Yllas Log Cabins

We recently spent another week at the Yllas Log Cabins. Last year we went the week before Christmas but this year we went for the Christmas week (23 - 30 December). Instead of repeating things already written in last year's review, I've decided that I will compare the two weeks which might be helpful for anyone not sure when to travel. The cabin (Kukasrakka) was a lot closer to the village than the one we had last year - a couple of minutes from Destination Lapland and Snowfun Safaris, although it was nowhere near the cross country ski tracks, as advertised by Inghams ("skiing from the door"). Last year we stayed in Musko III, a long walk to the village but right near the tracks. The cabin was the same design as last year's - but quite a bit newer. We noticed a big difference in the amount of people there. This time we arrived at the start of the Finnish holiday. The ski slope was a lot busier and the cafe always crowded, often with nowhere to sit. However, there were more ski runs and lifts open than last year and I did hear people say that it was quiet compared to Alpine resorts. The cross country tracks in places were very busy, like a main road, whereas last year we wouldnt meet another skier for miles - a lot easier when youre not as good as the locals who keep having to get out of your way! Julli's Restaurant was packed and we had to wait to be seated whereas last year we had the place pretty much to ourselves to start with. We decided that we would book a table at Poro Restaurant, just in case and they only just managed to squeeze us in at their specified time. Again, last year there were only three tables occupied and we just turned up. We noticed a difference in the amount of snow and the temperature too. Sadly this might be to do with climate change, but it was warmer and one day it was even thawing, although by late afternoon it quickly froze again. We did the husky and reindeer super safaris again. Still excellent and highly recommended. All in all it was a lovely place to spend Christmas. 18 - 24 December is a quieter week, but if youre skiing, you'll probably prefer to have all the lifts open. We have booked again for next year 21 - 28 December.

Booked with Crystal for our first trip to Lapland. Out on the 30th December a 3.25 hour flight from Manchester. arrived at Kittila airport to be met by 5 Crystal reps coach for an hour to Yllas and the Log cabins. Now i have to add the log cabin was more like a wodden clad cabin from the outside however the interior was great. We ewere just at the back of the Aksa hotel with the forest behind us (and real log cabins!!) I travelled with my husband and our 5 year old daughter. The nextt day after the welciome meeting it was the bus to ski school were they were kitted out for skiing (i am 3.5 months pregnant so just watched) The ski school was pre booked and they enjoyed it. We pre booked a couple of excursion the reindeer trip and santas secret house which was fantastic you get 1.25 hours with the big man 6 familes time one to one with him plus singing carols and a Q&A spot our daughter was entranced. Took the 15k Huskey trip expensive but weel worth it. The whole trip form snowman in the forest to santa was magical would recommend to all

We travelled to Yllas for two weeks over Christmas. Just my husband and I and booked with Inghams.Unfortunately our cabin was quite a long walk from any amenities. This became a problem walking back each day and it was uphill all the way. It really is luck of the draw where you are situated. The cabin was great. Everything you could possibly need and more no complaints at all. Plenty of snow but no fresh during our stay so it tended to be hard and frozen. We are ski-ers and usually travel to the Alps. This meant Lapland was disappointing. It is great for a ski taster or for beginners but if you are a skier you will find it boring and limited. The other thing to know about this place is everything is very expensive. Trips seem to be a fortune and everyday things also. They only have one supermarket so can basically charge what they like and you have to pay for it. We had a free dinner at the Akas hotel. The food was very good but you had a long wait to have the table called, still a nice gesture from Inghams and the kids all got to meet Santa. I was disappointed with him. Thought he would be more realistic and couldn't speak hardly any English but the kids seemed to like him and that's what matters. A great thing to do is hire a Skidoo. Don't go on an organised trip, book it independently and go out on your own, much more fun and cheaper. We booked it through Destination Lapland and it was E38 for the first hour and E30 every hour afterwards. The best value thing to do. The forest around you is beautiful and has some sort of magic about the place. Another thing to bear in mind at this time of year is the lack of daylight. All you get is a sort of Twilight between 11am and 2pm. It really affected us after two weeks we really craved for some daylight. We were not lucky enough to see the Northern Lights. Too tired after such a long walk back to go out at night. Kept going outside to have a look but no luck. To sum up the holiday, two weeks was far too long and do not recommend it. One week or 4 days would be enough. The children all seemed to be having a great time and really excited. Do not go if you are looking to ski as the main part of your holiday you will be disappointed. Also of course remember the cold. It is very cold and you will need lots of layers. Would we go back "NO" but glad we did it ,an experience we will never forget.

