, and even with four very distinct seasons, contrasts are a key factor in the allure here; where 24-hour sunlight in the summer replaces the dark winter days, and the hustle and bustle of towns and ski resorts.
Just minutes away from the peace and quiet of the wild wilderness.
Winter
A visit in winter means you will experience the phenomenon of the polar night; when the sun doesn’t rise at all. The exact dates depend on how north you go, but the phenomenon is visible as soon as you cross the Arctic Circle.
Around noon and for a few hours the atmosphere goes from different shades of blue (the blue hour is quite impressive on crisp cloudless winter days) to golden rays of light coming from the sun staying right below the horizon, before the sky turns soft pink, purple and blue again.
A thick layer of snow covers everything from early November to late April. Temperatures are freezing (usually between -5C and -30C all the time, with periodical drops to even as low as -50C) but there is no humidity in the air and usually no wind either, which makes them totally bearable if you dress accordingly.
We know this is a bit of a stretch when it comes to our GoCheepNow.com concept, but when you think of where we are actually going, this is still a very affordable vacation when it comes to travel value with friends and family. For our European families this is a great option for an affordable vacation, weekend getaway or last minute trip idea.
We Found Flights From Dallas to Helsinki, Finland For $635rt at CheepOair Just A Short Drive To The Igloos.
Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort – Check Rates
SUMMER
Visit in summer to experience the famous midnight sun; a period where the sun doesn’t set at all! It’s amazing how much you can fit into your day when you have 24 hours to play, and is quite something to see the sun hit horizon, but immediately start to rise again!
Summer in Lapland (after the last remains of snow have melted in May, until October and the first snowfalls) is a paradise for hikers, from short, easy and well-marked scenic paths to many days long treks in the wilderness.
Autumn / Fall
When fall comes, nature becomes truly magnificent; leaves and needles vary from evergreen (spruces and pines) to golden yellow (birches), orange and red (aspens and rowans).
We can all conjure stunning pictures of autumnal colors in destinations like New England and Canada, but in Lapland they don’t just stick to trees, spreading across the ground vegetation as well (in gorgeous bright red tint).
This special time of the year is short but intense, usually lasting only for the first 2 or 3 weeks of September.
WHERE TO GO
For skiing head to Levi, Saariselkä, Pyhätunturi, Ylläs or Ruka (technically not in Lapland but close enough).
For snowmobile safaris, in addition to those same locations you can go to Kilpisjärvi close to the Norwegian border, with higher mountains and less trees around.
To visit Santa Claus Village (this is a tourist trap) and/or the very interesting Arktikum museum, head to Rovaniemi. In summertime go to national parks for great hiking opportunities: Urho Kekkonen, Pallas-Ylläs, Pyhä-Luosto, or trek the 65 kilometers long trail to Kevo Canyon.
Sports Illustrated Swim Suit Edition 2017
Now Back To The Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort
First built in 1999, the roofs of the igloos are made of thermal glass to allow the room to remain warm without disrupting the view.
There is Wi-Fi in the reception area at the hotel, but the igloos themselves are entirely without. Visitors report experiencing a pleasant “digital detox.”
The hotel has 53 igloos that are meant for two people but can sleep 4 and 12 igloos meant for four. A small glass igloo costs €435 euros, or $398 TO $512 dollars per night.
For a bigger party, Kakslauttanen has accommodations that sleep up to six people. Its Kelo-Glass Igloos are a combination of a log cabin with a classic igloo.
We Found Flights From Dallas to Helsinki, Finland For $635rt at CheepOair Just A Short Drive To The Igloos.
Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort – Check Rates
How to get to Kakslauttanen
Although Kakslauttanen is located in the wilderness, it still benefits from excellent air and land transport connections. You can combine your stay in Kakslauttanen with a city break in Finland’s capital, Helsinki, as all flights to Lapland depart from Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (HEL).
