Salamapaja
Salamapaja
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Salamapaja offers photography tours and workshops in Lapland and Oulu area. Tours range from 1-evening Aurora borealis chase to 1-week photography tours as well as tailored multi-day tours. Workshops concentrate on landscape, nature and night photography. Visit the website to find more information.
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5.0
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Florian M
5 contributions
Dec 2024 • Solo
It was my first real photo trip and for a long time a dream to see the Northern Lights.
At the turn of the year 2024/25 I finally got to experience the New Year's Eve Northern Lights tour with Thomas.
I want to be brief and let the pictures speak for themselves afterwards.
to the tour guide himself:
Thomas is a personable from the beginning. He always tries to read the wishes from your eyes. He has an incredibly good sense/knowledge of being in the right place at the right time to say good night to Lady Aurora. In addition, he is always at your side with his knowledge as a photographer.
to the accommodation:
The small wooden cabins in Kilpisjärvi have everything you need. Not luxury, but cosiness. And that's all you need after a cold and exciting night! Breakfast is plentiful and very good. Surprisingly delicious you can also eat in the same restaurant in the evening. And the supermarket right nearby offers everything you don't have and still need.
to excursions during the day:
the short time it is bright during the polar night is used great. Whether a hike to a waterfall, trips to a fjord in Norway, frozen lakes, rivers with partly still open places, reindeer, playing with the moon and the mountain panorama, or just letting hot water freeze in the cold air...
to excursions at night:
on 6 nights of the tour we were blessed with aurora borealis, in a splendour of colour and intensity I could hardly have imagined. Even on New Year’s Eve, you were surprised with a light show in which you couldn’t get out of the wonder and of course photography. What I really appreciated about the trip was that Thomas knew the area well and thanks to his experience as a tour guide, photographer and aurora borealis enthusiast, he took you to beautiful, secluded, uncrowded places that are also appealing for photos!
I was also surprised with the meteor stream of the Quadrantids, where you could also photograph a few shooting stars as an inexperienced person and the New Year could start not only with good resolutions but also with several wishes.
Thanks to Thomas' good tips regarding equipment and clothing, you could also brave the cold (-31°C) and enjoy the trip.
I would recommend Salamapaja to anyone without batting an eyelid.
At the turn of the year 2024/25 I finally got to experience the New Year's Eve Northern Lights tour with Thomas.
I want to be brief and let the pictures speak for themselves afterwards.
to the tour guide himself:
Thomas is a personable from the beginning. He always tries to read the wishes from your eyes. He has an incredibly good sense/knowledge of being in the right place at the right time to say good night to Lady Aurora. In addition, he is always at your side with his knowledge as a photographer.
to the accommodation:
The small wooden cabins in Kilpisjärvi have everything you need. Not luxury, but cosiness. And that's all you need after a cold and exciting night! Breakfast is plentiful and very good. Surprisingly delicious you can also eat in the same restaurant in the evening. And the supermarket right nearby offers everything you don't have and still need.
to excursions during the day:
the short time it is bright during the polar night is used great. Whether a hike to a waterfall, trips to a fjord in Norway, frozen lakes, rivers with partly still open places, reindeer, playing with the moon and the mountain panorama, or just letting hot water freeze in the cold air...
to excursions at night:
on 6 nights of the tour we were blessed with aurora borealis, in a splendour of colour and intensity I could hardly have imagined. Even on New Year’s Eve, you were surprised with a light show in which you couldn’t get out of the wonder and of course photography. What I really appreciated about the trip was that Thomas knew the area well and thanks to his experience as a tour guide, photographer and aurora borealis enthusiast, he took you to beautiful, secluded, uncrowded places that are also appealing for photos!
I was also surprised with the meteor stream of the Quadrantids, where you could also photograph a few shooting stars as an inexperienced person and the New Year could start not only with good resolutions but also with several wishes.
Thanks to Thomas' good tips regarding equipment and clothing, you could also brave the cold (-31°C) and enjoy the trip.