We stayed at the Yllas log cabins as part of a 5 day visit Santa package with Inghams. If booked through Inghams the cabins are spread across the small town and are basically privately owned cabins let out by their owners. The cabin that we were allocated was approx 15 minutes walk to the hotel (which provides half board facilities and acts as a meeting point for the tours). With three young children this was quite an ordeal as we typically needed to make 3 return journeys through the snow each day. The cabin itself and the location were fantastic. Although basic the cabin had everything that we needed including a much valued dryer for our wet clothes. The setting was the real highlight though. We were on the edge of the woods and although there were many other cabins close to us most seemed to be empty despite it being just a week away from Christmas. It was therefore beautifully quiet. In terms of the hotel the food was ok. Breakfasts were good with plenty of choice but evening meals were a bit hit and miss. I would however recommend taking up the offer of half board, unless you want to cook in your cabin, as there are very limited eating options in town. Through Inghams we opted to do 3 excursions - the husky sleigh ride, the reindeer sleigh ride and the snowmobile excursion. All were excellent and I would strongly recommend all of them. We opted for the longer option in each case as this seemed to give the best value. We didn't do the visit to Santapark as there was an excursion to another Santa location which covered our needs. We also heard that the Santapark excursion was a very long day for small children - approx 2.5 hours each way on the coach. Overall it was a fantastic, not to be missed trip and we can't wait to visit the beautiful Yllas area again.

My husband and I stayed in the Yllas log cabins for the first week of January. We booked the cabin through Inghams. We were allocated an Yllasviiko cabin. Our cabin was part of a terrace of three cabins and we were on the end. Didn't hear our neighbours at all so being right next to someone didn't bother us. Our cabin was a fairly long walk from the shops and restaurants which wasn't always fun in minus 22 temperatures but we survived and made the most of it. The cabin itself had a large drier in the entrance hall which looks like a fridge. We used it quite a bit for drying our towels and it worked wonderfully. There was plenty of hanging and storage space downstairs. The bathroom had a washing machine, toilet, large basin and shower and a wonderful sauna too which was perfect for two people lying down. The kitchen area felt really cramped. We arrived to an over full dishwasher which hadn't washed the previous occupant's dishes properly and didn't smell too good. The kitchen area also had a breakfast table with two long benches which was handy for eating at. The lounge area had an l-shaped sofa and a small TV and radio/cassette player. No DVD player. There was also a bunk bed downstairs which we didn't use. Up some stairs which resembled a ladder was the mezzanine area with two single beds. We had to make up our own beds which we found rather unusual. The pillows were filthy and the duvets didn't look very nice either but you would probably find that in most hotels but you wouldn't normally notice as the beds are made up for you. We found that the mezzanine area got very hot at night but yet the downstairs area seemed chilly. The ceiling height is also very low in the mezzanine area so be careful not to bump your head. No matches were provided for making a fire and we also thought that perhaps they could have provided a few condiments like salt, pepper and maybe some sugar as it seemed a waste to buy this from the shops in the quantity they sell them in for only one week's stay for two people. We weren't overly impressed with the interior of the cabin but we had the most fantastic holiday and were prepared to overlook the cabin's short-comings as we didn't spend much time there. Please note that the cabins are privately owned so each one is different.

