Dawn's blog posts

If there is one thing Sweden does right, it’s innovative architecture. From the original ICEHOTEL® to the world-famous Treehotel, if you’re looking for a memorable night’s stay, you will not be disappointed with Sweden’s offerings - and with newest addition The Arctic Bath Hotel, you are quite frankly spoilt for choice.

The Arctic Bath is a wellness retreat with an extra special touch that only the Swedish could execute. Built to float on the stunning Lule River during the summer and freeze in place throughout the winter, the hotel offers the ultimate back-to-nature experience year-round.

Connected by floating walkways, the circular Arctic Bath features four saunas, a spa treatment room, a hot bath, outdoor and indoor showers and two dressing rooms. As per Nordic tradition, there is also a cold-water bath for guests to take an icy plunge and add to their wellbeing experience. Guests can choose to stay in one of the six floating cabins or land-based cabins. On land, you can make use of the huge glass windows facing north to search the skies for the Auroras or bask in the Midnight Sun and in the floating cabins, you can enjoy a brilliant view from your wooden deck outside. Learn more on our accommodation page here or scroll to discover everything that’s on offer here.

Famed for its aromatic botanical gardens, volcanic landscape and plentiful marine life, it’s no surprise that Madeira has been voted Best European Island Destination for 6 years in a row by the World Travel Awards. What’s more, when you take a closer look at Madeira’s cultural scene, you’ll soon see why they are reigning champions. 

With the turn of the new decade, we think there is no better time to start taking a serious look at your bucket list, which is why we’re celebrating 2020 by bringing you 20 unforgettable bucket list experiences!

The two stunning Atlantic archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores are favourites amongst our Artisan Travel Experts, but with so much in common it can be difficult to tell them apart! That’s why we’ve decided to pit these two fantastic archipelagos against each other, to help you discover the best place for your next getaway.

There is nothing more Finnish than coming in from the snowy wilderness and heading to the sauna. The Finns invented this relaxing experience and it is simply a must-do during any visit to this wonderful country. 

"A Night at the Theatre", art suite designed by Jonathan Green and Marnie Green 

When the plans for this winter's ICEHOTEL® were revealed in September, we couldn’t wait to see the finished Art Suites. The good news is that the wait is finally over!

©Antti Pietikainen

Let’s face it, trying to find that perfect way to ring in the New Year can be more stress than it’s worth. Often, the occasion is a little lacklustre and it can be difficult to find something to memorably mark the start of the New Year.

It might still feel very much like autumn here in the UK but the snow has most definitely arrived in the Arctic Circle! The onset of the new winter season is something that we get very excited about here at Artisan Travel. Not only do the winter months allow for a whole range of exciting Arctic activities such as dog sledding, snowmobiling and snowshoeing, but they also give our clients some of the first opportunities to go in search of the Northern Lights!

Our ethos has always been ‘bucket list experiences in extraordinary destinations’ and though we emphasise the experience side of our trips, we’re incredibly proud of our hand-picked destinations. That’s why we were thrilled to see that others think the same - in fact, they think some of our destinations are the best in the world! Big 7 Travel recently revealed their reader’s poll of the 50 best islands in the world, and we think you’ll recognise some familiar names on there.