We came for love and stayed for the country
We're Joey Bouten from the Netherlands and Lee Reason from England. We each have a Finnish wife — that's how we ended up here. Finland itself we didn't know at all when we arrived.
What neither of us saw coming was falling for the place as well. For a lake that freezes hard enough in January to ski across, and is warm enough in July to swim in at eleven at night. For forest that starts behind the house. For a sauna nobody here considers remarkable.
Our wives grew up with all of it and shrug. We still haven't stopped going on about it — which is more or less why we're doing this.
What that means for you
We live here
No office in London or Amsterdam selling Finland out of a catalogue. We're here, we know the people who let out the cabins, and we've been to the places we suggest.
English and Dutch
Lee will help you in English, Joey in Dutch. No translated form letters, and no real time difference to speak of: Finland is two hours ahead of the UK, one ahead of the Netherlands.
We'll also say no
If you want to kayak in March or ski in July, we'll tell you it won't work. Better to hear that now than to lose a week to it.
Where we are right now
Nordic Escape is new. You won't find a price list here, or a button to book straight away — we're still working on the cabins, the transport and the arrangements that go with them.
What does exist: the two of us, a handful of places we know first-hand, and the time to think it through with you. Send us what you're after and we'll tell you honestly what is and isn't possible yet.