Inspection trips to Scandinavia
With winter approaching, as every year we are preparing for a number of inspection trips to the North. We usually make a tour of Denmark like this (Copenhagen, but also the rural areas), Finland (Helsinki) and Sweden (Stockholm). In the last two countries we usually also visit Lapland, both the Finnish Lapland if it Swedish Lapland. Finnish Lapland is somewhat flatter than Sweden. Sweden has beautiful snow-covered mountains and deep valleys. Abisko National Park is a good example of this. Finland is slightly flatter and has many lakes. In winter, these are frozen, which provides wonderful views.
Activities in Lapland
Furthermore, we can undertake all the familiar activities in both Finnish and Swedish Lapland. Think of the famous and fantastic husky tour and the snowmobile safari. Both are my favourites and must-dos in Lapland. Lotte and I were also in Lapland and elsewhere last week and we enjoyed what Lapland has to offer.
We have also discovered all kinds of new gems once again. Beautiful new hotels and fabulous restaurants and nightclubs. We also had to say goodbye to two restaurants that we have always used in recent years. Unfortunately, those two did not pass our critical inspection. One not because the restaurant no longer operated independently but had become part of a hotel and therefore the quality was no longer what it used to be. The other restaurant changed owners after years and thereby lost its charm and quality. And so we cross them off the list. Regrettable, but true. That is also precisely the reason why we regularly visit our most favourite destinations and remain critical.
The magical atmosphere of having a hot tub at -30 degrees!
We also visited one of our favourite spots again, namely the teepee-like restaurant belonging to owner Andes, who looks almost like a Viking. This is a restaurant located in Sweden and sits by the frozen lake. This restaurant is very suitable for exclusive hire (though not required) if the group is large enough.
Quite special is that there are several hot tubs outside and there is a sauna, which can be used before or after dinner. Fantastic food and a great deal of fun are guaranteed here.
Sometimes participants still hesitate, but after a bit of encouragement, everyone wants to experience that magical atmosphere of soaking in a hot tub at -30 degrees with a spectacular view!
Through the wilderness with our guide
We also have our own ‘wilderness guide’. Yes, you can actually train to become a wilderness guide in Finland at a recognised international school. This course teaches students everything they need to know about the wilderness and is designed to enable groups to explore the surroundings in a safe and interesting way. A nice detail is that at the end of their studies, all students have to spend seven days alone on skis on a survival trip through the wilderness of Lapland. No phone, no social media and no contact with the outside world. On average, three out of ten students drop out after a day or so!
Our guide wrapped everything up neatly, has years of practical experience and you can really notice the difference. What an absolute star he is. He brings nature to life in his own way and points out things you would normally just have rushed right past. And then that sense of peace; after just a few steps into nature in search of the Northern Lights, you already unwind. You don't run into a single soul no matter how far you walk, and that steadily brings a greater sense of inner peace. That is very special to experience. And for me to say this is quite something too, because I love speed, adventure, constantly changing things up, keeping a brisk pace, everything fast and on the move! But Lapland does this to me as well; I become calmer and have a greater eye for the nature around me.
What to pack and what not to pack and more practical tips
We always share the most practical tips and include them in our participants' travel documents. These tips often cover things like what you really should bring. But here is also a tip on what you really should not bring. Do not bother bringing special clothing for dinners anymore (unless you are staying strictly indoors)! Outside, it is simply far too cold for fancy clothes. Everyone just keeps their outdoor clothing on. It can be 30 degrees below zero, and when you have to walk from your hotel to a restaurant, you will be glad to have your outdoor (ski) clothing on. In any case, always make sure you have a woolly hat. Not only do you lose most of your body heat through the top of your head—which is also why it is so important after a sauna to cool down all the way up to your head, from the bottom up, which drives the heat upwards to the top of your head where it can leave your body again; if you do not do that, a headache is guaranteed!—so by keeping the top of your head warm with a hat, you make it much easier to keep your whole body warm. In addition, it is hugely important to cover your ears with a hat. If you do not do this? At a temperature of -20 (or lower), your ears can freeze within five to ten minutes. And then you had better hope someone else notices in time and drags you into the snow to rub them very painfully until they start to glow. If that does not happen, your ears really could fall off!
To a winter destination incentive with goMICE
When goMICE travels with groups to winter destinations, we not only repeatedly warn them about the cold, but we also continuously monitor whether everyone is wearing everything needed to protect themselves against the cold. goMICE provides thermal suits, beanies, special boots and mittens, but participants obviously have to put them on, just like wearing a helmet on a snowmobile, for example. Our project managers therefore have to take a very strict line against those who think it is not that bad, sometimes even sending people back to their hotel room to put on that beanie and mittens after all. That is why we always say: Don’t go without us! 😉
In any case, goMICE, together with the wilderness guide, always brings everything needed to warm someone up again; for instance, the guide always carries Glögg in a thermos flask. This is Lapland's mulled wine and it'll have you warm again in no time!