This past weekend, my cat Binks passed away. My friends sent me flowers that now sit on my drawing table in little jars. It feels beautiful to know that they care. I don’t know if they… Read More

It’s cool to be a sceptic and all, but have you ever actually tried enjoying things? Disclaimer: Ecstatic dancing is obviously very against social distancing. I went in March when hugg… Read More

Hi friend! It’s been a while! Hope you’re doing well – it sure has been a strange year. I’m sorry you haven’t heard from me in a while. Look, maybe bitch took a… Read More

For as long as I can remember, my only goal has been to Leave. At thirteen, it was dreaming about moving to L.A. to become a famous actress after I saw Prince Caspian in movie theatres. At s… Read More

Georgia is the best idea you haven’t heard of yet. The little nation of Georgia is still relatively unknown for mainstream travel media but slowly and stubbornly it’s getting up… Read More

An outbreak of a global pandemic can have unexpected consequences. Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional nor a travel advisor; a lot of this info is taken from external sources (linked… Read More

Solo travelling is amazing, empowering and fun – until it’s not. Lights flashing, reggaeton blares. The music is too loud for discussion but who would I be talking to anyway? Eve… Read More

Hi, friend! You were asking me to send you a postcard of the Northern lights when I got back to Finland – did you think I forgot? Well, I guess this isn’t exactly what you asked… Read More

High atop the same mountain where Moses received the Ten Commandments, local Bedouins provide shelter for overnight hikers. Egypt has possibly the strictest security I’ve ever encounte… Read More

Disclaimer: This post is about two years late. Ooooops. Red and white lights reflect off the wet pavement. The cars are scarcer now, only stopping to quickly fill their tanks before speeding… Read More

Two years out and I still know less than Jon Snow. Last year, I wrote a post detailing 7 unexpected aspects of living as a digital nomad. I published it on the first anniversary of my moving… Read More

Visiting the West Bank in Palestine is not only a great offbeat travel destination but a deeply political one too, no matter what your opinion is. Disclaimer: I am not an expert on the Israe… Read More

Eight people come to terms with an oncoming disaster. This short story is the first in a series of non-travel fiction narratives, published on the blog about monthly. Photo source: unsplash… Read More

The Dilijan national park in the north-east of the country is without a doubt the most popular hiking resort in Armenia. Three days in, with an ankle, a knee and now increasingly a leg in pa… Read More

Hi, friend! Man, I really wish you’d been here for these past few days. Yerevan is a nice city but the backpacker scene here is really bad – especially now in October, it’s… Read More

When I was planning my visit to the Giza Pyramids, I had no clue what to expect. Visiting the Giza Pyramids can be a confusing affair if you’re only starting to do your research. The r… Read More

The post How the Separation Wall in Betlehem Became a Political Art Gallery appeared first on wayfarover Read More

It’s time to countdown – not the best but definitely some of the most memorable moments of the year. Travelling is inspiring, fun, and a break from the routine. It opens our eyes… Read More

I am SO ready for the roaring 20’s. The past year has been. Well. It has been. I learned a lot of things about myself. Some of them were unpleasant. I learned that I like art museums b… Read More

Hi there! You wouldn’t believe how early I had to get up today. Body lagging, feet dragging, air is heavy, my legs are heavy, mom’s spaghetti. I don’t even know what’… Read More

Happy independence day, Finland! Finland celebrated its 102nd independence day on Friday, on December 6; and in two weeks, I will also be back in Finland, stuffing my face with delicious Fin… Read More

The first time I was left speechless was at sunset. I stood below two mounds rising from the arid ground, a staircase hacked into stone leading up to a short tower on the top of each hill. T… Read More

The first world war is just about to start. In Baku, two lovers are desperately trying to stay together. Behind glow-up lights and tacky mint-blue décor, an all-American smoothie bar… Read More

Planning a trip to Iran? This is the almost-comprehensive guide to budgeting Iran, including cost estimation, scams and the currency explained! Iran is probably the cheapest country I have e… Read More

As the world around us grows bigger and more destinations become accessible to more travellers, should we stop to think about the impact of our destination choices? The problem with ethics a… Read More