I would recommend Salamapaja to anyone without batting an eyelid.
Automatically translated
Written 16 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Siegfried S
Lindau, Germany21 contributions
Dec 2023 • Solo
New Year's Eve Northern Lights Trip 2023/2024
Because I am a photo expert who travels a lot in northern regions and was a participant in a previous trip, I visited the website of Thomas Kast as an organizer and award-winning photographer. I became curious, what I read convinced me and booked this trip straight away.
Only 6 participants, no professional knowledge of photography, and on all previous trips the Northern Lights were even better.
The direct flight to Kittala without changing trains was a good start and the warm welcome from Thomas was even better.
His "bus" with trailer offered space for participants and luggage.
The trip into the nighttime winter landscape of Finland was already
impressive. So we arrived at our quarters in Kilpisjarvi, 310 km north of the Arctic Circle, with initial amazement.
The Northern Lights hunt and the hunt for other photo spots began. As announced, all 6 participants of the trip had plenty of opportunity every day and at night to talk to Thomas about camera settings, especially for the northern lights, and I had the opportunity to learn. This was the only way I could realize my dream of time-lapse videos after years thanks to Thomas. For that alone, the trip was worth it for me.
During the day there were also trips to special hotspots, fantastic nature experiences or the husky safari at -37 degrees. I wouldn't want to miss that either.
The trip was also made alive by our organizer and guide Thomas Kast.
His lovely friendliness, always ready to help us, contributed significantly to the good mood in the group. He was always the "rock in the surf".
Of course the weather contributed to the good mood. During the day there were fantastic landscapes and lighting conditions, and every night the northern lights got stronger and stronger.
The trip in frost and snow far exceeded my expectations when I booked it. I had a fantastic and magical trip. My heartfelt thanks for that, dear Thomas, as organizer, photo expert and guide of the group entrusted to you.
Siegfried/ Lindau-Bodensee
Because I am a photo expert who travels a lot in northern regions and was a participant in a previous trip, I visited the website of Thomas Kast as an organizer and award-winning photographer. I became curious, what I read convinced me and booked this trip straight away.
Only 6 participants, no professional knowledge of photography, and on all previous trips the Northern Lights were even better.
The direct flight to Kittala without changing trains was a good start and the warm welcome from Thomas was even better.
His "bus" with trailer offered space for participants and luggage.
The trip into the nighttime winter landscape of Finland was already
impressive. So we arrived at our quarters in Kilpisjarvi, 310 km north of the Arctic Circle, with initial amazement.
The Northern Lights hunt and the hunt for other photo spots began. As announced, all 6 participants of the trip had plenty of opportunity every day and at night to talk to Thomas about camera settings, especially for the northern lights, and I had the opportunity to learn. This was the only way I could realize my dream of time-lapse videos after years thanks to Thomas. For that alone, the trip was worth it for me.
During the day there were also trips to special hotspots, fantastic nature experiences or the husky safari at -37 degrees. I wouldn't want to miss that either.
The trip was also made alive by our organizer and guide Thomas Kast.
His lovely friendliness, always ready to help us, contributed significantly to the good mood in the group. He was always the "rock in the surf".
Of course the weather contributed to the good mood. During the day there were fantastic landscapes and lighting conditions, and every night the northern lights got stronger and stronger.
The trip in frost and snow far exceeded my expectations when I booked it. I had a fantastic and magical trip. My heartfelt thanks for that, dear Thomas, as organizer, photo expert and guide of the group entrusted to you.
Siegfried/ Lindau-Bodensee

Written 8 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hallo siegfrieds656,
vielen Dank, dass Sie sich Zeit genommen haben, Ihre Erfahrungen der Tour zu teilen. Besonders freut mich, dass es genügend Gelegenheiten gab, sich über Kameraeinstellungen und anderes auszutauschen und dass die Tipps für Zeitraffer hilfreich waren.
