Infrequently Asked Questions
What animals are we likely to see on safari?
There is a lot of wildlife in the area we are going to visit. Standing in one spot, I have once counted 180 mammals in one open area. That was with the help of a thermal camera after it was already dark, but in any case, this is the Serengeti of the North!
Wildlife typically sighted: Several moose (also known as elk outside North America where - confusingly - elk is a different animal which is also known as wapiti. That animals is very similar to the European animal called red deer).
Also typically sighted: white-tailed deer, fallow deer, roe deer, cranes, our national birds the whooper swans, geese, ravens and many other birds.
Sometimes sighted: raccoon dogs, foxes, white-tailed eagles, ospreys, owls, other birds of prey, badgers, lynx and wolves. Ok, wolves are rarely sighted, but your tour could be the one!
Not sighted on this tour so far: bears or wild forest reindeer. They live in Finland but they are rare sightings on the southern coast. Also, not sighted so far: European bison. Wild horses. Aurochs. Wooly mammoths. Rhinoceroses. Hopefully in the future! Let’s work together to bring them back. The return of lions to Europe could meet with some resistance. We will break it.
Can I come back to Moose Safari another time?
Absolutely! Many people have done so! There are a couple of guys who have been on the safari three times already. You are welcome to break their record!
Are there bugs?
Not many at all. Finland has a reputation for having lots of bugs, but the southern coast is different. There are ticks, however. We will take precautions against them.
Why are Finns so happy?
We have a lot that is available for everybody. For example beautiful nature. Education. Almost functioning health care. Democracy. Thanks to strong traditions of Finnish social democracy we take care of everybody (there is room for improvement there). Many places in Finland are clean and nice to look at and most of the time things work well.
Anybody can forage for food in our forests regardless of who owns the forest. Some forests have been protected even in Helsinki and nearby big cities.
Sauna and ice cold water are a very relaxing combination, you should try it! That too is available for everybody in Helsinki because we have a sauna that is free and open 24/7/365. This is possible only in Finland. Google “Sompasauna”.
You can spend time alone in Finland if you feel like it, the country is introverts’ paradise. There is now world famous Finnish concept called “kalsarikännit” which has been mentioned in the American TV show The Simpson’s. “Kalsarikännit” means drinking alcohol alone wearing just your underpants.
Finns don’t have huge expectations. It makes us happy when somebody cleaned the road from snow. But if the road still has snow, we are not surprised or unhappy. Most of the time. Are Finns Buddhists? We didn’t know it, but maybe we are?
Various rankings have found Finland to be:
The safest country on earth for travellers.
The happiest nation in the world in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
The most stable country in the world
The safest country in the world
The best country in social progress in the world
Next to Denmark, Finland is the best country in protecting fundamental human rights in the world
After Sweden, Finland is the most socially just EU country
Finland is the second most gender equal country in the world
Finland has the most human capital in the world
Finland's primary education is the best in the world
Finland is the second best country to be a girl in the world
Mothers' and children's well-being in Finland is the second best in the world
Finns drink most coffee per person in the world
What would make you even happier?
More forests should have been protected in the past. Unfortunately most natural forests have been replaced by forest which may appear natural but are in reality tree plantations. It’s a shame. People needed the money from the trees in the past.
Most Finns have never seen an untouched forest and do not know that we are missing a lot of natural beauty. We should have forests with trees that are hundreds of years old. Instead most trees are very young and they are harvested long before they get old. We have protected areas too, but even to this day, small areas of unprotected, untouched nature remain. They should be protected.
Where should we have lunch/dinner in Helsinki?
There are so many good places I don’t know where to begin. When we meet I will give you some ideas.