Go and Lap it up
takes daughter Lilly to see Santa on home turf
If you’re lucky you will see the Northern Lights
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost nipping at your nose. And a plane ticket to Lapland for just £33 one-way. No, this is not the new John Lewis advert pulling at your heart strings. This is Santa’s solution to save you tearing your purse strings.
Oh yes, the holidays are coming… and it’s never been easier to see Father Christmas in his official home town.
Festive-filled Brits have been flocking to the Arctic confines of Lapland ever since the big packageholiday boom in the 1980s.
In 1984, the icy tyres of a Concorde (remember those?) touched down at Rovaniemi airport on Christmas Day. Those on board got a heroes’ reception from the locals – and a fun-filled day with the Big Fella In Red, all before boarding that evening to jet back in time for Boxing Day.
The magic remains but times have definitely changed.
Now you can make the trip of a lifetime on a budget. And that’s because no-frills airline easyJet has launched non-stop direct flights to the must-visit resort.
Return flights run on Wednesdays and Sundays direct from Gatwick, so you can bag yourself a bargain to the capital of Christmas.
With the service running until March and resuming in October, families are now afforded the flexibility to venture without tour operators and book their own festive activities for a fraction of the cost.
This Christmas alone, 400,000 Brits are expected to make the three-hour pilgrimage. But there’s no need to hurry back to Blighty in a day. After all, there is so much to do and see – just as my five-year-old daughter Lilly and I discovered to our wonderment. From reindeer rides to making sweet, sumptuous gingerbread houses, or fun-filled walks with pesky Elves in Santa’s Secret Forest, there’s lots to enjoy.
That’s before you have had a husky ride and visited the Ranua Wildlife Park to check in on the polar bears. And not forgetting a trip to Irene’s delightful horn workshop where you can craft your own special Scandinavian souvenirs... and feast upon homemade mince pies and blueberry juice.
Admittedly, the thought of visiting Lapland never truly appealed to me. Too expensive, I thought. For all I cared, Santa Claus could have lived in Lakeside or Trafford Park shopping centres. Bah humbug! But that was before we shared our unforgettable four-day adventure.
Rovaniemi rightly claims Santa as one of their own – and seeing really is believing. Your eyes light up like a Christmas tree as soon as you set foot inside Santa Claus’ village (where the entrance is free).
It is a winter wonderland with every turn offering something authentic that your inner-child will appreciate. I just hope he gets me that ‘Alexa’ I asked for.
It’s not just the big man with a long white beard and bright red suit who provides the main attraction in Lapland. If you are lucky enough, you may witness the natural beauty of the Northern Lights – or as the locals acclaim it, aurora borealis.
Still, there is no escaping that Christmas is the big box office draw whatever the weather (although, take it from me, wrap up warm). The Lappish city celebrates the annual holiday 365 days a year, even when the sun refuses to go down in their eternal 24-hour sunshine of the summer.
Try not to leave it till then though. After all, right now is the most wonderful time of the year.