Customer Review

We had the most fantastic and memorable time and have just arrived back from Stockholm. I have to say I was rather dreading the trip as it is more my husband's 'thing' than mine but I am now talking about doing all again!! Marvellous!!

What can I say, but we had a really great time on our recent holiday organised by your team. Our party of eight were hosted by some really enthusiastic people when we stayed in Finland. ALL the activities were enormously enjoyed by us and we learnt such a lot from our guides. On each of the three nights that we went out Aurora hunting, the guides did their very best to find a clear part of sky somewhere in Finland! We travelled even to the Russian boarder for a view. On our last night the skies cleared and Noora, our fantastic guide, took us up to an area in the North which provided us with the most stunning views. I think the Aurora spirits were on our side, as it was my birthday, and what a display we saw. Noora took many photos to include us in and made these available to us afterwards and these will be treasured by us all. Please pass on our many thanks to your team and to all those involved at the Wilderness Lodge, Finland, especially Noora.

We just wanted to thank you for an excellent trip to Nellim, from 15th-21st January. Everything worked like clockwork, and we had the added bonus of not one but two Aurora sightings. We would like to add our appreciation for your representative at the hotel, Ben. He was always available, helpful and friendly. When I felt a bit under the weather and not able to do the whole day snowmobile safari, he arranged for me and my wife to go with him on snowmobiles for a couple of hours, which was very much appreciated. This sort of flexibility is not always offered, and we would ask you to pass on our sincere thanks to Ben. Once again, thank you for a memorable trip.

Just wanted to say what an amazing trip we had to Tarendo! It really was awesome. We didn't see the Northern Lights unfortunately (will have to go back) but our trip was perfect from beginning to end. Our two adult kids (age 22 and 20) came in to our room on the last evening and said they had agreed it was the best family holiday we'd ever had...and we've had more than a few in a great many wonderful places in their lifetime. The Forest Hotel is second to none, the food fantastic. Ingemar, Margareta, Louise, Patric, Emanuel and Katarina treated us as though we were their favourite friends, nothing but nothing was too much trouble. We felt so relaxed and at home there....and the location is so eye wateringly beautiful! The morning we left to goodbyes and big hugs all around we almost cried that it was over. We all loved the activities and the saunas and even the other six guests were lovely and we all got on so well together and had many laughs, much banter and of course snowball fights. We tried to find one criticism on our way home but failed! We didn't see the lights but what we saw and experienced was absolutely fantastic...and we saw a moose and some reindeer! I also want to thank you guys this end for your help in narrowing down the holiday options in respect of country, location, activities and accommodation and your patience with me on the phone asking questions and trying to get it just right for us. It worked! Also big thanks to the finance team, especially Karen for her understanding, support and flexibility when it was looking as though Henry my son might not be able to come when he became a pop star! I am already recommending Aurora Zone as the preferred agent to friends, family and colleagues and I feel fairly certain...we'll be back!

We have just come back from a very special and memorable holiday. The Lodge was special, small, warm and cosy with delicious food and friendly staff. The activities were well organised and very enjoyable. Everything in fact made this an unforgettable experience. "Thank you" to you all.

What a fun adventure - four absolutely packed days and all the activites we did were hugely enjoyable. The lodge was comfortable & the hospitality great. The guides were very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about all the activities. The coveralls and boots were brilliant and I'd thoroughly recommend using them as they kept you dry, warm and protected - I should know given the number of times I fell over trying to do the cross-country skiing - so funny. We didn't get to see any Northern Lights due to the cloud cover which was a real pity but we went out there to enjoy what we found and we did that. The Northern Lights would have been the icing on the cake, maybe another time.

Spent five days in the Abisko Mountain Lodge. The rooms are simple, the food excellent and company (both staff and fellow travellers) even better. The trips included in the tour were professionally organised and well attended, we were pleased that they were all pre-booked. The ice fishing was a walk from the hotel down to the lake, we drilled our own holes in the ice and fished from sunrise to sunset (about one hour!). Next day was the snowmobiles; we covered about 40-50km across frozen lakes and through woodlands with a short coffee break. The heated hand grips were a welcome surprise. The dog sledding team let us get fully involved, harnessing dogs and connecting them to the sled. 12 dogs pulled 4 of us along at speed through the hills and the frozen lakes for several hours. We were fortunate with a very successful night hunting the Northern Lights, they were visible from the moment we walked out of the hotel, a very memorable night. On our spare day we walked along footpaths by the railway to find some frozen waterfalls. We ended our time at Abisko and on the way to the ICEHOTEL we stopped at the reindeer farm, fed the animals and had coffee with the owner. The last night was in an ice room (-5 °C) after a walk to the local church and a drink in the Icebar; again another night we will never forget.

