11 independent reviews for Finland wildlife short break
Reviews for Finland wildlife short break
David Bailey review 6 Sep 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The Bears and the excellent views we got.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Take mosquito repellent and a good camera,3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I believe so.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
It’s was a great trip. Sabrina was an excellent guide/host and also helped to improve upon my very limited photographic skills and knowledge of my camera.Kim Gearon review 10 Aug 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing bears and a wolverine while in the wildlife hides2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Bring a good camera and don't expect luxury. Sabrina is a great host/guide.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
It was amazing. A truly unique experience.Alceo Giardini review 2 Aug 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
bears experience2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
choose it !3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
yes, i did feel it4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
uniqueHéloïse Boross review 27 Jul 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing bears, quality of the guide2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Don't forget your mosquito net, a good long sleeve shirt for outdoors and good shoes to walk in the forest3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, definitively4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
A very calm and relaxing break far from the city.Martin Smith review 24 May 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing all the mammals listed. 2 Wolverine, several Elk & Reindeer, and Bear. Exceeded expectations. Brilliant2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Do it! It is an eco-holiday that focuses on seeing animals and birds and understanding their habitats and ecology with an accomplished guide and host.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Most definitely. Sabrina works very hard to achieve those aims.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Top value. Very high success rate because of the knowledge and skill of Sabrina. Also provides interesting insights into animal behaviour and ecosystems.Margaret Leahy review 27 Jun 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing real live bears in the Finnish wilderness, up close and personal.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
In my opinion, this experience is best for semi-seasoned wildlife photographers or hobbyists who are familiar with the concept of hunkering down and "roughing it" to get the shot. The website assumes that those who book the experience understand the expectations; it does not do the best job of setting appropriate expectations for anyone who simply wants to view wildlife and has never been on a photo/wildlife expedition before. You will be very tired, and the hides are not well set up to accommodate those with physical limitations, arthritis, etc. There was nothing wrong with the overall experience, but a little more context around the physical requirements (15 unbroken hours in silent, close quarters; *rustic* amenities; light-ish hiking) would be helpful for casual wildlife observers thinking of booking with Taiga Spirit. You will also be hosted in someone's actual home, so you get the full bed and breakfast experience in the traditional sense of the term — communal meals, quiet hours, etc. This could be a surprise to anyone expecting an independent, AirBnB-style accommodation. To that end, be explicitly clear when providing information around dietary restrictions or other health concerns! Sabrina can absolutely accommodate you with enough notice. You will be far from any stores, restaurants, or public transit, so be sure to bring whatever personal items or trail snacks you think you will need for the duration (Sabrina can also provide in a pinch). Also, as someone else noted, you may be slightly surprised by the informal booking process. I can confirm this operator is a legit operation — and reasonably priced — but a literal one-woman show, so you may need to practice patience with email responses, etc.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, Sabrina is a one-woman operation who runs the company full time and also contracts with other travel expedition companies. Her home is in a rural area that doesn't seem to see a lot of tourism, so visitors get to experience the real Finnish countryside and patronize what few local businesses there are.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Four out of five stars — points withheld for the lack of clarity around the target audience and minimal verification of client fitness (such as health & liability waivers, official food allergy forms, explanation of physical requirements, safety guidelines, general info sheets, photo equipment expectations, etc.). But points for the host's expertise and the uniqueness of the experience!Richard Astle review 21 May 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing the bears!2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be prepared to be very tired, you will be getting very little sleep as the bears can turn up at any time.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, I do - my only slight concern was that the hide we were using, does attract the bears by putting out food pretty much every night - great for us to ensure good views, but is this good for the bears?4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very high, really enjoyed it! Sabrina is a great host and guide and Lentiira is set in beautiful forest and lakes!Sherry Roberts review 1 Jul 2022
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Realising a dream to see brown bears2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Go for it if you are looking for an authentic experience with a high likelihood of seeing bears and wolverines. Sabrina is knowledgeable and passionate about nature and animals and takes good care of everything. Incredible opportunities for serious photographers but highly enjoyable for everyone - I just had my phone.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes definitely4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Awesome, highly recommended.Dawn Westwood review 16 Oct 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Fantastic wildlife photography experience- particularly loved spending time in the hides- saw bear and wolverine every day2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Do not hesitate to book - you won’t regret it!3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
A brilliant experience- Sabrina went out of her way to make this a truly memorable holidayAlberto Delgado review 19 Aug 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Bear watching and even seen a total of 24 species, counting a lot birds on the list. And as a wildlife lover this is so great. Though I miss the wolf. I learned a lot about predators and taiga forest thanks to our great guide, who also gave us a lot of attention. The silence of the taiga forest.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
add an extra night in the hide.It is wildlife! Mosquito repelent, rubber boots. Try all the Finnish berries and cakes!3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
yes I did.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
It exceed my expectations good in all. I recommended it specially for wildlife and nature lovers.Yasmin Surani review 24 Jul 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing wild bears in their natural environment. There is a lot of adrenaline when (if!) they finally arrive. You have to try to be very still and quiet, while also try to capture them with your camera. Being in the forest is a very serene, magical experience, as is exploring paths around Lentiira.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Take plenty of mosquito repellent, and don't be put off by the relatively informal nature of the booking process. It's a one-woman operation, so your host is very busy collecting guests from the airport/station, preparing meals and rooms, plus of course guiding. It all went very smoothly! Also, book more than one night in the hide to avoid potential disappointment.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
There was definitely the feeling that we were living relatively cleanly and simply. In the bear hides, we were without water and electricity. We were educated about how import it is to minimise the impact of human action on nature, and encouraged to learn about all the different wildlife who call the Finnish Taiga home.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
We had a wonderful time! We set out to see bears, but we really got much more out of the trip than we expected. We learnt a lot about European predators, and the forest environment. And we generally enjoyed exploring the area, and seeing the various landmarks around Lentiira. We were well hosted by a knowledgeable and accommodating nature-lover, who gave us a lot of attention, even eating meals with us, and spending 1/2 nights in the hide with us.Holiday Reviews
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