Lifestyle
FINLAND: 10 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT
Finland has absolutely nothing in common with the Middle East, which makes it an obvious choice for a week away. Yachts swapped Hessa Street for Helsinki and Lewa for Levi to bring you 10 reasons why you should pay this unique part of the world a visit.
Steve Chalmers
1. GETTING THERE
Finland may well be one of the world’s northernmost countries, but it’s only a six-hour flight with FlyDubai. We flew to Helsinki on the low cost airline’s newest aircraft, the Boeing 737 Max 800 and were suitably impressed by the huge 11.6-inch high definition screens in the MAX economy seats. Quality wise, these are on par with the latest home tablets and are far superior to the European carriers. Business travellers get an even better 15.6-inch 1080p HD touchscreen as well as fully reclinable seats. Cost wise, you’re looking at around AED1500 for an economy ticket, with Business coming in at the AED8000 mark.
2. SNOW
Where do you go on holiday when you live in a country that is a major holiday destination? You certainly won’t be going anywhere hotter, so why not go to the extreme and head to Finland for some sub-zero temperatures and a whole load of snow. There’s no better feeling than walking in a snow shower, feeling the icy crunch under every footstep. Oh and building snowmen and having a snowball fight is encouraged, no matter what your age.
Rear view of empty Economy Class cabin showing Boeing Sky Interior
There’s no better feeling than walking in a snow shower, feeling the icy crunch under every footstep.
3. SKIING
With its location 170km north of the Arctic Circle, the Levi ski resort is all but guaranteed a fresh covering of crisp white snow. Set on the 1742-foot Levi Mountain, the popular destination also happens to be the biggest ski resort in Finland. The mountain itself is vast, covering countless runs, so you have the option of amateur, to world class. Again, we recommend you hire all your kit while you’re there: it’s all top-notch attire. Plus, you can even hire fat bikes and snowboards. For complete beginners – such as the Yachts team – expert tuition is on hand. Here, on the kiddies’ slope, we went from desert dwellers, to downhill masters in less than an hour. If you’ve never been skiing before, we recommend giving it a go.
Downhill newbie?: Even if the closest you’ve ever come to skiing is watching penguin videos on YouTube, Levi’s expert instructors will soon have you descendin
4.HUSKIES
If there is ever a dog that makes you go “awwwww” then it’s the Husky. Man, woman, or child, the thought of spending a morning at a husky park is irresistible, especially as it ends in a two-hour safari through the Finnish woods. Being surrounded by healthy, excited Huskies is a real happy-trigger, as it is for the dogs themselves as they get completely spoiled by visitors.
Being in a pen with 10 young pups, all wanting to play was one of the highlights of the trip, as was the guided sled-ride through the snow-covered forests. They’re in their element here, bounding over the fresh snow, just like you see on the Discovery Channel. At the end of the snow-safari, everyone heads to the ‘mushers hut’ for a hot berry drink served in a traditional Finnish Kuksa cup. Sitting around the central log fire stove, the thought of going back to ‘reality’ is a tough one: just let me have one more play with the doggies.
Being surrounded by healthy, excited Huskies is a real happy-trigger, as it is for the dogs themselves as they get completely spoiled by visitors.
5.REINDEER
For anyone outside of Finland, reindeer are seen as elusive beasts, inhabiting remote forests, only spotted by the hardiest adventurer. In reality, reindeer are absolutely everywhere; so much so, locals class them as a vegetable. Reindeer are handsome/beautiful creatures and despite their large antlers, they’re a bit daft, which makes them even more fascinating. During our reindeer safari, the reindeer pulling our sled had a fascination with the bobble hat of one of the passengers in the sled ahead of us. Hilarity ensued, as our curious mount tried his best to nibble the aforementioned headgear.
6. NORTHERN LIGHTS
Lapland is an ideal location to watch the bright, dancing lights of the aurora borealis. Viewable only from the high-latitude regions, the Northern Lights are produced by solar winds ionising in the atmosphere, which create a vivid green light-show high in the sky. With basically zero light pollution outside of towns, the aurora borealis can be viewed from September to March, with locals recommending September, as the nights are clear and due to the lack of snow, the lights are reflected in the Finnish lakes, of which there are 188,000. The Lights can only be seen on clear nights and we recommend booking a Levi Igloo, so you can lie back in bed and watch the light show through the clear glass roof.
Hotels: Unlike the Middle East, Finland doesn’t have an abundance of hotels. This makes choosing places to stay, such as the Levi Igloos and Helsinki’s Hotel Kä
7. HOTELS AND EATING
One thing we do not get much of here in the Middle East is fresh food – something Finland has in abundance. Everything grows and lives a short trip from a dinner plate. Fish, steak, vegetables, reindeer, it’s all fresh, healthy and super tasty. Helsinki’s restaurants are world class, and they have to be, as due to the cold weather and polar nights, Finns tend to eat (and drink) a lot. We stayed at the famous Hotel Kämp in the centre of Helsinki, which proved to be the ideal location for exploring the city’s busy nightlife. Booking tables is a must in Helsinki’s restaurants, or you can simply stay within the warmth of the hotel. Kämp is the most luxurious hotel in the capital and has been the number one choice for visiting celebrities, politicians and Royalty since it first opened back in 1887.
8. WELLBEING
It’s fair to say, wellbeing (and saunas in particular) are part and parcel of Finnish culture. There’s an estimated three million saunas in the country, which is made all the more impressive by the fact that there’s only five million inhabitants. Finns relax in the humid huts with family; invite friends over for chats and it is well known that a lot of Finnish business gets done while perspiring, with the hotter the host can go, the more likely he or she is of sealing the deal.
9. DRESS CODE
Unlike most exclusive resorts, dressing to impress is not required in places such as Levi. Despite a number of ex F1 drivers calling it home, you won’t see any tuxedos around town, just warm, sensible clothing that you can remove to reveal a woolly jumper and jeans. Also, there’s no need to take any chunky skiwear with you as you can hire some top quality gear from a number of rental outlets in the town. Save your suitcase space for thermals, T-shirts and woolly hats.
10. RALLY DRIVING
Thanks to its slippery conditions, Finland has produced more than its fair share of world-class rally drivers and you too can have a go at being the next Tommi Mäkinen. Levi’s Lapland Driving is the place to head, as here, piloting a mixture of Can-Am buggies and the rally school’s BMW 130i, professional driver Jani Ylipahkala will put you through your paces after first demonstrating what the rear wheel drive, 230bhp BMW can do on the twisty snow course. Jani (AKA Stunt Yani) is a real character, with some great stories to tell once you’ve burned some frozen rubber.