Enjoyed the husky sledding and snowmobiling was so different to anything I've experienced before. There was nothing I didn't enjoy. It was great that so many of the local guides were from the area we were visiting, that extra depth of knowledge from being raised there was really interesting.

Nellim is a great place and unlike what I have heard is the more Disney-style resort further west. The local guides were fantastic and the Wilderness Hotel was super. The husky dog sledding 17km ride was totally unlike anything that I will ever do again. Very happy with the experience. 

The simple outdoor lunch of scotch broth (reindeer rather than lamb) heated over a log camp fire and "toasted" sandwich on the Nellim day was really tasty and just what was needed to warm us up. The bottle of "sparkling" wine and card on arrival for our golden anniversary was most appreciated; thank you very much.

The holiday was fantastic from start to finish. It was extremely well organised, activities were enjoyable and although we were gutted it was always too cloudy to see the Northern Lights, we were glad we chose this holiday. The guides at the lodge were brilliant, extremely helpful and so informative. Dog sledding was so much fun, couldn't stop laughing on the ride. But snowshoeing with our guide Santtu was also enjoyable as we learnt so much about the local area and how to survive in the wilderness.

We really couldn't find any faults! We enjoyed all the activities for varying reasons, my personal favourite was the reindeer safari - loved the leisurely sleigh ride through the forest, could really appreciate the silence and the scenery, it was like travelling through Narnia! Also found the talk about the reindeer year very interesting and, of course, loved the reindeers.

The Hotel Aurora and staff, the people of Luosto and the activity guides were fantastic, a holiday to remember. Saw the Northern Lights and will be back next year!! The snowshoeing activity was brilliant, the guides and group made the holiday and the activities memorable, all enjoyable and well run by the activity centre. Really enjoyed the holiday from the booking, getting advice and during the holiday. A holiday to remember and repeat.

The whole package was superb which meant even though weather conditions resulted in us being unable to see the Northern Lights it was still a fantastic experience which gave a real insight into the lives of the Finnish people in the area.

The guides went the extra mile and arranged extras such as a sleigh ride as we had plenty of snow. Fantastic! Magical. We returned feeling so refreshed. The husky sled trip through the forest and the sleigh ride to the amethyst mine were our favourite activities.

My partner and I did the Iceland: Natural Wonders & Northern Lights tour. Even though the Northern Lights did not put on a great show (activity was low on the days we were there and the skies were cloudy), we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The activities and sights were fantastic. I went to Iceland not really knowing what to expect, and now would love to go back again to see more of it. Our guide more than made up for the lack of the Northern Lights. He was informative and friendly, and went out of his way to make the experience truly memorable.

We enjoyed every moment of it. So glad to be able to catch the Northern Lights during our last night of our trip. The guides were all very friendly and knowledgable; bringing us all the way out to where there is no light pollution to capture the best. We even managed to rent a tripod from the receptionist during one of our Aurora camps. Love how the guides set up a camp fire so quickly to keep us warm and the amazing juice that they always heat up for us. It will be perfect if there is a official photographer who can assist with the photo taking with the Northern Lights. Every activity was well planned and enjoyable. We managed to learn how to snowmobile which is something we will never get to experience in our country. Definitely my best trip ever!

Overall an unforgettable experience and has inspired me in lots of different ways. Abisko Mountain Lodge - fantastic hostess Mina. She is friendly, personable and efficient. Good briefing and allocation of warm clothes. Food is impressive. All bread rolls, cookies and crackers are home baked and tea and coffee facilities available 24/7. Really nice touches too when we walk in from the cold. Homemade home picked fish, vegetables make it taste delicate and fresh. Excellently presented food. Accommodation is basic, although warm and functional. The common space of the reception area was particularly cosy, sat around talking to other guests with feet on the table and blankets around to have a snooze! Made some nice friends and shared experiences. Husky safari was very special - knowledgeable guide whose life is devoted to looking after the dogs. Ice climbing was energetic and as a complete novice, I felt safe with the equipment and the instructor. He supplied extra warm jackets so we didn't get cold at all at -25 and standing around! The snowmobile trip took us into the national park and covered distances that we couldn't have done on foot. Lovely, lovely, lovely. Awe-inspiring scenary. Walking along to the frozen lake at 9pm and witnessing a two hour Aurora show was staggeringly beautiful and left me speechless (take loads of disposable hand and feet warmers, silk glove liners and fleece neck tube). Trip to the Sámi reindeer farm was also special - bought a reindeer skin which was half the price of what it would be at the ICEHOTEL and third of the price at the airport! ICEHOTEL - what can I say? Absolutely phenomenal breathtakingly elegant, simple, beautiful place. It is touristy, but after 6pm when the day guests leave, it is pretty quiet and beautiful. We ate at the Homestead restaurant but walking along the frozen Torne River to get there was also special. The night was comfortable, as long as one knew how to zip up the sleeping bag correctly to stop any air going in and out of the bag. Don't share a double sleeping bag, which I heard caused a lot of marital disharmony in the night! Breakfast and lunches were fabulous at the ICEHOTEL with lots of nice nuts and berries as well as the fry-ups if you fancy them. We are so impressed with the holiday. Abisko seems to have a good reputation of having clear nights and I would recommend anyone who wishes to see the Northern Lights and to do other activities to choose this holiday.

