Finland: Top Reasons to Travel, How to Plan a Trip & What to See

"Ask someone from Bollywood to shoot a couple of songs here", we quipped. The attentive audience nodded. It was our first night in Finland, a sparsely populated & stunningly beautiful country in Northern Europe. The discussion was about how Finland was yet to become popular among Indian travelers like the meadows of Interlaken, Switzerland. After touring "The Land of Thousand Lakes" & enjoying its calm wilderness, here are the top reasons to travel to Finland & what to see once you get here. One of our reason is that the people of Finland love coffee more than anywhere in the world. In addition, the fact that Club Mahindra members can now enjoy a vacation in Finland with Club Mahindra Resorts in Europe.

Image Courtesy: Visit Finland Photographer- Mikko Nikkinen

Four Distinct Regions to Explore: Finland offers four distinct regions that can be explored. For instance, start with Helsinki - the capital & a modern European city. Walk around the Design Capital & explore its architecture, culture & design houses; the most famous being Marimekko that is celebrated worldwide for its design, print & colors.

The Cathedral at Helsinki, Finland

Visit to the Cathedral during winters

Visit Laplands - the official residence of Santa Claus & the northernmost province.

The Snowy Landscapes at Lapland. Image Courtesy: Visit Finland Photographer- Hannes Becker

Experience the beauty of untouched wilderness in winters where snow covers everything lending a magical feel, see the spectacular Northern lights (winters) or enjoy an endless night with the Midnight sun (summers). Forage for fresh berries & mushrooms or rent a cottage in Lakeland region to enjoy the most idyllic setting.

Fresh Berries In Finland. Image Courtesy: Visit Finland Photographer- Elina Sirparanta

Watch Bears in their natural setting or try spotting the endangered freshwater seal. In other words, go island hopping in the archipelago region shaped by the ice age or enjoy sea kayaking. Spend a night on a lighthouse island or discover underwater trails.

Beautiful Outdoors: 70 % of Finland is covered by deep green forests. The Land of Thousand Lakes has 187,888 glittering lakes that present an opportunity to explore its beautiful outdoors. The 39 national parks scattered around the region showcase it's natural characteristics. Above all, it offers great hiking trails & campsites. Explore the outdoors on a bicycle (there are many cycling routes in Finland), via waterways, on wheels or on foot.

Angry Bird Themed Resorts: Kids are crazy about Angry Birds. Angry bird themed resorts are very popular across Finland. We enjoyed an amazing time at the indoor activity park in Holiday Club resort Saimaa & Saariselkä. Both properties are now easily accessible with your Club Mahindra Membership. Planning a vacation is easy, just check out the Holiday Club Resorts Oy in Europe.

Angry Birds Activity Park at Holiday Club Resorts, Saimaa

Meet the Wildlife: Finland offers wildlife lovers a chance to spot wild bears in their natural habitat. For instance, birdwatchers flock to Finland to find hard to find species. There are many tour operators that organize wildlife excursions that enables photographers to get spectacular shots of wildlife.

Visit Design Lovers Paradise - Helsinki: The capital of Finland is contemporary, vibrant & trendy with 450 years of traditions & history blending effortlessly with modern designs. Take a walk in Kallio, a cute neighborhood full of bars, cafes & boutiques or enjoy local delicacies. A tram ride is also a fun way to explore this breezy Baltic port. Above all, you can also indulge in one of the many saunas here. For instance, there is one in the parliament house in Helsinki!

A drive through Helsinki during winters

Turn Back the Clock in Porvoo: The second oldest city in Finland, Porvoo is full of charming streets lined with wooden houses. Take a peak inside the museum to see a collection of old photographs or walk around the cathedral. One can enjoy a quiet meal or a quick cup of coffee in one of the cafes in Porvoo.

Walk around the charming streets of Porvoo. Image by Surina Sayal

Go Island Hopping: The coast & archipelago region offers tourists many opportunities to go island hopping. Shaped by the ice age, the Turku archipelago consists of over 20,000 islands & islets. If you love riding bicycles, you are in for a treat. Similarly, sea kayaking is another popular method of exploring the islands.

Northern Lights & Midnight Sun: Finland is the land of endless nights in summer & the glorious Northern lights in winter. The months of Autumn brings contrasting colors all around. In addition, it's a season of picking fresh berries while hiking.

Spectacular Northern Lights Image Courtesy: Visit Finland Photographer- Mikko Nikkinen

Know More About Sami Culture: The best way to know about Sami people (the only indigenous people settled in Northern parts of Finland) is to participate in indoor & outdoor activities in the Sami region & participate in their festivals. In Finland the Sami population is 9000 strong & you can indulge in variety of activities like snow snowmobiling, salmon fishing or a Reindeer ride

A Sami woman dressed in traditional attire

A visit to the Siida, the museum of the Finnish Sámi & an internationally acclaimed indoor and outdoor museum is a must do activity. Acquaint yourself with the Sami culture, art and nature & the Sami way of life at this museum. 

Sami Dolls at Siida Musuem

Planning is easy with a Club Mahindra Membership: Club Mahindra now owns Holiday Club Resorts Oy, Finland that has 31 resorts across Finland, Sweden & Spain. So planning a trip to Finland is easy with your Club Mahindra membership.

The poolside at Holiday Club Resorts, Saimaa

The Holiday Club Resort at Saariselkä

Get clicked near snow filled cottages at Saariselkä

So choose a season & the region in Finland that you desire to vacation in & plan a Finnish getaway with your Club Mahindra membership. To know about the spectacular cuisine of Finland, click here.

Travel Tips:

1. Finnair operates 3 flights per week from Delhi, India to Helsinki with return fares starting from INR 35,000 per person. Fares drop in winter & peak during summers
2. Winters in Finland as you move towards North are pretty harsh. Take adequate warm winter clothing.
3. Public transport is well organized with Finnish railways operating a fairly extensive network. Long distance buses ply between cities & ferries are popular during summers.
4. An extensive tram network is quiet popular & used by locals & tourists in Helsinki to get around.
5. Accommodation is usually expensive but there are many youth hostels across the country.
6. Cottages are also a popular option to explore the Finnish countryside & easy to rent.
7. The official currency is Euro & Indians need to apply for a Schengen visa before travel.