What do you get when you combine important historical hot springs and Tinder? On the morning of the eight day the cousins Sandro, Dodiko, Vamech and Soso came to my room. I dived under the c… Read More

Out of all the questions I got asked about my trip to Iran – mostly by my mum – was this: Is it really safe to travel there? Iran has a bad reputation. While many seasoned travel… Read More

As the neighbours Armenia and Azerbaijan continue to quarrel, one piece of land between the two countries chafes their relationship more than anything else: Nagorno-Karabakh or Artsakh, a co… Read More

The post Sunday postcard from… Tehran, Iran appeared first on wayfarover Read More

When you’re travelling, drinking is a normal part of your holiday routine. But when does it become a problem? Flickering lights. Deafening noise. Not noise; the sound system is top not… Read More

Iran is a beautiful, complex, fascinating, confusing, gorgeous place – and shocking to navigate, unless you come prepared. Planning a trip to Iran? First of all, congrats! Take me with… Read More

The post At 26 appeared first on wayfarover Read More

The Old Continent houses many mysteries for a traveller to discover. This summer, I spent three weeks travelling through Europe. Kind of accidentally, actually: I was trying to get from Spai… Read More

Greetings from the rainy Azeri mountains! The rain had run a river in the middle of the street. I was hopping from stone to stone, trying to keep my feet dry but my hiking boots – the… Read More

Hard to get to and little known, the beautiful Tusheti region gives Georgia’s other mountain areas a run for their money. Our car backs down, the driver pulling up behind a trailer to… Read More

The strange far-away annex of Britain makes for a perfect day trip if you’re already lounging around Spain’s Sunny Coast. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone at this… Read More

As the number of walkers increases, the number of those doing it for religious reasons steadily declines. Have I ever told you how I first heard of Camino de Santiago? Picture this: Cuba, 19… Read More

I could have travelled through Germany on my way from south to north. But when given the chance to add one more country to my list of “been there done that”s, the temptation was… Read More

A week in the Caucasus. Visiting Svaneti in Georgia is synonymous with hiking – as soon as you tell someone of your outdoors addiction, they’ll ask you, ‘Have you been to S… Read More

So you have decided to travel to Granada, the Arabian pearl of Southern Spain? Welcome! And might I just congratulate you for choosing the most gorgeous, unique, vivid and all around best ci… Read More

Hi, stranger. On the last night of the hike, all the people I have got used to seeing on the trail are gathered in the same guest house. The family running the place are incredibly nice, and… Read More

The post The Dubious Ethics of Travelling Cheap: Is Budget Travel Selfish? appeared first on wayfarover Read More

The sixth smallest country in the world has one big advantage to claim: its mountains. Liechtenstein has been called the “heart of the Alps” – although by its own tourism b… Read More

About a month ago, the shaky relationship between Georgia and Russia took another hit when anti-Russian protests emerged in the capital Tbilisi. And you know what? I love talking politics. I… Read More

So you’ve decided to seek enlightenment and walk Europe’s most famous pilgrimage. (Or, like me, you’re just bored and decided that walking 800+ kilometres across Spain woul… Read More

Did you know that you shouldn’t hitchhike because you might get picked up by a serial killer? Did you also know that you should never pick up a hitchhiker because they might be a seria… Read More

Hi, my ghost. Throughout the time we’ve known each other, the theme of ghosts has always been present; you could say it has haunted us. I know, I’m sorry, that was a bad joke; it… Read More

Imagine a hiking trail connecting the most majestic peaks of the Balkan region, weaving through mountain landscapes and local villages even crossing international borders. This is what the f… Read More

I stand on the side of the road, eyes squinted against the bright sun. Snow-capped mountains jut towards the cloudless sky behind me. It smells like cow dung, hot asphalt and sweat – m… Read More

One day of life in the capital of the world’s second newest country. The Argentinian is checking out today. Good – I can’t wait to get rid of him. He is taking offense for… Read More

The pale sphere of the sun had sunk behind a ragged veil of clouds, its spectrum of colour drowning somewhere between the sea and the sky. Slowly, the landscape was getting saturated in a da… Read More