We have just come back from our holiday. The holiday was wonderful, starting at the airport all the connections were fantastic. The hotel was nice and clean. The activities we went on were well worth the money as the Finns really welcomed you there. The weather was cold, down to - 26 on a few days, but the clothing supplied was great. To top off the holiday we actually saw the Northern Lights!!! Aurora zone organised everything so we had no worries at all. Recommend this holiday.  

Have just returned from our NLQ where our group was based at Jeris. Fantastic location with the lake adding another dimension to our activities and photo opportunities. The equipment supplied was excellent especially as the temperature dropped to minus 31 degrees! Thoroughly enjoyed all of the activities which were led by Mark and Mia whose knowledge, instruction and good company ensured a safe, educational and thrilling holiday in what we would call an extreme environment! Antti's briefing on the Northern Lights and camera set-up was invaluable and some photos are here. Hotel Jeris was clean, warm and comfortable with very helpful staff and the food was plentiful, varied and hearty and we also enjoyed the glogi and berry juice with biscuits! Haven't stopped talking about it since we returned three days ago and look forward to returning one day to this winter wonderland. Ellis, Melissa & Tracy.

Simply Amazing! We were very fortunate to see the Aurora on all but one night. The guides were brilliant, very knowledgeable and were very helpful in pointing out the best places to see the Aurora, how to use our cameras or just where to keep warm. We loved the dog sledding and snowmobiling best as it was just something so different from what we've done before. Was bitterly cold (-30) but we were very fortunate to see some amazing displays including managing to capture a few shooting stars in some of our pictures! 

I took my wife to Luosto for her 40th birthday (total surprise). This was the most amazing holiday we have ever been on. Karen and Graham, the holiday reps, were amazing and could not of been more helpful. The hotel was the best hotel we have ever stayed in. All the staff were helpful and friendly. The food was amazing and delicious. Our room was beautiful. It had a balcony with amazing views of the scenery. All there is in Luosto is the Tunturi hotel, a couple of gift shops, a small supermarket and the most amazing cafe we have ever been too (perfect amount of facilities). In the morning, you must go there for hot cinnamon doughnuts and coffee. AMAZING! Every night we did the short walk to the frozen lake in hope of seeing the elusive Northern Lights. We only went for four nights so we knew that we would be extremely lucky if we saw them. On the 3rd night, they came and they were stunning. We pre-booked with Aurora Zone snowmobiles and a husky ride. Both were events to remember, awesome! The cold weather gear supplied by Aurora Zone were brilliant and kept us toasty. Yohannis, our Snow Mobile Guide was fantastic. We would go back in a heart beat again. Just got to save up again. Aurora Zone, you were amazing!

People are so quick to complain but slow to thank. So we would like to pass our thanks to all of you at The Aurora Zone for a fantastic time. From arriving at Kiruna to our departure we could not fault the organisation. Even the coach trip to Abisko had its highlight, when the driver stopped to point out a reindeer. Our hosts Mina & Dick were wonderful, friendly and knowledgeable, maybe best illustrated when the whole of our party was given freedom of the bar to access the computer to confirm our return flights. I suppose the fact that the sun shone throughout our trip and the Aurora appeared every night did add somewhat to the whole experience!!!!! The whole time was wonderful. Thank you to you and your company for organising such an experience and suggesting to us at the end of 2011 that, as there was no space during the school holidays in 2012, we reserve for 2013. The link to the photographic site proved most useful. I recommend a reasonable DSLR camera with a Tokina 11-19 mm lens for wonderful shots. Thanks and best regards.

