Travel, experience, conserve with
Wildlife Worldwide
Phone:
01962 302 086
Jump to main menu

Situated two kilometres inside the forest, around 10 minutes drive from the Martinselkonen Wilderness Lodge, these purpose-built hides provide a fantastic location to watch and photograph bears at close range in Finland.

This refurbished former frontier guard station, located within the taiga forest, provides clean and comfortable accommodation across four separate buildings. Within the main building, on the ground floor, there's one twin and one single room - both with en suite bathroom and shower. Upstairs, two separate rooms for up to four people lead off a communal hall with a bathroom (shower) and kitchenette. Another two doubles and one single room all have en suite bathroom with shower. Downstairs a former family apartment, sleeping up to four people, is equipped with crockery and cutlery, electric cooker, microwave oven, fridge, coffee-maker, TV and radio. A newer annexe has been constructed and comprises seven twin rooms, all with en suite facilities. There's also a sauna cabin which possesses a double room with eco toilet and shower facilities. The lodge is small with a highly personal atmosphere - local produce features in the meals and there’s always a hot coffee pot in the dining room.

The Kuikkalehto Cabin was remodelled in 2017 and is positioned around five kilometres from the main lodge, near Lake Pieni Syrjäjärvi. The cabin has two bedrooms with two beds each and an open-plan living room and kitchen with a dining table, fireplace and sofa bed. The cabin has electricity but no running water, however water can be pumped from the well outside or carried from the lake for washing purposes. Drinking water can be obtained from the Wildlife Centre. A composting toilet is located in a separate outhouse, and the lakeside sauna has a small room with a heater and a convertible sofa. The grill shelter in the yard is available for use, and so are the rowboat and life-vests that are kept at the cabin.

The highlight here, however, is an overnight stay in a bear hide. Located just ten kilometres from the lodge in a forest clearing, two communal hides accommodate nine and ten people respectively, with comfortable seating, a sleeping area and compost toilet. The large bear hides have been in place for a number of years and therefore in some areas the ground is quite worn, but they're located in the main feeding area for the Eurasian brown bears and are the most reliable for seeing bears between June and August, with an excellent chance of seeing females with cubs. The forest setting comprises several large conifers, which the bear cubs often climb. The hide activities take place during the spring and summer nights, when the daylight is at its longest and the bears are most active. All the hides have camera ports and a knowledgeable guide is on hand to answer your questions and help you to see bears and other wildlife. Bears of all ages have been seen here, ranging from small cubs to adult males in excess of 300 kilogrammes.

For photographers, there's the option of using smaller, more rustic one or two person hides with five or six openings for taking bear photos. As a speciality, the one-person pro hides have a photography opening at ground level and are highly recommended for nature photographers as they're able to capture unique low angle photos of Finland’s predators. The hides have seats, bunk beds with sleeping bags and pillows and a bucket toilet. The guide will show you to the hide and pick you up in the morning, but will not stay with you during the night.

The photo hides are located in a variety of scenic settings (forest, pond, swamp and lakeside) and are moved frequently to ensure that the setting is as natural and undisturbed as possible. The forest hide is the best location for seeing bear cubs and taking pictures of bears climbing in the trees. The swamp hide offers the best lighting, and it's the ideal place for seeing white-tailed eagles and other species of birds. There are usually several bears by the forest and swamp hides in one night. The lakeside hide is a bit quieter, but here you can get pictures of perfect reflections on the surface of the lake, of mist rising from the water and of bears swimming and playing in the lake.

The bears have an extremely sensitive sense of smell, because of this it’s important not to wear any perfume or mosquito repellent before entering a hide for the night. Smoking is strictly forbidden during the walk to the hides and also inside the hides, as well as at the lodge. The smell of cigarette smoke may alert bears to human presence and scare them off.

Photography

The bears can approach very close to the forest hides, therefore when it comes to lens choices, you can choose anything from a wide-angle up to a large telephoto; a 70-200mm lens is a good choice. There's no need to bring a tripod, however you may wish to bring a tripod head, these can be attached to a board in the hide and there are also bean bags in each hide. Although you can change lenses, try to do this only while the bears are at a distance to avoid disturbing them by making a noise or a sudden movement.

View suggested itineraries

Key info

Wildlife trips

This accommodation is featured in the following itineraries:

Brown Bear Explorer

Long evenings and early dawns allow incomparable opportunities to watch and photograph the wildlife of the forest on this small group trip in Finland. Staying at purpose built hides, night vigils with a naturalist guide reward you with close-ups of brown bears, wolverines and occasionally wolves. Find out more about Brown Bear Explorer

  • Price (inc. flights): 6 days from £1,895
  • Trip type:
    Group Tour
    Tailor-made can be arranged
  • When to go:
    • J
    • J

Bears, Wolves & Wolverines Self-drive

Brown bear, wolf and wolverine are among Europe’s top predators. All can be seen and photographed from specialist hides in the enigmatic taiga of Finland. Elk, reindeer, white-tailed eagle, capercaillie and other inhabitants of the far north can also be found on this self-drive wildlife adventure. Find out more about Bears, Wolves & Wolverines Self-drive

  • Price (inc. flights): 8 days from £2,495
  • Trip type:
    Tailor-made Holiday
  • When to go:
    • A
    • M
    • J
    • J
    • A

Brown Bears in Finland

This perfect short-haul break takes you to a wonderful spot for sighting brown bears in the Finnish wilderness. Staying at Martinselkonen Wilderness Lodge, enjoy overnight bear watching from hides located deep in the forest, allowing close-up encounters with these fascinating animals and their cubs. Find out more about Brown Bears in Finland

  • Price (inc. flights): 4 days from £1,395
  • Trip type:
    Tailor-made Holiday
  • When to go:
    • M
    • J
    • J
    • A

Bear Photography with Tom Mason

Join wildlife photographer Tom Mason on a dedicated bear-photography trip to Finland’s taiga forest. Visiting two lodges, each with specialist hides for brown bear and wolverine in the best photographic locations in the forest, we take advantage of the lingering evening light of the Finnish summer. Find out more about Finland Bear Photography with Tom Mason

  • Price (inc. flights): 6 days from £2,395
  • Trip type:
    Group Tour
    Tailor-made can be arranged
  • When to go:
    • J
    • J
This accommodation is located in:

Martinselkonen Nature Reserve

This reserve is one of the best places in Europe to photograph brown bears. Hides are located in sparse coniferous forest beside a small bog and, lured by carrion, bears can be seen at night from as close as five metres away. During the day there are nature walks, with good opportunities for birdwatching. Find Out More about {acc:title}

  • Where: Pirttivaara, Suomussalmi
  • Ideal for viewing: brown bear, elk, wolverine, black grouse, capercaillie
  • Excellent for: Wildlife photography, Bear watching