The Artisan Blog

Today is the United Nation's International Day of Happiness and as expected the World Happiness Report 2017 was released. Here at Artisan Travel, we are thrilled to see that Norway was crowned the happiest country on Earth. However, we are actually not very surprised, as we can see why those who live and travel there fall in love with the magic and wonder it beholds.

Here’s why we love Norway!

Travelling to Madeira in late September, I was unsure how much I would be able to see and do. Little did I know that this archipelago is blessed with a moderate climate, kept warm by the Gulf Stream, making it perfect for almost year-round enjoyment.

After a short stay at Brändön Lodge, we continued our journey north and ventured further into the Lappish wilderness. We were heading for a small village called Sörbyn, in Northern Sweden, where we would undertake perhaps the most anticipated activity. Dog sledding conjures up a variety of magical images but nothing quite compares to the reality.

We arrived at the location of our activity in the early afternoon but already the sun had begun its descent casting an orange glow on the surrounding snow. Three teams of dogs lay in wait and the moment they saw us approach they began to realise the time had come for another journey. Never before had I witnessed such excitement amongst dogs. They were eager to set off, climbing on top of one another, barking and trying to pull a sleigh which was anchored into the snow.

For the first half of the tour, two of us would control our own sleigh and the other two would sit on the guide's sled, then we would swap over. As the guide went through a list of instructions on how to control the dogs I began to feel quite nervous, and as a gentleman was about to offer my companions the opportunity to have their own sleds. Unfortunately, my colleague seemed equally nervous and had sat down on the guide's sled before he had finished speaking and thus I had no choice but to throw myself straight into it.

The magnificent Treehotel in Swedish Lapland has finally opened their latest accommodation - the new 7th Room.

The world’s first ICEHOTEL was founded in 1989, and for 27 years it has been constructed from ice taken from the frozen Torne River in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden - destined to melt away come spring for the process to be repeated the following year. This year welcomes an addition to this cycle with the construction of the fantastic new ICEHOTEL® 365- a year-round icy experience.

The Swedish masterpiece that is the Treehotel has become a bucket list item, making travellers eager for an unforgettable night amongst the treetops. Now, they’ve expanded their unique portfolio of impressive contemporary accommodation to bring you the brand new magical ‘7th Room’

Our Travel Expert, Kat recently visited Manitoba on our Ultimate Wildlife Experience to see the king of the Arctic - the magnificent polar bear. We caught up with Kat to find out more about her unforgettable adventure.

Over the last couple of weeks, Finland has been receiving some exceptionally good coverage around the world and has won the accolade of being named the safest country to visit by the Worlds Economic Forum and the Third Best Country to Visit by Lonely Planet (to be honest we’d have had it even further up the list there!). Here at Artisan, we are thrilled that one of our absolute favourite destinations is getting the exposure it deserves.

Lapland is all too often associated with thousands of families searching for a big guy with a thick, woolly beard, a jovial laugh and a propensity for dishing out gifts in late December.

However, escape the “Santa Centrals” especially in January, February and March (when Mr & Mrs Claus holiday in The Bahamas) and Lapland is a treasure trove of outdoor wonder and activity. For adults, Lapland can be exactly what you need for your winter retreat. 

©Snow Games

Here are our top 17 things to do in Lapland that don’t include Father Christmas:

Even before setting off for the Azorean island of Sao Miguel I was filled with anticipation about the prospect of swimming with dolphins in the Atlantic Ocean. I knew that it wouldn’t be a sanitised marine park experience and, as with everything involving Mother Nature, the extent of my contact with these supremely intelligent animals would be very much in the lap of the gods. It was even possible that I wouldn’t see any dolphins at all but regardless, there were a few butterflies dancing in my stomach. After all, it’s not every day you get to tick off another animals item is it?