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Sometimes with some places, you know you’re home as soon as you walk through the door.

A traditional faluröd (also known as the shade ‘Falun Red’) exterior, well-worn hardwood floors, a timeless white pitch tile roof. This quintessential two-storey Swedish farmhouse stands, just ten minutes away from Kiruna town, as the very picture of classic Scandinavian charm. It was, after all, genuinely built in the 1920s; and a century later, glows with the scent of old wood as soon as you walk through its heavy double doors.

Festooned with snow and leftover Christmas touches well into the dwindling days of January, this is the kind of place that makes you smile and pat yourself on the back for correctly putting luxury accomodation and boutique stays on a backburner for once and taking the road less travelled; the kind of place that makes you feel like you’ve arrived at your well-deserved home in the Arctic Circle, even if you have never been to the North. The owner, Per; his son, Ivar; everyone’s favourite half-Malamute, Thor; and his team of ever-ready helpers, are innate conoisseurs of the art of Scandinavian hospitality – and there is a quiet, genuine warmth about the way they look out for your well-being that makes their kindness almost palpable; and you never want to leave. I typically shy away from homestays and BnBs primarily because the thought of having to converse with strangers flood me with crippling anxiety; but here, I never felt forced into small talk, I was never cornered into a conversation I didn’t want to be part of, and miraculously, I was left alone and extremely well taken care of at the same time.

I couldn’t have asked for better and ironically, when the stay ended, the tables turned and I became the housefly who didn’t want to leave.

HOW DO YOU GET HERE?

The journey to Kiruna is, in itself, a meditative calm – it’s one of those things that must surely have had a hand in the coining of the phrase “The destination is in the journey itself“.

To get to Kiruna, there is the option of Plane: Kiruna is just an hour away from Stockholm.
Or, Train; which is an experiential ride all on its own and can span anywhere between 15 and 21 hours, depending on time of day (there are a few departures a day for this route). Nevertheless, I recommend taking the train at least once – preferably there instead of back; the view you wake up to will stay a core memory for years to come.

On a side note, I would also like to address the mass of confusion on the internet about the complexities of getting to Kiruna via train. I can safely assure you that yes, there are trains that go to Kiruna directly from Stockholm; and no, they do not require any platform switching or cumbersome getting on/off board at all. There are Stockholm-Kiruna routes that do involve a change of trains – but they are not the only option, is my point. So just be careful what you’re booking when you’re booking it.

My Personal Route:
As with most travel bookings, it stands to reason that the earlier you book, the cheaper it is. I booked an evening train via SJ (departs around 6pm), around 60 days in advance; this is by far the most time-efficient and cost-efficient way based on my research. It is the shortest ride on the schedule, and clocks in at about 15 hours. And yes, this one goes directly to Kiruna from Stockholm.

There are a variety of seating options on board, and you can start from as simple as a seat which costs about USD100, to booking out an entire compartment meant to sleep 3 pax, which will set you back least USD300. You can also book just one of the three beds in the compartment (which means you will be sharing the compartment with two other travelling strangers) – but personally, I wouldn’t recommend that. To say that space is tight in there is an understatement. I travelled alone but booked out the full compartment because I wanted privacy and peace of mind; and even then, I was struggling more than I should in a space that was intended for three. Do it only if the other two people are part of your travelling group.

Once you’re at Kiruna, there is the option of taking a public bus to the Farm, which will stop almost directly outside where the Farm is. I knew myself well enough to know that I’d be too mentally spent on arrival to figure out Kiruna’s public transport in the -6°C cold (there is only one bus and it comes every 20-30 minutes); so I succumbed to the comforts of a transfer instead, provided by the Farm at about €30-ish/way.

WHAT ARE THE AMENITIES?

A home stay setting offers plenty of comfort and genuinity; it’s like bumming at a friend’s (a friend who just casually happens to have 42 dogs), and there is free breakfast, free wi-fi, and all-day access to the dogs if you’re up to being outside in the cold with them 24/7.

