Lapland

Lapland Uk Dec 2008 With two excited children and two nervous adults (we had heard the bad publicity about Lapland New Forest) we were not too sure what to expect. First impressions count and Lapland UK did not let us down. We were greeted by parking attendants that pointed us the way to the entrance tent. There is a coffee shop at Bewl Water if you do arrive too early. We had a hot chocolate and bacon sandwich looking out at beautiful view of Bewl Water.

After a straight forward check in we were given our family passport with clear instructions on what to expect for the day. Two welcoming and enthusiastic elves started with an introduction that made the children feel special and excited. The children were told that to enter the magical world of Lapland then they would have to wake the sleeping gatekeeper. Off they ran to the gate and shouting at the top of their lungs “LET US IN”. The gates opened and we all followed down a tree lined tunnel and met by story tellers and song makers.

We had guides on our journey that not only showed us the way but kept up the level of excitement with the children. They took us to the first stop to the toy factory. Here the children helped the elves make wooden toys. The group was just the right size so that each child was given lots of attention but there were still lots of atmosphere created by the group. My two boys were shown how to build the head of a rocking horse.

Next stop was the kitchen of Mrs. Christmas where the children helped decorate gingerbread men (Father Christmas's favorite) and then they sat down to listen to a story read by Mrs. Christmas.

Time for refreshment, so we were taken to the restaurant where we were given an hour to eat our lunch. We queued up for a small but very tasty meal. There were plenty of choices suitable for adults, children and vegetarians. A generous amount of water and squash on the tables and if you fancied a hot drink a separate counter was provided at reasonable prices. After our food we wandered over to the post office to write letters to Father Christmas and have them stamped and posted.

When it was time to visit Father Christmas we went to get our passports checked. We waited in the departure style lounge until our name is written on a blackboard. We were then taken by an elf as a family on our own on a wonderful walk through the snow covered trees in the woods. The boys were made to feel very special by being told to constantly turn round to make sure we were not being followed.

When we reached the log cabin the boys waited on a bench outside the front door. Father Christmas greeted the boys by their names and we all went in. After meeting so many fake Father Christmas's it was wonderful for the boys to finally feel they had met the real one. Nobody was disappointed. Father Christmas checked his book which contained his list of good children. Of course they were there and after a non-rushed chat the boys were given beautiful gifts and parents were given a book to read on Christmas Eve and a bottle of ginger wine in an environmentally friendly bag.

After our visit to Father Christmas our time was our own to wonder round the village. We visited the well cared for reindeer, stroked the very gentle husky dogs and found out about Sámi life. We choose to finish off our day by ice-skating. Skates are provided and ample time to practice around the Christmas tree on the ice rink. The boys made friends with Rudolf and were reluctant to leave at the end of the day.

Lapland UK was not cheap but I believe it was worth the cost. It was a wonderful start to the Christmas season. Lapland UK make every effort to make the children feel very special. The Sámi guides knew all about life in Lapland and answered all the questions that were fired at them. There was a lot of emphasis on an environmentally friendly Christmas with songs sung to spread the message. It was a truly magical day that will not be forgotten by either children or adults.