Customer Review

I went with family members to celebrate my 60th birthday at Nellim and we all had one of the best holidays of our lives. From the start, the admin and booking procedures were very efficiently handled and all queries were answered promptly. The amount of information on the website was superb and answered most questions. Once in Nellim, we were looked after exceedingly well by hotel staff, guides and the tour rep. Nothing was too much trouble. The hotel was a good size and there was never far to walk to facilities. The food was excellent and we all ate far too much, especially the outstanding salmon on New Year's Eve. This was made into a special occasion with fireworks and sparkling wine on the hotel lake. The activities were truly enjoyable and the guides showed great knowledge of Finnish culture and history as well as of the local wildlife. We were made to feel very special by them and they were very encouraging. They all had a great sense of humour and all activities were conducted at a pace to suit the party. Lunch cooked over a fire in the middle of nowhere in sub-zero temperatures was always a bonus together with sipping hot berry juice. We stayed in a two bedroom apartment which provided a kitchen and lounge in which to relax in our spare time - we were glad of this for our party of four. Saying this, the hotel bar and dining room were comfortable and welcoming and provided a good alternative for our down time. Having breathed in the clean air. listened to the silence, tried out new activities as well as having observed the beautiful landscapes and wildlife we are all eager to return to the country again. This was a great way to mark a significant milestone in my life and I won't forget it.

Fantastic holiday - one I will remember forever. As soon as you arrive it's liked you stepped through the wardrobe into Narina, Snow is glistening and sparkling, just wonderful. The highlight was seeing the Aurora on New Year's Eve. Staff (Nina, Jonathan, PIm, Petra, Sami, Renita) were excellent, very knowledgeable about the local area and showed a real enthusiasm for what they do. They made the activities fun and enjoyable. The food was amazing and nothing was ever too much trouble the chefs were so helpful and couldn't do enough to help me as I have a nut allergy.The major highlight being the snowshoeing on New Years Day - just incredible especially seeing the sun rise through the trees. There is also the option to do extra activities if you want - they will organise anything for you. The major highlight being the snowshoeing on New Years Day - just incredible especially seeing the sun rise through the trees. There is also the option to do extra activities if you want - they will organise anything for you. Huge thanks to all the staff for such an amazing trip one I won't forget.I would love to return to this magical place.

The honeymoon was a fantastic experience that is going to be very hard to beat! The hotel was super and the staff were so helpful and would go above and beyond to make sure that you were looked after. We didn't have a mirror in our room, as I think they had just been renovating it, so I asked if they happened to have a small one I could use while there and next thing there was mirror fitted on the wall within half an hour. My hubby is a right fussy one with food, but the buffet service and range of food always meant that there was enough for him to eat and he tried lots of different food. I thought it was brilliant how if you were out on a day trip the guides took food and drink to cook on a campfire and warm you up. We enjoyed the traditional Laplandish meal on New Year's Eve, followed by sparkly wine and fireworks - a purely magical way to see in 2017. The itinerary for the week was a great mixture of free time and varying length activities and we liked how there was a free day built in where we hired some skis and did our own thing and hired the sauna. I think my favourite activity was the husky dogs - even though they were naughty and decided they wanted to do their own thing when they smelled a campfire... it did end up with us being rescued by a guide haha. I loved going into the pen with the puppies at the farm at the end and holding some husky puppies. All the activities were brilliant and the Aurora camps on a night time were enjoyable. We managed to see the Northern Lights twice while we were there and the phone texting Aurora alert service is a brilliant idea. We spent a night in the Aurora Bubble too, which was magical. I'd recommend that to everyone who went. We couldn't fault the holiday! I've just been sharing your website details on a December Brides facebook page and I've had a few people asking me questions about it. Thank you also for arranging a gift for us in our room to mark our honeymoon. That was a really thoughtful thing to do. We drank the champagne on New Year's Eve and the chocolates were a treat with a cuppa after being out in the cold. Temperatures for us were between -2 and -16 but it was getting colder the last few days and I know they were expecting -20s after we had gone. Thank you for recommending such a wonderful place to go. We've already said that if children come along in the future we are going back and we will certainly be coming back to yourselves to arrange it.

The husky safari and snowmobile safari were my favourite part of the trip. Very exciting and taken through some beautiful scenery. A very well organised trip. The guides were very knowledgeable, the rooms were comfortable and the staff very friendly.

