Multi-activity winter adventure holiday in Finland including 2 day husky tour 3 days of dogsledding with huskies on the Arctic Circle Snowmobile safari, snowshoeing, icefishing and more... Chance to experience the Northern Lights Great value with all meals included HOLIDAY CODE MAF Finland, Multi-Activity, Winter, 8 Days 7 nights hotel, 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 7 dinners, max group size: 1, 7 days multi-activity, max altitude - 450m VIEW DATES, PRICES & BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY HERE
PAGE 2 Introduction A winter wonderland activity holiday adventure beneath the northern lights in Finland. Our base for this winter activity holiday lies close to the border between Finland and Russia and just a few kilometres south of the Arctic Circle, it is the heart of a pristine wilderness region of Finland amongst spruce forest, hills and marshes. Throughout the long winter months this area of Finland is completely snowbound accessible only by ski or sled. This is the perfect place to learn about the way of life of the hardy Finnish people, the traditional inhabitants of this beautiful and yet harsh environment. A comfortable hotel, complete with sauna and swimming pool, will keep hardship to a minimum for us. The holiday begins with an introduction of snowshoeing and a chance to explore the winder wonderland surrounding the hotel. The next 3 days are spent learning more about an alternative method of arctic transport as we spend the time with the beautiful local husky dogs. After an introductory day at a husky farm learning how to drive and care for the husky teams, we will have an exciting 2-day journey by dogsled, with an overnight wilderness experience in a forest lodge and the chance to do some ice-fishing. On return to the hotel we have an exciting snowmobile safari'. This multi activity holiday also includes a full day to take advantage of optional extra activities such as downhill skiing starting from the hotel doorstep and the option to overnight in an igloo. With weekly departures from December to mid April no one should have to miss out on this sparkling adventure under the Northern Lights in the Arctic wilderness of Finland. Group Activities These holidays are run in conjunction with the hotel in Finland; the staff at the hotel will coordinate all the activities. For each activity KE clients will join up with other adventurers from around the world who are also booked at the hotel. It may be that you share your activity with different people each day. All activities will be conducted in English. By booking with KE Adventure Travel you will enjoy the financial security that comes from choosing a fully licensed and bonded tour operator. Explore International. This holiday is part of our Explore International range. Participants on these trips can book through KE or through one of our international partners. This helps us to gather together sufficient numbers of like-minded adventurers to get your holiday up and running quickly. Led by an English-speaking guide, the cosmopolitan nature of these groups can be an important part of the experience! Is this holiday for you? This multi activity winter holiday in Finland is suitable for anyone of average fitness. No previous experience is required for any of the special activities on this holiday and professional instruction and all necessary equipment is provided. Certain activities take a little while to get used to if you are a novice, and a sense of balance, humour and adventure is very useful (!), but should all be within the scope of an average fit person. The order of activities during the week may change, confirmation of which days you will do the activities will be given to you on arrival and this will be coordinated by the hotel staff. You will experience low temperatures on this holiday but special thermal clothing is provided for the activities, and evenings are always spent in heated rooms. The best time to view the Northern lights is January/February though they are visible into Spring.