There are a few stay options (as briefly listed at the start of this post); shower facilities are in the basement, and all other forms of ‘business’ are conducted in the Utedass (basically an outhouse toilet).

Beyond the compounds, you can reach the town centre in a 10-15 minute car ride; which, I’d be remiss to mention, is way way further than it sounds when you’re this off-grid. Don’t plan on making quick ‘convenient’ runs to the supermarket daily. If you’re taking the public bus, just the commute on its own will set you back at least 1 hour total (due to waiting time); and if you arrange for transport, your supermarket run will cost you €60 just to get there and back.

In your stay option, you will have access to a small refrigerator, a microwave oven, as well as an induction stove. My tip is to make a pit stop at the supermarket before you check in at the accomodation. If you’re arranging for a pick-up directly from Husky Dreams, this is a complimentary option that will be extended to you.

WHERE IS THE CROWD?

Good news (or bad, depending on your persona): there is NO crowd in Kiruna.

There are probably more reindeer and moose in Kiruna than humans (this is not a real statistic, don’t quote me). But in case you meant to ask for the town centre, it’s, well, in the Town Centre. Still, it isn’t the kind of ‘centre’ you go to shop or cafe hop or chill. You get a church, a supermarket, a gas station, a handful of small local restaurants (Stejk Street Food is the absolute BEST)… and that’s really pretty much it.

(Personally, what I loved most about the streets of Kiruna were the houses. This town has SO much soul, and its residential architecture is 100% fuelled by Christmas energy. So much warmth and homeliness. So. Much. Ambience.)

WHAT IS THERE TO DO IN KIRUNA?

Reindeer, Dog Sledding, Northern Lights, Ice Fishing, Snowmobiling. Oh, and a visit to the Icehotel, of course.

I SHOULD PROBABLY MENTION THIS…

Like I said, a stay at Husky Dreams is like bumming at a friend’s – so give the space and its owners the same love and care you would a friend’s. Observe house rules (they’re really not that hard to follow); don’t be squeamish about the Utedass; and don’t make yourself a chore that someone else have to clean up after. This is essentially a home stay experience; so expect authentic hospitability, not lavish hospitality. Beside, it’d be very counter to the entire purpose of booking a homestay on a farm if your intention is to be served and wait on*.

*Not that there is anything wrong with this because I personally enjoy my hotel accommodations too. I’m just saying, there is a time and place for everything, and a farm homestay is definitely not a destination you pick for pamper and fuss.

THIS WAS WHAT I LOVED MOST AT HUSKY DREAMS

The dogs – is this even a question?

SHOULD YOU STAY AT HUSKY DREAMS?

If you don’t care for dogs, I wouldn’t recommend it (for obvious reasons) – but if you’ve ever casually wondered what it’d be like to live a life where you wake up and go to sleep with 42 dogs around you, then I’d say, SIGN UP NOW. My ten years of travelling solo have brought me through so many wonderful lodges and hotels and villas and homes; but as an experience unto its own, Husky Dreams was hands down the BEST accomodation choice that I have ever made; and I would do it all over again, a hundred times over, in a heartbeat, if I could.

Here, for a sliver of a moment in time, I got to live out a fragment of my dusty, unrealistic, decade-old dream of living on a dog farm, where I would be constantly surrounded by more dogs than my eyes could count… and life would be off-grid but so beautifully complete; and even as I would be cut off from the drudge and grime of the outside world, I would be fulfilled, and I would be content.

And even though it lasted but for a fleeting moment, it became real, and it was truly the craziest feeling in the world, to have been able to take the most seemingly impossible thing in my mind and turn it into reality. I’d never felt so… light; and I highly recommend this feeling to anyone who has been feeling lately like life is a little too hard to achieve.

Wherever you are and whatever is it, I hope you go out there and let your own dog farm happen to you too.