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THE look of pure delight on my daughter’s face when she met Santa Claus in his hometown of Lapland is something I’ll never forget.
But there’s so much more to Rovaniemi in Finland than the big man in red.
The Northern Lights, reindeer rides, snowmobiling, husky sledding and sleeping under the stars in a glass igloo are just some of the things you can cross off your bucket list on a trip to this winter wonderland.
And thanks to easyJet’s new affordable service direct from Gatwick, you don’t need to cancel the rest of Christmas to make the dream a reality.
To be honest, I was just as excited as my four-year-old Violet when it came to meeting Santa at HQ.
An elf led the way through to his office, where we peered through keyholes in doors to see other elves busy making toys.
When the big moment came, he was everything we’d dreamed he’d be – jolly and friendly and ready to receive those present requests.
We were in the Santa Claus Village, which is right on the Arctic Circle. It’s pretty, central square is adorned with fairy lights and decorations 365 days a year. It’s free to visit Santa all year round too.
There’s also the opportunity to ride in a sleigh pulled by reindeer and visit the post office.
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You can send postcards to those back home and watch elves processing Santa’s letters.
There are lots of accommodation options here, including igloos, apartments and a hotel.
For a unique experience with Father Christmas, you can head into his secret forest. After decorating gingerbread houses with the help of two comical elves, you get to take a trek to a secret bunker where you’ll discover reindeer radar, “kind-o-metres”, as well as a special surprise that will leave everyone open-mouthed. I won’t spoil it.
Meeting Santa, embracing the great outdoors and getting close to nature are the main draws to Lapland. If you’re lucky, you’ll also get to witness the Northern Lights, which can be so strong here they can be seen from the built-up town centre.
A day trip to the Ranua Wildlife Park, which is more like a national park than a zoo, is the place to see polar bears, brown bears, wolverines, moose and wolves.
Our favourite part was going into the enclosure of an arctic fox called Cupcake.
Our foxy friend was the inspiration for the Arctic Fox Igloos, which open in December and can be reached by snowmobile from the wildlife park.
Located on the shores of Lake Ranuanjärvi and surrounded by snow-capped trees, it’s paradise.
During our trip we became intrigued by the way of life in Lapland. There are more reindeer than people and houses are few