Decided Lapland in Scandinavia is the place to go for your magic snow holiday? You’ve done the research, checked the reviews and learnt a few words of the language? Even if you’re confident about your knowledge, here are a couple things which the guidebooks may have missed:
Temperature
The very first thing you need to know if you arrive in the winter, is to change the way you think about temperature. Temperature will be talked about a lot – so to avoid sounding like a rookie, forget about mentioning a minus in front of the number. Locals will give you a blank look as negative temperatures are a given during winter months. But if the temperature happens to rise above zero, you’re permitted to add a plus!
Polar Bears
Excited about the possibility of seeing a polar bear? Unfortunately, you’re visiting the wrong region of the Arctic Circle to spot a white bear. Finland is the domain of the brown bear. And unlike polar bears, brown bears hibernate during the winter so there’s little chance of seeing them either. If you’re planning a summer visit, it’s still pretty unlikely you’ll get to see one as they stay hidden away in their natural forest habitat.
Building a snowman
This one is on everyone’s ‘must do’ list and what could be the problem with all that snow around? But snow isn’t quite as simple as it seems. Depending on the location in the Northern Hemisphere, the locals have between 25 to over 400 ways to describe the different types of snow: there’s your regular snow, slushy snow, wet snow, dry snow, crusty snow, large flakes, sleet… the list goes on! Thankfully, all you need to know is that the colder it is the drier the snow will be, making it more difficult to build a snowman. You’re better off waiting for ‘warmer’ temperatures when the snow is a little more wet making it the perfect medium for your next sculptural masterpiece.
Black Pot Coffee
You’ve signed up for all the typical winter activities and while reading descriptions you come across a culinary question. “Sausages and black pot coffee around the fire”. Now where on earth could that coffee originate from? Is it Brazilian, Vietnamese, Cuban, Kenyan or perhaps this is a secret Scandinavian blend? Nothing quite as exotic as that, but simply the Finnish way of describing the coffee pot which is blackened with layers of soot during the brewing process outdoors over an open fire.
Feeling more confident about your Finnish knowledge? Lapland is a great destination for singles, couple and families. Visit our tour page or contact us for information on our available packages.