Guraidhoo, Maldives

Our next destination was Guraidhoo Island, another small local island only a few minutes from Maafushi. Due to the pandemic or covid-19, as I bet we are all very familiar with by now, we received a very unique welcome to the Guraidhoo island. As we arrived, me and my mother had to sit down in order for a health worker to take our temperature, in order to figure out whether we are sick. After that, we were good to proceed to our guest house, where we were the only guests. With only 2 nights booked, we were planning to do some research and then continue our vacation on another island. However, due to the pandemic and to minimise the spread of the virus, tourists were not allowed to travel between the islands. Therefore, we changed our accommodation to something closer to the beach, and cosier overall. During our time at the Guraidhoo Island, our flights were cancelled, rescheduled and we were already mentally preparing ourselves to stay on the island for a couple of weeks or even a month. Luckily, our flight was postponed for a few days and we got to enjoy the beaches for a few more days. As amazing as it sounds, all restaurants closed on the entire island, the diving shops closed down and the only thing left to do was to follow the news, tan and eat. 

Anyway, I'm happy I got to experience the Maldives in a way that probably most people don't. We had the opportunity to actually speak to the locals, the children started to recognise us and there was one little girl who I met almost daily who were excited to just say "Hello" to me on a daily basis. I wouldn't mind visiting the Maldives again and hopefully by then be able to see some of the other local islands. Until next time!

Maafushi, Maldives

Arriving to Velana International Airport in Male, was quite special. The airport is quite small, but has a special feel to it due to its "open concept". Prior to our arrival, we had arranged a speed boat to pick us up and take us to the Maafushi Island. It's not every day that you get picked up from the airport by a speedboat, that's for sure. After a 30-45min boat ride, we arrived at Maafushi, where we received luggage assistance to our hotel. Not that it was a long walk, Maafushi is a small island just like most islands in the Maldives. Maafushi is known for being one of the more touristic islands, due to its  close location to the airport and affordable prices. The island has restaurants, one bikini beach and a couple of party boats. We spent 5 nights at Maafushi in order to complete my Advance Open Water Diver certificate. As most of the islands in the Maldives are small, it's quite common to explore several islands, unless you are ona  honeymoon and stuck on a resort island of course. Therefore, we decided to continue our journey to another local island nearby. 

Doha, Qatar

Wonderful heading back in the Middle East! Qatar and Doha has not really been on bucket list, but since it crossed our path due to a layover, I guess it could be worth a visit. Our initial travel plan was to visit the Maldives, which was an idea that my mother brought to my attention. She loves scuba diving, and Maldives is all about just that. Anyways, more about that in another post. 

So, as our journey started from Helsinki to Doha, the corona virus had been a hot topic already. It was difficult to predict what we could except from our trip, but after reading the news both Qatar and Maldives had not been affected much when our holiday was about to begin. 

After arriving in Doha early in the morning, we checked in to the hotel and decided to take a quick nap before exploring the city. The vibe I got from Doha was a "wannabe Dubai". It seems like they wish to build something remarkable that would live up to the same standards as Dubai. For whatever reason, many buildings are not completed and it does not seem like they were busy with the construction either. Somehow, I found the souqs and the area around that area very charming and nostalgic. Sure, it might not be as old as it seems, but the overall atmosphere was cosy and the locals were hospitable. If you wish to explore the city, I highly recommend to use the metro. It's very convenient as it stops at the most significant attractions, and t's also affordable. We took the metro to the Katara Cultural Village, enjoyed a delicious lunch at MAMIG and returned with the metro passing by the Souq Waqif. We stayed at the Saraya Corniche Hotel, due to its location close by the souq, the National Museum and the Museum of Islamic Art. 

I love the middle east, but Doha is probably not a destination I would return to, nor spend many days exploring. It's perfect in case you have a layover and feel like exploring a new place for 2-3 days. 

Lapland, Finland

Despite being a Finn myself, I have not taken the time to visit Lapland, until now. Seldom do we take the time to appreciate our own country by visiting other cities to explore. I decided to head up to Levi, which is Finlands largest ski resort to visit my friend Taru. 

I'm not the person who enjoys the snow and the cold, but I was very eager to walk around the small village around Levi. To see the trees and cottages covered with snow was somehow very relaxing and beautiful. The dining experience in Pihvipirtti gave an authentic atmosphere of being in a Finnish old cottage while enjoying some traditional Finnish delights. 

I tried downhill skiing, for basically the first time ever. After my first fall, I got the hang of how to get down safely and very slowly. To be honest, as a quite brave person who enjoys skydiving, downhill skiing is quite scary. I can however see why people enjoy it, especially if you are good. 

One afternoon we visited the Tundra Husky farm to go for a husky sled ride. After receiving a short training from the farm owner, we were all excited to manage our own sled. The farm had 80 huskies, which we could cuddle with after the sled ride. Quite a remarkable experience! 

Shiraz, Iran

After travelling to more than 50 countries, it starts repeating itself somehow. The landmarks, attractions, and religious places all starts looking the same. It becomes challenging to find something unique that makes you want to grab your camera out of your bag to capture the sight. I believe especially recently that I have started to capture more moments and people while travelling, rather than attractions. People in a natural setting in their every day life tells a story, and captures how the atmosphere was. 

Shiraz, oh Shiraz. As long as I can remember from my childhood, have I always heard about Shiraz (and Ghalat of course). Despite all stories, I have not done enough of research nor really dug into my roots as much as I could have. Somehow, leaving it all to my imagination with the stories from my father, made the trip quite exciting. 

When I visited Morocco in the summer 2018, I was mesmerised by the colours, the handicraft, spices and generally the atmosphere of the markets and the locals. While walking through the Vakil Bazaar, it gave me a strong throwback from Fez in Morocco, except that the vendors are less aggressive. Shiraz is the perfect city for a visitor who prefers to walk around and explore. Around and within walking distance from the Vakil Bazaar, you will find almost all most important and beautiful sights. 

From the beginning: Me and Parvin arrived to Shiraz Airport late in the evening, where my two cousins picked us up. Despite us being tired, we were headed towards Haft Khan Restaurant, one of the city's most top-notch restaurants. We had a traditional Iranian feast while enjoying the music from a live band. The very next day was busy walking through most attractions. The day started early with breakfast and a visit to the Nasir ol-molk Mosque (sometimes referred to as the Pink Mosque). The best time of the day to visit is during the morning before noon, as this is the timing when the sun rays hits the coloured mosaic windows. 

Additionally, during my time in Shiraz I also visited the Thomb of Hafez, the Vakil Mosque, the Vakil Bath, The Quran Gate, the Afif-Abad Garden, the Arg of Karim Khan, and probably more. 

During my visit, we spent time at my aunties home where my entire family from my fathers side were gathered. It was probably a moment in my life I will never forget. The gathering was for approximately 40 people, but apparently half of the family could not make it. It's a shame that I don't speak farsi fluently, as this would not only made my visit to the family much easier, but also communicating with the locals while exploring the city aswell. Fortunately, wherever I went, I had the privilege to be accompanied by a cousin or friend.

Shiraz, was amazing and I would recommend it to anyone really. I can't wait to go back again and explore more of Iran.