A fantastic holiday. The hotel was more than accommodating and the Guide (Anti) was a real gem. His knowledge, patience and personality made the activities all the more enjoyable. I loved the whole experience. After seeing the Northern Lights everything else came a very close second! I cannot express how lovely the staff in the hotel were and how well organised all the activities were. The whole experience would have not been the same without Anti and his crew!!

The husky safari and snowmobile safari were my favourite part of the trip. Very exciting and taken through some beautiful scenery. A very well organised trip. The guides were very knowledgeable, the rooms were comfortable and the staff very friendly.

We were really pleased how aware everyone was about my daughter's lactose intolerance and how easily they dealt with it, even providing separate food for the picnic lunch on the snowmobile trip. The guide was great, it was especially nice that he would sit in the bar with us in the evening and chat, it made us feel as though he enjoyed our company as much as we enjoyed his. The hotel was lovely and all the staff. The way that lunch was ready when we returned just helped the days go smoothly. I really would recommend the holiday to friends except that it is physically hard if you have never done this type of activity before you can't judge how much it would take out of you. Even the snowmobile if, like me, you're not a motorcyclist, is pretty scary. My daughters had no such problems.

A fantastic holiday. The hotel was more than accommodating and the Guide (Anti) was a real gem. His knowledge, patience and personality made the activities all the more enjoyable. I loved the whole experience. After seeing the Northern Lights everything else came a very close second! I cannot express how lovely the staff in the hotel were and how well organised all the activities were. The whole experience would not have been the same without Anti and his crew!!

The dog sledding on a snowy day was unique but we enjoyed everything - it was a terrific family vacation.

We had a fantastic guide, very knowledgeable, interesting, amusing. We had great sightings of the Northern Lights - by walking, snowshoeing and late-night snowmobile riding – were all excellent. Also great that guide was a photography expert who could assist us with settings on our cameras as well as taking some wonderful shots which he shared. Husky sleighing – fantastic - would happily have done this for longer or as an additional day. The other highlight, for all of us, were the huskies and sleigh riding with them.

The snowmobiling to see the Northern Lights (was) fun and a perfect escape from any light pollution. We enjoyed our holiday very much, but we were blessed with clear skies and Northern Light displays for 3 of the 4 nights we were there.

I would like to send my congratulations and compliments for providing such a wonderful holiday to me and my family. We travelled to Finland joining the "Nellim Christmas Aurora in the Wild" tour from 19th - 26th Dec 2016. It was really an amazing trip as Nellim Hotel is located at one of the most picturesque locations we have seen! We didn't expect to receive onsite support from Artisan Travel Company surprisingly there was an Agency representative "Kat" was there to receive us when we arrived after a long flight. She quickly introduced herself and ushered us to the lunch buffet before providing us with more information. Throughout the trip, she was always readily available onsite at Nellim Wilderness Lodge Hotel and ready to jump into assisting us should we face any issues/problems. Her performance is certainly outstanding as a tour agency representative and she sets the gold standard for it! You guys have really chosen a good site and well-planned tour activities. If you guys could inform the owners Jouko and Mari that they have the best staff onsite and the food provided each day had its variety with a different flavour to it which allows us to enjoy after a day out in the wild. From the kitchen crew to the guides, I believe Nellim Hotel has given us a deep positive impression too. Please, send our regards to Kat on her well-done job and we will be using Artisan Travel Company for other annual family trips too in the near future too.

I cannot say enough about how amazing our honeymoon in Luosto was. Even though our baggage was delayed in Helsinki, our Rep, Greta, was the most welcoming and friendly person we could have imagined. She was unbelievably helpful and even went home to see if she could get any of her own clothes to help us! Although our luggage turned up the next day, Greta went above and beyond. She continued to be a helpful, smiley face throughout our trip. She is a credit to Aurora Zone! The Hotel Aurora was amazing. Although small, everyone was helpful and it was as if we'd known them forever! We had a set menu and found the food incredible and varied. The rooms were comfortable and clean. We had a room with a fireplace, which was perfect and a nice touch. We also spent a nice night in the glass igloo, which was lovely. Lapland Safaris, who we did our excursions with, were fantastic. We did a variety of trips and enjoyed every one of them. The standard of clothing we were supplied with and the support of the staff was great - much better than we had anticipated. Artsi was wonderful - we did a couple of trips with him. Our favourite trip was definitely the husky safari! Since booking our holiday we have been kept in contact with and had speedy responses to any questions. Booking was helpful and easy. The best holiday we've been on - we are already looking at booking again! Thank you for the perfect honeymoon!

