Traveling | An Indian traveler visited all the provinces of Finland: “As a solo traveler, it is very difficult to find hostels”, he says about the challenges of traveling

from India native Anand Chekkottu Parambil has lived in Finland for the past six years and during that time had time to tour around 60 cities and municipalities in Finland. He has visited every province in Finland during his travels.

Of all the provinces in Finland, Chekkottu Parambil has liked Lapland the most. Midsummer of 2021, which he spent on Utsjoki, is one of the best experiences of a traveller’s life.

“On the Utsjoki, the nature was untouched and there were hardly any people around,” he describes.

In Lapland however, tourism has its own challenges, says Chekkottu Parambil.

He does not have a driver’s license, and has noticed that especially when traveling in Lapland, a car would be necessary due to long journeys. Public transport is the only option for Chekkottu Parambili when traveling alone, and it doesn’t always work as expected.

“The buses do not go to remote national parks like Pyhä or Urho Kekkonen. I have never visited them by bus. I have had to wait until my friends and I can plan a trip by car.”

Chekkottu Parambil is often in charge of planning trips, even when traveling with friends.

Chekkottu Parambili is also a seasoned solo traveler. According to him, there are challenges with traveling alone, especially in practical matters.

“As a solo traveler it is very difficult to find hostels,” he gives an example.

Chekkottu Parambil once started camping with his friends. Later, the tent has been selected as an accommodation option for solo trips as well. When traveling within Finland, Chekkottu Parambil emphasizes the feeling of security, which he does not experience everywhere.

“When I leave Finland on my travels, I am particularly attentive [ympäristöstäni]. I have never experienced the same in Finland,” he says.

Last but not least Chekkottu Parambil visited Åland last Midsummer with his friends. In his view, the Midsummer traditions there were quite different compared to what he has seen elsewhere in Finland.

“We had a midsummer’s eve, around which we danced. It’s more of a Swedish thing,” he says about the party.

Chekkottu Parambil considered Åland to be a very special place anyway.

“The place was very different, an island and an archipelago. Of course, I was only there for three days, and I didn’t have time to get to know much.”

Originally Chekkottu Parambil arrived in Finland six years ago to study a master’s degree in chemistry. Since then, he has continued his studies in Oulu with his doctoral dissertation.

Coordinating traveling and writing a dissertation in India is difficult, says Chekkottu Parambil. In Finland, this is more successful.

“The most important factor is the work-life balance, because I have been able to travel along with my doctoral degree. It’s never been a problem,” he explains.

To Finland after moving to Chekkottu Parambil started traveling from Eastern Finland. At that time he lived in Joensuu. From there, he made shorter trips to nearby cities, such as Kuopio, Savonlinna and Liper.

Chekkottu Parambil thrives in nature and likes to travel outside the cities. He visited Joensuu While living every autumn in Koli National Park. Many other Finnish national and nature parks have also become familiar over the years.

“For me, traveling is a passion, others may have other hobbies,” he states.