Hotels near Ranua Wildlife Park, Ranua

When I first booked this stay, I had a look at some of the reviews and almost changed my mind. I am so glad that I didn’t! It seems that all of the previous issues have been fixed. There is a reception on sight that offers a lovely breakfast and small selection for dinner. We cooked in our igloo the first night. The kitchen area is small but has everything you need to make a dinner on the hob (no oven unfortunately). The privacy was not an issue as there are curtains and blinds available however we opted to sleep without them to get a full view of the night sky and even managed to sleep under the northern lights. If you get lucky, the lake offers an incredible view of the lights- the reflection makes it very magical. We stayed in the lakeside igloo which had an unrestricted view and meant that we didn’t have to leave our igloo to notice the northern lights to begin with. The other igloos are very close to the lakeside ones though and the best views are outside anyway. The staff were friendly and helpful. They helped us to book a husky experience which was €85 each. It sounds expensive but I couldn’t recommend it enough. You get a whole hour husky ride. We went on carts which we controlled ourselves but were told that they use sledges when it snows. I would recommend hiring a car to get to the igloo but it’s also helpful to have in Lapland in general. Most places are a drive away. The car also gave us the freedom to travel in search of the northern lights late at night. We were recommended to go to Honkivaaran, which is a secluded spot in the forest with an outside toilet, fire pits and viewing point. It’s a good spot for viewing the lights away from any light pollution. Having the car meant that we didn’t have to pay for any of the northern lights chasing trips and had freedom to go on our own. I don’t often write reviews but I honestly couldn’t recommend this place enough!

Lovely and comfortable – it's an old house but with modern conveniences and it's not that far from the zoo. The kids had fun playing board games and we all enjoyed the wood-heated sauna.

It was a nice place to stay, quite spacious. The location was good as well, easily accessible. We liked the fact that there were different matrasses in each room (soft/medium/firm), so that we could pick the one that we liked the best. Because of that we had a very good night of sleep.

The idea of a glass igloo is appealing - however be prepared for some space challenges. These igloos obviously have great access in summer to water - so likely will be enticing at that time of year. The beds were great - comfortable. Space for bags minimal - we had to decanter our clothes into our small carryon bags. even then could only have one bag open at a time. There were great subfloor storage for food (like an esky). Advertised to have kitchen - but no cooking utensils really supplied - no plates, bowls, cutlery. Family very happy to allow us to take some from BFast to use later. Issue is no ability to cook as no pots / pans supplied! After a big day out - only option was to eat in the restaurant on site - or have sandwiches only. Thus advertising a little off for what the igloos provide. Family - staff lovely. Very helpful (even with my limited Finnish). Loved the night out hunting for the northern lights. Even if nothing occurs you get a traditional Finnish campfire - food - conversation. Just rug up! My daughter loved patting the husky's as they returned from a run! A visit to the local Arctic zoo is a must!!

The apartment was spacious and had everything we needed for the 4 nights we stayed. We couldn't have asked for a better place to stay