Lapland - travel review

And then the message appeared: "You do not have sufficient storage space, please delete some items."

After a quick scramble to delete some pictures, the battery died. Typical. You travel to the fringe of the Arctic Circle to see the Northern Lights, and the technology lets you down.

At least that's my story, and I'm sticking to it. One or two people thought there might be an element of operator error, or that I bore some responsibility for persisting stubbornly with an old Nokia. But after spending the afternoon watching wild bears, can you really blame me for using up all my memory taking pictures and videos of the animals?

That's the trouble with Lapland in autumn, there's just so much to see and do. While people inevitably associate the region of north-east Finland, on the border with Russia, with Christmas time, Lapland really is an all-year-round destination. And in many ways, the short autumn period, sandwiched between the 24-hour sunshine of the summer and the bracingly crisp winter, is the ideal time to visit the Nordic wonderland.

For a start, the weather is pleasantly mild, just right for a brisk hike around the Oulanka National Park. It is also considered the ideal time to see the Northern Lights, which for many people is a major reason for visiting this part of the world. But most of all it is the perfect time to experience 'ruska', the sight of the leaves changing colour in the luxuriant forests which envelope the Kuusamo district of northern Finland.

The vast, hilly pine forest, which borders the Paanajarvi National Park in neighbouring Russia, offers stunning views over as the surrounding trees turn from green, to yellow to red.

Edgars Labors, of Rukas Adventures, says many of the trees in the forest are up to 500 years old. Delicately sniffing a berry he has plucked from a conifer at the side of the path, he explains that these are the finest juniper berries used to make the specialist gin for which the area is known.

"It's a fantastic place to see the Northern Lights, over all these huge trees," he says. "The best time to see them is autumn, because there is no snow."

Just half an hour from Kuusamo town centre is the bear park, simply called Karhu-Kuusamo, or Bear-Kuusamo in English. After about half an hour sitting quietly in the hide, the first of the bears tentatively breaks cover, having emerged from over the Russian border a mile-and-a-half away. After a few minutes examining the meat left by park owner Pekka Veteläinen, the huge animal retreats quietly back into the woods, only to emerge a few minutes later with its friends.

Within an hour or so, there are bears coming from all directions, to the point where it becomes hard keeping track of which ones we have already seen. But Pekka, a 55-year-old Russian, knows them all by sight.

"That one is the mother," he says, pointing at one of the braver creatures, directly in front of the lodge. Pekka reckons we have seen at least 10 different bears during the course of the afternoon. "You can see 40 or 50 during the summer," he adds.

Pekka has been running the park for 11 years, although his interest with the creatures goes back much further.

"I have been working with bears for 40 years, since I was 15," he says.

"Bears are special because they are very clever animals, almost like human life. Also, people like to see them standing on their back legs, they are like a human."

Slightly more approachable are the reindeer at Palosaari Reindeer and Fishing Farm, a 10-minute drive from the Kusaamo town centre.

The farm was founded in 1920, when Jalmari Palosaari built a log cabin which is still in use. Today, it is kept by Jalmari's grand-daughter Satu and her husband Mika Lappalainen.

"It was good growing up with the reindeer," says Satu. "We had a pretty big playground. When I was 16, I wanted to get away, but when I had children of my own I realised it was not a bad place to grow up."

Her favourite reindeer is Lumiere, who she describes as a total "mummy's boy".

"His mother was killed by a car when he was young, and I have brought him up," she says, as she gives him a loving hug, adding that Lumiere is all too aware of his favoured status.

"He's beautiful and he knows it," she says. "Which is why he can be very naughty sometimes."

Earlier in the day, we had been white-water rafting on the Great Rapids, which is an exhilarating if slightly un-nerving experience, and be prepared for a shock when you get out of the boat to look at the waterfalls you have just navigated.

For a taste of traditional Finland, the Pohjolan Pirtti is well worth a visit. Sat round a blazing campfire in a traditional wood hut, we sipped a warm fruity drink while Tanja Pohjola regaled us with stories about the indigenous Sami race who occupied the area.

"They were the aborigines of Europe," she says in hushed tones, as she explains how during the 1660s the strict Lutheran government viewed the Sami people as a threat, and encouraged the Finns to settle in Lapland.

After the fireside lesson in Nordic history, we are invited into the dining room of Tanja's idyllic timber-framed farmhouse, with glorious views across the lake, and try our hand at making traditional flat bread and cinnamon buns.

The experience continues at Isokenkaisten Klubi – or "Big Shoe Club" – where we spent our final night. Now run by sisters Katja De Vira and Sirpa Kamarainen, its quirky name is a reference to the fact that the first customers were local bigwigs when their father opened it in 1993. We spent the afternoon following the sisters as they foraged in the vast forests for wild berries and mushrooms, which were then used to cook some delightful salmon dishes over an open fire in a traditional Lappish kota, or hut.

Isokenkaisten Klubi is also renowned for its traditional Finnish sauna, which attracts celebrity guests from around the world. The more adventurous members of our party decided to cool down by taking a swim in the lake – apparently it's good for the circulation – and after a bit of hesitation I apprehensively decided to join them. Well there aren't many people who can say they have taken a dip on the edge of the Arctic Circle, are there?

Travel facts:

How to get there: Fly to Kuusamo via Helsinki from Edinburgh, Manchester, Dublin and London Heathrow with Finnair with return fares from £196 including all taxes and (www.finnair.com or call 0208 001 0101). Visit www.visitfinland.com and www.ruka.fi/en for more information on Ruska in Finland and Ruka-Kuusamo.

Where to stay: Try Isokenkäisten Klubi, the traditional Finnish wilderness lodge, with prices from 77 euros per person per night for a double room (www.ikk.fi/en or telephone +358 400 972 260).

Where to eat: There are 90 restaurants, bars and pubs across Ruka and Kuusamo, including 10 mountain-top dining venues. We dined at Restaurant Kaltiokivi which forms part of the Scandic Rukahovi hotel, serving reindeer main courses for 20 euros, or a Lapland-themed three-course menu for 40 euros.

What to do: Go white rapid river rafting with Ruka Safaris with prices from 115 euroes per person (www.rukasafaris.fi/en or call +358 8852 1610). Bear watching at Karhu Kuusamo prices start from 120 euros per person (www.karhujenkatselu.fi/en or telephone +358 400 321 453).

For more information: rukafinland.fi