2007 has been a wonderful year for Nature Travels and for ecotourism in Sweden. To end the year, here are a few pictures taken by the Nature Travels Team while out and about in Sweden in 2007, from the wild snow-covered mountains of Lapland to the deep forests and quiet waters of Värmland.

We are already hard at work planning adventures and new experiences for 2008. Watch these pages for updates!

Getting ready for a mass dog sledding tour from Kiruna to the IceHotel in Jukkasjärvi, Lapland.

Waiting patiently for the off.

On the trail at last!

The dogs stop for a well-earned rest.

One of the beautiful individually-sculpted rooms at the IceHotel.

Just one of the many things you can do with a reindeer skin.

Dinnertime in the teepee.

Getting ready for bed near Abisko, Lapland. Time to unpack some VERY thick sleeping bags!

Morning the next day and the last of the spring snows on the mountains.

Let’s hope it tastes better than it looks…

The stunning formation of “Lapporten”, the Sami Gate, visible almost everywhere you go in the Abisko area.

Snowshoeing is a great way to discover the winter mountains.

Driling the holes for ice fishing…

…and waiting for a bite!

Visiting the home of a traditional Sami reindeer herder…

…and meeting some of his reindeer!

Time to say goodbye.

The island of Koster in the eastern archipelago.

Watching some of Koster’s many seals.

Building the raft for a day-trip down the Klarälven.

Finished!

Relaxing on the river.

Admiring the view over the endless Värmland forests.

Sea kayaking in Sörmlands archipelago.

Stopping for a mid-morning snack.

Pitching camp for the night – a whole island to ourselves!

Watching the sun go down with a glass of wine…

Unpacking for a night in a charcoaler hut.

Goodnight!

We hope that this gives you a small taste of some of the wonderful experiences the Nature Travels Team had on their visits to Sweden this year. The winter photos were taken during a visit to Lapland in April, the location of our Reindeer Sled Safari and Experience Lapland tours. Photos of timber rafting, seal safari and sea kayaking were taken during June. The Klarälven river is the setting for both our Canoe on Klarälven and Timber Rafting on Klarälven experiences, while the forest view is taken from the area above the cabins from our Log Cabin Escape in Värmland experience. The sea kayaking photos are from our 3-day Sea Kayaking in Sörmlands Archipelago experience in June. The charcoaler hut photos were taken on a visit in September and are featured in our Elk Safari Adventure experience.

Nature Travels would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, or “God Jul och Gott Nytt År”, as they say in Sweden!

Best regards

The Nature Travels Team