Hi all, just thought I’d post our information and views from last weeks trip to Levi and more specifically the Crazy Reindeer hotel with Inghams, feel free to ask any questions that might help you in with your trip.
We arrived on Sunday 2nd December which later found out was the first main day of business for Inghams, and found loads of snow, Kittila airport is the smallest airport I’ve ever been to, it was 20yds from plane to terminal, 20yds through the terminal and 20yds from the terminal to the coach !!!!!!
It was -15 when we arrived and after a very short transfer of 15mins we got to the Crazy Reindeer at about 7.30pm local time. We had an apartment in the older Crazy Reindeer annex, as opposed to the newer White Reindeer, but it was perfectly adequate for our Lapland stay and was large enough to spend time as a family inside it without it being cramped, it had a fridge, microwave, small two ring cooker + oven (we never used it), a porch area with drying cabinet, a wet-room bathroom and a sauna. If I was really being picky then we could have done with a kettle and some of the décor was a bit tired but within 24hrs it was like home from home.
We were informed we could book our Ski-school from 8-10pm so walked down the hill 300m to the New ‘Ski Centre’ which is at the bottom of the large Front slope (half way between Lenventuri %26amp; Crazy Reindeer), the opposite corner to the small ski school building, it only opened two weeks ago and is very nice, it’s the main area for ski rental %26amp; booking and contains a café.
Sunday evening was really quiet to book stuff and it meant we saved a lot of time on Monday morning, pre-ski school as all we had to do was collect our gear. You can book a large array of packages not detailed on the Inghams website and the prices are the same, no higher, no lower, Inghams are using a conversion rate of 1.33euros/pound so work it out for yourself. We booked a beginners 3-day skischool + 3-day ski/pole/boot hire which includes lift pass during ski-school. Any gear booked with Inghams entitles you to free kids ski-gear for the whole week. We were given the option of absolute beginner school or Adventurous beginners school !!!!
Note: only 4 of the 14 lifts were open on Sunday 9th as we left (one being the G2 Gondola 1km away), I was told the main skiing season is late Jan to mid March. Ski-school was spent pottering around the bottom of the front slope then two days on the Kidsland slopes and half a lesson the bottom half of the intermediate front slope. Our 6yr old had ski-school and was flying in no time, Our 4yr old went into the Crèche in Kidsland and thankfully really enjoyed himself. Kidsland is fab for adult beginners skiing, kids skiing and sledging. There is also a fenced off area right in the centre of the front slope at the bottom for sledging and this sends you down onto the frozen pond !!!!!!!!!!!!
We booked a Super Snowmobile/Santa/Reindeer Safari through Aurora and it was brilliant, not commercialised, not rushed and the perfect setting, thoroughly recommended. We also booked the excellent Super Husky through Inghams @ £164 for four of us pre-holiday, it was a brilliant trip but we were glad of waterproof boots and balaclavas/goggles as it we a bit wet on the lake section and it was snowing also, Inghams don’t run this trip on a Friday because the Levi tourist board have it booked-up, they are cheaper as well at 53euro/adult %26amp; 25euro/child so if you look in resort you can get the exact trip quite a bit cheaper although the pick-up point is central rather than you hotel lobby !!!
Luckily the temperatures during the week were very mild sun:-15 mon:-8 tue:-5 wed:-3 thu:-2 fri:0 sat:-2 sun:-3, got a bit of sleet and slush on the Friday but it soon snowed again so all was ok.
We took the free ski-bus from bottom of the Front slope to the G2 world cup run (2km away) and then the Gondola up to the top of the mountain (1 ride = 3.5euros, sightseers lift pass = 5.5euros for up %26amp; down but there’s no machine at the top so a 1 ride is enough!!!!) cracking views, great sunset, bl**dy cold, no café up there but worth it.
Inghams had breakfast and evening meal at the ValkeaVaadin restaurant attached to the white reindeer hotel (First choice had breakfast there also but had their evening meals in the separate Wanho Hullo Poro), all lunches were in the Wanho Hullo Poro.