Vienna is like one of those rainbow cakes: all classy business on the top but once you cut it open, WHAM! All these different layers and weird new flavours pop out. (Coincidentally, it also… Read More

Disclaimer: This post is not your average list of Instagram influencers to follow; it also delves deeper into influencer culture, Instagram growth and bad influencer behaviour. Also disclaim… Read More

Heey. I got this postcard from Luxembourg but actually I am already in Germany, writing to you from the train station in Münster. It’s been a crazy few days and I never had the ti… Read More

Via Dinarica is a new long distance hiking trail in the Balkans, spanning from Southern Slovenia to Northern Albania with plans to extend to Kosovo and Macedonia. Currently it runs for 1,200… Read More

I stepped out of the train on an unfamiliar platform. The sun was setting behind a cluster of industrial buildings crouched behind the wired fence that surrounded the station. It shone into… Read More

Mountains? Check. Beaches? Check. Cheap beer? Check and check. Macedonia was pretty much the only country to separate from Yugoslavia without conflict, even though some of its old borders go… Read More

Via Dinarica is a new long distance hiking trail in the Balkans, spanning from Southern Slovenia to Northern Albania with plans to extend to Kosovo and Macedonia. Currently it runs for 1,200… Read More

As of now, I have been living abroad for a year and a few odd days. Living abroad was a goal I’ve been working towards since I was about thirteen. I went to see Prince Caspian in theat… Read More

Via Dinarica is a new long distance hiking trail in the Balkans, spanning from Southern Slovenia to Northern Albania with plans to extend to Kosovo and Macedonia. Currently it runs for 1,200… Read More

Hi ya’ll! (I tried to stop being a ‘you guys’ guy, and became a ‘ya’ll’ guy instead. Life is but sweet irony.) This is the third installment of my expat s… Read More

Hi, mum! Look, I know you were a little worried when I told you I was going to visit Ukraine. I thought at this point it was common knowledge that most parts of the country are perfectly saf… Read More

I had an amazing 2018. But as great as it was, it wouldn’t have been a full year of travel without a few mishaps. None of them were gigantic, life-altering moments – but that&rsq&hell…Read More

If you’re like me, you might only know Seville because of The Barber of Seville. What’s that, you ask? Look, I don’t know either. It’s an opera or something. All… Read More

DAY 9. Alan hut to Skorpovac hut, 19 km The trail today descends gently through pine forest that later in the day gives way to karst fields and meadows where cows stand grazing, barely looki… Read More

I saw a tweet that said ‘2018 was like JANUARYYYYYYYY februarymarchapriljunejulydecember’ and I felt that. 2018 has been, strangely, both an incredibly long and a fleetingly shor… Read More

It’s almost 2019, and the travel industry is booming. Thanks to an increased standard of living and the surge of low-cost airlines, more people than ever have the means to travel. Taki… Read More

Hola, y como os va la vida? This is the second instalment of my expat series where I talk about living in Spain as a Finn. For the first part, click here. For my last expat series about livi… Read More

Planning a trip to the Balkans? One of the cheapest destinations in Europe is adventurous, distinctive and safe – a perfect getaway for the budget-conscious backpacker. I travelled aro… Read More

Hi, broken hearted people. The capital of Croatia stays in the shadow of the country’s more famous cities. Not for a good reason, though; Zagreb is funky, artsy and welcoming, beautifu… Read More

Via Dinarica is a new long distance hiking trail in the Balkans, spanning from Southern Slovenia to Northern Albania with plans to extend to Kosovo and Macedonia. Currently it runs for 1,200… Read More

This is the first installment of my new expat series about living and working in Spain as a Finnish expat. For my last series as an expat in Poland, click here! ps. Whenever I’ve used… Read More

I returned home, and everything looked smaller. It was peculiar.  It was as if the suburban houses had sunk a few inches to the ground, cowering lower than I remembered. My little siste… Read More

These ten things will surprise you even more than the fact I just wrote my first ever clickbait title. 1. Albania is Muslim, but not really In a recent census, over 60% of Albanians declared… Read More

Via Dinarica is a trail for the adventurous hiker. Recently established, it connects the most popular hiking routes in the Balkans into one super trail that streches from Slovenia into Alban… Read More

