I booked the Swedish Arctic Family Holiday as a New Year break for myself, my husband and our tween – Daniel. We were all very excited by the idea of being well into the Arctic Circle, Daniel was particularly fascinated by the idea that his eyelashes might freeze, even though I reeled off the list of far more exciting activities we would be doing, that was the one which stood out in his mind. In case anyone is keen to know if this happened - it did!

We opted to travel to Kiruna via Stockholm which worked very well and allowed us to explore a little of Sweden’s handsome capital. It was a fascinating journey travelling over the snowy landscape and of course, the plane landed on a snowy runway, without any issues at all. Our driver was there and we were whisked on a very short journey to Camp Ripan, our destination for the next few nights, in under 15 minutes – a dream of a transfer! There we received a warm welcome and the holiday began!

The name Camp Ripan sounds as though it is small and in the middle of nowhere. That isn't the case. It is quite big, on the edge of Kiruna and has a cosmopolitan group of guests but it is very comfortable and very well-run. Accommodation is in a little cabin – ours had a kitchenette in the corner with a fridge, kettle and stove, a table and chairs, and there was a small room with bunk beds as well as a little vestibule to leave bulky coats and boots and a small shower room.

The main building has a reception area with seating, and is the place where you meet your activity leaders each day. There is also a gift shop, bar and restaurant area. Upstairs is an aurora viewing area with comfy loungers and large windows, as well as places to play board games and relax. There is also a clothing shop in case you’ve forgotten any essentials but this area also has equipment available for guests to borrow any time they want – toboggans, mats and cross country skis and boots. There is even a laundry room, a couple of padel courts and a gym, not to mention the amazing spa - more on that later!

When you arrive you are given your schedule of activities for your stay, including times for lunch and dinner. There’s very little to think about or organise as it is all done for you (hurrah, a week off the thinking/cooking/constant mum-organising!)

We drove snowmobiles across frozen lakes and through forest trails with a stop for a spot of ice-fishing the traditional Sami way, we went on a husky sled ride through similar forested landscapes, with a deliciously hot drink of lingonberry and a Swedish pastry in a Sami tent, we visited the Ice Hotel and marvelled at the incredibly details temporary art which had been created (probably not surprisingly) from ice, we met a herd of reindeer and fed some of them (watch out for fast-moving antlers near eyes!!) and we went snow shoeing at night with the most impressive display of dancing pink and green fire in the sky and our engaging guide Anders who made us a camp fire and kept us all enthralled with tales and folklore about the northern lights.

It was honestly such an amazing winter wonderland week which I now look back on and almost wonder if I'd imagined it all!

The food deserves a special mention – it was really high quality and the staff were great at explaining what it was and where it came from. As you are high up in the Arctic Circle, there is a lot of food based on local ingredients and traditional Sami food – expect lots of reindeer, moose and arctic char in many formats, as well as berries and herbs. We even had Swedish wine, who knew?! The vegetarian choices were fabulous too. My son particularly enjoyed chomping through bowls of reindeer carbonara and seemed disappointed when I said I wouldn't be continuing that tradition back at home. Our New Year feast was fantastic – the courses kept on coming!

As part of your holiday you are also allocated two two-hour slots at the Aurora Spa on the site. This experience was pure bliss – calming scandi décor, a bath-warm small indoor pool, various saunas and steam room experiences,. We donned a Camp Ripan provided woolly hat to bob shiveringly outside to the deliciously warm outdoor hot tub, admiring the icicles on the staircase, looking up at the clear skies and constellations and watching incredulously at the much hardier-than-us people who nonchalantly hopped down the steps into the icy-cold plunge pool (and didn't even scream). You could help yourself to water with mint leaves or berry juice and you were given a footbath with juniper berries and a coffee face mask. There was plenty of comfy seating and views out over the snowy landscape, candles and soothing music. It was fabulous!

You do need some cold weather snowwear – ski jackets and trousers which you can layer up with thermals, midlayers and down jackets are ideal. You definitely don’t want to forget a hat and waterproof gloves. Snow boots are perfect too as you do have quite a bit of time to have fun in the snow (and wet socks are distinctly not fun). Camp Ripan will kit you up in their proper serious Swedish outers before all your activities and it is very worthwhile listening to their recommendations, the guides know what the weather will be like and you're better to have the layers on and with you than regret not taking them. If you forget any essentials there is a shop selling outdoor clothing on the site too. While we were there over New Year the temperatures varied from around -5° to a fresh -22°C.

You are high above the Arctic Circle and therefore the days are very short, particularly around New Year, when we went. Despite my phone telling me that sunrise in Kiruna was at 11.30am and sunset was at 11.45am there was a surprising amount of twilight with lots of pretty pink skies. You quickly get used to the short days and it all sort of adds to the atmosphere of where you are. You are in Scandinavia, after all, the home of 'hygge' and Camp Ripan is a very cosy place to be in the winter!

The whole experience was incredible and one we've talked about numerous times since we came home. Richard loved the snowmobiles, Daniel the husky dogs (and the frozen eyelashes) and my personal highlight was definitely the snow-shoeing. It had been the activity I was probably least excited about in advance of the trip but it exceeded all my expectations by a long way and ended up being the most magical evening. We tasted water from fresh streams, learned all about the wildlife tracks in the snow and sat in a circle around a camp fire our guide made; drinking hot lingonberry juice, eating Swedish biscuits and listening to his folklore tales of the Northern lights, while they danced obligingly in the most amazing display of perfect timing. It was an evening we'll never forget.

The town of Kiruna is also a fascinating place. It is located in Swedish Lapland, about 145 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle and in traditional Sami territory.  It has around 18,000 inhabitants.

The town is famous for the Kiruna Mine, one of the world's largest underground iron ore mines. This mine produces high quality iron ore which is shopped globally and has been the economic backbone of the community since the early 1900s.  Due to subsidence caused by the mining, Kiruna is undergoing one of the most ambitious urban relocations in modern history: the entire city centre is being moved about 3 kilometers to the east! This massive project began in the 2010s and involves relocating thousands of residents and historic buildings. We looked eagerly out hoping to see this phenomenon taking place but perhaps they were having a New Year break....

We didn't have too much time to explore the town other than the streets near Camp Ripan with their attractive colourful houses but the mine and industrial heritage was very visible on our journeys. If I go back a tour of the town would definitely be on the list.

The (original) Ice Hotel is located in nearby Jukkasjärvi (about 17 kilometers from Kiruna).  It is rebuilt from ice and snow every winter and is a huge draw in the region. The small wooden church in the village dates back from 1607 is well worth a visit too.

Yes. You absolutely won't regret it. It's perfect for families with everything taken care of and there is so much going on your child(ren) will barely think about picking up their mobile phones - always a winner for parents! The snowy activities are so much fun, the food is delicious, you get a taste of Sami culture and you may be lucky enough to see the Northern Lights putting on a show! Everything is included so you don't really need any other money. Oh and one tip - Sweden is almost a cashless society so no need to go and get local currency. (A small amount may be useful now and again but we struggled to spend ours) All in all, it is a fantastic and very memorable holiday.

See below for more pics of our snowy adventure.