Rückmeldungen sind für mich das beste Mittel um Fotoreisen und Workshops kontinuierlich zu optimieren. Vielen Dank, dass Sie mit Salamapaja unterwegs waren. Ich hoffe, Sie wieder im hohen Norden begrüssen zu können.
Viele Grüsse,
Thomas
Geschäftsinhaber Salamapaja
Written 8 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Christina H
1 contribution
Dec 2023 • Solo
It doesn't get any better than this
I've traveled a lot around the world, often experienced temperatures of plus 43 degrees, but there was only one thing missing from my collection of experiences: the Northern Lights. At a concert in the Allgäu with the title "Northern Lights" I spoke again about the dream I'd had for years and found out about Salamapaja, the photography course with Thomas Kast.
Should I take part? Now single, with no photography experience, only traveling with an iPhone, not having flown for 6 years...?
I dared it and what can I say, this week became a highlight in my life. The non-stop flight was easy and when we landed in Kittilä, Thomas, our guide and organizer of the trip, waved like a friend we've known for a long time. Our group of six quickly got to know each other and soon we felt like 'family'. On our journey to our resort, we stopped at the most beautiful spots and captured the wonderful landscape with all our senses: icy birch trees looked like white silhouettes, pillars of light, ice crystals in the air and on the fields, it was sparkling and glowing. Our accommodation in the log cabins exceeded our expectations: underfloor heating, tiled stove, sauna... everything was top notch. The food in the restaurant was also top notch. After the excursions, the mulled wine get-together was a cheerful must.
If I had hoped for ONE northern lights, Lady Aurora surprised us every night with her game, what luck! But Thomas always knew when and where she would be dancing again. With temperatures of minus 43 degrees at their peak, we drove around, protected by perfect suits and boots that were provided to us. Every day, Thomas had a different idea to surprise us. I don't want to give too much away for future participants, just this much: no activity will be forgotten! Our additional wish of "dog sledding" also came true. What an experience!!! And photography was always the focus. I also learned something for the mobile phone. Thomas is the master for professionals and beginners. His calm, sensitive and flexible organization allows freedom and support - everything is there! All that remains is to say thank you very much and to come back, because: it doesn't get any better than this!
I've traveled a lot around the world, often experienced temperatures of plus 43 degrees, but there was only one thing missing from my collection of experiences: the Northern Lights. At a concert in the Allgäu with the title "Northern Lights" I spoke again about the dream I'd had for years and found out about Salamapaja, the photography course with Thomas Kast.
Should I take part? Now single, with no photography experience, only traveling with an iPhone, not having flown for 6 years...?
I dared it and what can I say, this week became a highlight in my life. The non-stop flight was easy and when we landed in Kittilä, Thomas, our guide and organizer of the trip, waved like a friend we've known for a long time. Our group of six quickly got to know each other and soon we felt like 'family'. On our journey to our resort, we stopped at the most beautiful spots and captured the wonderful landscape with all our senses: icy birch trees looked like white silhouettes, pillars of light, ice crystals in the air and on the fields, it was sparkling and glowing. Our accommodation in the log cabins exceeded our expectations: underfloor heating, tiled stove, sauna... everything was top notch. The food in the restaurant was also top notch. After the excursions, the mulled wine get-together was a cheerful must.
If I had hoped for ONE northern lights, Lady Aurora surprised us every night with her game, what luck! But Thomas always knew when and where she would be dancing again. With temperatures of minus 43 degrees at their peak, we drove around, protected by perfect suits and boots that were provided to us. Every day, Thomas had a different idea to surprise us. I don't want to give too much away for future participants, just this much: no activity will be forgotten! Our additional wish of "dog sledding" also came true. What an experience!!! And photography was always the focus. I also learned something for the mobile phone. Thomas is the master for professionals and beginners. His calm, sensitive and flexible organization allows freedom and support - everything is there! All that remains is to say thank you very much and to come back, because: it doesn't get any better than this!