To sum up Yllas Log Cabins Everything you could wish for. We went for a week at the beginning of Dec, just two of us (both being adults). We had a great time, and went through Inghams. which I have to say seemed fine. We did the learn to snowboard package and the husky and reindeer rides. All were great..the Husky ride had a slight edge to the reindeer one for us. If you a ski or snowboard enthusiast and are going to do just that then I would not say this is the resort for you. Yllas is very small with a handful of shops/restuarants etc. I would deffinatly go back, however with a child next time (even if we have to borrow one for a week..lol) Dont hesitate book it its a REAL NARNIA wonderland...and our 2nd favourite place to Disney World

We were dropped off at our cabin, which was a traditional log cabin (you know the type, like the ones they have in the US and Canada), it was a long terraced row which contained 4 cabins, we were in a cul-de-sac of about 7 rows of cabins that were all off set too each other, they were well spaced out, these cabins were called Lumipolku Cabins. There are 3 wooden steps up to the cabin door, with a thermometer, broom and boot scraper on the porch. We opened the front door into a little inner porch which housed the drying unit, looked like a big fridge that when you open had racks to hang your wet clothes, it was an electrical dryer that had a timer etc, and we used this everyday just to take the coldness from the clothes we had just used. The into the main part of the cabin, it was smaller than I had imagined and even though I has seen pictures of it, it was still more modern than I had hoped for, I was longing for the whole place to be like a traditional log cabin, rustic and brown, instead we got orange pine cladding and under floor heating, nothing wrong with this but just not what I had really wanted. as you entered the main cabin to the left was the bathroom which housed a great shower, loo, sink and washing machine, plenty of storage as well, then there was a glass door in the bathroom which lead into the sauna, this was big enough for 6 sitting or 2 lying down, only issue I had with it was that the heated stones should had had a cage over them, this was an accident waiting to happen, especially when the drunk other half decides to get down from the top seating area and nearly topples into the stones, so it is something to bear in mind, children and drunk partners need supervision at all times in the sauna. Opposite the bathroom was the bedroom, just a plain square room with my longed for logs on view, this room was bland with 2 single beds, cupboard and bedside table, large window overlooking the front on the cabins, The living room had double ceiling height going up to the roof, this gave the cabin a nice airy feel, the fireplace was the focal point of the room. The kitchen was big enough to move in and was very well equipped, it had everything you need. The cabin also had a mezzanine area which was above the kitchen, bathroom and downstairs bedroom, it had 3 single beds up there and was accessed by narrow stairs, there were child safety gates at the top and bottom of the stairs, the mezzanine had a laminated floor that made it very slippy, the ceiling height was also restricted, great for kids but not for adults. The cabin was very warm and even though we played about with the heating I don't actually think it was ever on, the mezzanine area got very hot and dry. The beds were comfy but you have to make up the beds yourself with the supplied bedding and each bed has a thin mattress topper that tended to move about in the night, so you need to secure it down with the sheets if you can. The view out the back of the cabin (where there was a back door and porch) was wonderful, there was unrestricted views into the woods. Towels were also supplied, I would recommend that you take some dishwasher tables, tea towels and a dishcloth out with you as these are not supplied. The cabin had a CD and DVD player, there were also a few English programmes on the TV. The cabin was clean and there was enough space for all of us, it amazed me how warm they were given the temps outside, lot to be said for triple glazing and good insulation.

First holiday in lapland and was not disappointed. We travelled with Inghams, 4 Adults and 2 Children (10yrs). 4 Boards & 1 Skier (63yrs) We stay in the Yllas Log Cabins for the first week of the Easter Holidays, and the weather conditions couldnt have been any better. Temp was around -5, blue skis, quiet wide slopes. Perfect conditions for those learning to ski or just at beginner/intermediate stage. The log cabins were roomy, warm and well equipped with everthing you could ask for. We had a 1 bedroom with a Mezzanene floor which the kids loved and turned into the den. The access to this floor is steep so really only for older children. The sauna was fab after a day at the slopes. These cabins are on the edge of a frozen lake, and on the last day we did discover that this was the shortcut to the village. The supermarket has everything you need and is well stocked. Piece of advice take a sledge to the supermarket with you. We ate in Jullis most of the time and would recommend the pizza. This is the best winter holiday we have had, so good that we are booked to go back in January to Yllas. Lapland is magical, you wont be disappointed. On the trip front, we did the reindeer safari, kids had a ball.

