As the plane descended into Ivalo, Finland, I peered out of the window at endless pine trees covered in a thick frosting of snow. It looked wild and untamed, elating my adventurous heart. Though I have multiple severe food allergies, I’d already experienced eating safely in Helsinki, 700 miles to the south. So I felt optimistic heading into this remote part of our trip.
We were headed to a beautiful winter wonderland in Utsjoki, Finland, part of Finnish Lapland, to a small resort named Aurora Holidays. I was curious to visit what’s deemed the happiest country in the world and, of course, see the Northern Lights.
Tiina Salonen, Aurora’s owner, noticed that I wrote about food allergy travel and contacted me. She invited me to come experience for myself her resort’s allergy-friendly accommodations.
Although I had visited the neighboring countries of Scandinavia, Finland hadn’t crossed my travel radar. English is widely spoken, making the language barrier a non-issue.
Passionate about Lapland’s wonders, Tiina had intrigued me with her stories of what I would encounter. A big draw was to see the dancing Aurora Borealis in the Nordic night sky. It sounded so captivating.
Ever the explorer, I was enthralled by the thought of snowshoeing along a trail of wild rosemary, while searching for red fox tracks. With my love for the ocean, I yearned to feel the exhilaration of running into the Arctic Ocean after warming in the sauna. This could follow an afternoon at sea, fishing for the famous king crabs.
Other activities that caught my attention for our Lapland visit included feeding traditional Sámi racing reindeer and driving a husky-led sled around the Arctic landscape. Clearly, there would be no shortage of adventure.
Finland is known to be a Celiac capital as well as being allergy-aware. I was definitely interested to learn more. And that’s how my husband and I ended up exploring the most peaceful, allergy-friendly corner of the world.
Planning for Food Allergies in Lapland
After speaking with Tiina, I felt confident that I could trust her and her team to accommodate my multiple food allergies during my stay. I sent Tiina my chef card in advance and we discussed any questions through email and WhatsApp.
Tiina has the best attitude of anyone I’ve ever met when it comes to accommodating guests with food allergies. She wants everyone to have an opportunity to experience the beauty of her corner of Lapland, and doesn’t want food allergies to prevent that. My sense is that Tiina would do anything to make her guests feel safe, understood and comfortable.
Having my chef card in advance, she had time to think through whether any of Aurora’s dishes needed to be modified. She wants to ensure the food Aurora Holidays serves is both delicious – and safe for food allergy guests.
Her warmth and can-do attitude eliminated any stress of feeling like your food allergies are a burden to others. With a background in nursing, Tiina’s food and environmental allergy knowledge is also impressive.
All the same, I did my due diligence and came well-prepared. I packed my regular go-to easy foods as a backup, in case I did not feel safe eating. However, it turned out there were always plenty of safe options for me.
Upon arrival to the airport in Ivalo, we stopped at a large grocery store before driving to Utsjoki. There were lots of allergy-friendly options and fresh food to keep in our cabin, just in case.
Aurora’s accommodating owner Tiina Salonen and Allie.
Finland Visit: Where We Stayed
At Aurora Holidays, the accommodations are authentic Finnish cabins. Most of them have two bedrooms, a kitchen, living space and a bathroom. They are cozy for evenings in and spacious enough to share. The cabins look out on the Teno River. With no light pollution and located right under the Aurora Oval, there is a high likelihood of seeing the Northern Lights right from your porch.
The cabin has everything that those of us with food allergies and environmental allergies need. In fact, Aurora Holidays takes it above and beyond for those sensitive to scents. Amenities include feather-free bedding, wood floors with no carpeting, and the linens and towels are washed with perfume-free detergent.
All soaps in the cabin are fragrance-free, with ingredients listed. If you preferred to prepare your own meals, the kitchen in each cabin is equipped with a full-size refrigerator and dishwasher.
In a wonderful Finnish cultural touch, there is also a sauna in each cabin. A sauna is the best way to warm up in the below freezing winter temperatures!
A Note on Epinephrine: During January, the coldest time of year in Finland, with temperatures in Fahrenheit reaching only single digits, I knew I needed to be careful about my epinephrine auto-injectors. I carried three to four auto-injectors on me, with two more that stayed in the cabin to be extra safe in a remote setting. When outside, I kept them as close to my body as possible.
Depending on what we are doing, I either kept the auto-injectors in my inside jacket zip-pocket close to my body or in an insulated pack in a bag under my coat. As long as they didn’t feel freezing, it did not seem to be a major concern. Bundled in layers, we stayed surprisingly warm throughout the trip and loved every moment spent exploring outdoors.
Lapland Stay: Allergy Aware Meals
Aurora Holidays provides three meals a day as part of their package. Breakfast and dinner are usually at the resort restaurant and lunch is often packed for the excursion of the day. Since this is a boutique resort, there are no more than 20 guests at a time. This allows plenty of opportunity to speak with Tiina and her staff about any food allergy questions.
The first evening we arrived at her Lapland resort, Tiina went over all the ingredients with me and answered any questions. I was impressed with her forethought and organization, and felt completely comfortable.
Breakfasts were usually a buffet of fruits, meats, cheeses, eggs, and breads. Dinners often consisted of a reindeer meat dish and vegetables or a pasta dish, with a safe dessert to follow. Tiina changes the menu depending on guests’ food allergies and other special diets.
If I had allergy questions, I could always ask. There’s something truly special about being able to travel without the constant worry or need to think through what to eat every day because of food allergies. Tiina went through the ingredients with me at each meal and put my mind at ease with her thorough understanding of cross-contact and allergen safety. It was truly a remarkable food experience.
Lapland’s extraordinary Aurora Borealis.
