As you may have read in my list of top Dubai Instagrammers to follow, I am always strongly jealous of where Ayesha (@ajtravel) travels all the time. Her pictures are always stunningly captivating, so when I saw she was in the Faroe Islands for a few days, I asked her to write the post below on her experience. Here is what she has to say about one of the most beautiful places on earth:
“When I first told my family and friends I was heading to the Faroe Islands for my next trip, many looked at me with a mixture of confusion and trying to assess if there was any sarcasm to my tone. Some of them even asked, “do you mean your going to Egypt to see the Pharaoh?” While I would love to one day make my way to the African continent but that’s not the type of “Faroe” I was going to visit.
I have been intrigued for the last three years by the unique landscapes of The Faroe Islands, and finally made the decision to explore these islands before the many plaid shirt hipsters began flooding the islands. The week I spent there was one of the most beautiful experiences I had in a long time! Here are the reasons why you should visit one of Europe’s very best kept secrets.
1. Out-of-this-world hiking experience: If there are any essentials you should pack on your trip, you better make sure your hiking shoes are one of them! The Faroe Islands have no shortage of hikes and it is ready to welcome all type of hikers too. If you love your scenic view, be prepared for these long walks because many of the views require them, many of the trails could take up all the way to 3 to 4 hours but once you see that view you know it was worth it.
2. Enjoy some of the wildest beauty on earth: A lot of people have asked me how I would best describe the landscapes in the Faroe Islands and only one word comes to mind: wild. After visiting 52 countries around the world you think you would have seen it all, but the 18 islands that make up the Faroe Islands have managed to squeeze beautiful mountain ranges where you reach to find waterscapes that eventually lead you down to a waterfall, In addition, the mist and the wind just makes it such a “wild” landscape. We would leave our car on the side of the highway and just walk down or up mountains because we knew we were bound to find something exciting to shoot.
3. Experience 4 seasons in just a couple of hours: While the people in the UK claim they see four seasons in one day, the Faroe islands would take this challenge and show you how it’s really like to have four seasons in just a few hours! Be prepared for rain, snow, mist and sunshine and some gust of wind that would put your stamina to the test. The wind was one of the very things that were a constant struggle we had during our week on the islands and we could see the effects on the shorelines with massive waves by far the largest I have ever seen in close proximity to us. As a photographer we shot when we possibly could and forgot about sunrise and sunset, which was quite different than what I was used to but gave us a new and exciting challenge.
4. Meet the “locals”: The population of The Faroe Island is almost at 50,000 however it is home to more than 200,000 sheep and you see them everywhere, including those that stare at you while you’re sleeping in your cabin! I would think it is only fair to say the sheep rule the islands. These fluffy animals surely would make the highlight of our trip! Finding them crossing the road all the way to the side of cliffs holding still on a windy day. I forgot to mention how delicious they are as well ☺ (you were all thinking it, so no judgment!)
5. Lakes on cliff sides: This was the most inspiring moment during my trip in the Faroe Islands and a reason alone to visit. During the one-hour hike to the location I was mentally preparing myself for what I was about to see. Despite seeing so many of the shots uploaded on Instagram (thanks to the great landscape photographers who have already made it) nothing can prepare you for the moment you lay your eyes on the lake on the side of the cliff. I got as close as I could and just stared for hours looking down at the massive scale and size. It was beautiful beyond words and no photo can do this place any justice.
If this was not enough to convince you, perhaps this video might!
How long to stay: This is all dependent on your pace and how much “adventure” you would like pack into your trip. I would safely say 4 nights would be a good average and always keep in mind the crazy weather conditions can drastically change so take that into consideration when you are deciding on how many days you would like to include in your trip.
How to get there: Direct flights from Copenhagen, Norway and Iceland run all year round with seasonal flights coming from Scotland and Spain.
