Land Tour
8 days
$AUD 416 per day
Departure: Joensuu
Arrival: Kajaani, Finland
This self-drive itinerary takes you from North Karelia in Finnish Lakeland through the sparsely populated taiga forests of Finland. There are several national parks with their hiking, caning and fishing possibilities easily accessible from the route. Close to the Russian border you can participate in bear or wolverine observation tours overnight which give you a unique chance to watch and photograph these animals safely from the comfort of your cosy cabin with panorama windows.
Accommodation varies from hotel rooms to apartments and stylish cabins. Each night you will get to enjoy local delicacies, and the genuine Finnish sauna is also available on most nights.
Arrive in Jnsuu either with train or flight from Helsinki and pick-up your rental car.
Karelians are known for their hospitality, joy of life and music. Even unexpected guests are warmly welcomed with serving the best possible food and drink. Pm-singing used to be a way to retain and forward information for new generations. And the story gs on.
While in town, visit the Taitokortteli handicrafts quartier, Jnsuu: workshops, cafe, arts, exhibitions, hand made local souvenirs.
After breakfast, head to the Koli mountain and National Park, for a guided half-day hike to explore the most photographed scenes in North Karelia. From the top of the fell, Finnish national scenery opens up in front of you over the lake Pielinen. These views have inspired artists and painters for decades. The viewing point is easy to reach from the parking place on the top and the hike can be adjusted to suit different skill levels.
Continue to Bomba Karelian Village in Nurmes and the Spa hotel where you will stay for the night. During the summer months, it may be possible to join a Karelian pasty workshop at the hotel, a Finnish delicacy enjoyed around the country.
Continue your journey via Kuhmo to the village of Lentiira for overnight Bear Watching Experience.
Kuhmo is a small village where you can see the Finnish national epic Kalevala reflected in the architecture, events, research, museums and the food. You can learn more about Kalevala and Karelian culture at the Kalevala Information Centre Juminkeko. For two July weeks Kuhmo is full of guests enjoying the annual Chamber Music Festival which is famous and appreciated throughout the world. Here you can also visit the Visitor Centre Petola, and get to know the Finnish large carnivores: brown bear, wolf, lynx and wolverine. Here you can learn how they look and sound like, what their tracks look like and how they move.
The beautiful village of Lentiira is your next stop, and tonight you will stay at the Bear Centre viewing cabins. The probability to see a bear is high, 90-99 % depending on the month. Some evenings numerous bears come at once, and often some can be seen in close proximity to the Cabin, only a few meters away. The Bear season starts at the beginning of April with a white blanket of snow, continuing through the green summer, ending with the vibrant colours of autumn in October.
For the final leg of your journey, continue to the Arctic Giant Birdhouse hotel, where you can relax in style while enjoying all that the Finnish nature has on offer.
For a long time, there have been folk tales about giants and mythic formidable men in the Paltamo and Oulujärvi region. These stories are partly based in truth, and now this beautiful hotel stylish cabins, serves as a great base for a wide range of activities in the surrounding area.
The Kivesvaara surroundings feature a wide variety of nature trails of different lengths and challenges to suit everyone's taste. The trails vary between 2 to 15 kilometres in length. One of the nature trails leads to a place called Pahalouhos, where it is said that the giants once built their castle. You can also hop-on a fatbike to explore the trails of the giants, or try your luck at fishing. The area surrounding the Kivesvaara hill is home to several great fishing spots. You can choose between the rapids right next to a ridge, River Kongasjoki or Lake Kivesjärvi.
After breakfast, drop-off your rental car either at the Kajaani airport (60km) or Oulu airport or train station (130km), and continue onwards with your homebound journey.
These Booking & Advisory Services Terms and Conditions are designed to protect your rights under Australian Consumer law by ensuring that you are fully aware of all Travel Providers' terms and conditions, including payment schedules, before you commit to purchasing travel. These Booking & Advisory Services Terms and Conditions (below) are owned by our "Travel Affiliate" Darebin Travel. If there is any doubt as to your rights or obligations, our Travel Affiliate will answer your questions.
When you accept these terms and conditions, you agree that DeluxeLife Pty Ltd (ACN: 647 484 115) and its associates and suppliers (except our Travel Affiliate, as prescribed in the Booking & Advisory Services Terms and Conditions, below) shall not be liable for any loss and/or damage (including without limitation incidental or consequential damages and/or lost profits) resulting from your access to and/or inability to use the travel services provided by our Travel Affiliate Darebin Travel.
Summary
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Booking Terms
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Payment Terms
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Refunds and Credits
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No Show
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Cancellation and Amendments
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Cancellations and Amendments for Online Low Cost Carrier Bookings Only
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Cancellations and amendments for hotel bookings only
Cancellations and Amendments for Hotel Bookings Only
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Force Majeure
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Low Cost Flights
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Additional Airline Charges
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Hotel/Accommodation Bookings
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Changes in Price and Itineraries
55. We reserve the right to cancel your booking in the event we have reasonable grounds to believe it is fraudulent.
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Your Obligations and Warranties
58. You warrant to us that:
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Jurisdiction and Law
59. All matters arising out of or in connection with the Booking & Advisory Services and these terms and conditions are governed by the laws of Victoria, Australia. By acquiring the Booking & Advisory Services, you consent and submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the laws of Victoria, Australia.
Definitions
" We" and "us" means Darebin Travel.
" You" or "your" means any user of our Website or any person who acquires the Booking & Advisory Services, including any person who acquires a Travel Product (whether or not the Booking & Advisory Services were acquired by another person).
" Booking & Advisory Services" means services provided by us to you in assisting you to acquire a Travel Product from a Provider and includes advisory and consulting services.
