At the beginning of September 2017, we moved into a real Scandinavian wooden cabin in Finnish Lapland. This log house was temporarily assigned to us as a staff accommodation at the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort.

 

The Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort is located about 250 km north of the Arctic Circle, in the middle of the inhospitable Arctic tundra forest. We can't call Kakslauttanen even a village since it is mainly formed by the structures of the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort. The resort offers its guests exotic accommodation in wooden log cabins of various standards and facilities ranging from simple chalets to luxurious, spacious log cabins with sauna, two bathrooms, kitchen, living room - accommodating up to 6 people.

 

We had the unique opportunity to move in one of these chalets. It was a luxurious version of a log cabin located in the Eastern Village (the resort is divided into the older East Village and the new modern West Village). The current price of this cabin ranges 600 - 1000 EUR per night  (occupancy 2 pax). As staff members, we paid 600 EUR on rent a month for two people.

 

What do the cabin facilities include?

Since it was a luxury edition, we had our own kitchen, living room with fireplace, two bathrooms, a sauna, a bedroom and a view of the beautiful lake and the river of the same name Kakslauttanen. In case you come as a tourist, you can quite comfortably cook out of your supplies in the kitchen equipped with necessary pots and utensils.

 

What fascinated me the most was the surrounding untouched harsh nature, the inhospitable forests and the vast lakes. Sleeping was quite amazing here. The night forest provided calmness and darkness - felt like sleeping in a tomb. Sometimes we were lucky, and right in front of our cabin, we could observe the dancing polar glow on the starry sky.

 

During the summer season, tourists come here to do hiking on many hiking trails leading all around this place. In winter, hiking boots are replaced by cross-country skis or downhill skis (Saariselka). You can opt for Husky dog sledding tours, snowmobile rides and many more. However, be prepared to pay for all kind of activities at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort loads of money.

 

The nearest small shop is 10 km away in Saariselka and well-supplied bigger supermarkets you will find 40 km away - in Ivalo.

 

One thing is to come here for a couple of nights as a tourist and the other as an employee. Continue reading, what obstacles we had to overcome as cleaners at the resort.​