Stay At A Snow Castle
SnowCastle Kemi, Finland
www.experience365.fi
Make your own snowman at the SnowCastle, which opens only from January to April every year. Each year, over a period of six weeks, the snow castle is rebuilt in a different design, replete with snow sculptures and decorative walls. There is plenty to do for guests at this seaside resort. Some of the highlights include having a traditional Finnish sauna experience, excursions on a snowmobile, going on a unique icebreaker cruise, as well as an “Olokolo” ride on the frozen Baltic Sea.
Sleep In An Igloo
Snowhotel Kirkenes Kirkenes, Norway
www.snowhotelkirkenes.com
If you’re looking for an igloo experience, check in at the Kirkenes Snowhotel. Open for bookings from December to April each year, this hotel has 20 igloo-style rooms, each decorated in fantastical designs featuring Norwegian and Sami folklore by master ice sculptors. Located around two hours from Oslo, the hotel is close to the Scandinavian wilderness and an arctic fjord. There’s plenty to do here for the family – put on a balaclava and mittens and hop on a husky sledding expedition, or go trekking on snow shoes, snowmobile riding, cross-country skiing and even ice-fishing. There’s even an in-house reindeer park. At night, sit back and take in the winter wonderland as you admire the aurora borealis glowing in the skies.
Hang Out At An Ice Hotel
Hotel de Glace Montreal, Canada
www.valcartier.com
Each year, 50 ice sculptors and craftsmen create this hotel entirely from 35,000 tonnes of snow and 500 tonnes of ice. Comprising 42 rooms and suites filled with ice carvings and sculptures, the hotel is built to the theme of “Hotel Gardens” this year, and will showcase beautifully landscaped gardens made of snow, including a winter version of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Families can look forward to spending time at a magnificent ice chapel, a grand ice slide that is kid-friendly, as well as at a Nordic wellness area with multiple outdoor saunas for star-gazing.
Snow lovers can hit the slopes of Niseko Village, where they can participate in various family-friendly activities such as snow rafting and snowmobile tours.
Go Skiing
Niseko Village Hokkaido, Japan
www.niseko-village.com
Grab your skis at this Hokkaido resort, which boasts over 800 hectares of skiable terrain, including 47km of groomed slopes. Explore on a cross-country ski course, go snow rafting, ride on a snowmobile or simply play in Niseko’s internationally acclaimed champagne powder snow. Siberian winds interacting with moisture from the Sea of Japan provides a snow cover for Niseko Village that is among the driest and lightest in the world. The resort even has a snow school specially for children aged one to six, featuring day-care facilities. Modelled in an integrated township style, the village also features a huge range of other family-friendly amenities ranging from hotels with spa and onsen baths to dining and retail facilities.
Sail To Alaska
Regent Seven Seas Alaska, USA
www.rssc.com
Sail past icebergs, glaciers and snowcapped mountains en route to Alaska on a Regent Seven Seas cruise. Go past old Alaskan frontier towns such as Sitka and Haines, where you’ll soak up history and culture while listening to stories about the bygone Russian fur trade. There’ll be plenty of glaciers and ice fields to gawk at during the cruise stops, including in Juneau and Ketchikan, where you will be surrounded by snow-laden nature in its unspoiled glory.
