Lapland is not just about Christmas card views; it boasts an abundance of activities and excursions. If you are a keen skier or snowboarder Levi is perfect, even for the beginners among us! Cross-country skiing is popular in Lapland, particularly good for those of us lacking co-ordination; there is very little turning needed. All slopes are easily accessible by foot or ski, except the Olympic slope, where a short free bus ride and a cable car will get you there. If you need a ski school they are not expensive, and have the added bonus of English speaking instructors.

 On arrival purchase yourself a plastic sledge (for about £5), they are all the rage in Lapland, a must have fashion accessory to get you from A to B, but remember this entails walking back from B to A, usually a steep, uphill gradient. There are dedicated sledging parks, the slopes are floodlit, so many a drunken night was spent attempting to stay in the sledge. The sledges also have practical values, to carry all your ski goods in, suitcases and shopping. If skiing or sledging is not for you then perhaps you could be tempted to a romantic balloon flight. Do not forget your thermal undies, fluffy socks and woolly hat, maybe not so romantic, but the stunning scenery will make up for it.

 If you still haven’t had your fancy tickled then perhaps try a slow amble on a reindeer safari or a speedy husky safari. The reindeers tend to be slow plodding, methodical fellows, and by the time you finish this wilderness jaunt, a blow torch will be hard pushed to get you out of your clothing. On the other hand, the huskies are chomping at the bit to go, my advise is to hold on tight. This was by far the best activity, if you have a sense of humour, I laughed from start to finish, and occasionally now I think back and have a nostalgic little titter.

 From our four legged friends to our motorised ones – a snow mobile, if you have never had the pleasure, then you must treat yourself to a mid-night trip across the white desert. If you are lucky, as we were, then you will experience the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights), which are multi-coloured, 100-kilometers above ground level, they are electrically charged particles that collide with the earth’s atmosphere neat the magnetic poles, or in short – WOW!

 Oh, almost forgot, Lapland and the man with the white beard are almost synonymous. A two-hour trip takes you to Rovaniemi – the gateway to Lapland - in the Arctic Circle. Here you will find Ice Igloos, which you can check into and spend your stay, and Santa’s village, which consists of many shops, singing choirs, elves, Santa’s home and post office where he received 700,000 letters per year, from 150 different countries.

 Lapland is a magical place, especially during this time of year, the native population are warm and friendly. Try a folklore evening with the Sami, it is truly fascinating and most entertaining. When dinning out, read the menu carefully or you could find yourself feasting on Rudolf.