Lapland’s most exclusive retreat

Where to stay in Lapland? 

This is Octola: the most exclusive retreat in the Arctic Circle. Its guest book is a roll call of royalty and captains of industry, all drawn here by the promise of pure privacy. Google Maps won’t help you – geo-tagging is off-limits and the address is a closely guarded secret.

• Sample Itinerary
• Testimonials
• Gallery

Rising from the ashes

Octola’s founder, Janne Honkanen, personally welcomes every guest, and joins us soon after we arrive. A former professional  snowmobile racer, Janne’s life took a dramatic turn after a serious accident in Canada. He then founded a snowmobile school for children, only to later face a new battle — a brain tumour that pushed him to the edge of bankruptcy.

“One day the doctors declared my tumour was halted,” he tells us. “That was my Day Zero; from then on, I was determined to make every second count.”

Rising from the ashes – his company logo resembles a phoenix – Janne went on to win Finland’s Entrepreneur of the Year. He began acquiring land, slowly uniting plots from 43 separate owners, and created Octola – a sanctuary he envisioned as a private home for those seeking true seclusion.

“I prefer the wilderness,” he says simply. “I want to be far away from everything. I made Octola for people to feel at home in complete privacy.”

What to do in Lapland?

Ever the adrenalin seeker, Janne has amassed an enviable collection of toys: rally cars with spiked tyres for executing icy 360s on the private lake (“Guests can use your own supercar if they prefer”, he reassures us), a fleet of snowmobiles in all sizes, and kilometres of snow-dusted tracks that wind across the estate. We try our hand at snowmobiling, skimming through powder and descending a steep hillside run. Ice fishing, ice lake plunges, scenic saunas, dog sledding and forest hikes are all on offer – over 80 activities in total – with a full Arctic wardrobe provided for all shapes and sizes.

• Sample Itinerary
• Testimonials
• Gallery

What challenges face reindeer herders?

Throughout, the emphasis is on local traditions. Over a lunch of Finnish salmon soup and flame-grilled blueberry tart, a Sámi reindeer herder joins us to share his way of life.

“You have to love being out in the wilderness, just you and the reindeer,” he tells us. “We learn young – children start herding from the age of two.” But things are changing. “This winter was hard. The reindeer couldn’t break the ice so we had to put out more grass. In Norway, the Sámi people are lucky – the military stepped in and sent in trucks to distribute food for the herds,” he adds with a chuckle.

What locals do in Lapland

Out here, survival skills are second nature. As we roast marshmallows around a camp fire, our guide, Salla, shares her standard leisure pursuits: cross-country skiing across the tundra; canoeing down rivers bloated with melted ice; and trekking for days through snowy wilderness to reach open forest huts. “We have eight seasons here,” she says, as we resume our walk through the forest. “This time in early spring, ‘Hankikanto’, is my favourite — it’s when a crust forms on the snow so you can walk on top.” Salla bounds effortlessly across the surface. I’m grateful for my snowshoes.

• Sample Itinerary
• Testimonials
• Gallery

Where to see the Northern Lights? 

Later, in one of Octala’s atmospheric dining lodges tucked into the forest, we’re served the most tender local meat steak, followed by a campfire-grilled chocolate brownie — crisped at the edges, gooey inside. The setting sun casts a golden glow across the endless snow, painting the horizon throughout the night. Then, as darkness finally sets in to the north, green tendrils appear in the sky. They swell into a pulsing curtain of light then appear to shower down in neon icicles – the aurora in full performance over Octala.