Winter trip to Vuokatti

In paid collaboration with - Vuokatti

Time of the visit: February Weather: Cloudy Temperature: -12°C Length of stay: 2 nights

After our awesome trip to Kainuu, we got to stay in Vuokatti for a few extra days. I had never been there before, so I was excited about our stay. 

Vuokatti is best known for its ski tunnel which enables skiing throughout the year and many other fantastic training facilities for athletes. There’s also a wide range of winter activities and services from spa and sauna world to downhill skiing and different safaris. This means that it is an excellent winter holiday destination for families and groups.

Have a look at what we were able to include in our visit!

Haapala B&B

We woke up in our cozy accommodation at Haapala B&B, which is in a nicely renovated old farm. The farm has been in the Korhonen family for five generations. Nowadays Haapala has a fantastic restaurant, accommodation, saunas and a brewery.

Our day started with a breakfast buffet in the restaurant, which actually shares the space with the brewery. Afterwards Craig gave us a tour in the brewery and told us about the beer-making process. It was nice to get to know how things work behind the scenes and how much time and knowledge it all requires. They have included ingredients and flavours from Finland in a cool way in their products.

Now we had gotten a pretty good image of what Haapala is about. Such a nice place to come for meals or for the whole experience with accommodation and sauna. 

Husky adventure

After a delicious lunch, we needed to rush as the huskies at Vuokatti Safaris were eager to go on an adventure with us. As we arrived, I think we were as excited as the huskies. We couldn't wait to get the briefing done and get going on the sleds. It’s funny to see how the dogs are jumping and barking before the departure as they can’t wait to go!

Once we took off, all the dogs got quiet and super focused. There's a beautiful bond between you and the huskies during the adventure and you definitely need to work together and respect each other. What a nice way to enjoy nature!

Snowshoeing

There was still a bit of daylight left after the husky safari, so we decided to pick up snowshoes from Vuokatti Ski Service. We got a good tip to visit a neighbouring fell to have a peek at the scenery towards Vuokatti. We also found a trailhead, where no-one had been since the last snowfall. We decided to go for a little hike along the trail.

It felt like we were on another planet with the snow giants and no one else around. We had time only for a little tour before it got completely dark. It was definitely a good workout to make our own path in the deep snow. There was no need to hit the gym after.

Glass Igloos

Later that evening, we were able to sit down in a restaurant for the first time in a long while due to the restrictions. Even just that felt amazing! We had a wonderful service and a very tasty meal at Amarillo!

Afterward, we continued to another superb accommodation, Arctic Lakeland Igloos. They are unique mirror glass igloos with outside hot tubs by the lake Sapsojärvi. These igloos and the hot tubs are a nice way to witness the northern lights if you're lucky with the weather.

Snowmobiling

Our last day started with an exciting snowmobile adventure with Vuokatti Safaris. We joined a tour with a guide to get familiar with the area. After a coffee break in a cozy cafe Heikkilän Pirtti, we continued the adventure on our own. It was time for Macarena to take control of the snowmobile, which she handled well. It took us a while for us to make it back as I wanted to stop and take photos of the snow-covered trees all the time. After we got back, you could see that she really enjoyed riding the snowmobile, as the smile didn't leave her face for hours.

All in all, we only got to see and experience a tiny part of what Vuokatti has to offer. We enjoyed every part of it and realized that everything you could ask for in a winter holiday can be found here!

Daniels top 3 tips for Vuokatti:

• Haapala B&B

• Vuokatti Safaris - Snowmobile tour

• E-Bikes

Other things to do in Vuokatti:

• Spa & sauna world

• Amazing tracks for nordic skiing

• Ski & Snowboarding

• Multiple nice restaurants

Finding the Coordinates of Nature

In paid collaboration with - Ruka-Kuusamo Matkailu ry - Gateway to Land of National Parks -project

The coordinates of nature lead us to Ruka- Kuusamo at the beginning of this summer!

I have always thought that the key for a successful summer trip is a combination of rich nature, local food, fun activities and relaxation. Ruka-Kuusamo area is the perfect combination of these all, offering a great variety of services and activities regardless the season you decide to go for a visit.

Time of the visit: Mid June Weather: Sunny/Rainy/Cloudy Temperature: +12 - +15 Length of stay: 5 days

We started our trip cruising around Ruka with e-bikes.  The diverse repertory of trails allowed us to enjoy the beautiful landscapes around us.  We made our way to the top of the ski hill, which was fun with the e-bikes. For those who love biking, you may want to know that `Ruka Bike Park´ will be completely ready during autumn 2021.

More on the Bike Park here!

We continued enjoying Ruka-Kuusamo while fishing in the beautiful and peaceful Kuusinkiriver on a guided fly fishing tour. I had been wanting to visit this river for a while.

Our awesome guide Mika showed us around and it only took us a minute to land the first fish. It can be easy when you’re with a local professional! After fishing for a while, little rain shower forced us to come out of the water for a bit to to enjoy a quick lunch by the fire. Definitely a memorable experience!

More on Mika’s guiding services here!

After a fun day fishing we rushed to Isokenkäisten Klubi, where a nice gourmet meal was waiting for us. Our dinner was served in a traditional Lappish hut ”Kota”, where we got to enjoy local delicacies and some of their own secret recipes! I could have stolen their “carrot caviar” recipe… It was amazing! One of the most exciting food experiences I’ve ever had!

And of course, what would a day be without a sauna? Isokenkäisten Klubi is located by a lake, so it was super nice to take a dip after their wonderful smoke sauna!

More about Isokenkäisten Klubi

Overnight canoeing trip at Oulanka National Park was our next activity. 25 kilometers of diverse nature with unique forests and beautiful sandy shores provide a perfect setting for an amazing canoe trip. Kiutaköngäs-Jäkälämutka section of Oulankariver is good even for beginners and can be done in one day. However, we decided to divide the trip into two days and camp overnight in Nurmisaarenniemi in our tent.

Our adventure began with soft rain and ended with a beautiful foggy sunset. We were the only ones at Nurmisaarenniemi until the sunset and it was a good place to stay with designated place for a campfire with wood service. We woke up to a beautiful sunny morning and got to enjoy nice weather throughout the whole way out to Jäkälämutka.

Our canoes and transfer was organised by Rukapalvelu.

Last but not least, we decided to go for a morning hike to Konttainen. The hike takes about 15-25 minutes from the parking lot and gives you amazing views from the top. A few other of my favorite little day hikes in Ruka-Kuusamo area are Valtavaara, Pyhävaara and Riisitunturi.

Ruka has definitely fascinated us and we cannot wait go back soon!