The secret world of the Arctic: 'Sámi people, at the beginning of time, made an agreement with the reindeer'

Undisclosed addresses, invitation-only accommodation and a waiting list to stay: Jillian Bolger experiences the private off-grid world of Lapland's wildernesses

Sat, 21 Mar, 2026 - 02:00

Jillian Bolger

I'm racing through trees, thick with mantles of snow like Liberace frills. A luminous sky flashes with violent winter sun overhead. Snowy flounces, folds, and filigree adorn the branches of this snowbound forest, plush and luxurious in its icy abundance.

It is minus 20-something degrees, and I am wrapped in thermal layers — fur-lined mittens, fleece-lined boots, two jackets, salopettes, and a balaclava beneath my helmet. Two days ago, I drove my own snowmobile, but today I am a pillion passenger, as we venture much further north, far beyond the peak of Paljasselkä fell in Enontekiö, into the wide expanse of Arctic tundra.

As we speed northwards, the terrain changes. Trees shrink, turning to sparse scrub, before disappearing completely. And the sky widens, isolating in its vastness. Out on the tundra, the horizon runs on forever, lunar, austere and eerily silent.

Few have ventured here; local Sámi reindeer herders and, for a spell, Finnish defence forces, but never tourists. We are far beyond Lapland’s tourist trail, in a place so private and pristine that we haven’t been told its address. As the first guests at Aurora Radar Station, a transformed private wilderness retreat on the site of a former classified Finnish defence forces radar station, we have entered a world so rare, you have to join a wait list and be vetted before you can book a stay.

Our journey began two days earlier at Octola II, four hours south of here. Just a 20-minute drive from Rovaniemi airport, the invite-only lodge is a world away from reality, swaddled in snowy terrain on a promontory overlooking a frozen land. Accessible by private transfer, arriving here by night feels like a thrilling magical mystery tour, as you arrive in a snow globe utopia.

In the morning, I wake to snow cone trees, silent snowfields, dense boreal forests, and a serene Arctic horizon. Luxurious and cosy, the lodge sleeps 10, and offers an in-house spa with three saunas, a playroom, gym, cigar lounge, private chef and host, staff bedrooms, and a dedicated Northern Lights-viewing space. The air outside is so pure it almost hurts to inhale. Surrounded by some of the cleanest air measured anywhere on earth, Octola’s air is monitored in real time with research-grade technology. A world-first for any travel destination, one deep breath will see your lungs sighing in ecstasy.

Kitted out with the best of Arctic apparel, you can go from secluded haven to high octane thrills in minutes. Our day starts with a jaunty reindeer-drawn sled ride through the forest, tucked beneath blankets on warm reindeer hides. Gently weaving through the serene snowscape, I learn from our Sámi guide that reindeer antlers are the fastest-growing bones in the world, and these magnificent creatures will shed their impressive headgear soon, before it grows again.

Boreal forest wraps around Octola 2 in Finnish Lapland

That afternoon, we graduate from reindeer to dog sledding, dashing through the woodlands on a sled pulled by six excited huskies. Alaskan huskies thrive better in these climes, and my super-charged crew yap and strain at the reins with fierce intensity before galloping off at speed through the trees. Rhythmic and smooth, its heart-thumpingly exciting, our team gliding so fast over ground that I feel we might launch airborne at any moment.

Later that night, after a superb dinner, I climb into an ice hole cut in the river, and stand chest-deep in sub-zero waters wearing only a bikini and woolly hat. Surrounded by snow and an inky black sky, I breathe long, shallow breaths to distract my body from the drastic temperature drop. Finns skip the pre-heat ritual and ice plunge first, saving the sauna for after, so it seems right and proper that I go native here. I don’t miss the preparatory sauna session, but as I defrost in the fiery heat afterwards, skin prickling with heat, I know I won’t be going back in for round two any time soon.

To understand Lapland, one must first look to the Sámi people, nomadic reindeer herders, who have called this region home for thousands of years. Today, there are 100,000 reindeer herders worldwide — with just 10,000 in Finland — and about 2m reindeer, most of which are owned by indigenous people.

At dinner in Aurora Radar Station, we are joined by Anders Oskal, an erudite and engaging Sámi elder who is secretary general of the Association of World Reindeer Herders, an organisation for over 24 indigenous groups in the Arctic that follow their reindeer. He joined us from the Sámi settlement of Guovdageaidnu in Norway, one of two Norwegian municipalities where Sámi is the majority language, to explain the wonder of the world we are passing through.

“When we are small we learn that our people, Sámi people, at the beginning of time, made an agreement with the reindeer. That we would stay together, we would take care of each other always. And so, the reindeer provides everything for us — food, clothing, transportation, security, perhaps even teaching us our ways. And in return, we are to provide for the reindeer. To make sure it has access to pastures for all eight seasons. That is a word-by-word translation, and the story ends with the sentence ‘this agreement cannot be broken’ ... If we do not uphold our part of the agreement, we will cease to exist.”

