DESTINATIONS THE NORDICS |NATIONAL PARKS
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Thingvellir National Park, Iceland; Rondane National Park, Norway; Kitkajoki River, Oulanka National Park, Finland; northern lights, Abisko National Park, Sweden
PICTURES: Shutterstock/Michal Sanka, Kjetil Alm-Kristiansen, M-P Markkanen, Conny Sjostrom
BEST FOR NORTHERN LIGHTS: Abisko National Park, Sweden Sweden’s Abisko National Park is said by experts to be one of the world’s best places to see the flickering magic of the aurora borealis because of its low rainfall, remoteness and almost entirely clear skies. Sunvil’s Northern Lights Holiday in Abisko bases you at the STF Abisko Turiststation in the heart of the national park for activities including an aurora photo tour, a visit to the Icehotel, a Sami and reindeer tour, dog-sledding, a snowshoe hike, ice climbing, ice fishing and a day trip
to the Norwegian coastal town of Narvik. Book it: Three-night trips cost from £1,279, including flights and meals, for departures until November 2023.
sunvil.co.uk
BEST FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES: Oulanka National Park, Finland Located on the borderland of Salla and Kuusamo, Finland’s Oulanka National Park has its very own foundation, WildOulanka, dedicated to the preservation of the local taiga forest – part of a wildlife corridor across the Russian-Finnish border. Careful management of this protected area has led to the reappearance of bears and several other species. Exodus Travels’ Finnish Wilderness Week takes you to stay at Basecamp Oulanka, a self-sustaining complex of wooden buildings from which you can try activities including dog-sledding and snowshoeing under the northern lights. For summer, Baltic Travel Company’s Finland Circle Fly Drive (inspired by the BBC series The Hairy Bikers’ Northern Exposure) includes an incursion into Oulanka
42 2 JUNE 2022
exper expert ASK THE
Tom Wilkinson Senior product manager for Europe, Exodus Travels
“We are seeing an increase in demand for nature trips to Scandinavia. Finland for example, gives a great introduction to outdoor winter activities in this region, including cross-country skiing, dog-sledding and snowshoeing. Oulanka National Park, where we base most of our trips, is one of the most sparsely populated areas in Europe, so is a great retreat for those wanting to disconnect and have a real wilderness experience. The national park is home to pine forests rich with wildlife and is a place where travellers can appreciate the serenity of a snow-laden landscape. Travellers will get the chance to snowshoe under the stars and, given the right weather conditions, the magnificent northern lights.”
National Park as well as time in Helsinki, Tampere, Hämeenlinna, with its medieval castle, and
sunny Vaasa, with its fishing and boating between the islands of the archipelago. Book it: The eight-day Finnish Wilderness Week costs from £2,599, including flights and most meals, for a departure on December 16, 2022.
exodus.co.uk The 11-day Finland Circle Fly Drive trip costs from £1,195, including flights, car hire and daily breakfast, departing any day this year until September.
baltictravelcompany.com
BEST FOR GEOLOGICAL WONDERS: Thingvellir National Park, Iceland Iceland’s Thingvellir National Park is not only steeped in history (it was the site of Iceland's Parliament from the 10th to 18th centuries), it’s also a place where you can see the country’s dramatic geological processes playing out right in front of your eyes. Intrepid Travel’s Iceland’s Golden Circle in Depth tour leads you on a loop from the capital, Reykjavik, taking in the national park and its glaciers, geysers, geothermal pools and waterfalls. Enabling visitors to experience another side of Iceland, the trip also includes a stay on a sustainable working farm with a farm-to- table meal there, plus a visit to a geothermal bakery to watch rye bread cooked beneath the
ground by the hot black sand. Book it: The five-day Iceland’s Golden Circle in Depth tour costs from £1,459, including some meals but not including flights, departing on September 15, 2022.
intrepidtravel.com
TW
travelweekly.co.uk
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