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Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers  

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It’s the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you’re interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.

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178 Reviews

4.8 out of 5

Reviews

A good mix of activities and time to relax

It is really like the pictures in the brochure! So beautiful and peaceful but with lots of activities to try out along with time to relax in comfortable accommodation and excellent quality local food.

As daylight hours at short this encourages you to spend a few hours relaxing in front of the open fire in the late afternoon before dinner.

Most Inspirational Moment

I really enjoyed the mix of activities but the husky dog sledging and the optional snow shoe to Castle Rocks were particularly memorable.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Henri was an excellent leader. He was well organised, very knowledgeable about the area, activities and wilderness skills and communicated this with good humour. All the staff at the Basecamp were lovely and nothing was too much trouble.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Whilst all the clothing (which is of a high standard) is provided I was glad I had a few extra base layers but I do tend to feel the cold more than others.

Finnish wilderness week

A wonderful week of winter activities (all of them a new experience for me from snow shoeing to husky dog sleds) and fun in the snow. The evenings were spent in the community building/hub eating great food and enjoying the company of the rest of the group round the fire with a few drinks.

Most Inspirational Moment

so many to choose from: - Cross country skiing across the frozen lake, - Attempting the ice wall, - Husky Dog sleds in -39, - Building and spending a night in a Quinzee,

Thoughts on Group Leader

Martti was great, he went above and beyond making sure everyone was happy and well informed, Loved his stories too even if my toes nearly fell off during one on the night snow shoe walk. All the other staff were great too and the food cooked was amazing.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Although all clothing needed is provided I found that several thin base layers underneath were needed, also a thinner pair of gloves were good under the gloves/mittens provided. There is only a few hair dryers for everyone to share so a travel one is a good idea. If you like a cuppa in the morning then take a travel kettle as Breakfast wasn't til 9am. You get a towel provided but I'm glad I took an extra thin one which was useful to take to the sauna/hot tub

I had an excellent time during the Finnish Wilderness Week

I had an awesome time from start to finish. The clothing provided was excellent and protected me well against the temperatures which did sink into the minus 30s. The room was comfortable although i didn’t spend too much time in it. Food was great and filling after busy days (there is a lot of fish which I am not usually a big fan of but I loved the fish soups). Activities were well run and the instructors were patient and well skilled in cross country skiing and snowshoeing as well as various winter wilderness skills.

Most Inspirational Moment

Being outside in such a stunning location! Husky sledding was particularly memorable though as was the optional long snowshoe offered on the Saturday.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was Henri Suopanki who was brilliant. He is a great tour leader who is a good instructor across all activities. He is patient and helpful when instructing and with any other queries. He also mixes a good cocktail! All the staff at Basecamp Oulanka were great and this is one of the best places I've ever stayed.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a book or small board game for the evening. When I went the days started getting dark at 3pm so a lot of time was spent in front of the open fire in the main lodge. There are a couple of board games available but I'd advise bringing a little entertainment of your own.

Finnish Wilderness Week

This is an amazing trip based at a wonderful centre called Basecamp Oulanka. The staff are fantastic, always available to assist and advise you. Mornings are spent trying out different activities and then in the afternoon you can try something different, relax or consolidate your snowshoeing or cross country skiing skills in the national park. Once you have tried these activities the equipment is available free to use during the week, as are the sledges on site. The food is tasty and plentiful, and the accommodation warm and functional. Trying lots of new activities really made this trip unique and now I feel I’m ready for a more specialized trip in the future.

Most Inspirational Moment

My daughter and I fell in love with the dogsledding. Everyone experienced the half day session and many of us scrambled to sign up for the full day which is something that we will never forget. The huskies are incredible, keen to be off, howling and jumping with excitement which contrasts with the silence when you are speeding along. The scenery is breathtakingly serene and beautiful. Lauri, the owner of the huskies, is caring and very knowledgeable and the dogs aim to please him and it is great to see their kennels and hear about how they live throughout the year.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader Martti was always available at the camp to answer queries or to suggest a route for an extra walk. He was very knowledgeable about survival skills in the cold and we had great fun building a quinzee. He is passionate about the Finnish wilderness and his enthusiasm is infectious.

Advice for Potential Travellers

All of the camp clothing is very good quality so do believe the trip guide, you really do only need to take thermals and good wool socks and liner socks, the fleeces and outer clothes are there for you. When it dropped to minus 27 it was useful to have a balaclava and woollen hats with the flaps to cover ears were a bonus. Do take Vaseline and lip salve, and use oil based moisturisers. Also shoes/trainers to wear in the main lodge when going for meals are useful.

Finnish Wilderness week

overall not great inadequate staffing levels for group size. Health and safety really not up to scratch – I have been to Iceland and Himalayas x3 this is, in my opinion, no where like as well run in terms of safety.

Most Inspirational Moment

free day skiing was good

Thoughts on Group Leader

Did not mix with group much.