We have just returned from our five day trip to Luosto arranged by your company. Unfortunately the Aurora was not co-operative and we did not see the Northern Lights. However we did have one of the best short break holidays we have ever had. Good organisation, no untoward incidents, the hotel, staff and food were high quality and the activity guide, Pascal, was excellent. All in all a great holiday. Thanks Aurora team. Regards, Reg and Margaret Miller, Australia.

Our trip to Abisko and the ICEHOTEL was excellent. Dick, Mina and their team at Abisko Mountain Lodge were wonderful hosts, the accommodation is warm and comfortable and the food was excellent. The various activities were great fun - snowmobiling and husky sledging were both exciting - though at least we felt the huskies knew what they were doing, even if we didn’t. Ice climbing was challenging - not a huge height (thank goodness) and very safe, but it certainly got the adrenalin going and it was a great feeling of achievement to reach the top. The Aurora appeared briefly on our first night but a couple of nights later, after a fruitless trip up to the Aurora Sky Station, we arrived back at Abisko Mountain Lodge and had a last look at the sky before going in. We spotted some colour in the sky, quickly shouted to everyone to come out, and enjoyed over an hour enthralled by the Aurora sweeping and swirling across the sky. A truly amazing sight. The ICEHOTEL was another 'experience' we stayed in one of the new Northern Lights Suites, which was great fun. The restaurant was excellent and the Ice Bar great fun with lots of cocktails themed on the various Art Suites. Not our best ever night’s sleep, but not one of our worst either! Well worth the visit - the ice sculptures are amazing. John and Frances Kerr

Our trip was perfect. The small group was pleasant (and all participants quite amiable). Each day was very well organized, but never felt rushed. And the local guides were all incredibly patient - no mean feat at the end of the season! Most enjoyable: Seeing the Aurora Borealis, and driving a dog sled. Both firsts for us, and not something we can do in our country (at least not like this). And it is always a pleasure and honour to visit another part of the world, and meet people from other countries.

I'd like to say how fantastic our rep Peter was. Very welcoming, knowledgeable and keen to help everyone in the group have an amazing stay. Most enjoyable: the snowmobile safari was fantastic. Lake Inari is so vast and this trip really made me feel inside the Arctic Circle! Having said that, it's difficult to choose between that and the Aurora hunts, which were amazing despite not having seen the Aurora during them. Least enjoyable: N/A - seriously, it'd be unfair to put a negative spin on any of the activities! As mentioned above, Peter was a fantastic rep and having him there made me feel properly taken care of when I had questions - this is pretty important when travelling alone. In addition to this, every guide I met from the Wilderness Hotel was inspiring in their passion and knowledge of Nellim, the local area, and the Northern Lights. In the pursuit of excellence.

We had a great time. The fact that Luosto is small so everything is in easy walking distance was great. The people were friendly and helpful, in a laid-back but efficient way, the food was great, the activities were good fun and we saw the Northern Lights to top it all off - couldn't have asked for better. In addition the local reps went out of their way to enable us to make our stay our own and work around the schedule.

Favourite activity? Teepee Dinner as we saw a fantastic Aurora Borealis display between courses! The activities were all so good and different it would be unfair to say. Improvements? No I don't think so except an Aurora Borealis display every night!!! One of the best, if not The best of our lives. The pace was perfect and we had plenty of time to walk several miles ourselves each day and time to absorb the activity.

What can I say - you can't improve on perfection! We really enjoyed the diversity of the activities on offer but we booked an additional 60km snowmobile safari, which was awesome and there was plenty of time to relax as well. We even got to see the Northern Lights, which was obviously our prime aim, but if they hadn't made an appearance we wouldn't have been disappointed by our holiday. There was no 'least enjoyable' activity - they were all diverse and interesting. Don't change a thing! Peter and Lorna, your representatives in Luosto, were terrific and great ambassadors for your company. The activity providers were also terrific. We had all our own clothing but the suits they provided were surprisingly tasteful and no-one we spoke to had any complaints about being cold or uncomfortable. The Guides were also terrific - we had Tomas and Antcien (I know I've spelt the names wrongly but you know who they are). They had a sense of both authority (in observing the safety aspects) and peace (which gave everyone of any ability a feeling of confidence). They ensured that on more active pursuits there were adequate rest stops, so that everyone could complete the tasks without feeling they were pushing themselves beyond a comfortable limit. They were knowledgeable and very proud of their environment and had a great sense of humour. We will certainly be looking at other holiday destinations covered by the Aurora Zone - it was the best winter holiday we have ever had - but I feel it would be a mistake to return to the same resort. Finland was beautiful and the resort offered us all we needed.