Written 13 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hallo C2123MWchristinah,
vielen Dank, dass Sie sich Zeit genommen haben, Ihre Erfahrungen der Tour zu teilen. Es freut mich sehr zu lesen, dass Sie mit der Winterausrüstung vor den kalten Temperaturen gut geschützt waren und Ihnen die Unterkunft als auch die Ausflüge gefallen haben.
Rückmeldungen sind für mich das beste Mittel um Fotoreisen und Workshops kontinuierlich zu optimieren. Vielen Dank, dass Sie mit Salamapaja unterwegs waren. Ich hoffe, Sie wieder im hohen Norden begrüssen zu können.
Viele Grüsse,
Thomas
Geschäftsinhaber Salamapaja
Written 8 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jonathan
Doncaster, UK18 contributions
Oct 2024 • Couples
Myself & my wife had 3 nights with Thomas in late October 2024, it was a personal trip, just for the two of us. We chose a 5-day period and if the weather had been decent every night we would have gone out all 5 nights. As we'd only paid upfront for the 3 nights, in the end it was ideal.
What can I say about Thomas? Well, what he doesn't know about the Aurora isn't really worth knowing! He interprets the available data to find the best spots to attempt to view the Aurora each night and if the weather is too poor then he won't take you out, because it's pointless. He is fantastic company, polite and his sense of humour is cracking. I simply can't recommend his services enough, he was brilliant with us!
As for the Aurora, our first night out with Thomas proved to be something spectacular, which I get the impression he knew was potentially coming our way that night but to see someone who does this for a living as excited as we were when the display started made me feel like we'd picked the right guy to take us out Aurora hunting. We spent 6 hours in sub-zero temperatures that evening, constantly photographing the show, until the fog rolled in and literally stopped play, just as a Corona appeared overhead!!!!
Despite the next two outings not being a spectacular as the first night, we still had a fantastic time with Thomas and during the lulls in activity it gives you time to really appreciate the vastness of space and even being able to just gaze at the stars was amazing. There's always the Milky Way to try and photograph and Thomas is at hand to help with camera settings for those that aren't too familiar with their equipment. Again, what he doesn't seem to know about cameras isn't worth knowing as well and he's always on hand to make sure you're getting the best photos from whatever you're using; which is reassuring that he makes sure his guests take away the best photos they can during their nights out.
If you want a "proper" Aurora hunt with a guide who is professional, polite, very, very knowledgeable about all things Aurora and is just an all round nice guy, then Thomas is your man. Next time I visit Finland I will definitely use him!
Happy hunting.....
Jonathan
What can I say about Thomas? Well, what he doesn't know about the Aurora isn't really worth knowing! He interprets the available data to find the best spots to attempt to view the Aurora each night and if the weather is too poor then he won't take you out, because it's pointless. He is fantastic company, polite and his sense of humour is cracking. I simply can't recommend his services enough, he was brilliant with us!
As for the Aurora, our first night out with Thomas proved to be something spectacular, which I get the impression he knew was potentially coming our way that night but to see someone who does this for a living as excited as we were when the display started made me feel like we'd picked the right guy to take us out Aurora hunting. We spent 6 hours in sub-zero temperatures that evening, constantly photographing the show, until the fog rolled in and literally stopped play, just as a Corona appeared overhead!!!!
Despite the next two outings not being a spectacular as the first night, we still had a fantastic time with Thomas and during the lulls in activity it gives you time to really appreciate the vastness of space and even being able to just gaze at the stars was amazing. There's always the Milky Way to try and photograph and Thomas is at hand to help with camera settings for those that aren't too familiar with their equipment. Again, what he doesn't seem to know about cameras isn't worth knowing as well and he's always on hand to make sure you're getting the best photos from whatever you're using; which is reassuring that he makes sure his guests take away the best photos they can during their nights out.
If you want a "proper" Aurora hunt with a guide who is professional, polite, very, very knowledgeable about all things Aurora and is just an all round nice guy, then Thomas is your man. Next time I visit Finland I will definitely use him!
