Brown Bear and Wildlife Adventure

Fly to Kajaani Airport from London (via Helsinki). Here you will be met and transferred to Kuhmo, a 1½ hour’s drive away. Your ultimate destination is the Hotel Kalevala, a comfortable wilderness hotel in the heart of Wild Taiga. After check-in, dinner, a rejuvenating sauna and indoor Jacuzzi await your arrival.

After breakfast there is a programme briefing, followed by a visit the Petola Nature Centre with its permanent exhibition on the Finnish predators - bear, wolf, wolverine and lynx. This is followed by a late lunch, after which you will be taken even closer to the Russian border for bear watching. Head to the hides from the main lodge, complete with a picnic packet for the evening. The observation site is situated in an open wetland area with backdrop of spruce pine and birch forest. All hides are equipped with comfortable viewing chairs, sleeping areas and dry toilets. The smallest three man hide allow a close encounter with the bears, while the larger six to ten person hides offer a panoramic view of the site at a comfortable viewing distance. Many other mammals inhabit the taiga, although shy when the bears are around, Elk, Wolverine, Pine Marten and Beaver are sometimes observed. For photographers the site offers excellent photography opportunities and there is between twelve to sixteen hours of direct sunlight and two to four hours of twilight in the viewing season.  As well as the picnic basket are provided and we recommend that you bring weather appropriate clothing, binoculars, video and camera. Smoking is not allowed during the night. 

Following an intersting night of observation, return to the Hotel Kalevala for breakfast before meeting the second King of the Finnish forest, The European Elk, the largest member of the deer family. Choose from a dawn or dusk departure, both of which lend a special atmosphere to the proceedings when tracking through the surrounding evergreen forest. The 3-4 hour tour you may also reward you with a sighting of the elusive Wild Forest Reindeer, the wild cousin of the semi-domestic reindeer.  Return to the hotel for some further R&R before sauna and dinner.

After breakfast, your return transfer will head for Kajaani airport in time for your flight home (via Helsinki)