It’s about to be that time of year again. The time associated with warm treats and cosy festive blankets to fight the cold. The time to gather with your loved ones, exchange gifts, and fill up the air with the tunes of jolly Christmas carols. The time when you would witness your lawn become slowly painted white, piled up with fluffy and frosty snow.

Though, if you live in Malaysia, some of these may not apply to you. The country experiences a tropical climate that is simply too hot for snow to occur. That doesn’t mean you still can’t enjoy Christmas with the people who truly matter to you – because you absolutely can.

However, it might be a fun and exciting idea to break out of your yearly Christmas norms and fly out to get the ultimate Christmas experience. Bask yourself in a magical Winter Wonderland, meet Santa and his elves, witness the mesmerising Northern lights, and more. The ideal destination to spend your Christmas holidays at is the Santa Claus Village, Finland.

Nova Skyland Hotel

After a long and exhausting flight, the perfect hotel is just what you need to recharge your energy and ready yourself for more fun-filled Christmas activities. Located about a 10-minute drive away from Rovaniemi airport is the Nova Skyland Hotel. This luxurious and cosy hotel surrounded by the magnificent spawns of nature is also a mere 200-metre walk away from the fantastical Santa Claus Village, serving as the perfect accommodation option.

A great option for larger groups would be the Luxury Nordic Cottage, an 82-square-metre two-bedroom apartment, the ample space providing a comfortable setting for families or friends to spend their Christmas together. Decked with a lot of features, some highlights of this cottage include a cosy fireplace and its own sauna, ideal tools to brave the cold of the winter.  Additionally, guests can pick blueberries from the snowy forest right outside the cottage’s door, munching on the healthy snack as they spend quality time with their loved ones.

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Santa Claus Village

Explore the enchanting wonderland named the Official Hometown of Santa Claus. This magical village feels like Christmas all year round, packed with tons of fun activities for both kids and adults to enjoy – a perfect Christmas retreat for families.

Take a Ho-Ho-Holiday with Santa

A visit to Santa Claus Village wouldn’t be complete without meeting the man himself. Guests can chat with Santa at his office or cosy up in his Christmas House. While there, guests can also watch Santa Claus’ little helpers, the elves, hard at work. To spread holiday cheer, visitors can write letters to loved ones at Santa’s Main Office. These letters will be stamped with a special Arctic Circle postmark and delivered by Santa’s hardworking postal elves.

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Meet the Arctic’s Furry Friends

Book a Reindeer and Husky Experience and play around with these friendly animals that just can’t seem to get enough of the cold. The experience first includes a 30-minute sleigh ride through the forest pulled by reindeer, where visitors can live out their Santa dreams. It then follows up with another sleigh ride, this time slightly faster and pulled by fluffy huskies. Sit back and enjoy the rides, breathing in the cold snowy air and then ending the experience with a warm campfire accompanied by steamy drinks.

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Witness the Breathtaking Northern Lights

Anyone who has come this far must see the Northern Lights for themselves. The stunning visual of the natural yet magical phenomenon is an experience of a lifetime. Go on an Excursion to Aurora Borealis Camp by Electric Snowmobile, where you can cruise through the snowy wilderness on a stylish snowmobile until you reach the Aurora Borealis Camp. Once you arrive, you’ll have time to indulge in other activities such as sitting by the campfire, enjoying hot drinks and burnt marshmallows. Most importantly, don’t forget to bring your camera so you can immortalise your memories and take pictures of the mesmerising northern lights when they appear.

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Lappish Delights

A trip isn’t complete without trying out the local food. Located within Santa Claus Village is the Lapland Restaurant Kotahovi, a local establishment serving traditional Lappish dishes. The restaurant gets its name from “kota” which means ‘Lappish-style hut’ in Finnish. And yes, it does look like a hut inside and out. Explore the local gastronomy and dine on the delectable flavours of Lapland at this cozy hut-styled restaurant.

For more information, click here.