Happy hunting.....
Jonathan
Written 5 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello YDM4Shovell,
thanks for taking time and write about your experience of our tour.
I'm very glad to hear that you enjoyed the nights out and got good photos to take home with you.
Feedback is the best way to optimize the tours and workshops. Thank you for joining Salamapaja on a tour.
Hopefully we can welcome you again in the North.
Many greetings,
Thomas
Owner Salamapaja
Written 5 November 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ann h
Grand Rapids, MI10 contributions
Oct 2022
My husband and I spent 6 days and nights with Thomas photographing northern Finland and Norway by day and the aurora by night. Thomas was exceptionally caring and attuned to our interests in landscapes, macro photography, and learning to photograph the aurora. (He even arranged a surprise brief visit to Sweden just so my husband could scratch if off on his travel map)
He tailored the trip just for us. His passion for the aurora was exceptional- driving for 2+ hours to find just the right spot for clear skies and encouraging us to be patient while the aurora "recharged" . Without his guidance and knowledge of tracking the aurora we never would have found it. Without his patient instruction - how to set up the best shots and use time lapse we would have come home with daytime photos only. We would highly recommend Thomas Salamapaja for a guide to Lapland and the aurora. I am sure he would be an exceptional guide any time of the year- not just for the aurora. We plan to come back in the winter for winter aurora photos. Northern Finland and Norway are beautiful. Touring with Thomas is a great way to experience the beauty.
He tailored the trip just for us. His passion for the aurora was exceptional- driving for 2+ hours to find just the right spot for clear skies and encouraging us to be patient while the aurora "recharged" . Without his guidance and knowledge of tracking the aurora we never would have found it. Without his patient instruction - how to set up the best shots and use time lapse we would have come home with daytime photos only. We would highly recommend Thomas Salamapaja for a guide to Lapland and the aurora. I am sure he would be an exceptional guide any time of the year- not just for the aurora. We plan to come back in the winter for winter aurora photos. Northern Finland and Norway are beautiful. Touring with Thomas is a great way to experience the beauty.
Written 12 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello ann h,
thanks for taking time and write about your experience of our tour. I'm very glad to hear you were happy with the organisation, felt taken care of and found the photography tipps useful to take wonderful photos also during night time.
Feedback is the best way to optimize the tours and workshops. Thank you for joining Salamapaja on a tour.
Hopefully we can welcome you again in the North.
Many greetings,
Thomas
Owner Salamapaja
Written 19 November 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kle B
Grosuplje, Slovenia1 contribution
Aug 2023 • Solo
We had just one possible evening to go aurora hunting but the skies were quite cloudy. Thomas was optimistic, so we decided to try our luck and we headed into the night. He drove us to several places and worked hard to find the "hole in the clouds", which he finally did, and there it was the aurora - faintly seen by the eye but nice and strong colors in the camera photo. He helped us tweak the phone camera settings and provided some proffesional-grade photos by his own equipment. It was fun chasing aurora with Thomas and thanks to him this was our first contact with the northern lights. Not many people believed we saw aurora already in August, but the photos spoke for themselves. Highly recommended!
Written 4 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello KaBooc,
thanks for taking time and write about your experience of our tour. I'm very glad that you enjoyed the chase for the hole in the clouds and found the right phone camera setup helpful.
Feedback is the best way to optimize the tours and workshops. Thank you for joining Salamapaja on a tour.
Hopefully we can welcome you again in the North.
