Wilderness Hotel Nangu — Hotel in Northern Lapland

We were truly impressed with our stay!! |The hotel is at a perfectly beautiful and quiet spot on lake inari, with some elevation around the archipelago so you can see some nice views by walking or snowshoeing. We stayed at one of the Panorama Log Cabins - it's totally worth the splurge! Having your sauna was very nice (also works well as a dry room, even when it's switched off), but I especially enjoyed the hot tub overseeing the lake. In the late afternoon when the light was magical and the lake was quiet, I could've stayed there forever. We had a corner room (504) and enjoyed lots of privacy - we slept with the curtains all open and the moonshine against the glistening snow was beautiful beyond words. The bed was so comfortable, we rested incredibly well in them. ||FOOD was generally excellent. Breakfast didn't have a lot of daily variation, but I love the spread and can have it every day (literally did). Lunch is also a buffet and dinner was a semi-buffet. I love the food, seriously, way better than Savoy in Helsinki for example - but I have to say, it's almost always fish or vegetarian for the dinner mains options, and for my non-seafood eating husband, he was craving for some proper meat by D4. Was a bit disappointed not having any reindeer option for dinner though! ||The GUIDES were all amazing - a special shoutout to Pippa and Aida who took such good care of us, and their love for the nature was infectious. I lost a part of my camera during snowshoeing, miraculously Mattie found it for me later! ||I enjoyed all the activities - ok maybe not so much aurora snowmobiling (though we got to see the aurora there). My helmet's visor were all frosted up, and through the dense fog on the lake at night, I could hardly see anything while speeding (ok maybe not speeding) at ~40km/hr. It was a bloody cold night as well! We haven't done any of these winter outdoor activities before, so it was all very interesting. And even though it might sound short (2 hrs for cross country ski and ice fishing) but it was enough. For the longer activities (snowmobile adventure, snowshoe), the guide will cook lunch for you, was very lovely to sit around a campfire while they do so. And these are not simple lunches, you'll have a hot sandwich, a salmon soup, some dessert, coffee or hot chocolate! Snowmobile adventure took us to a little frozen harbour and we met some wild reindeers on the way. It was also lovely to meet the huskies and the baby reindeers as well. ||Ok about the aurora. I guess it's all down to luck in the end. Just one comment that I wish they have more aurora hunt by car options so we could choose to join when the forecast looks good but the lake was foggy. ||Oh and if you're deciding between different wilderness hotels - if you're not travelling with children, I'd choose Nangu over Nellim. It's a much more beautiful hotel building and location. ||Last, don't be too anxious about what to wear. Obviously you bring your own base layers and base layer gloves, but they have a very well stocked equipment room where you do a fitting first thing after you arrive - overalls, leather mittens, winter boots, woollen socks, balaclava... and you can borrow walking sticks and snowshoes if you're not doing it with the activity. |I wish they had sent us this information earlier (instead of like 2 weeks prior) so we won't have to panic and buy so much stuff. Anecdotally, heat pads worked very well! They sell toe warmers there too. ||In SHORT, don't hesitate to book your holiday there. Your only regret will be not...

If anyone is looking for a quite, remote time in the middle of the arctic winter, then this is the place to go ! In reflecting, I struggle to point out anything negative. Even without Northern Lights sighting, it would have been a wonderful vacation.

We stayed 6 nights in mid-December and were lucky that the temperature wasn't too cold (only -5C). It was cloudy most of the time with light snow flurries. In the hours between 10am and 2pm there was some light, other than that it was dark - which created a special atmosphere which I enjoyed. The lodge, room, experience and activities are overall magical. Finish style buildings, top service and very good, local food (with flexibility to accommodate preferences and dietary requirements ... in case your are not into reindeer, fish or bear). The international service team under Finish management was outstanding (Thank You !). Everything was spotless clean and of very high quality. Our room had a small kitchen with fridge which would have allowed us to cook some meals (next time)

Northern Lights - we got lucky on the last day as the clouds opened for a few hours right at the time when the aurora came around. It was an amazing experience and lastet for about 45 minutes. I took pictures with my smartphone (Pixel 3 in NightSight mode) and attached some for reference. The best viewing was not from the lake or the room terrace but around the main lodge with plenty of things providing great foregrounds for the pictures

Activities - led by local guides passionate about the wonderful nature of Lapland. They can be booked as a single activity or bundled - all come with the required equipment (see below). Each activity (between 2-4 hours, some with open air lunch around a camp fire) was a very unique experience with special moments in the wilderness. I didn't want to have missed any Husky sledging Snow show walk Aurora camp fire Snowmobiling Cross-country skiing Ice fishing

Sauna - either in the room or in the main lodge, rounded up each of our 'days' and got the body temperature back up again

Equipment - all equipment (e.g., boots, overalls, snow shoes, skies, helmets, snow mobiles) was provided and either new or in top conditions. Only few things to bring yourself: warm clothing up to mid-layer (top layer is provided), camera,...

What a little paradise this place is! I am so glad I found this gem. The perfect location by lake Inari - pristine nature, peace and totally quiet.

No Wifi in the rooms which is nice, because people gather in the lounge area of the restaurant by the fire. This gives you the chance for nice conversations and making new friends.

The food is incredible - truly exceptional. The restaurant is super nicely decorated with an incredibly warm atmosphere. Also the chinaware is so cute and totally matches the place. You get food and drinks all day long - it's really convenient.

Make sure you book one of the activities that offers lunch by a campsite in nature such as the snowmobile activity or the snowshoe hike - for me this was such a unique experience I'll never forget. The food was the best ever.

All staff members are super friendly and support you with everything you need. Thanks to everyone of you who made my stay such a memorable and remarkable experience.

The activities and excursions are really divers and fun and adventurous. The only one that didn't impress me was the reindeer farm. I expected it to be a real herd but it was only three reindeers that were on a leash and then you could do a 2 minute reindeer sleigh ride. The best adventure for me was the snowmobile excursion, the snowshoe hike and the aurora activities.

Everything is incredibly well organized. You get all the equipment and warm clothing you need. All the tour guides - especially Toni and Ciara - are super kind.

I gave only 4stars for the room rating because rooms could be decorated in a more cosy and warm way. They are quite simple and cold in their appearance. Also in the bathroom some hooks are missing, a tray in the shower for placing soap & shampoo or having a larger glass divider in the shower. Minor things, but they make the difference.

I will definitely return to this amazing place and can wholeheartedly...