The closest airport to Kakslauttanen is Ivalo (IVL), which is just a 30-minute shuttle bus ride away. You can book your airport transfer at the same time as booking your stay. Ivalo is currently served by Finnair (from Helsinki all-year-round and London starting autumn 2017), Lufthansa (from Frankfurt) and Norwegian (from Helsinki). Schedules vary depending on the season.
If you are touring around Lapland or flying to other airports in the region you can always take a bus to Kakslauttanen. Buses to and from Rovaniemi all stop at Kakslauttanen, and the journey takes about three hours. Tickets can be bought from the driver. For timetables, visit the website of Matkahuolto, a Finnish company that organizes bus trips nationwide.
If you’re arriving by car, just type our address (Kiilopääntie 9, 99830 Saariselkä) into your GPS navigator and you’ll find us easily. We offer free parking, and Lapland has excellent roads.
Read more about getting to Lapland on the official Lapland tourist site, OnlyInLapland.com.
The first thing that most people know about Lapland is that it’s the home of Santa Claus, and nothing could make a child’s Christmas more magical than a trip to where that very magic happens. For older people there’s magic of a different kind: The ghostly Northern Lights, the heart-melting beauty of Nordic woodland in autumn, or the endless days during the midnight sun in summer. In the long winters you’ll also be able to dabble in those Arctic activities you’ll know from movies, going ice-fishing, cross-country skiing or on a reindeer ride.
Let’s explore the best things to do in Lapland:
THINGS TO DO IN FINISH LAPLAND
Aurora Borealis
For about 200 nights a year from the end of August to April you have the chance to see one of the great natural spectacles.
Unless you live close to the Arctic Circle this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The Northern Lights appear on clear nights, so you might need a bit of luck with the weather.
How you see them is up to you. In winter you could get intrepid and speed out into the icy wilds on a snowmobile or trudge to a vantage point with snowshoes.
If this sounds like entirely too much effort there are a wealth of luxury suites and glass igloos that let you gaze up at the Aurora Borealis from the comfort of your accommodation.
Ruska
For a two-week in mid-September Lapland’s forests are at their most beautiful.
This is period, known as Ruska, is when locals and visitors set out for some “leaf-peeping”.
Forests in Lapland are most coniferous, but these pines and firs and interspersed by hardwood trees.
In autumn this creates a beautiful jumble of soft tones, as oranges, reds and light browns contrast with a canvas of deep greens.
Around a month before the snows settle and long after the mid-summer mosquitoes, autumn is a fine time for walks in Lapland.
If you’re in search of gargantuan slops, Lapland might not be for you.
Rather, the region is a cross-country skier’s El Dorado and is under a deep blanket of snow from October right through to April.
Cross-country skiing is a national pastime, and throughout the year it’s just the easiest way to get out and about.
In Lapland’s rounded fells are where most of the region’s “big four” ski resorts can be found.
On these smooth hills are Levi, Pyhä-Luosto, Ruka and Ylläs.
If you’d like big resort facilities then Levi is definitely the place to go, with 43 slopes, nearly half of which are floodlit.
Lapland’s main town, Rovaniemi is officially the hometown of Santa Claus.
For kids it would be unheard of to visit Lapland and not bring them to meet Santa.
There are three big Santa-themed attractions around Rovaniemi: Santa Claus Village is where you can see his office and the post office where children’s letters from around the world end up.
Santa Park is more of a Christmas theme park with rides and shows for little ones.
Jolukka meanwhile is a rural attraction, where kids can hang out with Santa’s elves at any time of year, going fishing, looking after reindeer and picking berries.
Inari
The northernmost point of Lapland (and the EU!) is a region that is also the sparsest-populated in Finland.
There are plenty of excuses to venture so far north: The scenery is unspoiled, with glistening rivers and low fell ranges that roll through a sea of coniferous woodland.
Culturally, you can discover the indigenous Sámi people who inhabit the uppermost parts of the Nordic countries and Russia’s Kola Peninsula.
In the village of Inari is Siida, a museum that will tell you all about Sámi belief systems, history and way of life.
Ranua Zoo