The Sámi recognise eight seasons, based on changes in light, weather, and reindeer behaviour, and it is from this number that Octola is named.

As reindeer herders, Sámi people traditionally follow their animals, wintering in the forests and moving towards the Arctic coast in summer. Geopolitics changed Lapland forever, carving up a region that now spans four countries, splitting Sámi families by borders and foreign policy and challenging their very existence.

It’s this connection to the land and nature that underpins Luxury Action, a company founded by Janne Honkanen, a Finnish entrepreneur and luxury travel veteran who counts two-time Formula One world champion Mika Hakkinen as a close friend and one-time investor in Octola. Purchasing land from 47 different landowners, today Luxury Action has a private territory of 700 hectares and works closely with the Sámi people to honour their culture and land and introduce guests to their heritage and values.

Oskal explains that the Sámi communities are very fond of Janne because his low-impact operation is different from large-scale tourism, respecting the traditions, the terrain and the indigenous people.

This newly opened property has been transformed from a former highly classified radar station into a private haven. Undeniably cosy and comfy, it’s more understated than Octola 2, split into four apartments that follow the footprint of the original military accommodation. Our chef spent the first 15 years of her life here, living on the base where her father was once stationed.

Anders Oskal (left), Association of World Reindeer Herders and Swedish reindeer herder Nilsa Nutti

After a day of Arctic adventure, we embrace the luxe sauna, lounge with roaring fire and an outdoor hot tub with snowy views. It’s a key selling point of Aurora Radar Station, a private hideaway with nothing but nature in every direction.

High above the surrounding terrain, our dinner is interrupted by news that the Northern Lights are visible. We abandon our desserts, grabbing our layers and dashing outdoors excitedly. An hour later we are all still outside, rapt in the freezing night air, witnessing a pulsing spectacle of green and yellow particles dancing and shape-shifting above us. Skating across the stars in a mesmerising act of beauty, I have never imagined the Aurora Borealis could be so hypnotic and vibrant. Are they even more magical when we learn their name in Sámi? Fox fires — revontulet — they were once believed to be illuminated sparks flying up from the sweeping tail of an Arctic fox.

“I could not resist purchasing this amazing place,” Janne explains. “We work under the radar. You are not able to find and book it online. Because today’s world is so commercialised, I wanted to have a place where busy and successful people can reset and recharge.”

Michael Flatley has stayed at Octola and has a cocktail named after him. The Monaco sauna is named after Prince Albert of Monaco, who also stayed. Guests may take videos and photos but must never reveal the exact location. You won’t see prices as every stay is custom-designed, and, astonishingly, over 90% of their guests are repeat visitors.

A snowy walk in the wilderness at Aurora Radar Station

Nilsa Nutti, a young Sámi from Johkamohkki in Sweden, has also joined us for dinner. A reindeer herder, he works in the winter in Karesuando in Sweden and in the summers, goes to Norway to the sea, relaying between the two countries. Although he has many friends who have left this way of life, like those in Kiruna in Sweden where mining operations have eradicated traditional reindeer pastures, he sees his role as a privilege. “It’s truly just an honour to follow this family tradition. I don’t see this as a burden or anything. I can’t see myself doing anything else.”

Modest and humble, Nilsa performs a yoik, a traditional way of honouring people, or passing on information or directions while out on the tundra. Banned by the missionaries, the melodic oral tradition thrived beyond town walls, through the forest and across the tundra, communicating with reindeer, warding off predators while celebrating their homeland.

“To give or to get a yoik is a great honour amongst our people. We don’t say that we sing, really, because it’s not a song, and yoik is not a musical tradition. You would make a yoik for people or animals or places.”

The Aurora Borealis during our stay at Aurora Radar

With some similarities to sean-nós, the unique chants reveal the characteristics of the person, place, or animal they have been written for.

During our stay we will feast on reindeer stew, permafrost moose, reindeer salami. We will drink champagne on the tundra by day, and in the hot tub and beneath the Fox Fires at night. We will learn about Lapland’s enduring culture that transcends borders and bias. We will listen to the haunting cadence of several yoiks, performed with pride and honour. And we will learn that Nasa collaborates with the Sámi people, using their expertise and remote sensing to track significant “rain on snow” events.

Cosy bedrooms high above the terrain in Octola 2

“In our language, we have no word for stability. Because we have never seen it,” Oskal explains. “And we have no word for planning ... I can’t plan for tomorrow because I don’t know our world. It’s extremely variable all the time. So, we are masters of change ... It’s not just that we have survived, but we have thrived in these conditions, extremely marginal natural resources in a very hostile and natural environment. We don’t have a word for war either. We borrowed one from the Finnish language. And then again, I don’t think we have a word for boring, so we’re never bored. You know, we simply don’t have time to be bored around here.”

Escape notes

Jillian was a guest of Luxury Action, a pioneer in ultra-luxury travel that creates private, sustainable journeys across the Arctic and Nordic in secret locations. Every journey is designed to respect the land and the people and access is available only on request. Both Octola II and Aurora Radar Station are full buy-out properties.