FINLAND

Where I Stayed: Nellim Wilderness Hotel

What I Did: Hiking, Aurora Borealis-Northern Lights Viewing, Touring, Husky Farm, Baking

Before I had planned my year-long adventure around the world, I booked an Autumn Adventure with the Nellim Wilderness Hotel in Finland in hopes of seeing the Northern Lights at least once in my lifetime. I arrived at the Ivalo airport at 9am with a personal guide from the hotel waiting for me. During our 45-minute drive to the small town of Nellim, I was educated about the lifestyle and day-to-day routines of the Finnish locals, I was taught some new finish words and was told some really fun facts. For example, there are over 8,000 lakes in the Lapland area- which deemed to be true because we had already passed 25, there is 0.4 people to every square kilometer in the region and “Hay” means hello in Finnish (so easy to remember, ha!).

Once we arrived at the Nellim Wilderness Hotel, I was welcomed by smiling faces and a large schmorgasborg of breakfast delights. After filling my belly, I was given an orientation of what to expect over the next few days and then escorted to my room, or should I say cabin. This two story log-cabin had all the luxuries fit for a queen, including a sauna in my bathroom- I mean, I don’t think I could’ve asked for anything more! After getting settled in and taking a 30-minute power nap it was off to the husky farm. Here, I was given an in depth explanation of the breeding and training processes and told why sled racing is actually a reward for these huskies- they actually live for it! I was also, of course, given the opportunity to play with more than 65 of the huskies and that in turn was my reward for listening to the guide. Upon returning to the hotel, an amazing spread was set up for me and a 4-course meal was served, which included beef steak with smoked reindeer and 2 Finnish beers. After dinner I was led down to the river to my very own igloo or ‘Aurora Bubble’ to cuddle up in and wait for the Northern Lights to sparkle in the Polar night sky. What a great day to start my autumn adventure!

On the second day, after the same extravagant breakfast, Yari, my personal guide and I headed out for the day for ‘Nellim Day’. This day was all about Nellim history, culture and sightseeing. We started by visiting the Church of Nellim, an Orthodox Church dedicated to the Holy Trinity and built after the second World War. Located to the East of the Church is the towns only cemetery. We drove a ways down the road, passing numerous lakes on either side to the ‘reindeer round-up area’. This area is designated for checking in on each reindeer, as each one of them have their respective owners. They are round-up yearly by the changing of the winds, which make an impression on the reindeer that predators are coming. They follow the line of fencing which stretches out for hundreds of kilometers until they reach the round-up and finally feel safe. Next, Yari and I went to the blueberry fields and picked fresh blueberries that I would later use to bake a blueberry pie. We steadily marched up the hill through the fields until the bucket was half full, making sure not to pick the red berries or the very similar looking bilberries.

Next, we ventured towards the Russian border where we posed for pictures while being in two countries at once. After breaking the law and entering Russia without a visa, we adjusted our location and took in the views from the famous bridge of Paatsjoki that borders the two countries, a little bit of a safer gambit. Next, we hiked towards the historic wood flume connecting two large lakes with rapid flowing currents. Here we stopped and started setting up for our picnic. Yari chopped wood and collected water from the river while I stood watch and observed the serene landscape. He unpacked thermals of salmon and potato soup along with bread and cheese to make authentic grilled cheese sandwiches over the open flames of the fire he created. We enjoyed lunch listening to our surroundings and talking about the different species of animals inhabiting the nearby forests. Following lunch, we sipped on herbal tea and ate Swedish crackers. We headed back to the hotel to start cleaning and sorting our collection of berries in preparation for baking the blueberry pie. The head chef at the hotel gave me all reins in the kitchen while teaching me how to properly bake a savory Finnish-style blueberry pie. It was an absolute success and we rewarded ourselves by eating a warm slice accompanied by home-made cloudberry ice cream.

I had to take a 30-minute power nap due to all of the things I’d consumed within the last hour, but when I woke up, Yari was ready to give me an Aurora Borealis photography briefing. He instructed me on how to use the hotels Nikon camera in order to capture the best high resolution pictures of the Northern Lights. After a 2-hour crash course in photography, I retired to my cabin to relish in my very own personal sauna before dinner. Once again, dinner was as lavish as ever and included the chef’s famous reindeer roast as the main feature. I was beyond satisfied and completely exhausted after the long day of adventuring and so I dove straight in to my down feather bed and fell asleep in an instant.

The next day was ‘Hiking Day’. After a filling breakfast it was time for a long walk in the endless forests of Nellim. Trooping through marches and the inclined fells during autumn time was full of beautiful colors and curious animals. Yari told me interesting facts about Finnish nature and we were able to spot a family of 3 reindeer. Soooo cute! Half way through the hike, we found a place to stop and rest, with a fantastic view of course, and start setting up for lunch. Yari trusted me enough to let me chop wood with his axe for the fire while he collected water for the tea kettle and for drinking. On a side note, the water from the lakes and rivers in the Lapland area is crystal clear and the most refreshing water I’ve ever tasted; you can literally cup the water in your hands and drink it straight from the source. After gathering enough wood, Yari ignited the fire and we started prepping for lunch. We warmed up reindeer meat with a variety of vegetables with a collapsible sauté pan to make reindeer pitas, YUM! After relaxing and sipping on tea and snacking on blueberries growing all around us, we packed up and set out for the return journey back to the hotel.

Upon returning to the hotel and before dinner, I practiced taking pictures by the Wilderness Hotel lake to prepare for the evenings ‘Chasing Aurora by Car’ excursion. While sleeping in the Aurora bubble I wasn’t able to see the Northern Lights because of the cloudy skies, and since this was my last evening in the Lapland area, there was only one last chance. At around 10:30pm Yari and I departed from the hotel and started traveling along the streets of Nellim. Once we were under clear skies it didn’t take long at all to see the bright dancing lights of the Aurora Borealis. I was an absolute emotional wreck seeing this spectacular light show and was told by Yari that they were some of the best he’d ever seen as well; mainly due to the different colors that appeared in the spectrum alongside green like orange, purple and red. I was able to capture some decent photos of this experience, however, it is something that I will truly never forget.

The following day I did some light reading and took in the views surrounding the lake during the last moments of my time at the Nellim Wilderness Hotel before saying my goodbyes and heading to the airport.