We travelled with Inghams on Dec 17th - 24th 2006. There were 2 adults & 2 children (aged 6 & 8). Flew out of Gatwick on the Sunday afternoon and was advised by the pilot that the temperature was around -26!!! A 3 hour flight takes you to Kittilla in Finnish Lapland. It took approx 50 mins to reach the Yllas Log Cabins which were to be home for a week. You are allocated your cabin on arrival, and they are approx a 2 - 20 minute walk from the Akas Hotel. We stayed in Musko 3. A terraced log cabin (we were in the middle). Now let's get one thing straight, I am VERY fussy as to where I stay, it must be very clean with comforts from home and it absolutely was. We were in a 2 bed with mezzanine which was ample space for the 4 of us. We stayed in the twin room downstairs, and the children went up nto the mezzanine. The stairs are very steep so not suitable for the very young or old! Well equipped kitchen, good size bathroom with sauna and comfy lounge area. Washing machine, dishwasher, huge drying closet......perfect. It is late when you get there so take some basic provisions with you. Someone had kindly left us some teabags and fresh milk in the fridge. We did the half board option which I would not do again. Purely because we did'nt like being tied to strict mealtimes and the food for kids at the Akas is'nt great. If your kids are happy with chips for 7 days then ok. It is finnish style food served which for us we found nice. Did'nt have a great deal to do with the Reps, but they were friendly (George, Kirsty and Rue) and happy to help. Ski school organisation was very good. Yes you have to be up early the first day to get up to the mountains to sort out your gear, but once it's done (and inghams seemed to have priority) it;s done. For me and my husband we spent the first lessons on our bums. The 2nd day hubby picked it up well and progressed...me....well i could'nt master the art of stopping. Feeling embarrased i tried to excuse myself from our small group of 5 but was then buddied with a ski instructor where i had a one on one lesson for the next 2 days. I am hugely grateful for his patience, support and sense of humour otherwise i'd have given up. Our kids took to it like ducks to water, the children put you to shame as they go fleeing down the slopes at an alarming rate and come toa graceful stop. Out of pure luck our 6 year old ended up with a one on one instructor (Katya) who was wonderful to her. The skibus is very crowded, but hey you are on holiday!! We did the reindeer safari and the snowmobiling northern lights excursions with Inghams. Both trips amazing. Did not see NL on that night, BUT we did on the Friday after walking back from Santa's House in Lapp Village. That finished off a magical evening. We did not go to Santapark as i had heard negative reviews. It is a 2 hour drive from Akasalompolo and hundreds of people descend on it apparently. For us we took a leisurely walk to Lapp Village (approx 30 mins) from where we were staying paid 16 euros and had a 10 minute private time with Santa. It was amazing.... I felt like crying, our children were in awe. That night we also went to Jullis for dinner. GO it is a must. Fab burgers and pizzas, kids made very welcome. The finnish are friendly and helpful. On the second to last day our son fell and broke his collar bone, he was looked after immediately and medical help sought for us. If you were the kind couple on the slopes that day who stopped to help, thanks once again. Weather is bearable. Lots of thin layers, good boots, gloves and headwear and you'll be fine. I could go on forever, but this is one place in your lifetime you have to go to. We have just booked to go back over Xmas this year. We are going to self cater though this time. (great supermarket) To summarise, Yllas is wonderful, our accomodation perfect, weather ideal........... i don't need to say anymore.

We have Just retruned from an Amazing week's holiday in Yllas, Lapland. The holiday was booked with Inghams departing Manchester on Christmas Eve and staying in the Yllas Log Cabins - Akaslompolo. We arrived to a Snowy White Lapland at 7pm on the 24th Dec, thankfully without any delays. Tempreature on arrival was -20, during the week it warmed up and was between 0 and -15, althougth it was colder than your used too you never felt too cold as you were wrapped up warm (plenty of layers). In the run up to our departure many people had been worried by the lack of Snow, dont panic the snow is there to stay. Its Knee Deep in parts and completley White all over. It snowed 3 times during our stay, two fairly light flurries and on our last day it snowed all day. We were transfered to Yllas Log Cabins by Coach, which took an hour (plus a bit extra to drop other passengers off). I was a bit apprenhensive before we reached our cabin as we had read a few negative reviews before our departure. But I can say with all honesty that the accommodation far exceeded our expectations. Accommodation: Our Cabins were called Yllas Niesta (15mins walk from the Akas Hotel) located amidst Snowy Pine Forests. The cabins were traditional terraced log cabins (Smaller than pictured in the brochure, but very similair in style). As we later found out the Yllas Log Cabins are independantly