PAGE 3 Holiday Itinerary Day 1: Arrive at the Iso Syöte hotel. Transfers from Oulu and Kuusamo Airport are provided. Transfer to the Hotel Iso Syöte, your base for the week. On arrival at the hotel you will be presented with your itinerary for the coming week. All rooms in the hotel are en-suite and are equipped with telephone, TV and seats. The hotel has a restaurant with panoramic glass windows and a fully licensed lobby bar. Additionally there is an indoor swimming pool and two saunas. KE Land Only package services begin with the evening meal. MEALS D Day 2: Snowshoeing on the wilderness trails around the hotel. Free afternoon for optional activities. This morning, we will be kitted out snowshoes and have a short introductory session before we head out to explore the pristine white wilderness trails around the Iso Syote Hotel. This is an exhilarating walk through birch forest, with great views across a snowy wilderness. After lunch we are free to relax, enjoy the swimming pool and sauna or you may want to head out to take advantage of some of the optional activities provided by the hotel, such as down hill skiing. MEALS BLD Day 3: Introduction to Husky Sledding. We drive to the Finn-Jann husky farm where we are introduced to the staff and dogs who will accompany us on the 2 day husky safari. About 100 sled-dogs live on the farm, and the staff here maintain over 180 miles of special trails for husky tours. The trails lead through different and beautiful landscapes in the arctic wilderness and are safe for guests and dogs. We spend the day at the farm familiarising ourselves with the techniques of husky driving with two people sharing a team of sled-dogs (depending on numbers in the group it maybe that you can ride solo on your sled), and we learn about care of the dogs on the trail. We will take a test drive into the forest and depending on the weather we will take lunch in the forest around an open fire before our journey back to the husky farm. Return to the hotel for dinner. MEALS BLD Day 4: The first day of our overnight husky safari. Overnight wilderness cabin. We return to the Finn-Jann husky farm for the start of 2 days dog-sledding into the wilderness. Driving along specially prepared trails we stop for lunch beside an open fire and in the afternoon reach a forest cabin which will be our overnight halt. The cabin is heated and even has its own sauna. MEALS BLD Day 5: The second day of our husky tour. Return to the Iso Syöte hotel. The second day of our husky tour. Again we take lunch beside an open fire in the arctic wilderness, with possibly an opportunity for ice fishing (weather and conditions dependent). We complete the loop returning to the husky farm where we assist the staff in caring for the dogs and settling them back home. After coffee we return to our hotel for dinner and the essential end of day sauna.
PAGE 4 MEALS BLD Day 6: Morning snowmobile safari. Free afternoon for optional activities. Today we have a modern and very exciting way to move around in the arctic wilderness! We start the day with driver training and professional instruction on how to handle a snowmobile. We then set off on a tour through the wilderness, driving a loop of approximately 40km. We have a break with coffee and buns around an open fire. If we are lucky we may see reindeers on the way, or see the tracks of snow hares, moose and birds. There are two people on each snowmobile taking turns at the driving. We return to the hotel for lunch. The afternoon is free for optional activities. You could enjoy a Reindeer Safari, travelling on a reindeer sleigh attached to a reindeer caravan, enjoying the old Lappish way. MEALS BLD Day 7: Free day for optional activities such as downhill skiing or joining a reindeer safari. This is a free day for relaxing or walking in and around the hotel. There is a range of optional extra activities for you to choose from if you wish. You may wish to go ice fishing, drilling holes in the ice and lowering your line under the ice (2 3 hour excursion including transport, all equipment, snacks and a campfire), or visit a reindeer farm (3 hour excursion for including transfers, farm tour, coffee and sandwiches). You can even spend a night in a real snow igloo village close to the hotel. Further snowmobiling at night to admire the stars and Northern Lights is available, or simply further snowshoeing or skiing. These optional extra activities can be booked locally, however the overnight in an igloo must be booked in advance - please contact the KE office. There is also a wide variety of skiing possibilities. Close to the hotel there are several slopes suitable for all abilities. Skiing is also possible in the evening as the slopes are well lit. It is possible to hire equipment for downhill skiing, snowboarding, telemark, and cross-country. MEALS BLD Day 8: Departure day. Transfers to Oulu and Kuusamo Airport are provided. KE Land Only package services end after breakfast at the hotel. Airport transfers are provided. MEALS B Holiday Information What's Included A local English speaking professional guide for each activity Airport transfers from/to Oulu Airport on arrival and departure 6 nights hotel accommodation on full board twin sharing basis and 1 night in a wilderness cabin Meals as per the Meal Plan Activities as specified in the itinerary (other than activities clearly stated as optional) All specialist equipment required for the activities What's Not Included
