Travel to Inari in Finish Lapland

Finish Lapland, in winter is a unique travel experience, with sub-zero temperatures, long winter nights, and perhaps you'll see the Northern Lights.

Inari, hugs the shores of Lake Inari, 300km above the Arctic Circle, with a population of 7,000. The indigenous Sami people have been living here for thousands of years, herding reindeer, hunting and fishing. Although being "in the middle of nowhere", Inari is still relatively accessible.

Fly from Helsinki to Rovaniemi, Santa's home, and from there take a five hour bus journey to Inari. Surprisingly the bus trip is comfortable and you get to see the endless expanses of snow and pine trees the Finland is famous for. You can also reach Inari by flying to the closest airport in nearby Ivalo, and from there the bus journey is only about 20 minutes. 

The Kultahovi hotel and Hotel Inari are both friendly and clean, and both offer decent accommodation. A The Kultahovi there are modern ground floor rooms with their own mini-sauna, and a sliding door which looked out over the river. So you can try running straight from the sauna, into the snow to roll about – Finish style! The Kultahovi is a pleasant 5 minute walk from the cluster of shops they can town.

The Inari Hotel is in the "center" of town which consists of a supermarket which doubles as the post office, a tourist office which doubles as the liqueur store, and a few souvenir and craft shops.

Winter activities on offer include cross country skiing, snowmobile safaris, husky drawn sledding and ice-fishing. Family run "Lake&Snow" is conveniently situated next to the Inari Hotel. They give professional and friendly service for all activities.  Try edging a snowmobile onto the frozen lake, at times seeing the water moving beneath thin ice. Activities can be booked on-line or from your hotel once you arrive. Although Inari's high season is in the summer, during winter your experience will be more unique and the landscape is crystal clean and white.

The Ukonsaari Island, a UNESCO heritage site, protrudes steeply from the lake surface. You can climb up twisted wooden steps to the top, and feel the brash freezing wind which will nearly knocked you off your feet. The view from the peak is one of stark unspoiled nature. The island is sacred to the Sami, whose spiritual and cultural beliefs are closely linked to nature.

Later visit the Siida Sami Museum, it displays the heritage and culture of the once nomadic Sami. The museum is dynamic and there's extensive use of multi media. The Sami people are friendly and welcoming and there are many tours and activities in the area which include getting to know their unique culture. The craft stores in Inari sell Sami felt work, and other artifacts which the Sami produce. You can also visit a Sami reindeer farm or eat a meal in a Sami Luuvo, traditional teepee. A visit to this region is worthwhile if only to meet these serene people.  

There are plenty more activities to do in Inari than I have mentioned, but once you have been there you will fall in love with the place and it's people.

You can experience the Sami culture in northern Norway, Finland, Sweden or Russia. I highly recommend you go to the end of the earth, above the Arctic Circle and visit this charming nation.