Many greetings,
Thomas
Owner Salamapaja
Written 8 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Alexander B
6 contributions
Jan 2022
In January we have participated at the Aurora Photo Tour. 4 years ago we tried to capture the Northern lights by ourselves, but we had no luck and didn't really know what to look for in the night sky. This time everything was perfect and Lady Aurora was kind to us 🙂 Thomas picked us up at our accomodation in Oulu and we went to two different locations. The last location was at a frozen sea and we made amazing pictures from the Northern lights. Finally! Thomas guided us through the entire process, explained a lot of things about what is aurora borealis, how to capture the lights and how to look for them. Thomas also made a fire for us, provided us with tea, sausages and sweets. The atmosphere was so cozy and we felt ourselves very comfortable! We would absolutely recommend this photo workshop for everyone who looks for the Northern lights! It was a great experience we won't forget ✨
Written 11 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Bartlingphotography,
thanks for taking time and write about your experience of our tour. I'm very glad to hear you felt comfortable and found the information about the northern lights and photography useful.
Feedback is the best way to optimize the tours and workshops. Thank you for joining Salamapaja on a tour.
Hopefully we can welcome you again in the North.
Many greetings,
Thomas
Owner Salamapaja
Written 26 April 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Annett S
2 contributions
Sept 2023 • Couples
We met a very friendly Thomas. Our photo tour was unique and exceeded our expectations! The short-notice, uncomplicated organization also deserves mention. Thomas explained everything to us very well and understandably, helped us set up our camera and of course took some amazing photos for us. You can immediately tell that he loves what he does and he quickly passed on his enthusiasm to us. A great experience, thank you Thomas and see you next time!

Written 14 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hallo 547annetts,
vielen Dank, dass Sie sich Zeit genommen haben, Ihre Erfahrungen der Tour zu teilen. Es freut mich sehr zu lesen, dass die Tipps zu den Kameraeinstellungen hilfreich waren und zu tollen Fotos führte.
Rückmeldungen sind für mich das beste Mittel um Fotoreisen und Workshops kontinuierlich zu optimieren. Vielen Dank, dass Sie mit Salamapaja unterwegs waren. Ich hoffe, Sie wieder im hohen Norden begrüssen zu können.
Viele Grüsse,
Thomas
Geschäftsinhaber Salamapaja
Written 8 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Natalya B
Achim, Germany6 contributions
Jan 2022
To be honest, I didn't believe that the Northern lights existed. My husband and I tried to capture them in Norway some time ago but after a couple of unsuccessful nights we gave up. I thought: everything we see on the internet is plain Photoshop! How I was wrong! I saw the pictures of Thomas and decided to give it a try. I was happy to get to know that Thomas is not only a great photographer but one can also book a photo tour with him. My husband got a gift voucher for Salamapaja tour as a birthday present and in January we finally met Thomas. The communication was great from the very beginning, he even picked us up a couple of hours earlier as he said that we could already see some lights! He was very kind and patient, gave us lots of background information and we had a nice chat. The photos and timelapse videos got amazing, we were so happy to finally see the Northern lights, and that not only through our cameras but also with our bare eyes. Lady Aurora was dancing for hours, we had so much luck on that day. Although it was very cold outside, we couldn't stop making pictures and looking at the sky. It was so kind of Thomas to have made us a fire and some tea, it was such a nice experience from the beginning to the end. Thank you, Thomas, for such a great night and for showing us the Nothern lights!
Written 11 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello natalya_bartling,
thanks for taking time and write about your experience of our tour. I'm very glad to hear that you now believe the northern lights exist and that you got great photos and timelapse videos.
Feedback is the best way to optimize the tours and workshops. Thank you for joining Salamapaja on a tour.
Hopefully we can welcome you again in the North.
Many greetings,
Thomas
Owner Salamapaja
Written 26 April 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Bettina H
Lostorf, Switzerland8 contributions
Dec 2023 • Solo
The fantastic New Year's Eve photo trip with Thomas Kast exceeded my expectations in every respect!
We have the lovely, friendly and competent leader Thomas Kast to thank for making this Lapland stay in Kilpisjärvi wonderful and unforgettable, but also the great stroke of luck of being able to marvel at and photograph the most beautiful northern lights at night all week with fantastic weather :-))
Everything also worked out in our harmonious group of 6 participants ;-)... from Germany, Switzerland and the USA!