PAGE 5 Travel Insurance Optional extra activities Miscellaneous expenses - souvenirs and drinks etc. Joining Arrangements & Transfers All clients arriving on day 1 and departing on day 8 of the land only itinerary will be provided with complimentary airport transfer. The most convenient airport is Kuusamo or Oulu Airport. The transfer takes approx 2 hours from both these airports to the group hotel. Anyone may use these transfers regardless of which flights they choose and what time they arrive on arrival and departure dates. Complimentary airport transfers are also available from both Kuusamo and Oulu airport, with connecting flights via Helsinki. Some departure dates work better with Kuusamo and some with Oulu. Hotel contact details and an emergency number will be provided with your booking confirmation. Meal Plan All meals included from dinner on day 1 (if arriving at the hotel prior to 2200) to breakfast on day 8. Food & Water A wide range of cuisines is available at the hotel and this will include a choice of local dishes such as reindeer meat! Vegetarians are also catered for. Breakfasts and evening meals (except when you are on the husky safari) are taken in the hotel dining room and are usually buffet style. Water is drinkable from the taps on this holiday. Please fill your personal bottles for your day in the morning. We do not encourage the purchasing of single use plastic bottles. Accommodation The group will spend 6 nights in the Hotel Iso Syote which is situated on top of the Iso Syote hill surrounded by the Syote National Park. All rooms in the hotel are en-suite and are equipped with telephone, TV and tea/coffee making facilities. The hotel has a restaurant with panoramic glass windows and a fully licensed lobby bar. Additionally there is an indoor swimming pool and two saunas. The hotel has easy access to skiing slopes and ski tracks. Various cross country and snow shoe trails lead from the door. During the husky tour the group will spend one night in a forest cabin, which is heated. Accommodation here will be dormitory style. For the 6 nights, single rooms are available for a supplementary cost. Additional hotel nights are also available. For hotel prices and single supplement costs please refer to the dates and prices page of the trip on our website. Hotels are subject to availability and prices may vary. Group Leader & Support Staff Unlike a standard KE holiday there will not be one guide throughout, instead your activities will be coordinated by the hotel staff and each activity will have its own local English speaking professional guide. The guides are specialist instructors in each field (i.e. husky sledding, snowmobiling or snowshoeing) and will vary with the days' activity and the itinerary. Altitude This holiday does not involve any significant ascent to altitude and we would not expect any altitude issues with this trip.
PAGE 6 Spending Money Approximately 250 should be allowed for miscellaneous personal expenses. Approx costs for optional activities per person (subject to change), ice-fishing 68, reindeer farm visit 68, Northern lights evening snowmobile safari 119, overnight in an Igloo 80, reindeer safari 99. Please book your additional activities on arrival at the hotel and directly with the hotel. You should take money in euros cash, however credit/debit cards can be used for most services, optional activities and bar bills at the hotel. Guidance On Tipping Tipping is the accepted way of saying thank you to your local team. Tipping is entirely voluntary and should be dependent on good service. Additional Information Snowmobiling in Finland All participants drive the snowmobiles at their own risk. If accidental damage is caused to the snowmobile, the driver is responsible for the cost of repair up to a maximum of 800. Liability for vehicle damage will not normally be covered by travel insurance. Participants who are driving the snowmobile must be over the age of 18yrs and possess a full driving licence, which you should carry with you. Passengers on the snowmobile do not require a driving licence. Free KE Gift We would like to give you a free gift as a way to say thank you when you book your holiday. Choose from exclusive KE branded t-shirts, caps, neckwarmers, trek bags* and more. Alternatively you can choose to make a 10 donation to the Juniper Trust Charity. You can make your selection in your MyKE account after booking. You will need to select your free gift at least 6 weeks before you depart and all items will be posted out at 5 weeks prior to departure. For all late bookings, we will endeavour to send your FREE gift to you before you travel, however this cannot always be guaranteed. Please visit our Free KE Gifts page for more details of all our KE Branded goodies on offer. * A trek bag is not required for this holiday. You can however purchase a KE trek bag for 24.95. Delivery outside of the UK will be charged. Baggage Allowance There is no baggage limit other than that imposed by your international carrier (normally 20kg), but for your own convenience we recommend that you travel as light as possible. You will be provided locally with a waterproof kit bag for the few personal items you will require during the 2 day husky tour. During this tour your main bag will be left at the hotel. We recognise that for some of our holidays and for some of our travellers, the KE Trek Bag (see below) may not provide the best solution when packing for your trip. A bag with fitted wheels or a holdall with more than one compartment and more than one access zip can, in some circumstances, be more appropriate. We have no problem if you choose to use an alternative bag. Group Size & Holiday Status For each holiday there is a minimum number of participants required to enable it to go ahead. Once the minimum number is reached, the trip status will change from 'Available' to 'Guaranteed to run'. You can check the trip status for each departure in Dates and Prices table. Other than in exceptional circumstances, we will not cancel a trip