owned and rented to Inghams, so each one can be very different which explains some of the less complimentary reviews. We had booked Self Catering (Which with hindsight I feel was definatley the best option). Our Cabin had everything you would possibly need and more, the fully fitted kitchen came complete with Full Oven, Microwave, dishwaser, Toaster and enough crockery and cutlery to accommodate a party of 20!! Althougth there was only two of us, we had booked a Two bedroom Cabin. Our Double bedroom was downstairs with another 2 single beds upstairs in the mezzamine. The open plan living area and kitchen had modern Ikea Style decor with traditional finnish pine furniture and stone fireplace. Outside at the rear was a balcony which over looked the pine Forest and cross Country Ski Tracks, Our balcony often received visits from Squirrels and Reeindeer! The Cabin was well heated, the under floor heating was often enough on its own, there was little need to have the heating on which was quite unexpected, no need for Winter Pyjamas as I found out after a very HOT 1st night. The bathroom came complete with a Finnish Sauna, which was welcome after a days Skiing! The location was great, once you found your way around you were fairly close the the Akas, with a 15 - 30 minute walk into the village Centre and supermarket. I have NO complaints at all regarding our cabin, for us they were just perfect. One tiny point is that the Stairs up to the Attic Room were extreemly Steep and having a fear of heights and stairs I am quite glad that I didnt need to climb them every night. Young Children may have found it a bit difficult and hazardous. Christmas Day (and My Birthday) - The Rep's had informed us that our Welcome Meeting was to be held on Christmas Day at 9:30am in the Akas Hotel. We were in no rush to get there as we much preferred to spend our morning leisrely opening presents and eating our Christmas Breakfast. We were not given any prior directions to the Akas (Apart from a very simple map which didnt even feature our cabins!), and arriving at night in the dark we were a little disorientated and ended up getting lost, althougth I did see my 1st Reeindeer on the walk to the Hotel! We arrived to the meeting late, just when everyone was booking the excursions and had no opportunity to ask questions as we were rushed onto the Ski Bus to pick up our Ski equipment (We had pre-booked the 7day Ski School). We did however track one rep down to ask about the Gala Dinner that night, She told us to come at 6pm (We later found out that we had been expected to go to the earlier 4pm sitting - It got sorted out in the end). We got the Coach to the Slopes to be fitted with our equipment, and althougth we were 1st in line we were already to late for the storage lockers which meant we had to carry our Ski Boots with us every day. Tip: Get the lockers as soon as you arrive. We didnt have a lesson on Xmas Day, but were booked to start at 10am the following Morning. Christmas Gala Dinner - As I mentioned before we were expected at the earlier 4pm sitting, but they managed to squeeze us in (on a table on our own) at 6pm. Apart from seeing Father Christmas and eating Reeindeer for the first time the Gala Dinner was a waste of time (Thankfully its Free!). There was no Christmas Atmosphere, not even a Cracker on the table! The Inghams guests had to wait until everyone else had been served before they could get to the buffett. The food was OK, nothing special, infact it is what I would have expected on a normal night. There was a good selection of typical Finnish Food, and it was nice to try some of the local fare. Just as we had finnished our main meal Father Christmas Arrived and the Kids were told to form a queue, being a big Kid myself I joined it with them! I had expected him to look a bit fake, but infact he looked great, althougth he spoke very quietly so it was quite difficult to hear his Christmas Tales. By the time we had finnished with Santa there was no dessert left on the Buffett! The evening was over very quickly, no party , no music or dancing so we left the Akas and went to Explore. Ski School - We began lessons on Boxing Day at 10pm, the Ski Bus is ALWAYS packed and as we are the last stop its quite a squash! I am not the most adventurous of people and was dreading my 1st day (I was terrible and spent most of the day on my bum!). Our Instructor Saara was fantastic and so paitient, whilst my boyfriend moved up to the next level class by the 2nd day (By the end of the week he was skiing the Balck Runs) whilst I stayed firmly in the Bottom class, sticking to the basic Snow Plough movements. By the end of the Week, I was skiing down the red runs and attempting (Badly) parralell skiing. I was extreemly pleased, but all the credit must go to Saara the instructor and my skiing pals for all there support and confidence building. I would definatley Reccommend the Ski School to anybody. Tip: Get a Bus Timetable, the Ski buses are quite infrequent and are very busy in the mornings. Excursions: As we had missed the Welcome Meeting and had not Pre-booked any Excursions we decided to book our excursions independantly - which had both good and bad points! We most wanted to do a Snowmobile Trip, Visit the