Finnish Winter Adventure Family Holiday

Guide

Tour leader throughout Although our leaders are well trained to deal with different capabilities, if they have any concerns about someone’s ability to safely partake in an activity, or their impact on other people’s enjoyment, we authorise them to take necessary action which, in some circumstances, may involve asking someone to miss that activity. Although rarely enforced, by booking this trip you agree to section 14 of our Booking Conditions which clearly states that our leaders have the authority to do this. In these circumstances we will ensure anyone sitting out is safely provided for and offered alternative options where possible. Refunds will not be provided for activities missed and customers may be liable for additional costs incurred.

Meals

All breakfasts, five lunches and seven evening meals are included. The food at Basecamp is a delicious range of local produce prepared by the in-house chef. Starters consist of a salad buffet with three to four choices. The main courses consist of wild game such as elk, chicken and salmon. There is also vegetarian food. Dessert consists of lingonberries, blueberries and cloudberries, often picked by the chef. It is refreshing to know that what is viewed as superfoods in our supermarkets grows locally to Basecamp. These are served with a selection of quark curd, cream, ice cream, cakes and pancakes. Lunch normally consists of hot soup with elk, salmon or a vegetarian option.

Others

Snowshoeing cross-country skiing dogsledding Beautifully remote wilderness location Chance to see the Northern Lights

Transport

A private minibus is used for all transfers.

Accommodation

Spend seven nights in the Finnish wilderness at Basecamp Oulanka, a characterful lodge on the edge of Oulanka National Park. There are two accommodation buildings, one with eight rooms and one with 10. On the lower level, there are double rooms all with private bathrooms. Above them are twin rooms with a mezzanine comprising of two mattresses suitable for children and all have private bathrooms. Depending on your group size and rooming requirements an underoccupancy supplement may apply. The third building is a cosy restaurant and bar with a log fire, sauna and outdoor hot tub. While we do our very best to ensure families are roomed close together, we can’t guarantee this. Most family trips occur during peak season and we sometimes have little control over where you are put. You need to come prepared for this. A family of four will be allocated a large room at the time of booking; please let your sales representative know at the time of booking if you want to upgrade to one double room and one twin room (subject to availability).

Others

— Travel Insurance — Single accommodation (available on request) — Visas or vaccinations

Flights

Flights are not included.

Optional

There are a number of extra excursions available in the area: exact prices and details will be confirmed locally, but the following provides a guide to what is normally available. As some of the excursions can be very popular we strongly suggest you pre-book them with the staff at Basecamp at your earliest convenience. Ice climbing tower at Basecamp: allow €59 per person for 2½ hours basic course. Make your own Lappish drum: €65 per person. Full day husky safari: for 6-9 hour trip (the duration depends upon the weather conditions), includes snacks and sausages by an open fire. Allow €315 per person for a single or € 270 per person if sharing a sledge. Downhill skiing: starting from €80 (equipment and ski pass). Snowmobile safari: Allow €89 per person (2 per machine) or €129 (solo use) for approximately a 90 minute scenic safari around Ruka using eco-friendly 4-stroke snowmobiles. Important note on snowmobiling: all drivers must be over 17 and have a valid (car) driving licence and carry this with you whilst driving. You will be liable to pay for any damage to snowmobiles up to the excess on the insurance policy, which is approx. €1000 per machine. You will be asked to sign a form agreeing to the above. This means, that in the unlikely event that you damage a snowmobile in a major way, you will only be charged the excess and not the full cost of repair. Snowmobiles are not for everyone and can be difficult to master, however, damage is very rare if the drivers are alert and considerate. On Saturdays if you wish to snowmobile or downhill ski, a return transfer to Ruka is €120.

Insurance

Insurance is not included. It is a condition of joining any of our holidays that you must be fully insured against medical and personal accident risks (to include repatriation costs and air ambulance or helicopter rescue services where appropriate). On arrival in destination for your trip, you will be asked to present details to your leader or local representative of your policy.