PAGE 7 once it has achieved this guaranteed to run status and so you are free to proceed with your international flight booking and other travel arrangements. Recommended Outdoor Retailers Many of the Equipment items listed above are available from Cotswold Outdoor - our 'Official Recommended Outdoor Retailer'. When you book a holiday with KE you will receive 15% discount voucher from Cotswold Outdoor and other retailers. >> Find out more General Information Passport & Visas A passport with 6 months remaining validity at the end of your stay is generally required for visits to countries outside the EU. The information that we provide is for UK passport holders. Please check the relevant embassy or consulate for other nationalities. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct travel documents and visas for your holiday. Visa requirements and charges are subject to change without notice. If you are travelling outside the EU you should have at least 2 blank pages in your passport for each country that you visit. Visa Europe UK and USA passport holders do not require a visa. Health & Vaccinations You should contact your doctor or travel clinic to check whether you require any specific vaccinations. UK residents should obtain a free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This entitles you to state provided medical treatment, but is not a substitute for medical travel insurance which is still vital when travelling overseas. Currency The unit of currency in Europe is the Euro. Electricity Supply & Plug We recommend you check if you require an adaptor for your electrical items at: http://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plugs-and-sockets/ Preparing For Your Holiday It makes a lot of sense to spend some time before coming on an active holiday getting some additional exercise. The fitter you are, after all, the more enjoyable you will find the experience. Regular exercise such as running, cycling and swimming are good forms of getting into shape. Climate The length of the winter day in Lapland varies considerably from just a couple of hours at the beginning of January up to around 15 hours by mid April. Ambient daytime temperatures vary accordingly from a mean of -12 C/10 F in January to -2 C/28 F in mid April, though in this type of very dry cold it can often seem much warmer than this. At
PAGE 8 night the temperatures can be very low (even as low as minus 40 C/ F on the coldest nights in January and February). There should be little if any snowfall during January and February with an increased chance from early March until the Spring thaw at the end of April. Travel Aware As a reputable tour operator, KE supports the British Foreign & Commonwealth Offices' Travel Aware campaign to enable British citizens to prepare for their journeys overseas. The 'Travel Aware' website provides a single, authoritative source of advice for all kinds of travellers and we recommend that prior to travel, all KE clients visit the official UK Government website at travelaware.campaign.gov.uk and read the FCO Travel Advice for their chosen destination. North Americans can also check out the U.S. Department of State website: www.travel.state.gov for essential travel advice and tips. KE treat the safety and security of all clients as the most important aspect of any trip we organise. We would not run any trip that we did not consider reasonably safe. Should the FCO advise against travel for any reason, we will contact everyone booked to travel to discuss the situation. We receive regular updates direct from the FCO and are in constant touch with our contacts on the ground. If you have any questions about government travel advice, please call our office. Single Use Plastic KE do not encourage the use of single use plastic items. We are ensuring that our agents all over the world are working together to reduce the problem and educate those around them. We are leading by example in our KE office by reducing our plastic use. We have pledged to AITO s Project Protect that 70% of our agents stop using single use plastic bottles. Books Lonely Planet Guide Finland. Andy Symington Finland Insight Guide (Insight Guides). Zoe Ross Lapland A Natural History. Derek Ratcliffe A Year in Lapland: Hugh Beach Lapland. Valerie Stalder Finnish Lapland. Crossbill Guides Foundation Maps Kartakeskus: Iso-Syte-Taivalvaara-Kylmluoma. 1:50,000 An excellent map that covers the Iso-Syte National Park with detailed topographic maps. Since 2001 Finland s survey organization has been publishing maps under an imprint name of Genimap. They have now reverted back to their old name of Karttakeskus, but some titles are still available only as Genimap.