Advice for Potential Travellers

consider very carefully before going

Review Centre
Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank Linda for her review, whilst we have not received feedback of this nature in the past Linda’s comments have been passed to our local operator for consideration as health and safety is of the upmost importance to Exodus and our local partners.

Paolo Bonato – Product Manager for Finnish Wilderness week

Magical

This trip was one of my favourites ever… breathtaking scenery, yummy food, lovely Oulanka Base Camp staff, and great activities. I would really recommend this trip as there is a different activity each day which makes it so memorable and rewarding especially if like me you haven’t done any of these activities before.

Most Inspirational Moment

We were lucky enough to see the Northern Lights on our second night which will always be a wonderful memory. What does inspire me is the friendliness and positivity of the Finnish people living in such cold conditions with few hours of daylight.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our tour guide Martti was fantastic throughout. He was very organised, helpful and interesting. What really made it for me was his extreme passion for nature and the preservation of his environment.

Advice for Potential Travellers

One thing that isn't on the pre-trip details is that you have to be careful what you put on your face and lips (i.e. no make up or other water based products) as in such cold conditions certain products can freeze on your face. I would recommend taking VASELINE for the lips (and even your skin if really dry) as you can use this safely in such conditions.

Finnish Wilderness Week

This was one of the most exhilarating holidays I’ve been on for a long time. I only booked at the last minute which was fine because everything you need is supplied and it just means packing a few changes of clothes for the evening. Oulanka Base Camp is very cosy with really lovely staff who looked after us well – the food was exceptional and all made from fresh. The itinerary lets you try all the activities and then do them with more challenge if you want to. I opted for the additional day-long husky driving and it was wonderful to be travelling through spectacular scenery pulled by these extraordinary dogs – absolutely wonderful!

Most Inspirational Moment

Definitely the long husky driving trip. My team was raring to go all the time and sweeping down the tracks at speed was so exciting - a real adrenalin rush! I would definitely do this again.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Everyone was just so helpful and kind - a really lovely group of people.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go for it! Trust the leaders and try everything because you do get better at the activities.

Amazing experience

Great week with an excellent combo of activities in a fantastic location. Peaceful and relaxing, great food and friendly service.

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved the snow walking and cross country skiing in the peace of the forest and the lake. Stunning winter scenery.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Henry was great. Fantastic knowledge of the area and local stories, made me the greatest fan of Finland. Good training session before activities and patient, genuine passion for his job. Thank you!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Additional activities are well worth the extra expenditure.

Finnish Wilderness Week

It was a really enjoyable week with an opportunity to try many new things in a fantastic setting.

Most Inspirational Moment

It's difficult to pick a single moment, we enjoyed the whole week, especially seeing the Northern Lights (which is not guaranteed) whilst cross country skiing by moonlight across the frozen lake. The full day dog-sledding with Lauri and learning to cross country ski were also great.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Henri was fantastic and he made the week for the group: he is charismatic, personable, friendly, organised, very knowledgeable and patient.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you use a hairdryer, then pack your own as there isn't one provided in the rooms (apparently basecamp has two that can be borrowed). If you are vegetarian and aren't very fond of soya meat, then note this in the dietary requirements as it was a feature of many of the veggie meals at basecamp during the week.

One of the best

You may be in the wilderness, but if you like adventure you will run out of time before things to do.
I loved the dog sledging (you can have your own sledge and dog team), the snow shoeing, the cross country skiing, the sledging etc. There is also the option for extra’s and I’d recommend the skiing in Rukha and full day dog sledging. There is plenty of option for free extra’s too as you can use the equipment to walk the bear route with snow shoes and do local cross skiing.
You can get away with taking little cash and paying for most things by card at the end of the week. For a remote base camp the food is good, the room clean and warm with underfloor heating and the equipment good quality. The only down side is the taster sessions could have covered more ground e.g. the snow shoe taster guide session had a bit too much talking and not enough walking, but a few of us made up for it with a walk to village after. This was a small issue for an otherwise incredible trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

1) A couple of us walked the bear route and the pure magical beauty of snow, river and trees was uplifting. 2) The dog sledging also gave a sense of companionship and adventure. 3) The night walk was hilarious as we kept disappearing up to our waists in snow. ... 3 rather than 1 inspirational moment, but thats representative of how good the week was.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Teddy was very good. Entertaining, informative and attentive. He engaged the group well and was very clear with instructions. He has a very relaxed manner and got the best out of the group. He also worked very hard to ensure all 20 people got an opportunity to do everything they wanted to despite high demand for some activities, which meant he had to split optional activities over a couple of days.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You can pack light as they do provide all the gear. Suggest you take a couple of base layers, trainers and casual clothes for the evening. You don't need a lot of cash as the activities, your bar bill etc can be paid by card at the end of the week. You may want some cash if you eat out at Rukha or take a taxi back seperately to the organised bus.