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Category: Europe

Travel stories about nomad life and holiday trips in Europe. Travel itineraries, city guides, finding the best spots for hiking, road trips and introducing interesting destinations, also off the beaten path.

How to make a day trip from Batumi to Machakhela National Park and Makhakhela Gun Road. Hiking routes and sights like waterfalls, arched stone bridges and fortress ruins in Makhakhela River valley. | FinnsAway Travel Blog

Georgia: Daytrips from Batumi – Machakhela Valley

Published: November 20, 2018

Day trip from Batumi to Machakhela National Park and hiking above the river valley.

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How to travel from Batumi to Shaki via Tbilisi and Qax, using night train and marshrutky (mini-buses). Crossing the border between Lagodekhi and Balakan. | FinnsAway Travel Blog

From Georgia to Shaki in Azerbaijan

Published: November 5, 2018

Guide to traveling from Batumi in Georgia to Shaki in Azerbaijan via Tbilisi and Qax, using night train and marshrutky.

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Georgia travel guides: How to visit the gorgeous Akhaltsikhe fortress and what there is to see. Destination guide to Rabati fortress with a picture gallery. | FinnsAway Travel Blog

Georgia: Rabati Fortress in Akhaltsikhe

Published: November 2, 2018

Georgia has so many great sights to visit. Rabati fortress is stunningly renovated old citadel in the town of Akhaltsikhe.

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Yerevan, the capital of Armenia is one of the oldest cities in the world. Yerevan 2800 year anniversary was a colorful festival that filled the city streets. | FinnsAway Travel Blog

Armenia: Celebrating Yerevan 2800 years

Published: October 29, 2018

We traveled to Armenian capital just in time to take part in Yerevan 2800 years festival, what a party!

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Mountainous inland Adjara in Georgia is not visited by packs of tourists, but home to beautiful nature and small rural mountain villages. We visited Khulo and took a cable car ride to tiny Tago. | FinnsAway Travel Blog

Georgia: Mountain town charm in Khulo and Tago

Published: October 22, 2018

Exploring lesser known areas of Georgia; Khulo is a scenic town in mountainous Adjara, Georgia, connected to tiny Tago village with an old cable car.

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Multi-day trek from Mestia to Ushguli in Svaneti area, Georgia, is breathtaking. Hike 3-4 days in amazing views over snow-topped Caucasus mountain peaks, glaziers and Svan villages. | FinnsAway Travel Blog

Mestia – Ushguli hike in Caucasus Mountains

Published: October 13, 2018

Multi-day trek from Mestia to Ushguli was unforgettable experience with amazing views over snow-topped mountains, glaziers and Svan villages.

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Rokua Geopark and National Park in Finland offers great outdoors around the year. Go hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, fishing or kayaking in the unique nature. | FinnsAway Travel Blog

Finland: Nature and activities in Rokua

Published: October 4, 2018

In this post we introduce Rokua Geopark and National Park in Finland. Enjoy hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, fishing or kayaking in the unique nature.

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Batumi, Georgian beach holiday hub, is developing quickly. | FinnsAway Travel Blog

Batumi, Georgian gem by the Black Sea

Published: October 1, 2018

First impressions and short history of Batumi, the beach holiday and gambling hub of Georgia.

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Travel guide to Minsk, busy capital city with Stalinist architecture, picturesque Trinity Hill old town, fancy Upper Town and lush green parks. | FinnsAway Travel Blog

Minsk, interesting capital of Belarus​

Published: September 28, 2018

Travel guide to Minsk, busy and picturesque capital city with Stalinist architecture, fancy Upper Town, Trinity Hill Old Town and lush green parks.

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Craft beer boom goes strong in Riga: Visiting Latvia Beer Fest, and getting to know microbreweries and brewpubs of Riga Beer District | FinnsAway Nomad Travelers

Riga for craft beer enthusiasts

Published: September 23, 2018

Craft beer boom goes strong in Riga. In this post we visit Latvia Beer Fest and get to know microbreweries and brewpubs of Riga Beer District.