PAGE 9 Flight Information Flight Inclusive Or Land Only? On our website we display a UK Flight inclusive package price and Land only package price for the majority of our holidays. Flight Inclusive Notes The FLIGHT INCLUSIVE dates and prices are based on UK flights from London to Oulu or Kuusamo. Outbound flights will depart the UK in the morning, arriving in the late afternoon of the same day (day 1 of the itinerary). Return flights will depart Oulu airport in the afternoon of the last day of the itinerary, arriving in the UK later the same afternoon. Regional departures and/or alternative carriers are available on request. Please be aware that there are often only a limited number of seats available at the advertised price. To avoid paying flight supplements, we recommend that you book as early as possible, especially during peak times. If we are unable to secure seats at the price shown, or you have requested regional departures, we will contact you with an alternative quote. Please note that you may be asked to pay for your flights in advance of your final holiday balance. Note that if you book a package including flights with KE you will benefit from full financial protection. Land Only Notes The LAND ONLY dates and prices are for the itinerary joining in Oulu or Kuusamo depending on the date. For clients making their own flight arrangements, Oulu or Kuusamo Airport is the most convenient for transfers to the group hotel. On the return the flights from Oulu are preferred. Please refer to 'Joining Arrangements and Transfers' in the trip dossier for further details. Flights SHOULD NOT be booked until you have received your booking confirmation and the trip is showing 'Guaranteed to Run' or 'Limited'. Why Choose KE Adventure Travel? Why Choose KE Adventure Travel? Operating since 1984, KE Adventure Travel has some of the most experienced staff in the business, with the proven ability to set up and operate a worldwide programme of adventures. Everyone has adventure travel at heart and joins at least one trip a year. It is this depth of experience that makes KE stand out from other adventure travel operators. When you contact KE, by phone or e-mail, or visit our office, you will find the help and advice you need, from someone who has actually done the trip and can give you the benefit of their first-hand experience. KE can guarantee the very best in trip support, excellent food, a good standard of hotel and other accommodation, plus the back up of one of the most respected companies in the business. Client satisfaction is at the top of our agenda and almost 50% of our bookings each year come from repeat business. If you are looking for adventure then look no further than KE. Group Tour Leaders All of our holidays are accompanied by an experienced leader, some of whom have worked with KE groups for many years. Many are professional guides and instructors with an unrivalled knowledge of the areas in which they work. In many parts of the world, we recruit local guides with appropriate training and experience. In addition to having the technical skills to ensure your safety, KE expects its leaders to be active members of the group. A
PAGE 10 leader should be fun to travel with and ready to share with you their enthusiasm for adventure travel and their knowledge of the area. Alongside the group leader, there will be a local support crew, which could be just a driver, or a complete team of guides, drivers, porters, mule-herders and cooks. The hard work of our support crews, along with the fascinating insight they can offer into their local culture, is integral to providing you with the very best adventure travel experience. Sustainable Tourism Since we ran our first trip in 1984, we have been committed keeping the world's most beautiful places pristine by minimising our environmental impact. Recognising the fragility of the world's wilderness environments, we keep our groups small and operate according to a Mountain Code, which is provided to all groups, trek leaders, agents and staff. We make sure that our local staff are well treated and well paid, we respect indigenous cultures, take care to protect the environment of the places we visit and take every opportunity to make a positive contribution wherever we travel. Our philosophy of 'leaving nothing but footprints' has been integral to KE's approach right from the start over 30 years ago. In recognition of our efforts we are proud to have achieved the highest award of 5 Stars for Sustainable Tourism by AITO. We continue to travel responsibly, and more information on our policy, practice, and specific projects can be found at www.keadventure.com, and