Lanio Snow Village (Ice Hotel), Husky Safari and Visit Father Christmas (At his Home). Unfortunatley by the time we got round to booking a Husky Safari they were all fully booked - I was gutted! We asked everywhere and were offered a full day excursion to Sweden on our last day, but it was 210 euro per person and as it was our last day it just didnt seem worth the money. After researching Inghams are definateley the cheapest for the Husky Safaris, but we had heard that even the longer safaris are over quite quickly. Althougth I was extreemly dissapointed not to see the Husky's its given me an excuse to go back again one day (Not that I need one)!! Tip: Pre-book the Husky Safari with Tour Operator and book the rest independantly on the 1st day - Dont leave it too late. Snowmbile Safari to Ice Hotel, Lainio - This was by far the highlight of our trip. We had reasearched a few companys back home and Snowfun Safaris did an excursion to Lainio. We then found out that you could hire a snow mobile for the day and drive independantly to Lanio (It was much cheaper than the organised Tour and gave you greater flexibility to travel at your own pace). We were supplied with a very basic map and a Quick insruction and then we were off!! The scenery around the seven Fells is stunning, there is no feeling quite like driving through Snow covered Pine Forests, over Frozen Lakes on a Snow Mobile. My Boyfriend felt like James Bond and I was his Lara Croft!! Amazing and never to be forgotten. We did get a little lost along the way, who would have thought that there would be a sign post in the middle of a Frozen Lake!! Not Us!! We ended up at YllasJarvi and after taking the wrong turn decided to stop for directions at the Supermarket. Eventually, as it was just getting dark, we found the Snow Village. It has been my dream since I was 12 to visit an Ice Hotel, Ive spent years looking at both this one and the one in Sweden just dreaming that one day I will get a chance to visit. So my dreams had come true - WoW I was impressed! The building of the Hotel has been set back this year due to lack of Snow, and there was still a bit of last minute prep going on. As we had arrived late we had the hotel to ourselves. Surprisingly we got to look in each Bedroom, the Suites are amazing - Ice Carvings on the Walls and Beds made of Ice with Reeindeer Skin covers! The Bar is a sight to be seen - Beautiful! The bar wasnt open for drinks, but that did mean that I got a chance to be a Bar Maid at the Ice Hotel (Even if it was pretend). I also wanted to visit the Chapel, and light a candle for my Grandad who had passed away 3 weekds prior. He would of loved this chapel, just like the one he used to play the organ at - it was perfect! Music Played automatically as we walked in - Quite Scary actually! The Chapel would be great for Weddings, fairly small (Seats about 10) but in a magical fairytale setting. Its a must visit if you go to Yllas. The Drive home was a bit scary, by now it was dark and some of the steeper tracks were fairly difficult to negotiate, we slid backwards down a steep hill at one point so you really do need to be an experienced driver to be able to keep control when your on your own. Searching for Santa - This Guy is very secretive and very difficult to find!! Apart from meeting him in the Akas on xmas Day we didnt find him again during our stay. I had read about the Lapp Village (Santa's House) which was in Akaslompolo and thought I would pay him a visit. We found Lapp Village fairly easily and went to ask in the shop were we could find him. It was Boxing Day, and we were told that he had left the Lapp Village to go to his other Finnish Home 300km away - very dissapointed (Thankfully we have no Children or there could have been a few problems explaining our way out of that one!). However Lapp Village has a nice souvenier Shop so I cheered up a bit !! Akaslompolo: The Village we stayed in is beutiful, althougth very small there is plenty to keep you occupied. You really dont need organised Tours or entertainment on a holiday like this. We spent our days and evenings just walking about the Pine Forests, Across the Frozen Lake - walking around in amazement most of the time in awe of the beauty of this place. Sleding was also a favourite pastime (We had a Sledge at our Cabin - Which came in very handy) - There is a great Sledging hill behind the supermarket and also near the entrance to the Akas Hotel road. Kick Sleds were more difficult to get hold of, so I would reccommend hiring one for the week as they are great fun. We also Took the Local Bus to YllasJarvi and visited the Hotel Saaga, althougth the hotel is really nice and modern the location is nowhere near as good as staying in Akaslompolo, it didnt have the same feel to it, the roads around the hotel are heavily snow ploughed and covered in Sand to prevent slipping and it didnt have the same magical effect as walking around the Snowy white Roads in the Akas Resort. A great Hotel is you spend alot of time skiing as you are within walking distance of the slopes. Restaurants/ Shops: As we were Self Catering we did the majority of our cooking in the Cabin (We even had a 3 course homecooked Christmas Dinner on Boxing Day, which was much better