"Force Majeure” means, but not limited to: acts of God, accident, riot, war, terrorist act, epidemic, pandemic, quarantine, outbreaks of infectious disease or any other public health crisis, civil commotion, breakdown of communication facilities, natural catastrophes, adverse weather conditions, governmental acts or omissions, changes in laws or regulations, national strikes, fire, explosion and generalised lack of availability of raw materials or energy.
“ Travel Provider” or "Provider" or "Providers" means the company or person who provides you with the Travel Product on terms and conditions agreed with you.
" Travel Product" means the service or product provided by a Provider, for example, an airline or a hotel.
" Website" means our website https://deluxelife.com.au/
Schedule of Professional Service Fees
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Planning Fee |
$125 per itinerary. Creating unique travel itineraries is our specialty. For detailed quotations providing tailored recommendations for custom designed tours, a non-refundable planning fee applies. Should you proceed with booking, this fee is credited towards your trip.
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Service Fees |
$40 Domestic/Trans-Tasman airfare per person or as discounted
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$150.00 International airfare per person or as discounted
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$50.00 Domestic/Trans-Tasman business class airfare per person or as discounted
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$200.00 International business class airfare per person or as discounted |
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NIL Domestic/Trans-Tasman package, tour, or cruise per booking
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NIL International package, tour, or cruise per booking |
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$ Other Services dependent on service explained to you |
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$200 to $500 Itinerary planning per booking (credited towards reservation once booked) |
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Deposit & Balance |
For all bookings, the initial deposit is 20% and the balance of payment is due 60 days before departure. If Travel Provider terms and conditions vary, we may request an additional deposit from you, after the initial deposit is paid, plus the balance payment date may also vary. After you have paid your initial deposit, you will have five days cooling off period to accept these Booking & Advisory Terms and Conditions, during which time your deposit is refundable. After 5 days has passed, or you have accepted the Terms and Conditions, the deposit will automatically become non-refundable. Note, some Travel Products must be paid in full at time of booking. Service Fees must also be paid at time of booking and are non-refundable.
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Amendment Fees |
Changes to Domestic/Trans-Tasman bookings will incur a fee of $50 per passenger per booking in addition to Provider and credit card fees.
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Changes to International bookings (excluding Trans-Tasman bookings) will incur a fee of $50 per passenger per booking in addition to Provider and credit card fees.
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Cancellation Fees |
Cancellations to Domestic/Trans-Tasman bookings will incur a fee of $75 per passenger per booking in addition to Provider and credit card fees.
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Cancellations to International bookings (excluding Trans-Tasman bookings) will incur a fee of $150 per passenger per booking in addition to Provider and credit card fees.
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Credit Card Fees |
Visa - an additional 2.0% applies
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Mastercard - an additional 2.0% applies
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American Express - an additional 2.0% applies
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(All fees exclude GST, where applicable).
Privacy Notice
Darebin Travel collects your personal information to enable us to respond to your queries and provide you with the Booking & Advisory Services, including assisting in arrangements with Providers (such as hotels and flights).
We will also use your personal information to personalise the service we provide you, including your experience on our, and other, websites, and to provide you with information about our, and our partners’, business, products and services. Your personal information may be shared between entities within Darebin Travel and with DeluxeLife Pty Ltd (ACN: 647 484 115), disclosed to suppliers, Providers, our cloud infrastructure, our contractors and to others where authorised or required by law. Some of these entities may be located overseas.
ANNEXURE – TRAVEL TIPS FOR TRAVEL PRODUCTS
These tips set out below are NOT legally binding terms and conditions.
Passports, Visas and Health Requirements
It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the required documents, including visas and passports, before travelling to a destination. For more information please log on to www.dfat.gov.au and www.smarttraveller.gov.au. Please check with the respective Embassy or Consulate of each country that you are travelling to, as many destinations require visas for both Australians and non-Australian passport holders. For more information, log on to www.visalink.com.au. You need to ensure that you have at least 6 months validity on your passport from the date of your departure return.
For International travellers booked on flights to the USA, including Hawaii, it is now mandatory, under the Visa Waiver Program to receive an electronic authorisation known as ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) no less than 72 hours before travel to the USA. This can be obtained from the following website: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/ .
For international travellers booked on flights to Canada, you either need a visitor visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to fly to, or transit through, a Canadian airport. An eTA can be obtained from the following website: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/eta/apply.html
It is your responsibility to ensure that you are aware of any health requirements for your travel destinations. Vaccinations are strongly recommended for certain destinations. You need to contact your local doctor who will advise you of these requirements. Please note that vaccinations may be recommended before your travel departure date.
Travel Advice
We recommend that you contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) or visit their website at www.dfat.gov.au for general travel advice, as well as specific advice (including safety alert levels) relating to the destination you wish to visit.
Ticketing
For international and domestic departure, e-tickets will be issued upon payment and completion of the booking process. All other travel documentation, such as hotel booking confirmations, will be emailed to the email address you provided as an e-document. Should the Provider issue paper vouchers, these will be posted to the address you provided.
Baggage Allowance
Baggage allowance varies from airline to airline and in many cases the airfare you have paid may not include the cost to cover checked baggage. Please check with your Travel Advisor and/or the airline providing your flights for the allowances.
Frequent Flyers & Special Requests
For more information on whether your airfare is eligible for Frequent Flyer rewards, please contact the airline directly. When booking online, please ensure that you have entered your correct number. For bookings made by telephone via our Customer Service Team, please advise of your Frequent Flyer details and these will be added to your reservation. We do not take any responsibility should an airline not register your trip. You should retain copies of your air ticket and boarding pass.
Special requests will be passed on to the Providers but cannot be guaranteed.