on the website of our partner charity the Juniper Trust: www.junipertrust.co.uk. KE's Mountain Code is issued to our staff, trek leaders and overseas agents, and we recommend it to our clients, too! Booking Your Holiday The easiest way to make your booking is online. You will need to pay a deposit at the time of booking. This is normally 200 but for some holidays with special permit fees or internal flights, this may be more. The amount of deposit required for an individual holiday is given on the dates and prices page of the holiday. Late bookings will require full payment. We cannot confirm any booking until we receive your fully completed booking form. Adventure Travel Insurance It is a condition of joining any of our trips that you are insured against medical and personal accident risks (to include repatriation costs, air ambulance and helicopter rescue services). We also strongly recommend that you take out holiday cancellation insurance, as all deposits paid are non-refundable. Please ensure that your insurer is aware of your KE Adventure itinerary and can agree to cover the activities being undertaken. You will then need to advise us of your policy details and complete an Insurance Declaration Form. CAMPBELL IRVINE DIRECT travel insurance is available to EU residents and will cover the majority of KE Adventure holidays. It has been designed to provide cover for activities normally excluded by other insurers such as trekking, mountain biking and climbing. Please note that certain activities may attract a higher premium. In addition Campbell Irvine Direct cannot provide cover for KE climbing trips above 6000m. Cover for these can be obtained through either the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) or Snowcard. TRAVELEX is a USA based insurer offering travel insurance, which can be used by US citizens and US residents only. KE recommends the "Travelex Select" package for our holidays. If your holiday involves using mountaineering equipment (ropes, harness or crampons), for climbing or glacial travel, you should consider the "Adventure Plus Pak" optional upgrade on the Travelex Select Plan. Please refer to the 'Description of Coverage' for a summary of the terms, conditions, exclusions and limitations of the applicable Protection Plan. This policy will also cover KE climbing trips above 6000m.
PAGE 11 We hope that this trip notes has answered most of your questions. Please feel free to contact us and speak to one of our experts.
PAGE 12 Equipment List The following checklist should help you with your packing. As a general rule, you should always try to keep the weight of your equipment to a minimum. Temperatures do vary, and you can regulate your body temperature by increasing and decreasing the number of layers that you wear underneath your snowsuit (snowsuits are provided). You Must Bring The Following Items: Warm ski socks (also see provided items) Regular socks Shoes / Trainers or similar (for the hotel) Warm trousers and/or ski trousers, salopettes Thermal baselayer - leggings Underwear Thermal baselayer shirts (2 x long sleeve) Fleece jacket(s) or warm jumper/pullovers T-shirts Lightweight thermal gloves Warm and waterproof gloves or mittens (also see provided items) Warm Hat (also see provided items) Sunhat Sunglasses Daypack 30 litres Sun protection (including for lips) Water bottle and/or thermos flask (we encourage re-filling water bottles rather than single use plastic Washbag and toiletries Basic First Aid Kit consisting of the following: Antiseptic cream, throat lozenges, diarrhoea treatment (Imodium), painkillers, plasters, blister treatment and re-hydration salts (Dioralite). Glucose tablets and multi-vitamin tablets are also a good idea. The Following Items Are Optional: Torch and spare batteries Warm jacket e.g. down Lightweight waterproof jacket Buff / scarf Ski goggles (useful if weather bad)
PAGE 13 Antibacterial hand wash Camera Swimmers (for the hotel pool) Pen-knife (remember to put all sharp objects in hold baggage) Small padlock (to lock the trek bag) Driving Licence (if you wish to drive a snowmobile - see below for full details) Reusable cloth bag for shopping (to avoid plastic bags) The Following Items Are PROVIDED: Insulated snowsuit (thermo-overalls) Warm and high winter boots (snowboots) Wool socks (you may wish to take your own) Gloves (you may wish to take your own) Mittens Wool hat (you may wish to take your own) All Equipment For The Activities Are Provided As Well, Including: Snowshoes & poles Ski s Helmet for snowmobiling Dry bag for husky trip Please note: This document was downloaded on 15 Nov 2018, and the trip is subject to change.