Finland - Just Brown Bears!

This was a fabulous opportunity to see Brown Bears in the wild. We also spotted Reindeer. We stayed in a lovely lodge, where we were visited by many Red Squirrels and an abundance of birds. The weather was very good, except for when we had some rain the morning we went for a boat trip, though this did not spoil our trip. The night in the hide watching the bears was truly amazing. A photographer's dream! Watching the mother bear and her cubs was a real treat. Seeing Finland with almost 24 hours of daylight was something we had never experienced before. The guide and hosts at the lodge were exceptional.

This short wildlife holiday in northern Finland exceeded all my expectations. The guest house was excellent, clean and comfortable accommodation with tasty home-cooking. From our forest hide on the second night we saw 20 bears come into the clearing in front of the hide, some ambling close by, mothers with cubs, some scratching, some climbing trees, some running from huge males. Bunk beds in the hide provided some sleep opportunity when needed and coffee and snacks were enjoyed. The next night was spent in a different hide with 10+ bears appearing. Opportunities for photography were excellent from both hides. A magical wildlife experience.

Lots packed in a small space of time, but time to rest and reflect too. Good company and great leader. Will never forget those bears!

So much time seeing bears. Even saw them playing and swimming in lake on boat trip. Small boat had battery powered motor, so very, very quiet. Could enjoy and appreciate the silence of the wilderness

Bear watching exceeded all my expectations - 25+ bears of all ages, one evening. A magical experience ! The guest house was lovely in wonderful grounds - Lots of siskin, woodpeckers, red squirrel coming to bird feeders. Accommodation comfortable, quiet - everything needed. Food home cooked and tasty.

Our time in the two hides watching the bears was amazing with great opportunities for photography.

Seeing many bears at close quarters was a privilege and an unforgettable and unique wildlife experience. Watching their antics - climbing trees, chasing away rivals, back scratching, as they went about their evening foraging was absolutely enthralling.

Great opportunities to see the wildlife at both centres. Local food - enjoyable.

Great opportunities to see things and guides were excellent.

Enjoyed all the trips and excellent opportunities to see wildlife at such close range.

It fitted the description given exactly - met at airport and driven to the very clean and comfortable accommodation - the guide was very knowledgeable - felt safe throughout the tour - the opportunity to photograph brown bears from the hides was brilliant - the hides basic but what a great little adventure I expected no more - the whole experience was superb including the boat trip up to the Russian border and the bird watching opportunities. The experience of seeing the bears interacting so close was unbelievable.

I enjoyed every aspect of the holiday. Watching bears in their natural habitat was a fascinating experience. The interaction between the bears was interesting, especially the pecking order. One six month old cub was obviously going to be a boss one day as even older bears moved out of its way! One female with three cubs chased a male away and her cubs promptly went up trees! The Red Squirrels at the centre were great to watch too. We saw 38 different bird species, the rarest being the Siberian Tit. Biggest thrill was the White-tailed Fish Eagle attempting to steal fish near to the bears. It did succeed eventually! Three mammals seen each day were - Brown Bear, Red Squirrel and Reindeer. The efficient way the centre ran the holiday made for a wonderful time for us.

Really loved the nights in the hide. Really lived up to expectation since we saw many Bears and mothers with cubs.

The title of this holiday is 'Just Brown Bears' - and that's exactly what we saw - lots of Brown Bears, especially pleased to see the mothers with small cubs. The additional activities arranged were also enjoyable, especially bird spotting.

I really enjoyed the bear watching. There were numerous bears and they were close enough to get some really good photos even if you didn't have brilliant equipment. The guides were extremely knowledgeable both in terms of the wildlife and the camera equipment people had. Our guide was very accommodating and took us out to find other wildlife during the daytime when we were not at the hide. The food was good and there was plenty of it.