Northern Lights and the Icehotel vacation, Sweden

COUNTRY:
Sweden
LOCATION:
Northern Lights, Swedish Lapland
DEPARTURES:
2012: 6 Dec, 13 Dec
2013: 3 Jan, 10 Jan, 17 Jan, 24 Jan, 31 Jan, 7 Feb, 14 Feb, 21 Feb, 28 Feb, 7 Mar, 14 Mar, 21 Mar, 28 Mar
PRICE:
From £1495 (5 days) including UK flights
MORE INFO:
Price includes: Flights from London Heathrow to Kiruna (via Stockholm), return airport transfers, 3 nights mountain lodge, 1 night ICEHOTEL in a snow room, 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners; Activities: ice fishing, Aurora snowshoe trek, husky safari, Sami culture, tour of ICEHOTEL (order subject to change), cold weather clothing, fully qualified wilderness and interpretive guides. Based on 2 people sharing, single supplement £150. Optional 2hr snowmobile safari available from £155pp.
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Northern Lights and the Icehotel holiday, Sweden
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Northern Lights and the Icehotel vacation, Sweden

How this vacation makes a difference

Abisko is set amidst spectacular countryside and has grown up around the rail link to Kiruna. It is spectacularly remote and surrounded by vast, pristine landscapes. The small number of tourist establishments in this village provide a vital lifeline for many of the local people through providing employment and economic benefits to local businesses. This all helps to reduce the amount of rural-urban movement which damages many of these areas.

The Abisko Mountain lodge has a strict policy regarding responsible travel. Mina and Dick Johansson set up the business principally through Dick's absolute adoration of the environment. As a mountain guide he fully appreciates the fragility of the environment but also how to get the best from it without leaving any trace.

From the moment you arrive you are encouraged to immerse yourself in the region and consider your surroundings.

The hotel promotes local produce throughout its meals and gives a real insight into the region as well as supporting local producers as much as possible.

Abisko allows us to spread the benefits of tourism away from some of the tourist hot spots and out into the remoter areas of Swedish Lapland

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Story of the vacation provider

The founder of this company started as a family summer operator over 10 years ago. When he started adding a few Lapland vacations he was amazed at how popular they were and, avoiding the ski resorts, he set up more snow vacations in privately-owned accommodations in the wilderness. Today, these places are filled every winter with people living the dream - going on husky safaris across frozen lakes and cooking on log fires beneath the glorious Northern Lights. Many visitors book these vacations as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity but find themselves returning again and again, unable to resist the magnificent snowscapes.

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Vacation provider no: 306

Northern Lights and the Icehotel holiday, Sweden
Northern Lights and the Icehotel holiday, Sweden
Northern Lights and the Icehotel holiday, Sweden

Northern Lights and the Icehotel vacation, Sweden

Reviewed 01 Apr 2012 by Dorothy Randle5 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?


Dog sledding activity, as we harnessed the dogs and had a wonderful experience
sledding with them through a blizzard in the Arctic wilderness.

2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?


Dress warm. Be adventurous and be open to constant new experiences and meeting
so many interesting people. Forget about sleep as you will probably be outside
looking for the Northern Lights most nights.

3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?


Yes. the staff at the Lodge and the Activity Guides were local people who were
benefiting from our vacation. The geothermal heating system reduced
environmental pollution.

4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?


Excellent Tour Guides and food. Friendly staff in the The Lodge and a constant
variety of activities in an awesome environment.

Reviewed 26 Jan 2012 by Maliya Price5 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?


We traveled to northern Sweden in search of the Northern Lights. We stayed at Abisko which had the nicest group of people staying there that we could have wished for. Everything ran smoothly, the food was great and loved the whole trip.

2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?


Bring extra warm clothes - I think Abisko could upgrade on their snowsuits. However, everything was very well catered for.

3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


Yes, especially the guys with the dog sleds, love giving business locally. Nice to see the accommodation using real cups and glasses rather than disposables. The people working at Abisko were super friendly and super professional.

4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?


Vacation of a lifetime - and we've been pretty much all over the world.

Reviewed 13 Mar 2011 by Patricia Goddard5 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?


Too many to mention just one, but if pressed it would have to be seeing the northern lights.

2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?


Only take casual warm clothes.
Do the trip when you are forty not sixty-one as although I enjoyed all the activities I did feel my age sometimes.

3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


Without doubt.

4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?


Can I give eleven out of ten?

Reviewed 03 Mar 2011 by Richard Threadgold5 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?


The most memorable part of the vacation was seeing the Northern Lights. We were fortunate enough to see them two nights out of the four. The experience was surreal.

The belief that it could be the spirit of those who have been taken unexpectedly from us was my favourite explanation of the phenomenon. Our photographs are brilliant, but in no way measure up to the experience. The people involved from the owners of the lodge to the guides are all great.

2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?


Don't worry about not having the right gear - all you need is warm underlayers as everything else if provided for you. Don't be put off by the extreme temperatures as it exhilarating and you are very warm in the suits. Make sure you sign up to the experiences!

3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


Care for the environment is obviously high profile. The food is locally produced and the vacation in no way harmed the locality.

4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?


From beginning to end it was fantastic. The organised events were well worth doing. My favourite was the husky dog trail - even if my team were keen to be at the front and left me breathless, the speed at which they raced.

Reviewed 25 Feb 2010 by Karen Kelly4 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?


Husky sledding.
The cost of the Abisko chair lift.

2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?


Take lots and lots of warm clothes.

3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


Yes.

4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?


Superb.
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Vacation Reviews

We invite every traveler who books a vacation via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the vacations they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same vacation can have different views!

Read our review policy

Northern Lights and the Icehotel holiday, Sweden
Northern Lights and the Icehotel holiday, Sweden
Northern Lights and the Icehotel holiday, Sweden
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