Reviews

Hotel staff were lovely and very friendly, especially the waiters. Our Artisan rep Greta was fabulous, nothing was too much for her. She organised games for Christmas Eve and notified the group when she saw the Aurora. Lovely bubbly personality. Cross-country skiing - a fun experience, magical setting, simply breathtaking.

The information prior to the holiday was excellent. We travel extensively and we both feel it was the best holiday we have ever been on. We stayed in the Hotel Aurora which was a boutique style hotel, with incredibly friendly staff and prides itself on the quality of it's food, which was stunning! They gave us a mobile phone on arrival which would alert us to the northern lights, which we saw over…
Read more four nights - a real bucket list experience. We had activities most days and really enjoyed trying out a variety of different winter activities. On our two days off - Christmas Day and Boxing Day - we had a downhill ski lesson and hired skis to use on the downhill slopes behind the hotel. All staff for the activities were friendly and knowledgeable and the equipment hired, including the warm suits were very good quality. Greta our rep in Luosto was also fantastic. We both were concerned that going to Lapland at Christmas, we would be overrun with children, but most people in our hotel were like-minded adult couples who wanted an activity based holiday. Overall we thought this was the best holiday we have been on and we have travelled extensively. Thank you so much for an amazing holiday!
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One of the best trips I have ever had. A lot of it was due to the amazing scenery, the dogs, the Northern Lights, but staff everywhere were super friendly and helpful. The 5-day husky tour was well organised and very well run (considering that there were 7 of us and in total 38 dogs!). We stayed at the Harriniva hotel for a night before the tour, at one of their cabins for a night after our tour…
Read more and back at the main hotel for the last night. The hotel is warm and welcoming. Rooms are very comfortable, wood clad and well suited to the environment. There are plenty of saunas on sight. Staff were all very helpful, warm and friendly. The food was delicious. Fresh and varied, something for everyone. Local cuisine available and again, very tasty. We were given amazing gear (warm clothes) for our tour and despite being out and about on husky sleds at -20, I did not get cold once! The 5-day Husky tour was perfect. Hanks, our guide, knew her dogs inside out and quite clearly cared for them very much. She kept all of us informed and safe at all times. She is an excellent cook and the food on the safari was second to none. Especially loved the local food and finding out more about local traditions, beliefs and history. The wilderness huts on the 5-day tour are basic, but despite this very homely and really add to the charm of the tour. I have gotten used to the sauna every evening and rolling in the snow afterwards - 'tis the Finnish way! Seeing the Northern Lights just added to the magic of this beautiful and unforgettable winter wonderland experience. The landscape was breathtaking, it gets a lot lighter than I imagined and the sunrises/ sunsets are magical on a clear day. Definitely one the of best holidays I have ever been on! Back at the hotel, we used the cross-country skiing available. The chap in the equipment room was excellent at ensuring we had the right gear (especially sizes) and also gave us a fantastic mini lesson on how best to get started and managed to get us all skiing cross-country!
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What a fantastic trip! The staff in the office (especially Dawn and Karen) were extremely knowledgeable, helpful and responsive and all of the paperwork was informative and comprehensive. We stayed for three nights at the Tunturi hotel and then one night in the Glass igloos at the Aurora Hotel. Both were very comfortable with good food, excellent staff (especially Ella and Ritta at the Aurora)…
Read more and the night in the Arctic View rooms was magical. The activities were well organised. The guides (especially Laura) were very approachable and gave good clear advice without making anything seem too daunting. We did two snowmobile safari's (one to the reindeer farm and the other in search of the Northern Lights) and also a Husky safari all of which were well organised and great fun. In addition, we also enjoyed sledging and a long but beautiful walk around the lake by the hotel. Finally, our local Artisan Travel rep Greta was charming, helpful, and a pleasure to be with. She was always available when we needed her and did a thoroughly professional job but with personal touches which showed how much she loves what she is doing. Thanks to everyone at Artisan Travel for such a wonderful experience - we are already looking forward to our next trip with you!
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Overall this has been the best holiday I think I have ever been on. Completely stress-free (once I decided to book a taxi to the airport on the UK side rather than get a train!). Before the holiday your agents helped me find cheaper flights and organised food and transport despite the fact that this made us later than the rest of the guests. Incredibly happy with everything, thank you! We have…
Read more never done anything like this before, a boat cruise or Croatia, so didn't really know what to expect. The boat was fairly small (a good thing) with about 30 occupants and therefore it was a small crew of about 6 people which meant you got to talk to them all and get to know them. The chef was Italian and the food we received was absolutely incredible. When we heard we were going to be getting breakfast and lunch each day we thought it would be a sandwich based lunch but in fact, we got three-course meals every day! This meant we didn't really need to buy any extra food (we did though just to try the local cuisine). We normally keep ourselves to ourselves on holiday but we sat with a couple from New Zealand on the first day and ended up making very good friends and we are now planning to travel to New Zealand to stay with them. There was a large variation in age on the boat, my husband and I in our 20's and ranging up to roughly 75 but this was fine as you could plan whatever you fancied on shore - my husband and I opted for higher energy activities each day but you could have easily chosen to wander slowly round the town or stayed on the boat admiring the views. Everything was incredibly easy from travelling to eating to planning our days so no stress. I am so happy I booked this and for the price I paid it has massively exceeded my expectations.
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Loved travelling down the coast. The scenery is stunning. The cliffs are so steep and craggy, with the sea a wonderful turquoise colour. Beaches are clean and beautiful. The "decking" style of pathways makes everywhere really accessible. The jeep tour from our first hotel was excellent. The guide explained about the ways in which the trees in the Natural Parks, inland, are "farmed" and which…
Read more therefore provide an ecologically sustainable industry. He was very knowledgeable and we spent a very interesting and enjoyable afternoon.
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It was a relaxing holiday where we got to see some beautiful, quieter parts on the Croatian islands as well as visiting Dubrovnik and the better-known harbours. The crew were very friendly and the chef produced delicious lunches. The cabins were comfortable with good ensuite facilities. Air conditioning was available throughout the night, not just for a couple of hours. It was a cosmopolitan group…
Read more with other guests from Scandinavia, France and Germany. There was an opportunity to hire cycles at most islands which was a nice change from lounging on deck!
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We had a wonderful holiday, thoroughly enjoyed everything. My sons were able to help with feeding and cleaning out the 155 huskies each morning which was an invaluable experience for them. We were lucky enough to be the only people staying for the week so it felt like a private holiday even though there were people staying overnight who were passing through and locals for dinner most evenings.

Accommodation and food was very good and we enjoyed the variety of styles. The locations were all good and we particularly liked the little boutique hotel at Stykisshulmur. We hope to travel back to Iceland - possibly the north and maybe with a 4x4 option. Generally a very good trip and loved the scenery.