Brilliant location; enjoyed all the activities.

The Aurora Zone tour was so well organised with everything well thought out leaving nothing for you to do but just enjoy the experience. We travelled to Nellim Wilderness Resort 11 - 15 Dec 2016. If you are considering a trip to Lapland stop thinking about it and book this resort immediately. This place is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Our 4 days at the resort were absolutely magnificent and something I will never forget. From the moment you walk in the door, the staff are there to help and guide you to ensure you have a memorable stay. The hotel manager Minka was exceptional, stopping to chat ensuring we were having a good time. I am unsure when she actually sleeps; she seems to be there all the time. Our guides, Toni, Maija, Sampo, Mitte (Dog sledges) and Lamu were fantastic and all clearly love their jobs which was reflected in their knowledge and interaction with the guests. Having said that Lamu was exceptional and made our nights out to the Aurora Camps memorable. Now for some more detail. I am from Australia where we do not experience temperatures that are minus some big number, hence I was really concerned about being too cold experiencing a Lapland winter. Yes, it was cold while we were there, temps between -5 and -25 but this just added to our experience. CLOTHING. The resort supplied overall insulated suits, mittens and boots. All in very good condition and a lifesaver. I do not have clothing in Australia that could cope with these temps. Having said that you still need warm underclothing to wear under the suits. I wore thermals and polar fleece and fleece tracksuit bottoms. That was ample for me but the women on the exceptionally cold night added another layer. Once dressed it was a rush to get outside as you suddenly started cooking. We did struggle to keep hands and feet warm on snowmobiles and dog sledging so good woollen socks sometimes two pairs and fleece gloves rather than just liners to wear in the mittens was good. We also had disposable 'HOTHANDS' hand warmers to wear in the gloves. The women loved these but you need to bring them with you as they are NOT available at the resort. The Hothands toes warmers did not work, they only warmed up when out of our shoes. FOOD. The food was lovely, a smorgasbord setup with plenty to select from. The chefs and kitchen staff do an exceptional job including preparing warm meals for when you are out on trips in the wilderness. If you have fussy eaters in your party do not worry, my daughter found plenty to eat and enjoyed the meals. TOURS. Snowmobiles are a lot of fun, taking it in turns with your partner driving. Extremely easy to drive and they instruct you on how to drive before leaving. Dog Sledging again absolutely mind blowing, you and your partner take it in turns driving, well not really driving just hanging on and standing on the brakes to slow your crazy Husky dogs down. We sledged through forests and across a frozen lake about 8 km in all. At the end, we were able to pat and hug the dogs. I am not a dog person but their dogs were so tame although when we first arrived I was concerned because they were clearly excited to see us jumping and the barking was unbelievable. On our return they were worn out and a lot quieter. Snowshoeing. I was concerned I may not be fit enough but this was a lovely walk through a snow-covered picturesque forest to the top of a hill with a lovely outlook and lunch around a camp fire. At no time during these above activities was I concerned for my safety, they were all very safe and well organised. Night. The sunset days before our arrival and was not due to rise again until sometime in January. Having said that the sun was just below the horizon which created lovely long sunrises and sunsets even though the sun never rose. Due to the light reflecting on the snow we did have very good light like an overcast day for at least six hours a day. Finally, we saw the Aurora, Northern Lights on three separate nights, they are not there all night they come and go but we were lucky enough to see them. You need a good camera SLR for time exposures and a tripod; I suggest you practice time exposures at night before you come. Once again fantastic trip, highly recommended. David, Carmel & Therese Sheridan

The holiday was just fab and everything about it exceeded our expectations by far! I have recommended this holiday to everybody, particularly The Aurora Zone and the hotel. The activities were well organised and the tour guides were just brilliant, it was nice to know that you could ask them any question and they knew what they were talking about. Everyone was just so friendly and welcoming and there to help if you ever needed it.

