Sweden Travel News: Newsletter for Outdoor Holidays in Sweden

"Step Forward" is the quarterly email newsletter for Nature Travels holidays in Sweden. To subscribe, please use the form at the bottom of the page.

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Step Forward Winter 2012: Spring into the New Year!

Nature Travels News | Customer Comments | New Tours - Summer and Winter

A belated 'Happy New Year' to all our friends.

With spring just around the corner and the evenings getting lighter, here at Nature Travels we're buzzing with thoughts of the summer to come. And let's not forget the wonderful winter season we've had so far (and there's still more than two months to go for winter activities in Sweden, as the season continues until late April in the north!).

We reported last time that scientists were predicting that 2012 would be a 50-year-peak for Northern Lights activity - they weren't wrong! Many who have travelled with us so far this winter on one of our experiences in the far north of Sweden such Discover Dog Sledding in Lapland or Sami Reindeer Expedition in Lapland have experienced Northern Lights displays, in some cases on every night of their tour. The reports we've had have been truly amazing. As we are always clear to point out, the aurora is a natural phenomenon and subject to cloud cover, etc, so displays can never be guaranteed, but with sightings even reported as far south as Yorkshire this year it's been a very good season so far! It's predicted that the high Northern Lights activity will also continue into next winter, so if you didn't get the chance to travel this year or would like to come back for more, next winter is the ideal time!

At this time of year, everyone's thoughts turn towards the summer and our clients start planning their various summer adventures in Sweden, but if you're planning further ahead, don't forget that some of our dog sledding tours can now be booked for winter 2012/13 at the current season's prices.

We haven't been sitting on our laurels here at Nature Travels. We've added two new experiences for the summer: Canoeing in Dalsland's Lake District and Self-guided Hiking in Lapland. We hope that these tours will inspire our readers. As ever don't hesitate to contact us for any further information or questions - we're very friendly!

Since our last newsletter, we've settled into our new premises in Wareham and a new member of the team, Viki, has joined us. We all can't wait for some nice warm weather so that we can sit outside in the sunshine at lunchtime - we're even planning on having some window boxes! Bring on the sun...

Nature Travels News

Book now for dog sledding winter 2012/2013 and recent media coverage of Nature Travels experiences

Nature Travels to add experiences in Norway

Not only have we added new tours in Sweden to our portfolio for the summer, we're also planning on branching out into Norway. We're currently researching suitable products and are planning to have the first experiences to introduce for winter 2012/2013. Norway is a stunning country, with a very diverse landscape, with its fjords, mountains, glaciers and national parks, there really is something for everyone, and we plan to offer a range of activities complementing our existing experiences in Sweden. Watch this space for more information to come.

Book now for dog sledding in Lapland in 2012/2013 at this season's prices

Bookings are now open for next winter for three of our dog sledding experiences in Swedish Lapland, with the chance to book now at 2011/2012 winter season prices: Discover Dog Sledding in Lapland (4 days), Northern Lights Dog Sledding in Lapland (8 days) and Husky Mountain Expedition in Lapland (8 or 12 days).

Nature Travels featured in The Ecologist and The Independent

We've recently had two great features in the press, one in The Ecologist and one in The Independent. The Ecologist were reporting on 'Four of the best - eco-friendly half term breaks', where they recommended our Winter Wonderland on a Forest Farm, where you experience life on a working Swedish farm. It's recommended for its range of activities in the beautiful snow-covered countryside where you can try ice fishing, sleigh rides and cross country skiing. It's only two and a half hours from Stockholm and they recommend it as an excellent option for families.

Simon Birch from The Independent travelled with us for our Ski Touring on the King's Trail from Abisko to Kebnekaise tour. He said of the tour: "It was an extraordinary trek across the Swedish tundra which left me dazzled by the Arctic landscape...it's also a great place to see the Northern Lights - we all oohed and aahed at the shifting curtain of green in the freezing Arctic sky."

British Adventurer inspired to become real-life Huckleberry Finn

Seeing images of our Timber Rafting on Klarälven tour on our website have inspired amateur adventurer Paul Everitt to take on a new challenge - rafting down the Mississippi to raise money for Help For Heroes! We're pleased to be associated with Paul's expedition and are currently discussing how we can help out and get involved with the project. For more information, see Paul's Going Solo blog.

Special new tour dates added for dog sledding and timber rafting

Husky Mountain Experience in Lapland: Due to the very high demand for this tour, we have now added an extra date from 11th-18th April 2012. This is a fantastic time to visit Swedish Lapland and experience the very special 'Spring-Winter' weather.

Timber Rafting on Klarälven: To take advantage of the long Jubilee weekend that we are all going to enjoy in June, we have now added a special 5 day-tour from 1st-5th June 2012. So, if you fancy a Huckleberry Finn style adventure without having to take too much time off work (thank you Your Royal Highness) then this could be for you!

Customer Comments

Many of you kindly write and tell us about your experiences. Here is just a selection of your recent comments from the current winter season:

Sami Reindeer Expedition in Lapland

"The whole holiday was a fabulous experience, I would advise anyone to try it, certainly value for money and I will certainly recommend your company to people. Thank you very much for your attention to my requirements, I could not have asked for any more personal attention." Terry, January 2012

Northern Lights Dog Sledding in Lapland

"The whole experience was wonderful; the peace and quiet of the wilderness to the barking of the huskies who were excited to set off for the day's adventure. Seeing the Northern Lights each night was an experience I won't forget either. You were very efficient and professional in your dealings with us making it a pleasant experience to book a foreign holiday to do something I have never done before." Rosemary, January 2012

"The whole trip was amazing and was probably the best holiday I have ever been on. We didn't get to see the northern lights due to the weather, but this is just an excuse for me to come back again in the future. Thoroughly recommended, don't change anything!" Chris, January 2012

New Tours - Summer and Winter

New exciting tours for winter and summer season including our first self-guided ski tour.

Canoeing in Dalsland's Lake District

We've now expanded our range of popular self-guided canoe tours in Sweden with a new flexible lakeland canoe adventure in West Sweden.

Self-guided Hiking Tour in Lapland

Hut to hut hiking in the Lapland mountains for adults and families.

Self-guided Ski Touring on the Jämtland Triangle

A self-guided winter tour at your own pace in the beautiful mountains of Jämtland.

Snowshoeing in Wolverine Country

Snowshoeing and winter bushcraft with winter camping and mountain station accommodation. This experience was previously featured in our portfolio and has now been reintroduced by request.

Until next time...

We'll be back in the spring, with ideas for making the most of Sweden's glorious long summer days. Until then, watch out on the roads for hedgehogs and badgers!

Best regards

The Nature Travels Team