Both villages rest in Finnish Lapland, miles above the line for the arctic circle.
The East Village is the original village of the resort. This side is quiet, calm, and much smaller than the new, ever-expanding West Village. Each village had its own benefits, and that was the benefit of the East Village: calmness and seclusion. There are cabins, gold chalets, and glass igloos on this side taking up most of the small village. This is also where you will find the snow chapel, as well as the ice igloos. We stayed in the East Village for the one night we rented a cabin. The air of this beautiful place seems mystical and connected to the ancient elements out in nature. It was the perfect environment for us to walk around and enjoy the scenery. We took a nice walk in the evening to take it all in. And, the restaurant and store on this side is much more intimate, which is nice. Its ancient Finnish architecture was complimented by the quiet ambience. It was a real treat.

The West Village is the newer side to Kakslauttanen. Unlike the East Village, it is loud and booming with excitement and activities. This side houses the small and large cabins, the small and large glass igloos, the art exhibit, Santa’s house and village, the barn, the husky farm, and the kelo-glass igloos. The benefit to this village is that you are staying right where all of the action is, and you are surrounded by people from all over the world. The restaurant on this side is much bigger, and you are blessed with the ability to experience the large buffet surrounded by a variety of people.
Now, for the lodging itself, we stayed in a small cabin in the East Village, and small glass igloo in the West Village, and a Kelo-Glass Igloo. Each location had its own charm. The cabin was very warm against the freezing arctic temperatures, equipped with its own sauna, and secluded enough to feel cozy. It was a charming getaway.








And, finally, let’s discuss the seasons at Kakslauttanen. Since it’s in the arctic circle, Kakslauttanen experiences the polar night and midnight sun phenomenon. So, if you attend in winter as we did, you will experience nighttime 24 hours a day. The sun doesn’t come out. Now, it still gets lighter in the daytime, more like a hazy, cloudy-day, but you will never see the sun. It stays back past the horizon line. And, in the summertime, you will have 24 hour sunlight.
Though we were hoping to see the Aurora Borealis, we unfortunately were unable due to the clouds and snow that were out while we were there. However, I did briefly see one northern light flicker by on my first night. Was it worth it? Absolutely!
Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort is somewhere I will return to.