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Feature Mestia Georgia 2018 FinnsAway-01

Georgia: Mestia, the beating heart of Svaneti

Published: September 18, 2018

Mestia, the 'capital' of breathtakingly beautiful Svaneti region in northwestern Georgia, is great base for enjoying mountain views, hiking and skiing.

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Kutaisi and surrounding Imereti region is famous for old monasteries, Bagrati Cathedral and deep canyons and caves. Short post about our visit to the city. | FinnsAway Nomad Travelers

Historical Kutaisi, Georgia

Published: September 11, 2018

Greetings from Kutaisi, an ancient city in western Georgia and home of the Parliament of Georgia.

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Some more desert magic from Namibia!💛The Sossusv Some more desert magic from Namibia!💛The Sossusvlei area is famous for the beautiful, over 300 meters high sand dunes, that are said to be the highest in the world. Right next to the Deadvlei clay pan there are several impressive dunes, highest of them being the one called Big Daddy.Climbing on top of Big Daddy is for many the highlight of visiting Sossusvlei, but if you are planning to do that, you should start early. We walked though Deadvlei under the scorching midday sun, and despite the heat (closing 40 C) decided to climb up on top of the ridge that leads to the Big Daddy peak.It was a steep, sweaty climb in burning hot sand, and we almost turned back down, but finally made it on top of the ridge.😅 Was it worth it? Well yes, the views over the dunes and pans were stunning! From the ridge we run down to the other side of it, and walked back to our car over large dry pans.😍On the way back to the Sesriem gates, we stopped to admire the famous dune 45, a beautiful dune that is said to be especially stunning in the early morning or sunset light.#finnsaway #visitnamibia #sossusvlei #deadvlei #namibdesert
The giant sand dunes and dry white pans of the Sos The giant sand dunes and dry white pans of the Sossusvlei area are the most popular destination in the Namib-Naukluft National Park in the Namib Desert.The most photographed sight in the Sossusvlei area and probably the entire Namib Desert is the magnificent, surreal-looking clay pan of Deadvlei, with it's dry, skeleton-like trees, surrounded with high sand dunes 😍Visiting Deadvlei was the highlight of our self-guided tour in Namib Desert – we had seen a lot of photos of this extraordinary place, but it's something you need to experience yourself to understand hos special it is 🧡Deadvlei clay pan was formed when the Tsauchab river flooded, forming temporary pools that allowed acacia trees to grow. When drought then hit the area, approximately 900 years ago, the pan dried out, and sand dunes separated the area from the river. The trees died, but due to the heat they didn't decompose, but instead dried to impressive, picturesque black skeletons.#finnsaway #visitnamibia #sossusvlei #deadvlei #namibdesert
On our way from Solitaire to the Sossusvlei dunes, On our way from Solitaire to the Sossusvlei dunes, we spotted this elegant desert survivor – this beautiful antelope with long, spear-like horns is Oryx (Gemsbok), the National Animal of Namibia.These magnificent creatures can go months without drinking water, by extracting moisture from plants and roots, and using a specialized cooling system in their nose to survive under the burning sun, in the heat of the desert.#finnsaway #visitnamibia #sossusvlei #oryx #namibdesert
On our way from Camp Gecko to the dunes of Sossusv On our way from Camp Gecko to the dunes of Sossusvlei, we first saw giraffes in the early morning light (pic 9), and then stopped for a coffee in Solitaire 😍🦒Solitaire is a small, remote settlement along the popular route to Sossuvlei, located in the desert right outside the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The main features of the settlement are a gas station, a café (the coffee was excellent!), a bakery and a chapel. In addition, there are nowadays two lodges and a campsite.This all doesn't sound much, but the place really is worth of stopping. Why? Well, for the atmosphere alone, really. This is one of those places, where it feels like time has stopped. It's in the middle of nowhere, it's quiet, it's empty, it's dusty. But then you are welcomed with a smile to have a coffee, and to enjoy the unique environment.And then there are the old vehicles, abandoned skeletons stuck in time. Very photogenic, barren and kind of sad, but very, very fascinating.#finnsaway #nomadlife #visitnamibia #namibdesert #solitaire
