I have teamed up with Sunway, who offer more packages to Lapland from Ireland than anyone else. Our Sunway holiday to Lapland was magical. I still vividly recall my son lying with his ear to the snowy ground, telling me he could hear the elves making toys underneath…..
It’s been nearly four years since our visit, but it might as well have been yesterday. Our photo with Santa is still perched right in the centre of our living room and when a new visitor comes into the house, irrespective of the time of year, they inevitably hear how ‘we saw the REAL Santa’.
Words that we learned during our trip are still recounted in high pitched Finnish accents four years later, particularly ‘Joulupukki’ (Santa in Finnish) – if only they remembered their Irish words so well! We have been very fortunate to go on many great family holidays, but Lapland is still the most talked about trip in our house. We took a short video while we were there and it is religiously watched every year after we put up the Christmas tree and again on Christmas Eve. It’s part of our ritual now, along with putting out the milk and cookies for Santa before bed time.
People often say to me about the cost. I know it is expensive. You could easily get a week in the sun for the same price, but ask yourself which will the kids remember more? Will they talk to their kids about the week they spent in Majorca when they were 8? I don’t think so. I have no doubt that my kids will share their memories of Lapland with their own children one day. It is lifetime memories like this that are priceless.
We travelled with Sunway.ie who have sent thousands of families to Lapland over the past twelve years – suffice to say they know what makes the perfect Santa experience. They offer one and two night trips to Rovaniemi and three and four night trips to Kittilä. Sunway have packages available from Dublin, Cork, Shannon, Knock and Kerry. It is important to note that they have payment plans in place, so you don’t need to pay in full at the time of booking, a deposit of €100 per person will secure your place. If you can’t afford it this year, don’t worry, you can even book now for 2019 at 2018 prices!
Believe it or not, the magic actually starts long before you arrive in Lapland. Imagine your kids faces when you tell them they are going to see the ‘real’ Santa? That’s when the fun starts! This is enhanced further when you arrive at the airport and see the ‘North Pole’ as the destination at the check-in desk. It seems every child is wearing a Christmas jumper and Sunway’s elves are on hand with goody bags for all the children. It is a magical start to the journey and is typical of the attention to detail and service that Sunway provide throughout all of their packages.
While a private meeting with the ‘REAL’ Santa might be the reason you book a holiday to Lapland, it is not the only thing that is memorable about the trip. Just being in a winter wonderland, with snowy forests all around, is something pretty special too. All of Sunway’s trips offer husky and reindeer rides, as well as snowmobiling and a trip to Santa’s village and Santa’s post office – not your typical holiday experiences!
Which package to choose?
Prices are correct at the time of issue but are subject to change. This post was sponsored by Sunway but all views as always are my own.
Sarah
