Not just any old Father Christmas holiday
A far cry from commercialised day trips to Lapland – which often see families venturing little further than the airport for a thoroughly exhausting whistle-stop tour – Activities Abroad specialises in authentic Lappish adventures.
These high-end Father Christmas holidays are for families who want to experience the real Lapland; who want to be guaranteed that they’re not going to be surrounded by hundreds of other families, who want to make sure they’ll have more than two minutes with the man in red, and who care about whether Santa’s beard is real – or not.
Here are three new Father Christmas trips:
New: Father Christmas, the Northern Lights and skiing
This winter, combine seeing Santa with Northern Lights and skiing in Luosto – a tiny and idyllic ski resort in northern Finland. The whole set-up is geared towards families with young children: there’s a menu which includes familiar favourites, large family rooms, flood-lit tobogganing tracks on the doorstep and an indoor swimming pool (with a spa) – a rare luxury this far into the Arctic Circle. Spend the day at Father Christmas’ reindeer farm, visiting the elf school and stopping off at the Christmas command centre (where all children’s letters are received), before each family enjoys its own private meeting with Santa himself. Husky-sled rides, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and sledging all feature, as does Northern Lights hunting, with guests all given Aurora alarms.
Departing 18 and 23 December 2013, the five-night Luosto – Family Christmas Adventure costs from £1,625 per adult and from £1,145 per child (5-12) – family of four sharing – including flights (Heathrow), transfers, half-board accommodation, all activities, cold-weather clothing and guides.
New: Father Christmas and Polar bears
For a white Christmas with all the trimmings, Ranua has the answer. Transport your family to a real-life Christmas card scene – complete with snowy landscapes, polar bears, Christmas trees and reindeer sleigh rides. Set on the edge of a wildlife park, enjoy exciting Arctic activities plus unlimited entry to the wildlife park where you’ll see polar bears, Arctic fox, elk, golden eagle and white-tailed deer. The Father Christmas excursion is a day like none other and is mesmerising for all ages. Meet Rudolph and his friends, have a snowball fight with the elves and enjoy an intimate meeting with just Father Christmas and your family.
Departing 19 and 23 December 2013, the four-night Ranua – Polar Bears and Father Christmas trip costs from £1495 for adults and £1,295 for children (5-12) including flights (London), transfers, full-board accommodation, all activities, cold-weather clothing and guides.
New: Log cabins and a winter wonderland
Get the family all under one roof this winter – that of a cosy log cabin in remote and snowy Finland. It’s a long way from commercialised Lapland trips, and instead you’ll enjoy a proper family get-together. Dog sledding, snowshoeing, reindeer sleighs, sledge races and snowman-building competitions all feature, and then, of course, there’s the Father Christmas visit. Travel through the forest on a snowmobile-pulled sleigh and follow a candle-lit path leading to Santa’s abode. Meet him and his elves, bake gingerbread biscuits and choose a tree from the woods to decorate.
Departing 9 and 18 December 2013, the four-night Jeris – Father Christmas Family Short Break costs from £1,425 per adult and from £895 per child (5-14) – family of four sharing – including flights (Heathrow), transfers, full-board accommodation, all activities, cold-weather clothing and guides.
For more information, visit activitiesabroad.com.