The dog sledding was our favourite activity as it was just my husband and I with the guide so we were able to help get the dogs ready - and play with the puppies! Although every activity was enjoyable - even ice fishing in an Arctic storm! All the staff at the Lodge were great and the guides used were all brilliant

Thank you for the superb organisation of our brilliant holiday. We loved every minute of our stay at the Mountain lodge where the staff were friendly and welcoming. Difficult to say which was the most enjoyable activity between the dog sledding and the Aurora hunting. We loved the dog sledding and David drove his own sled which he thought was great, although when I saw him shoot out of the yard I was a bit concerned but he soon found the brake! The guides were lovely and our trip felt like being in a Christmas card scene. Oh, and what can I say about the Aurora? It put on one of its best displays for us and we have some great photos. The Ice Hotel was interesting to know about and visit but we didn't get much sleep because of the cold. Loved the holiday and have been telling all our friends and relations. The younger ones seem very interested and I think would like to sample this type of holiday in the future.

Staff could not do enough for us, we were very well looked after. Same applies to the guides and experts. Wonderful experience which began with your helpful staff in Northumberland. Whilst the food we received was excellent, there was no choice for dinner, Although in fairness we were asked to let the staff know if there were any problems with the planned menu. All the activities were excellent, snowmobile sledge was fun-saw - some Aurora, Lights over Lapland photography session was great - very cloudy but learned a huge amount. Sami experience very informative and great fun, Snowmobiles exciting & hard work, but the highlight was probably our free day and walking in the area, went to the Kanjon. Evening gave the best display of the week down by the lake. Socialising with all nationalities was great.

Well organised trip both in the UK and in Finland. Our room was disappointing and rather tired and was not cleaned or made up every day as in a hotel. New accommodation is being built which may be better. The hotel staff are all welcoming, knowledgeable and friendly. All the excursions and activities were excellent and we saw the Aurora on 2 nights! Food courtesy of Gilles & Marco was one of the highlights. We had a night in one of the Aurora Bubbles which was great though they would be a bit small to stay in for any longer and there were no wardrobes or mirrors. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip and would recommend it to anyone.

Everything was brilliant. Most enjoyable activity? All of it! But especially the snowmobiling and husky sleds; Least enjoyable? Nothing!; Improvements: Hmm... not really

Everything was brilliant – especially the snowmobiling and husky sleds. Any improvements? Hmm... not really

Matti was our activity guide for most activities and was very helpful. We were lucky enough to see the Northern lights on two of the three nights we were there, other than that the best activity was the Husky sled ride. We loved it! A fabulous holiday that I have been telling all my friends about. Well organised and a trip that everyone should take!

Thank you for a brilliant experience. From the first conversation with Barry - who advised choose a holiday that interests you and the Northern Lights will be a bonus - right through the holiday the organisation was excellent and all the people involved were friendly, helpful, welcoming and well-informed. The hotel accommodation was lovely and warm and we were very well fed. The holiday was busy but the pace suited us perfectly and gave the chance to try out so many different activities whilst also finding out about the Sámi people and their way of life. The museum was excellent, we loved the parliament building and finding out about traditional crafts when we went to the reindeer farm. The cold-weather clothing was much appreciated, keeping us toasty despite -25-degree temperatures when out with the husky dogs and the hot drinks and fires were very welcome. Whether it was snowmobiling, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing or husky dog sledging the training and advice was thorough. The icing on the cake was seeing the Northern lights in all their glory on not one but two nights!!

Fantastic holiday - great mix of activities and downtime. Equipment was all high quality and the staff were really friendly. The husky safari - was exhilarating (but cold!). Enjoyed it all. Thank you for a great holiday.

Our room was in the main building (all of it recently renewed and refurbished with very good taste) and was very cosy and comfortable, the food was very good and prepared with local ingredients and the excursions were very well organised and enjoyable. Nina, the hotel manager, and all her staff did everything they could to accommodate our requests and make us feel very welcome, and they definitely succeeded; the guides for the day and night activities are knowledge and friendly and we always felt we were very well looked after. We also spent a very romantic night in an Aurora Kota (ceiling of glass to watch the sky and private sauna) and again...I can't but recommend this accommodation. The ride with the sledge pulled by the huskies is a fantastic experience, it makes you feel the spirit of the place for real. But also just walking in the forest near Muotka at night watching the Aurora, simple but magical! Least enjoyable moment: Having to leave ;-)

(The) Quality of our local guides was excellent! They were true locals born in or near the local area, knowledgeable, friendly, shared much about local life, and not too chatty!

Superb holiday. Thank you

Superb holiday. Thank you.

Staff and guides at Nellim Wildness Hotel are wonderful; very professional and thoughtful. Not only are they knowledgeable and helpful but also really friendly and approachable.