Stargazing in Camp Gecko, Namibia 💙🇳🇦#finnsaway Stargazing in Camp Gecko, Namibia 💙🇳🇦#finnsaway #nomadlife #namibia #namibiatravel #visitnamibia
Namibian sunsets 💛🧡@camp_gecko#finnsaway #noma Namibian sunsets 💛🧡@camp_gecko#finnsaway #nomadlife #visitnamibia #campgecko
Accommodation recommendation to those who would li Accommodation recommendation to those who would like to visit Sossusvlei in Namib Desert (the area that is famous for high dunes and dry clay pans, including the iconic Deadvlei) on a budget!When planning our trip, we first decided against renting a camper car (which usually in hear means 4x4 truck with a rooftop tent) as renting a hatchback was at least five times cheaper. This meant that we couldn't camp (we don't have any camping gear), but mostly rented affordable apartments / rooms during our road trip.Near Sossusvlei the accommodation options are very limited, and even more limited for those who want to head to the dunes during sunrise, as for that you need to stay inside the national park outer gate. We were fine without being in the dunes super early in the morning, and ended up booking a tented bungalow cabin from Camp Gecko in Solitaire area.And what a place it was! 😍 A lovely, quiet campsite in the middle of savanna framed with mountains, with stunning sunset views right from the cabins. Our tented cabin (the single-storey ones for 2 persons cost roughly 63 € per night when booked straight from the camp) had a comfy double bed, a bathroom and a BBQ place. No electricity, just a couple of lights with batteries. Simple yes, but everything we needed.This is no advertisement, just a tip for fellow travelers to check this place out, as we loved our short stay! In addition to the tented cabins, there is also a camping site, oh and in the reception there is a small shop for cold drinks and a pond. And you can buy braai (BBQ) packages and firewood.More about the sunsets and starry nights in the camp soon!#finnsaway #nomadlife #visitnamibia #namibdesert #campgecko @camp_gecko
Views from along the desert roads from Walvis Bay Views from along the desert roads from Walvis Bay to Solitaire 🇳🇦After the leaving the coast behind, we headed to the Namib-Naukluft National Park to see the most famous dunes and clay pans of the Namib Desert in Sossusvlei. The first part of this road trip took us through dry landscapes, along good and not-so-good dirt roads.Had we realised beforehand that only the very first part of the road from Walvis Bay, and the part from Sesriem to Sossusvlei are paved, we would have considered renting a larger car, but luckily all the dirt roads (hundreds of kilometres of them) were doable (though not comfortable to drive) with a small hatchback 😅The distance from Walvis Bay to our accommodation close to Solitaire (more about that in the next post) was roughly 250 km, but certainly felt longer due to the challenging roads. On the way there is not much else to see than the endless deserted plains – no towns, not even settlements by the road, and no big sand dunes either. But the views are still fascinating.The most memorable parts of this part of the journey were the canyon landscapes near Oase, and the biggest sight was the road sign of the Tropic of Capricorn, a popular stop for taking pictures it seems. Closer to Solitaire we spotted a small herd of South African oryxes, large antelopes that are adapted to the arid bushlands.#finnsaway #nomadlife #visitnamibia #namibdesert
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About FinnsAway

We are Anne & Toni, a Finnish nomad couple traveling the world since 2017. We left 9-to-5 life behind to be free to explore the world and work location independently.

We are adventurous backpackers and low-cost travelers, often following the road less traveled. We write detailed travel guides with quality photos, as well as short introduction posts about the destinations that we explore.

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