Glass igloo boat is one of the most awesome travel experiences this summer

Even though the tourism situation is still a big question mark all over the world due to the Covid-19 situation, spring still is a great time for dreaming and planning your vacation for the coming summer. One of the gems of exotic tourism can be found in the small village of Ranua in Finnish Lapland, where a small hospitality business called Arctic Guesthouse & Igloos runs accommodation in the form of 10 fully movable glass igloo boats.

Year-round glass igloo accommodation experience

Regular glass igloos have been an integral part of Lapland's tourism for a long time. In traditional igloos, however, the problem has been their seasonal nature and thus a certain one-sidedness. The 10 AuroraHut glass igloos on the shores of Lake Ranuanjärvi make a notable exception, as this is an accommodation option that offers experiences in the middle of Finland's beautiful nature all year round, and instead of luxury accommodation, these types of igloos emphasize their experientiality and adventure.

The AuroraHuts’ experience is guaranteed by their free year-round mobility. In the winter season, it is possible to pull igloos around the ice cover of Ranuanjärvi with the help of a track ATV or a powerful snowmobile, and in summer, igloos are driven by an electric motor, which allows igloos to sail around the lake like a normal boat.

Free mobility also guarantees that guests staying in igloos can get to know the different phenomena of Lapland's nature closer than ever before. And best of all: getting close to nature does not require building permanent accommodation in a certain terrain, but an igloo can either be placed (in winter) or anchored at a certain point for a certain period of time, after which it is possible to return to the starting point again.

The surprise of summer 2020

Arctic Guesthouse & Igloos could be considered a summer 2020 surprise for domestic tourism. In the spring of last year, the company managed to get considerable attention in Finland, especially about the teleworking opportunity of its igloos, about which both Iltalehti and Helsingin Sanomat wrote their own news. The attention received in the media also provided a good starting point for domestic marketing in the summer. The snowball started spinning well in Ranua to the extent that from the end of June onwards, Ranua also had to sell a lot of “no can do” to domestic tourists, who were willing to try the totally new kind accommodation.

What kind of feedback have the glass igloos received?

Arctic Guesthouse & Igloos has received almost exclusively positive feedback from its igloos. Many domestic tourists have managed to spot the company’s igloos, especially through the spectacular image and video ads on Facebook. Despite the great advertisements, a lot of tourists have said in retrospect that they have been positively surprised, especially about how wonderful, versatile and, above all, a completely new kind of experience is staying in a mobile igloo boat. Sailing an igloo on a lake with a remote control, anchoring an igloo in the middle of a great lake landscape, jumping into a swim or even taking a sunbathing ride in an igloo boat in the middle of nature are all experiences that have not really been experienced anywhere else before.

The pet-friendliness of the igloos and the fact that it is also possible to accommodate a small, mainly two-person igloo with 1-2 children have also received positive feedback. The immediate and genuine customer service of Arctic Guesthouse & Igloos has also been a really great asset in the day-to-day operations of the company.

At the local level, Ranua has surprised many domestic tourists with its versatility. In particular, the opportunities for nature mobility are extremely good all year round in a small town. In addition to its beautiful nature and mobility, Ranua has also gained praise for its tranquility.

How much does it cost to stay in a glass igloo in Ranua?

During the summer season (1st of June onwards) in Ranua you can book your overnight stay in a mobile glass igloo for 190 € / night. The price includes accommodation, buffet breakfast and access to the acclaimed lakeside sauna for two. During the summer, igloo guests can also ride their igloo on Lake Ranuanjärvi at no extra cost. You can find more information about Ranua’s AuroraHut glass igloos on Arctic Guesthouse & Igloos website.

Want to learn more about Ranua?

Even though Ranua is a small place with less than 4 thousand habitants, the town has become quite well known in the travel industry. This is mainly thanks to the Ranua Zoo Wildlife Park, which has been operating and gaining attention all over the world ever since the 1980s. Although Ranua Zoo is also quite well known in the world, the awareness of the small place and its history is otherwise quite strongly covered in darkness, even for Finnish tourists. However, you can find interesting information about Ranua in Arctic Guesthouse & Igloos' interesting Stories from Ranua travel blog.

Text: Tuomas Haapala
Images: Jari Romppainen & Arctic Guesthouse & Igloos