Ice Hotel Arrival

27 January 2018 and we are heading to Kiruna Airport Sweden for a once in a lifetime adventure and experience, that of the Ice Hotel and a nights sleep in a ice room.

Early start as the flight is at 1030hrs so at 0430hrs we were up and out walking Strawberry prior the drive to Heathrow. It’s always hard leaving her behind but know she is always extremely well looked after by my parents.

The drive to Heathrow went smoothly no problems and the transfer from the car park to Terminal 2 just as smooth. Flew with Scandinavian Airlines and as you would expected all the air stewards were blonde and beautiful. Served a cold meal with complimentary drinks and listened to the information about our stay from the Discover the World guide.

Sally on runway

After three hours we touch down at Kiruna into a winter wonderland of ice and snow, the temperature reads -21 and quickly it takes our breath away. Coughing hard as it causes us to cough as the air is so cold and dry. Quickly into the airport through Customs and baggage collection and onto the waiting coach transfer to the Ice Hotel. Twenty minutes later along snow covered roads we arrive and the setting is amazing. Snow drifts of twenty feet in height, snow covered log cabins, huge ice blocks indicating your arrival at the Ice Hotel.

After checking in we enter log cabin number five to the heat of a constant 25 degrees and a very pleasure surprise of what is provided. The cabin has two bedrooms, a sauna for a bathroom, plenty of space to store all the outdoor clothes you require and a spacious kitchen lounge area.

We settle in, unpack and head out to gather our additional outdoor clothing provided by the Ice Hotel. That of boots, mittens, balaclava’s and a complete all in one suit and we needed it all that night when out on the snowmobiles. The cold hit me like a sledge hammer in the face when you take in the wind chill factor. My forehead felt as if it was frozen even when a balaclava, neck scarf and helmet on.

Was pleased to stop in the forest at a lovely log hut for a rustic local meal of reindeer stew, hot lingonberry juice followed by blueberry pie though that was a little bland. Afterwards headed out again on the snowmobiles and luckily saw the Northern Lights, though only for 10minutes and only after the guide pointed them out to us !! Pleased it happened but not quite the impressive sighting we were hoping for, by now we were freezing as several of the group have gotten stuck in the snow and it took time rescuing them. On the move again through the snowy forest it felt warmer and this part was fun, even stopped to do snow angels in the amazing deep snow on route. Contined back to our start point arriving back around 2330hrs too a final temperature of -28. A great first day that did end with a mad dash back to our cabin and an impossible attempt to get through five layers of clothing plus a full body suit as desperate for the toilet now.

Local church

Warm cabins

Approach road to hotel

Kids sledge

Local shop