Hola amiga!   So, this is it. I moved into my new room today. It still held a musty smell of dust and dirt from the previous resident, the Belgian guy who didn’t bother to clean u… Read More

In another land, in another time, a man I met told me about his homeland. He had been away for a few years, and when I asked him what he missed the most, this is what he told me: His family… Read More

Krakow, while not the official capital of Poland, might as well be the heart of the country. Every year tourists flock to its medieval streets in search of ancient legends and modern temptat… Read More

On October 3rd, 21, I turned 25. My mum congratulated me on the phone. ‘Quarter century! That’s a lot.’ Uhh, thanks, mum. But really, 25 seems like such an imortant age. Li… Read More

Disclaimer: This piece of writing is based on my own observations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the stories I heard talking to locals. However, I was just a visitor to this country. Having s… Read More

Hey! Hey, you! Are you planning a trip to Croatia? If you want to check out the raddest of the rad spots and have a blast, skim though this list to find the coolest, dopest destinations in C… Read More

Hi, Lucky. I don’t know what it was, but there was something different in you. A crazy energy, like the air around you was electricity. From the first moment you saw me and grabbed me… Read More

While Slovenia had been on top of my travel list for years, its capital never appealed to me as much. It was only after I came to the country that I started hearing stories about this little… Read More

In March, the UN published its most recent happiness survey, listing Finland as the happiest country in the world. If the statistic didn’t hold true before, it did for sure after the p… Read More

If you haven’t been to the party capital of Poland yet then what are you even doing with your life? However, as much fascination as the historic city of Krakow holds, its prime locatio… Read More

Hi, Katri. How’s it going? I miss you. I was just looking through some photos from when you visited me in Poland, and I started thinking about our trip. We started at butt crack of daw… Read More

Zalipie is a small country town in Southern Poland, located approximately 70 kilometres from the backpacker party hub Krakow. Despite its picturesque photo value and relative closeness to on… Read More

Guess what, wayfarover’s made it to three years of age, making it the longest lasting blog I’ve ever run.   I started my first blog seven years ago after doodling stories in… Read More

Welcome back! In this installation of Krakow diaries we will answer some burning questions, such as: Why am I buying things for children? Are Tinder boys good for anything? How’s that… Read More

When I told my mum I was spending Easter in Ukraine, I swear that thousands of kilometres away from her, I could feel her heart drop. Ukraine is a country known to many only for its Soviet p… Read More

Dear people of the world, hi. My name is Elina. I take pictures of myself and put them on the internet. A true child of the millenia, wouldn’t you say. I am also a strong independent w… Read More

Clermont, Australia 2013 My career as a cowboy has been unfortunately short-lived. To be honest, I can barely blame myself. It wasn’t that I didn’t get along with my employers; i… Read More

Dear ghost. As the band’s last jam is winding to a close, people on the floor are pairing up. One by one a hand reaches hand; bodies mold into each other to sway together for a dance… Read More

I went to Budapest some time ago. It was my fourth trip in as many consecutive weekends – weekends that should have been spent on my thesis instead of traipsing around Europe, or, acco… Read More

My second month in Poland is winding to a close, so it’s time to check up on me again! Have I got homesick yet? (Spoilers: Maybe.) How’s Krakow treating me? Has Tinder offered to… Read More

Prague is known as the city for the mystic and bizarre, the strange and the inexplicable. Dubbed one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, its facades nevertheless hold a dark legacy. The… Read More

The bad times started with the announcement of a non-chronological timeline, and oh boy, they just did not stop coming. Some of my friends had already started complaining that the foremost p… Read More

A few weeks ago, I asked on my Instagram stories (because those polls give me life) whether anyone would be interested in reading about living abroad as an expatriate in a more personal, dia… Read More

I need to confess something. I am in love. Not with a person or an idea of one; but with the road that lies at my feet. It whispers sweet secrets into my ears, keeping my eyes open at night… Read More

How would you feel about spending your holiday exploring something dark, twisted and macabre? If you have never heard of dark tourism, this is how the website explains it: * dark tourism &ls&hell…Read More