Snowmobiling in Finnish Lapland

The 3,500-tonne Sampo icebreaker kept shipping lanes open in the Gulf of Bothnia for thirty-odd years until she was forced into retirement. Now, the ship departs on thrilling excursions throughout the winter months, breaking through the Bothnian icefields off Kemi for the pleasure of adventure-seekers.

During the tour, the ship will make a one-hour stop to allow the more adventurous-minded to don a bright-orange puffy rubber survival suit and (safely and warmly) bob in the icy waters off the ship’s stern.

The iconic igloo has been used by generations of Inuit for shelter (the word igloo comes from the Greenlandic word Illu, meaning ‘house’). Air pockets in the ice insulate the inside, which can reach temperatures of 16°C, while outside, temperatures plummet to an icy -40°C. Unlike the Intuit, you’ll be supplied with cold-reflecting thermal mats, insulating sleeping mats, thick reindeer furs and expedition-grade thermal sleeping bags.

The brilliant Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort offers you the chance to sleep in a real one. They promise the cosiest of igloo stays, providing thermal sleeping blankets and thick furs.

NB If you don’t fancy the real thing, opt for one of their luxury glass-domed ‘igloos’ instead.