Lapland’s Northern Lights
From hopping between the borderline of two countries on a cable-stayed bridge, suiting up to go king crab fishing on the Arctic Ocean, or driving a husky-led sled, there were plenty of adventures.
The winter package at Aurora Holidays includes three activities, and then we could choose any other activities for a fee.
Utsjoki Village Tour: The first full day we went on a tour of Utsjoki Village. Our guide Sonja, made every car ride and activity fun and interesting. She showed us a map of where all of our excursions would take place that week and gave us a history on the area. The municipality of Utsjoki is the only one in Finland where the majority of residents are Sámi, the indigenous people of the region.
Northern Lights: Each evening after dinner was like waiting to see whether Santa had come to deliver presents. The anticipation of whether nature would cooperate with a light show was thrilling. There was also a stillness deepened by a combination of the dark and the crisp crunching of snow beneath our feet. It felt as if we’d entered into Narnia! The stars and night sky alone were exceptional.
Waiting to see if the sky’s light show would appear was unpredictable. However, Utsjoki, Finland is one of the best places to view the storied Aurora Borealis. We had the joy of witnessing them a few nights in a row.
Chilling with the Reindeer
Feeding Reindeer: Crouching in the snow holding clumps of lichen (moss) in my mittened hands, I extended my arms in hopes that a reindeer would feel my calm but eager presence. It took patience, but once the reindeer came over, their snow-dusted muzzles began munching. It was a favorite moment of the trip, filled with joy. In fact, I nearly fell over in the snow, laughing at their hungry enthusiasm for the food in my hands.
Reindeer are an important part of the culture in Lapland, especially for the Sámi people of this region. Tiina and her team spent the morning teaching us about the reindeer on their farm. We learned that the top layer of reindeer hair is hollow, which helps to insulate them. As well, their muzzles also regulate temperature.
Feeding them lichen, part of their diet, made it easy from a food allergy standpoint – no ingredients to check. The reindeer were sweet and gentle. Having a moment to connect with animals on a trip is always a meaningful experience.
Snowshoe Hike: The thump of snowshoes echoed as we hiked in the crisp air over a pristine snow-covered landscape, spotting animal tracks along the way. The serene beauty of the Finnish wilderness with a Belt of Venus sky made every step captivating. We stopped at a gazebo in a serene spot at the top of the fells (or hills), for lunch that day.
As Tiina and her team set up, we enjoyed hot beverages. The food was warmed on the fire, with chili sandwiches already prepared to be heated. When we indulged, everything was delicious and completely allergy-safe for me.
Diva of the Dog Sled
Husky Sledding: Driving a husky-led sled through the Arctic was a dream of mine since learning about races like the Alaskan Iditarod in elementary school. It was thrilling to sit on the sled with the dogs leading the way through the snowy tundra. With the speed of our dog team and the single digit temperatures, it turned out the hair that escaped my hat quickly turned into icicles around my face. An additional fun part of the adventure.
Since we would be outside, I wasn’t too concerned about my dog allergies. My husband and I dressed in exposure suits for the frigid weather. I kept my epinephrine auto-injectors and inhaler close to my body in my inside zip pockets.
Afterwards, we warmed up in the Lavvu, which is the Sámi people’s temporary dwelling. We had hot tea and and vegetable soup with sourdough bread (planned and prepared safely for my allergies). It was the perfect way to warm up. Then we headed back outside to give our dog team some treats for a job well done.
I had no allergy or asthma issues around the dogs because I was prepared. Before I left the trip, I met with my allergist to make a plan and go on some preventative medicine. Again, I made sure I had taken my allergy medications and had my inhaler (with spacer) on me.
After we finished dog sledding, I made sure to change into clean clothes and wash my hands. This helped to mitigate any potential dog exposure. Since we were outside most of the time, I wasn’t concerned, just proactive.
Lapland Life: Fresh Crab for Dinner
King Crab Fishing: A brisk wind chilled the few inches of exposed skin around my eyes, as we sat on a fishing boat in the Arctic Ocean. The rest of my body was warm and bundled, as I took in the steel blue ocean next to me, the snowy hills in the distance, and a cloud-covered sky. On the boat, our guide Trond taught us all about the king crab that we had just caught and would later eat for dinner.
My husband and I had a day full of new adventures in the little village of Bugøynes, Norway by the Varangerfjord and Arctic Ocean. After king crab fishing, we went in the sauna and then made a brave move. Our guides asked if anyone would take a dip in the Arctic Ocean. We volunteered and were the only ones in our group to experience the icy elation!
After changing into dry clothes, it was finally time to try our catch. A few months before the trip, I did a food challenge for crab and passed. I am now cleared to eat shellfish, which is exciting and hard to believe. We chose to do the king crab fishing trip, but could have chosen a different activity if I’d been uncomfortable. The meat was sweeter than I expected, and I was delighted to be able to enjoy this experience with everyone safely.
Overall Lapland Experience
The Aurora Holidays Lapland vacation was a magical experience. Imagine the freedom and enjoyment that comes from not having to think about or explain food allergies for nearly a week of travel. That was my experience at Tiina’s resort. I hope everyone with food allergies gets to enjoy such a carefree trip.
Besides the incredible Finnish natural beauty and adventure, the best part was not having to explain my food allergies at each meal. It is such an authentic experience that Tiina offers. If only we could replicate her and her positive attitude about food allergies all over the world!
Also see: Aurora Holidays website.
First Stop: Helsinki
Accommodations:
Scandic Hotel Grand Central
Restaurants:
Alderfelt
Kappeli Restaurant
Ravintola Savotta
For more Helsinki info: see my city guide at Missallergicreactor.com. Allie Bahn is a travel writer and contributor to Allergic Living.
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