Wow – what an experience! It sounds a little crazy to travel to the far side of Finland from the UK just for a weekend, but honestly, it was so worth it. In just two nights, we saw around 20 different bears in their natural forest habitat. If you love getting up close to wildlife in their natural environment, this is a must do.
Why Finland? Why Bears?
We were looking for something wildlife-based that we could squeeze into a long weekend without using too many holiday days. I came across this trip through Wildlife Worldwide, and it felt like a brilliant way to make the most of our time off. This trip, from Thursday to Sunday, offered us a focused and immersive wildlife experience. A bit of a trek – but no distractions – just bears.
I’ll share the detailed itinerary in another post, but here I’ll concentrate on the bear-watching experience part of the weekend, which we did in June 25.
Where We Stayed
We stayed at the Martinselkosen Wilds Centre, a lovely family-owned lodge on Finland’s eastern border with Russia. It’s simple and friendly – don’t expect 5-star luxury, but the rooms were clean, the food tasty and filling, and the staff friendly and knowledgable.
The Night Hide Experience
Leaving the centre at 4 pm, we had a short minibus journey, then continued on foot, single file, along a broadwalk through swampy ground and forest. It felt like an adventure already.
Then just as we approached the hide, we spotted our first bears in the distance.
Once inside Wow! Just wow.
The hide overlooked a natural clearing on a gentle slope. At first, we could only see the bears in the distance, but they gradually came closer. At times, they were just metres away.
Now, I should say, the centre does put out food to attract the bears. They have 3 or 4 different hide locations and each one is baited with small amounts – scattered on the ground, wedged into rocks, or placed up trees. It’s not enough to sustain them, but it supplements their diet and encourages natural behaviours, giving guests a chance to observe them.
I was fascinated by how different the bears were – so many distinct personalities and behaviours. Just a few we got to know:
Minnie
The smallest of last year’s cubs, and newly independent. She was clearly nervous around the other bears and spent most of her time high up a tree, only climbing down when the coast was clear.
Mum & Three Teenagers
These slightly older cubs were total mischief makers – play fighting, pestering mum, and occasionally ganging up to pick on some of the other bears. Hilarious to watch (probably less fun for mum).
Mum & Two Fluffy climbers
These little ones were still bundles of fluff, and it was only the second or third time their mother had brought them to the feeding area. Inquistive but well trained by mum to climb the nearest tree at the first hint of any danger.
The Others
A mix of lone bears wandered in and out throughout the evening – some just having a quiet snack, others chilling or relaxing in the evening sunlight.
The Evening Hide Experience
The following day, we tried a different activity – the Evening Hide. This one started a little later, around 5pm and involved a much shorter walk to a new hide location. It had a different pace from the overnight stay. We waited a couple of hours before any bears appeared and we saw fewer overall – maybe four or five – but the ones we did see came much closer.
You could actually hear them crunching and chewing, and this hide had more food placed up in the trees, so we got great views of adult bears standing and stretching to reach their snacks.
We stayed until about 11 pm before heading back to the centre for the night.
If spending the whole night in a hide isn’t your thing, this is a fantastic alternative. That said, we were really glad we experienced both options – they each offered something unique.
Would We Recommend It?
Absolutely – if you’re into wildlife. This isn’t a relaxing break; it’s a proper nature immersion. You’ll spend hours in silence, and it is tiring, but you are guaranteed to see wild brown bears in the wild, just metres away
It might not be for everyone, but for us it was perfect.
A Few Tips If You’re Thinking about It
- Getting there: We flew into Helsinki with a connecting flight to Kajaani. We flew back to Helsinki from Kuusamo. Wildlife World arranged all flights and transfers.
- Take: Layers, waterproofs, walking boots, a good camera
- Timings: The activity is available from May to August. We went in June, which is meant to be a good time to see cubs.
- Expect simplicity: The accommodation is clean and comfortable, but basic. It’s all about the bears.
Let me know if you have questions – we’re always happy to share what worked (or didn’t for us).