Paddling into the Dark: Reflections from the Moonlight Safari Pilot

Reflections on the Piloting Trip to Stockholm Archipelago by Mats Selin and Anniina Merilinna from the DMO Visit Kotka-Hamina in Finland and Simo Peri from the SME Retkipiste in Finland.

On 12-13 August 2025 we visited Stockholm Archipelago and joined with 6 other people the testing group for the Moonlight Safari Paddling product by Kayak & Uteliv. The piloting was part of the Baltic Sea Region project “Light in the Dark”, where entrepreneurs have developed new off-season tourism products. The purpose of the piloting was to provide valuable feedback for the entrepreneur.

We started the experience in Gräddö where Kayak & Uteliv have their home base. Our guide Astrid was very welcoming and made sure that everyone got to know each other and had the knowledge needed to start the trip. On the first evening we paddled to the island of Lidö. On the way we had a delicious dinner on the rocks and paddled in the sunset. One highlight of the evening was the full moon we saw on our way as well paddling in the dark with head torches lighting our way. In Lidö we accommodated in a cosy house.

On the next morning, we had breakfast and some of us even went for a morning swim. Then, the second part of the experience begun as we boarded on a boat by Roslagsevent and went on a nice boat ride to see some seals. Of course we stopped on the way to have a Swedish fika, meaning a coffee break with delicious cinnamon bun. Our experience ended with a nice open fire lunch with Astrid’s guidance and a beautiful walk on the Stockholm Archipelago Trail. What a nice day!

For us, as DMO representatives it was interesting to see what kind of products have been developed in other regions. The Moonlight Safari Paddling is a great example of collaboration between different companies. From a customer perspective, it is very convenient to have different kinds of activities in one product instead of buying them separately from different operators and trying to coordinate schedules etc. In this case the collaboration between these two companies worked seamlessly and the customer could just relax and enjoy. This kind of collaboration model is not destination dependent, but it can – and should – be executed all over the Baltic Sea Region.

Other aspect that made the product very good was that all details had been thought trough very carefully, meaning that the experience proceeded without problems. We were never in a hurry, all the logistics went smoothly etc. And of course, the expertise of our guides was a cherry on the top. Thank you for Astrid and Simon!

Programme Manual Online

Choose