You probably won’t need to buy a sledge in resort as the Crazy Reindeer had what can only be described as a sledge mountain outside the reception yesterday, tip: take a marker pen and write your name on them as they go walkabout at the wrong time which is inconvenient if you’ve got upset/tired kids.
I’ll not carry on too much as it is probably really boring but if anyone wants a bit more detail then ask away.
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sounds like you had a fab time, what did your children think of it all? and would you go back to lapland or was the one trip enough?
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Curtlyb,
Thank you for that, very detailed description of your holiday sounds fantastic and i can%26#39;t wait to go, what the the staff like in the kidland creche and would you recommend it for a 2 year old, Thanks, and like poe said would you go back again???????
Kelly.
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Hi there
Thanks very much for your review - all very useful info!
What currency does Inghams accept - do you have to pay in sterling or Euros.
Cheers
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We were there at the same and would confirm almost everything you said.
Our room sounds exactly the same (were we neighbours?!) and I would have the same comments - a tad shabby but homely and the kids loved living in the mezannine (sp?) level, hubby loved the sauna and loved? sitting on the rear balcony for my cigarette just admiring the view.
We went to the wrong restuarant for our evening meal on all but one night. I don%26#39;t know how we made the mistake on the first night but we kept repeating it and the one night we were asked which company we were with I assumed they were sending us to the other restaurant because the Wanho was booked for something else. Even after the notices stayed up I just thought they had forgot to take them down after that one change of venue - duh!!! Anyway we enjoyed our meals in the Wanho and it was better for us becuase they stated serving the evening meal earlier and my kids seemed to be permanently hungry on this holiday - something to do with all the exercise?
Kidsland was fab - we spent a lot of time there. I got a photo of the %26#39;sledge mountain%26#39; outside the hotel on Sunday - too funny!
We did not ski, so I%26#39;ve nothing to add there! Except we got on the ski bus to go on the Gondola lift too. Unfortunately we had left it until Sunday and the cloud cover was quite low so no views but an experience for the kids none the less.
We had a fantastic time on our excursions. We did the Super Reindeer and Mini Husky booked through Inghams and the Search for Santa booked at Tourist Infomation.
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Fab Descriptions Thank you for the information-Starting to have doubts whether I booked the right Santa Trip?!!! Last minute nerves I suppose - really want it to be brilliant - the kids dont know yet and we are going on Friday!!!
How was the Lapland Experience one?
Did the kids enjoy the Aurora one?
3 more sleeps!!!!!
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Sorry - Brain frazzled
Meant to ask about the %26quot;Search for Santa%26quot; trip -
not the Lapland Experience!!!
Thanks
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Our kids loved our Aurora Snowmobile Santa Safari, not sure if it%26#39;s the same as the %26#39;search for santa%26#39;, it%26#39;s so laid back, no rushing etc, time to sit and talk to Santa while he rocked in his chair. Not a chicken nugget in site (Santapark beware)
We found that Inghams booked it all in euros and manually converted it to pounds (1.33 rate) if you were paying by credit card.
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The search for santa one seems to be in the middle ground somewhere. I spoke to some people who had done the auroa snowmobile santa one and it did sound better than the seach for santa we did. The %26#39;search%26#39; involved going in various buildings to see if he was there. There was an element of commercialism about the experience and I would have been slightly happier if the group was not so large but this did not have a massive impact on our enjoyment of the %26#39;search%26#39;.
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Just found the website for the trip we went on.
Its pretty accurate except for the bit about sleigh rides, skiing and snowmobiling! There were a couple of slegdes outside to use but that was it.
The pictures are good and honest, showing how it can be a little crowded inside the buildings.
http://www.santasvillage.fi/home.htm
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Thanks for that!!!
Nerves settling down a bit - just really excited I guess!
CHEERS
Janet
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