Esprit Santa’s Lapland

While browsing the net I came across the blog article below written by one of our customers, Jayne Howarth, a journalist and writer, and thought that future visitors to Lapland to visit Santa would appreciate the insight and independent review.
A Meeting with Santa at his own home

Family specialist Esprit Holidays launched its new December 2010 Santa’s Lapland brochure today, introducing a new range of ‘Crunch-Buster’ added value and money-saving deals.

“It’s great news that Britain is turning the corner out of recession”, commented Managing Director, Andy Perrin, “but we recognise that families still want exceptional value for money to get away on a pre-Christmas break, and that’s exactly what we are delivering with this year’s new programme, with the biggest savings reserved for early booking guests.”

Combining to offer savings against last year’s prices of up to £430 per family, the ‘Crunch-Buster’ deals include thousands of free child places, Cash-Back savings on many dates, a Grandparents’ Bonus of £30 off adult prices, free travel insurance for children, free toboggans, free drinks and free room upgrades, amongst many others.

There is no compromise on quality and service however, with Esprit, as always, guaranteeing every family its own private family meeting with the ‘real’ Santa Claus in his log-cabin home deep in the Lapland forest. All key activities such as husky-sledding, reindeer sleigh-rides, a snowmobile-sled ‘Search for Santa’ and an Arctic Circle Ceremony with the local Sami people are also included in the basic prices, along with a further range of ‘Snow Fun’ adventures such as ice-sculpting, tandem skiing, snow-sculpting and mini-skidoo rides for children.

A choice of 3-day and 4-day breaks is available, all to Esprit’s chosen resort of Saariselkä, some 200kms north of the Arctic Circle in Finnish Lapland. “This is the perfect setting for a Santa break” said Perrin, “with a genuinely magical, traditional and uncommercialised atmosphere, spectacularly beautiful scenery, and far enough north to guarantee great snow, and the best chance of seeing the fabulous Northern Lights.”

Direct flights to Ivalo, only 25 minutes coach ride from Saariselkä, are available from Gatwick, Bristol and Manchester, with departures almost daily throughout December. Prices start from £699 per adult, and from £1,922 for a family of four taking the ‘Santa’s Magic’ 3-day trip to Hotel Riekonlinna from Gatwick on 1st December.

The BBC documentary 'Joanna Lumley in the Land of the Northern Lights' has been nominated for a National Television Award, and for all of us who saw this magical feature, it’s easy to understand why! Available for viewing on BBC iplayer.

In the programme, Joanna pursues a life-long dream to track down what she describes as 'the true wonder of the world' - the stunningly beautiful Northern Lights. If you share a similar dream, then a visit to Saariselkä in December with Esprit Santa’s Lapland is the answer! Set amongst deep forests and snow-covered hills 200kms north of the Arctic Circle, this is an ideal location to turn your dream into reality.

Our ancient ancestors believed the Northern Lights were variously ancestral spirits, swans caught in airborne ice, or an omen of changing weather.

In reality, the displays are caused when solar particles hit the Earth's atmosphere, emitting burning gases which create the differently coloured, dancing lights. The scientific term for the lights is the ‘Aurora Borealis’, named after the Roman goddess of the dawn.

Swirling shades of blue, green, and red are most common for Lapland’s Northern Lights, and December is an ideal time to see them - the icing on the cake of a memorable family short break!

Choose between two of our Esprit Santa’s Lapland trips and see if you can match Joanna’s dream sighting of the Northern Lights:

• Santa’s Magic – 3 day/2 night trips
• Santa’s Spectacular – 4 day/3 night trips

Book online now here on www.SantasLapland.com or call our friendly reservations team on 01252 618300.

‘‘ Eyes wide and shining, they crept out of Santa’s cabin clutching brightly wrapped presents. It was, of course, the highlight of our three-night trip to Lapland and the magical atmosphere so carefully built up over the previous two days had done the trick. Lapland was a great family experience, reminding us of the joys of Christmas. We returned to England full of festive spirit, with children convinced of Santa’s existence. ’’

‘‘ We were all excited to search for Father Christmas, but before that we got the chance to drive a sled drawn by huskies. They lay in the snow panting, pulling at the reins which link them to the sled, desperate to run, eager to please. Moments later, with a sudden jerk we were away, flying over the icy ground, twisting between the pine trees. My eight year old daughter was screaming and laughing at the same time, loving every second and – like me – wanting it to last all day. No fairground ride could ever come close to this feeling. It was worth the flight from home for this alone. ’’

‘‘ Finn pushes the door open and hesitates before shuffling in. And there he is before us, red coat hanging by a hook on the wall, white beard cascading down his chest, lit only by the dancing flames of a wood-burning stove. Wrapped presents are piled high in the corner. I daren’t breathe in case I break the spell. It was really him. I’m sure of it, and so is Finn. ’’

‘‘The look of astonishment on the face of my daughter when we walked into the traditional wooden chalet where Father Christmas was handing out toys, was priceless. It was also the highpoint of a day packed full of guided activities, all reassuringly non-Disneyesque - even Father Christmas’s chalet was decorated Lapland-style. The whole time in Lapland was one I will always treasure – and I know the children will too.‘‘

It is believed that Santa will be completing his work in preperation for the Christmas period in Lapland. It is believed he is working in the area around Rovaneimi and Saariselka.

It is expected that he and his elves will complete their work quotas well in time for the Xmas season