Our excursions during the day, which are rather short here at this time of year, when Thomas drove us to the most beautiful places, were unique, as we were able to capture the pink - pink - blue - orange moods and let the mysticism of the moment work on us
And we always had enough time to set up our tripod in freezing temperatures of up to -42 degrees... or to capture the magical color symphonies on our cell phones.
Our accommodation in the 'Tundrea' resort, located in a dreamy setting with snow-covered birch trees, was also a highlight: the two of us lived in a log cabin, each with a living room, kitchen, soapstone stove - with enough wood in front of the cabin - 2 bedrooms and our own sauna!
And it wasn't a dream: right in front of it every night there was the crazy northern lights show :-))
In the cozy restaurant with bar we had a delicious breakfast, dinner and enjoyed the best mulled wine after our day trips!
This was my first trip with Thomas, more will follow...
Thank you for everything - Bettina from Switzerland
We have the lovely, friendly and competent leader Thomas Kast to thank for making this Lapland stay in Kilpisjärvi wonderful and unforgettable, but also the great stroke of luck of being able to marvel at and photograph the most beautiful northern lights at night all week with fantastic weather :-))
Everything also worked out in our harmonious group of 6 participants ;-)... from Germany, Switzerland and the USA!
Our excursions during the day, which are rather short here at this time of year, when Thomas drove us to the most beautiful places, were unique, as we were able to capture the pink - pink - blue - orange moods and let the mysticism of the moment work on us
And we always had enough time to set up our tripod in freezing temperatures of up to -42 degrees... or to capture the magical color symphonies on our cell phones.
Our accommodation in the 'Tundrea' resort, located in a dreamy setting with snow-covered birch trees, was also a highlight: the two of us lived in a log cabin, each with a living room, kitchen, soapstone stove - with enough wood in front of the cabin - 2 bedrooms and our own sauna!
And it wasn't a dream: right in front of it every night there was the crazy northern lights show :-))
In the cozy restaurant with bar we had a delicious breakfast, dinner and enjoyed the best mulled wine after our day trips!
This was my first trip with Thomas, more will follow...
Thank you for everything - Bettina from Switzerland

Written 17 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hallo bettinahJ202LN,
vielen Dank, dass Sie sich Zeit genommen haben, Ihre Erfahrungen der Tour zu teilen. Es freut mich sehr zu lesen, dass Sie mit der Unterkunft und dem Restaurant zufrieden waren und dass Ihnen die Ausflugsziele gefallen haben.
Rückmeldungen sind für mich das beste Mittel um Fotoreisen und Workshops kontinuierlich zu optimieren. Vielen Dank, dass Sie mit Salamapaja unterwegs waren. Ich hoffe, Sie wieder im hohen Norden begrüssen zu können.
Viele Grüsse,
Thomas
Geschäftsinhaber Salamapaja
Written 8 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hi how much are your northern lights tours please
Written 2 February 2019
Hi sueandfrank_11,
sorry for the late answer, Karuna is right, it is 120e per person. You can find more information on our website.
Thomas
Written 13 March 2019
Hola, soy una Mexicana que vine a Oulu, me voy el lunes por la mañana y me gustaría saber sobre el precio del tour, mi inglés no es perfecto pero lo llego a entender si lo hablan lento. Me gustaría tomar un tour mañana domingo 30 de septiembre, por la noche. Saludos
Written 29 September 2018
Hello Maryna G,
unfortunately I saw your message only by Monday and so it was too late to do a tour. Booking is almost always through emails. Best way is to send me an email or fill out the registration form on my website. Hopefully you will be back to Oulu someday and we can give it another try.
Regards,
Thomas
Written 3 October 2018
Kevin K
Veghel, The Netherlands
I'm staying in Oulu in early may. Will it be possible to see the Nordic Lights then (activity/darkness wise)?
Written 16 April 2018
Hi Kevin K,
unfortunately the nights are too bright between mid/end of April until end of August.
Thomas
Written 17 April 2018
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.