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Category: Short Stories

Short blog posts and picture galleries about recently visited destinations. FinnsAway news and posts about coming travel plans. Reviews and recommendations.

Ajijic, Lake Chapala, Mexico | FinnsAway Travel Blog

Lake Chapala and Ajijic, MEXICO

Published: November 11, 2020

Ajijic by Lake Chapala offers an escape from busy Guadalajara, and is popular among expats too.

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Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, is a great destination for a few days city holiday | FinnsAway Travel Blog

Postcards from Vilnius

Published: September 15, 2020

Postcards from Vilnius, the charming and historical capital of Lithuania

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Blaye and Bourg in south-western France, close to Bordeaux, are historical citadel towns. Plan a day trip or stay overnight in the Blaye Citadel, in a hotel or a camping site. | FinnsAway Travel Blog

France: Citadel towns Blaye and Bourg

Published: August 2, 2020

In small Blaye near Bordeaux, France, you can stay in a campsite or a hotel inside a historical citadel

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Travel plans for late 2020 | FinnsAway Travel Blog

Travel plans for coming months

Published: July 6, 2020

It's time to hit the road again! FinnsAway Season 4 will begin from traveling through the Baltics

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Visiting Cadejo Brewing Company in San Salvador, El Salvador | FinnsAway blog

Cadejo Brewing Company, El Salvador

Published: May 27, 2020

Cadejo Brewing makes quality craft beer in San Salvador, El Salvador

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Travel guide to charming Valladolid in Yucatan, Mexico | FinnsAway Travel Blog

Yucatan, Mexico: Charming Valladolid

Published: January 26, 2020

Picture greetings from Valladolid, a cute colonial town in Yucatan, Mexico.

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Fishing village Puerto Esperanza near popular Viñales in Cuba charms with quietness and fresh seafood. | FinnsAway Travel Blog

Rural Cuba: Tranquil Puerto Esperanza

Published: December 28, 2019

Fishing village Puerto Esperanza near popular Viñales charms with quietness and fresh seafood.

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How to travel between Viñales and Havana using local transportation | FinnsAway travel blog

From Havana to Vinales and back

Published: November 13, 2019

Guide on how to travel between Viñales and Havana using local transportation

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How to travel between Viñales and Puerto Esperanza using local transportation | FinnsAway travel blog

From Vinales to Puerto Esperanza

Published: November 12, 2019

How to travel between Viñales and Puerto Esperanza using local transportation

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How to get from Varadero to Havana with camiones | FinnsAway travel blog

From Varadero to Havana

Published: November 12, 2019

Short guide on how to get to Havana from Varadero using local transportation

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Travel plans for the coming winter – Cuba, Mexico and Central America | FinnsAway Nomad Travels

New adventures awaiting – travel plans for winter

Published: September 24, 2019

Travel plans for the coming winter, finally going over the ocean! The tragic collapse of Thomas Cook caused some extra hassle though.

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Introducing mountainous Andorra, a microstate between France and Spain | FinnsAway Nomad Travels

Microstates of Europe: Andorra

Published: September 5, 2019

Mountainous Andorra is a popular shopping destination, but also a paradise for nature-lovers

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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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