Up an awesome adventure
70 YEARS OF STUNNING BEAUTY
THE famous Keukenhof Gardens (keukenhof.nl/en) in The Netherlands will celebrate its
70th anniversary in 2020, expecting more than a million visitors during its eight-week run from March 21 to May 10, 2020.
The stunning park is redesigned each year with millions of flowers in bloom including tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and narcissus.
E WERE just drifting off to sleep when the alarm went off. Amid excited chatter, we dressed rapidly and were out of our cosy log cabin and into the freezing, snowy night in minutes.
What greeted us was the sight of a brilliant green Aurora Borealis in the midnight sky: the Northern Lights we had travelled more than 2,000 miles to see.
It was a breathtaking sight, one of so many magical moments during an unforgettable three-day trip to Finnish Lapland.
Myself, my wife Emma and our young boys Ben and Sam were staying at the Wilderness Hotel Muotka, near the top of the world in the Arctic Circle.
As parents, we had hoped for a holiday free of gadgets and TV distractions, and full of quality family time – and our visit provided all that with more fun, laughter and excitement than any other holiday we have ever taken.
We had arrived at the tiny Ivalo Airport – Finland and Europe’s most northerly – to be met by falling snow, much to the delight of our boys.
A quick bus transfer along snowy roads winding through the fairy tale-like forests and we arrived at the Wilderness Hotel Muotka by around 5pm, a couple of hours after the sun had set.
The temperature outside was well below zero, but we were given the warmest of welcomes by the hotel manager. As well as our itinerary, she handed out alarms to alert us to any sightings of the Northern Lights.
We decamped to our beautifully designed log cabin, which had a double bed, singles for the boys, a log fire and huge panoramic windows. There was also a sauna. (Well, we were in Finland).
Before our trip we had bought plenty of cold weather gear. Yet Muotka provide everything we needed, including super-warm ski-type salopettes and boots to protect you from temperatures which often fall to below -20°C.
Our first night saw us on an ‘Aurora Hunt’ with me riding a snowmobile while the boys were pulled behind in a family sled with mum. It was hugely thrilling, the powerful machines tackling jumps and bumps all through the snowy woods.
There were no Northern Lights, but we did enjoy hot chocolate around a camp fire where holidaymakers of all nationalities happily chatted away.
Breakfast the next morning at the hotel was just what was needed. Bacon, sausage and eggs was on offer as well as cereals, breads and fruit. There was also as much coffee, tea and juice as you wanted. Fully fed, we headed out again on snowmobile and sledge to take part in husky rides.
First came a safety briefing before we were led to our pack of dogs and the sledge. Sam was to be my passenger as I stood at the back of the sled, while Ben was with his mum.
The moment the staff worker untied my dogs, they were off, and off fast! I held on for dear life for the first few moments, but you quickly become used to driving the sledge – including jumping off and running whenever you reach a steep incline to help the dogs pick up pace.
It was an exhilarating experience, enhanced by being allowed to spend some time with the gentle dogs after we returned to base. We also met a four week-old husky puppy that Ben and Sam immediately wanted to adopt.
An afternoon of ‘gentle snowshoeing’ followed – a two-hour long walk/slide through the countryside. Our attentive guide showed us how to glide rather than battle through the snow with the skateboard-like footwear and kept us all enthralled with his knowledge of the animals and nature surrounding us.
A perfect day was completed by a family sauna that had its fair share of laughter when yours truly put far too much water on the coals, sparking a speedy and steamy evacuation.
A word on the food at the Wilderness Hotel – it was delicious. Each night we were treated to a buffet with a real Finnish flavour, including reindeer and other hot meat dishes and plenty of cold meats, fish and soups. On the one night we asked for chips for our fussy-eater youngest son, the friendly kitchen staff supplied them without any fuss.
Our second night saw the alarm signal the Northern Lights. My wife took photos while the boys and I