Sallatunturin Tuvat

I visited Salla with my husband and children (aged 8 and 5) in February half term with Crystal Ski. We had the most amazing stay in the middle of nowhere. The snow was amazing and unlike anything we’ve ever experienced before (in the alps). The main purpose of our holiday was to introduce our children to skiing and Salla was the perfect place to do this with quiet ski runs, on some days we felt like we had the ski runs to ourselves. We loved the keep warm huts that were dotted around either by the ski area or at the lakes when hunting for the Northern Lights. We would highly recommend packing sausages and marshmallows to enjoy whilst you warm up. Our accommodation was basic but very clean and had a sauna and fire place which was lovely to warm up at the end of a really cold day. The kitchen was well equipped, it only had a microwave and 2 ring hob but that was adequate for us. The chalet was well located and only a 5-10 minute walk to the slopes and there is a lake 5 minutes over the road where we went to try and spot the Northern Lights. We rented a ski locker at the slopes to save us carrying our skis and poles especially as the children got tired after a days skiing, so I would recommend this if you are travelling with small people. I think it cost around 25 euros for the week. The ski rental shop were really efficient and helpful and some of the equipment we rented was brand new. If you are travelling with Crystal Ski the coach stops at a supermarket in Kuusamo, we got given about 45 minutes to get all the shopping we would need for a week. The rep called it ‘Supermarket Sweep’ and it did feel a little hurried but manageable , just make sure you have made a comprehensive list in advance. There is a very small shop in the hotel in resort with things like milk, bread, basic toiletries, sweets, some drinks and cupboard items but it would be best to get everything you need at the supermarket. There are a few restaurants in resort but the only one we used was the Keloravintola at the bottom of the slope- the food was delicious (especially the doughnuts), we found the prices ok and similar to UK prices. The restaurant was clean, the staff were friendly and it overlooked the nursery slope which would be handy if you fancied warming up with a hot drink if other members of your party are having skiing lessons. On the other side of the hill at the bottom of the blue runs there is a small bar/hut where you can get drinks and doughnuts, and warm up by the fire, we used this a few times and it was also lovely! One of the days we went to Salla Wilderness Park to do a Reindeer Safari. Our excursion lasted around 3 hours and this included learning to drive a reindeer sleigh, feeding the reindeer and a sausage, bun and hot drink in a fire hut. The men who ran our trip were very friendly and gave us lots of information about the reindeer and encouraged everyone to ask lots of questions. It was a really unforgettable experience. Apparently Salla is rare as it’s the only place in Lapland where you take control of the reindeer yourself, we covered 5km which again is apparently rare as most places in Lapland you only do 1km. It really was a relaxing and magical experience. We paid to use the spa/swimming pool at the hotel which was brilliant with a jacuzzi, sauna, spa pool with jets and a pool for lengths. The pools looks out onto the snowy trees. Crystal customers get a discount but make sure you take your own towels as they were quite expensive to hire. Our Crystal rep was a lovely lady called Eithne, she was very friendly and helpful and gave us tips for where to go to try and spot the Northern Lights (the lakes nearby) and where to borrow a sledge from (there are sledges outside the Papana Pupi bar that you can borrow). She also sorted out our lift passes and gave us all the information we needed for the excursions that we had booked through Crystal. It was all very easy and stress free. All in all I would say that Salla is a perfect place to visit especially if you are skiing for the first time with your children as the slopes are so quiet and there were no queues for the lifts. It really was the perfect quiet escape and as you can probably tell from how much I’ve written about it, we loved it very much and it will always hold a special place in our hearts!