The Aurora Zone: New Northern Lights & Sámi Cultural Heritage tours

Nov. 29, 2011 - PRLog -- A matter of weeks after announcing additional departure dates for its already sold-out tours, The Aurora Zone has launched four new and carefully-constructed trips to meet record demand for Aurora hunting this winter season.  Popularised by the NASA prediction that 2012 will coincide with the Solar Maximum, resulting in the most vivid Northern Lights display for four decades, these four new tours see the introduction of three new Aurora hunting destinations – Menesjarvi and Inari, Finland; Tarendo, Sweden – and an adventurous new itinerary for Harriniva, Finland.

Each of the new itineraries has the dual focus of Aurora hunting and understanding Sámi culture. Whether it’s learning traditional fishing techniques, assisting a reindeer herder for a day or visiting the museums and holy sites of the Sámi people, each tour aims to give travellers a thorough understanding of Sámi culture, whilst also treating them to Aurora hunting opportunities by travelling across frozen lakes on snowmobiles and husky sleds in active searches for the Northern Lights.

Alistair McLean, Managing Director of The Aurora Zone, says: “Working in the newly-developed tourism industry in remote areas means that we must take a great deal of responsibility, not just economically and environmentally, but socially as well. Many of the small hotels that we work with are family-run enterprises whose Sámi roots have been in the area for centuries. We have included traditional Sámi activities as a cultural base to these tours to help deepen our clients’ overall understanding of the region. We encourage our clients to respect and embrace the way of living of the local inhabitants and hope that this makes seeing the Aurora an even more memorable experience.”

New tours for 2012:

Tarendo: Hunt for the Northern Lights, Sweden (Active) – four nights from £1,495 pp
Led by experienced Lappish guides and wilderness experts, this trip to Tarendo, Sweden takes travellers out hunting the Northern Lights using forest skis, snowmobiles, husky sleds and snowmobile-drawn sleighs. Borealis hunters are immersed in Sámi culture, trained in Arctic survival and pampered in the Forest Hotel’s saunas and hot tub – not to mention its traditional Swedish spa.  The hotel even offers an optional wake-up service if the Lights are in the vicinity, so guests don’t miss a thing. Departs regularly January – March 2012.*   Book via The Aurora Zone (01670 785 012, www.theaurorazone.com)

Inari: Aurora in the Sámi Heartlands, Finland (Gentle) – four nights from £1,695 pp
Based on the western shores of Lake Inari in the wilds of northern Finland, this trip offers a brilliant insight into the culture and traditional practices of the Sámi people and offers some of the best opportunities for viewing the Aurora. The trip teaches travellers the secrets of winter fishing – both with nets and traditional ice fishing, with a simple line – and travellers spend a day with a Sámi reindeer herder, helping tend to the herd and observing them in their natural habitat. The tour also includes a visit to the Siida Sámi Museum, a husky safari and three nocturnal Aurora hunting sessions using heated minibuses, snowmobiles and snowshoes to get to the best vantage points to see the Northern Lights. Departs regularly January – March 2012.*  Book via The Aurora Zone (01670 785 012, www.theaurorazone.com)

Menesjarvi: Aurora Adventure, Finland (Active) – four nights from £1,645 pp
This action-packed tour of Menesjarvi – a tiny reindeer herding village – sees travellers snowmobiling across frozen lakes by day and Aurora hunting by night. With a minuscule population and almost zero light pollution, the surrounding area boasts the optimum conditions for seeing the Northern Lights at their most vivid. As well as hunting the Aurora and introducing travellers to a range of Nordic activities, the trip also details some of the most important sites of Sámi cultural heritage, such as the Island of ‘Ukko’, an ancient and holy sacrificial place. The Aurora experience is completed at the Hotel Korpikatano, where an evening can be spent watching for the Borealis from under the Aurora Cabin’s glass roof. Departs regularly December 2011 – March 2012.*  Book via The Aurora Zone (01670 785 012, www.theaurorazone.com)

Harriniva: Northern Lights Quest, Finland (Active) – four nights from £1,445 pp
Encapsulating the adventurous spirit of Finnish Lapland, this active tour introduces travellers to a range of Nordic activities including husky-sledding, snowmobiling and snowshoeing – Scandinavia’s most underrated pastime. The tour takes travellers out hunting the Northern Lights on three consecutive nights in the, but allows plenty of time for unwinding in the Harriniva Wilderness Hotel’s outdoor Aurora hot tub – the most relaxing place from which to see the Borealis. There is also a scheduled daytrip to a reindeer farm to give travellers a wider understanding of the local culture and to demonstrate the importance of the animals to the region. Departs regularly January – March 2012.*  Book via The Aurora Zone (01670 785 012, www.theaurorazone.com)

*All trips are based on two sharing and include flights (London), transfers, B&B accommodation, stipulated activities, guides and wilderness experts, most meals and warm winter clothing for the duration of the stay. Extras, e.g. spa treatments, are not included in the price.  Group size varies between 4 and 20 members; over 18s only. Tailor-made itineraries are also available for groups of four or more, including family groups of all ages.

A full list of tours and itineraries is available at http://www.theaurorazone.com, which offers a ‘live chat’ option to discuss itineraries with an expert. For further information, please call The Aurora Zone on 01670 785 012.

ENDS - 29 November 2011

Note to editors:
The Aurora Zone is a brand-new holiday concept from Activities Abroad. The company has been offering Arctic tours to see the Northern Lights for eight years, a field in which it has a great deal of experience.  The Aurora Zone has been created to highlight the new hunting concept and to promote the fact that the next few winters may offer the greatest opportunity to see the Northern Lights until 2030.

For press enquiries or photography, contact Richard Mellor, Travel PR, tel: 020 8891 4440, email: r.mellor@travelpr.co.uk.

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