than the akas Gala Dinner). Jounin Kappa (Super Market) sells everything you could possible need for a self catering holiday and our Cabin came complete with all the utensils and equipment you needed to cook (Actually better than our Kitchen back HomE). We had pre ordered some basic provisions to be delivered to our cabin on arrival, as the shop was closed on Christmas Eve and Day. They delievered everything on our list, even the trusted brussel sprouts!! The prices are similiar to home, things such as smoked salmon are actually cheaper. Althougth they dont sell spirits or stronger alcohol they do have a huge selection of beer and cider - enough to keep me happy! We had heard great things about Jullis Restaurant and ate there twice, the Burgers and Pizza are amazing, both tasty & huge and a great atmosphere too. It gets very busy so be prepared to wait for a table. We also tried another Pizza restaurant on our last day for lunch - I think it was called Evaskori (Near the post office). These Pizzas are even bigger than those at Jullis and just as good, with a wider selection of Toppings. Bear Pizza anyone? We found about four Souvenier shops in Akaslompolo, some things are very expensive but we found the best bargains and widest selection of Gifts at the shop by the Post Office (On the Corner of the Main Road). Pubs and Bars are limited, but its not that type of hoiliday so its not a problem, we had a few drinks in Jullis and also in the Pipola across the road. The Finnish people you meet in the Bars are so friendly and enjoy to ask questions about where your from and how you like Yllas. Inghams: Althougth there were a few little niggles, unlike some guests I will not go on and on about how bad they were as a Tour Operator - I refuse to let a Tour Company Ruin my holiday - It is what you make it and we made it a holiday of a lifetime. Everywhere I went, wheter it was the Ski Bus, the Slopes, a bar or restaurant I over heard people complaining about Inghams (And the Food at the Akas). Once one started everyone began to join in and it became quite boring to say the least. Ok the Reps werent the best, but I never rely on the Reps to make my holiday enjoyable, thats my responsibility. They could have been more helpful and provided a bit more information and a little more organisation. Also a little more festive spirit at the Gala Dinners wouldnt go a miss, Its our Christmas Day after all. I am glad I didnt have any major problems as I think there response would have been write a letter to Inghams when you get home. The staff at the Akas also wernt very helpful and just told us to find the Rep if we had any questions. In defense of all the complaints about food in the Akas, its finnish food - its not just catered to english tastes. In fairness I heard a story about them not providing enough food to go round all the guests and I think that needs to be dealt with urgently. I would travel with Inghams again, they got us there and back safely and thats all I really wanted them to do. One disaster did happen (Althougth not the fault of Inghams), on arrival back in Manchester on New Years Eve, my luggage was nowhere to be seen. Once the carrousel had emptied it was apparent that my suitcase was not there - PANIC! I filled in a lost luggae form and we left the airport without my case feeling very dissapointed, the worst thing was that all of my Lapland souveniers were in there, things I may never get a chance to buy again, My Ski School certificate (My Proudest acheivment yet!!) and obvoiusly all of my Ski Wear (Which I had spent a fortune on) along with Christmas & Birthday Presents. The journey home was a very quiet one to say the least! but the next day we had Good News my case was safe and sound in Gatwick Airport! The Gatwick flight was checking in at the same time as Manchester and must have got mixed up - So Ive got a few days wait before I can unpack but thankfully all has ended well. As I dont want to end on a bad note I will finish by saying that we experienced a truly memorable holiday in Lapland. It is well worth the money you pay, and I would pay the same again just to see that stunning scenery and knee deep white Snow. Everything about the destination and Akaslompolo exceeded our expectations and we will definatley return again one day, there is no place on this earth like it. For me I was quite glad that it wasnt at all commercialised and focussed on Father Christmas, just the fact that everywhere was white and I was staying in a Log Cabin made the whole holiday Christmassy. The Skiing in Yllas was a fantastic experience and one that can only get better, In the next few years millions of Euro will be spent in Yllas developing the ski Resort to similiar standards of other European Ski Resorts. On most holidays by the end of the stay I am quite glad to be returning home to all our home comforts, but as our Log Cabin was home from home I really wouldnt of objected to staying put forever!!!! I would be more than happy to do that same holiday every Winter for the rest of my life. To all those visiting Lapland, Yllas or Akaslompolo I can guarentee you a truly unforgettable holiday. Enjoy every minute of this special place, I am certain (Like me ) that you will never want to leave!!