DRIVING a Saab on a frozen lake is just part of the Saab Ice Experience. Every year, Saab owners get a chance to go on this Arctic adventure, complete with a dog-sled ride and snowmobile safari.

From Stockholm, guests fly to Kiruna, 200 km north of the Arctic Circle and just 700 km from the North Pole. Warm clothing and shoes are provided so they can get off the plane and jump immediately on to a sled pulled by 12 Alaskan huskies. This breed of dog was introduced to Sweden during the gold rush, and today they scamper in the snow for tourists.

Along the way, lunch is served in a big tent that looks like a teepee. This is what the Sami people, indigenous to northern Europe, used to live in as reindeer-herding nomads. Then it's back on the sled for another close-up view of a dozen furry behinds.

A Swedish sauna and hot tub beckon in the evening. Don't skip it because it should warm you up for your overnight stay at the Icehotel. Built from ice blocks harvested from the frozen Torne River, the 91-room hotel exists from December to mid-April, before melting away in spring. Your bed is a block of ice on which reindeer skins and a sleeping bag are laid. Only one building is heated and this is where the hotel reception and washrooms are located. It is also where your luggage is stored during your stay.

The Icehotel has been around for 18 years, and Saab has run its ice-driving events there for half that time. This year, Saab's chief designer even carved a 9-3 model out of ice, complete with headlights, in one of the rooms.

The Saab Ice Experience continues with the driving programme the next day, followed by a snowmobile safari in the hills. A reindeer ride and dinner in Kiruna's oldest building completes the holiday on ice.

For more information, call Trans Eurokars on tel 6251-6888

This article was first published in The Business Times on Mar 29, 2008.