Our Active Holiday in Finland: The Good, the Sweaty – and the Restaurant Surprises
A personal story about staying active, trying new things—and what happened when dinner didn’t go as planned in a Finnish resort.
Welcome to Inside Finnish Life. Here, I share real stories and reflections from Finland — always with accompanying audio in natural spoken Finnish. These posts are made to help you learn the Finnish language gently, through everyday language, culture, and personal experiences. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and explore Finnish language and culture at your own pace.
Finnish phrase of the day:
“Huono ravintolakokemus.” = Bad restaurant experience
Repeat after me: huono… ravintola… kokemus.
It means ‘a bad restaurant experience’.
Try saying it in one go: Huono ravintolakokemus.”
What do you do when your relaxing holiday dinners turn into a culinary guessing game? Here's how our active mini holiday in Finland took a surprising turn – not on the trails, but at the dinner table.
Planning a Mini Holiday in Finland: Why We Chose Tahko
My partner and I enjoy doing things together, so when we booked a mini holiday, our main goal was to be active together. We wanted to spend a long weekend in a place with a good gym and great outdoor activities. And since it was only a short trip, the location had to be easy to get to. We chose Tahko.
Neither of us is really the lounging type. Here’s what kind of holiday we had in mind.
What an Active Finnish Holiday Looks Like: Gym, Trails and Nature
Neither of us is the type to just lie around. Of course, it’s lovely to curl up on the couch and watch a good series, but when we’re together, we like to do things and experience life – as long as our health allows.
I’m almost 42 and my partner just turned 50. We’re not old, but not that young anymore either. We want to enjoy an active lifestyle while we still can.
So, we went on an active holiday. Our plan included gym workouts, mountain biking, and long nature walks.
Introducing My Partner to the Gym – And How It Became Our Shared Habit
A few months ago, I introduced my partner to gym training. I’ve been working out for about 15 years (with some breaks, of course, because life happens). But the gym has always been part of my life in some way.
That’s why I wanted to show him what it’s about. I was ready for him not to like it, but apparently I did something right: After a bit of awkwardness at the beginning, he suggested we go together. Now we do, and it’s becoming part of our routine.
So I wanted our holiday place to have a good gym. But that wasn’t the only thing that mattered. It was also important for us to have beautiful trails and outdoor space.
My First Mountain Biking Experience in Finland: From Nerves to Laughter
Alongside my familiar gym routine, I had something new to learn: my partner is into mountain biking, so he rented me an electric mountain bike.
I hadn’t ridden a bike in over ten years. Riding on city paths is one thing, but mountain biking is totally different. Plus, I had never used an electric bike before.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous before our first ride.
It started off okay. My partner showed me how the e-bike worked and explained when to use different settings. I had to look at the controls and screen all the time, which made riding a bit tricky. The paved path turned to gravel. Then I was on a narrow trail. I began to trust the bike more and more.
I even thought, “Hey, I’m getting the hang of this!”
Then he guided us off the nice trail and up a rocky hill. He said I should turn the assist to full power. I did, but soon realized this steep rocky climb was too much.
I struggled with the bike and quickly decided to walk it up. He did the same. Walking was hard. The e-bike is heavy, and the hill just kept getting steeper. I must’ve looked a bit grumpy, because he asked, “Are you okay?” I replied, “I’m not coming down this hill on the bike.”
At the top, I was sweaty and a little annoyed. It was my first time on a mountain bike, and I felt the trail choice could have been better. But I also understood my partner didn’t know what was ahead either, and he felt really bad about it.
A few hours later, we were laughing about the whole thing.
Mennään yhdessä salille. Let’s go to the gym together.
Let’s break it down:
mennään = let’s go
yhdessä = together
salille = to the gym
Kaikki ok? Everything okay? / Are you alright?
Breaking it down:
kaikki = everything
ok = okay (yes, Finns use this word too!)
Minä en tule tätä mäkeä alas. I’m not coming down this hill. (This is what I said!)
Let’s break it down:
minä en tule = I’m not coming
tätä mäkeä = this hill
alas = down
Enjoying the Outdoors Together
We went biking two more times and made sure to stick to trails that were better for me.
After that first tricky ride, I actually started to enjoy mountain biking. On some future trip, I’ll definitely rent a bike again.
I don’t plan to buy one though: You can’t bring a dog along, and in everyday life, I prefer to walk with my dog.
When Dining Goes Wrong: Restaurant Surprises at a Finnish Resort
The gym, biking, and nature walks were all fun – and we had great weather.
After all the activity, we wanted a good dinner at the hotel restaurant each night. But those evenings became a bit too exciting – in the wrong way.
When we go on holiday, we want to eat well. A nice dinner is the cherry on top of a good day. Sadly, that didn’t happen.
The first night, the steak we ordered medium was well done.
Another day, the burger patty was raw.
I don’t drink beer, but the draft beer my partner ordered was flat.
One lunchtime, they ran out of food.
Another day, the buffet lunch had only one option, and it wasn’t very tasty.
Before dinner, we’d start saying, “What kind of surprise are we getting today?”
Not the kind of thrill you want on vacation!
To be fair, it was low season, summer, and only one restaurant was open. I understand you can’t stock everything fully during off-season. Still, the food quality was disappointing.
Useful Finnish Phrases for Dining Out
During our holiday, we ended up using a few restaurant-related phrases more often than we expected! Whether you're dining out in Finland or just want to expand your vocabulary, these expressions might come in handy, especially when things don’t go as planned.
Saanko listan, kiitos? Can I have the menu, please?
Break it down:
Saanko = Can I have
listan = the menu
kiitos = please / thank you
Say it slowly: Saanko... listan... kiitos?
Pihvi on ylikypsä. The steak is overcooked.
Break it down:
Pihvi = steak
on = is
ylikypsä = overcooked
Try it in one go: Pihvi on ylikypsä.
Pihvi on raaka. The steak is raw.
Break it down:
Pihvi = steak
on = is
raaka = raw
Valitettavasti ruoka ei vastannut odotuksia. Unfortunately, the food didn’t meet expectations.
Break it down:
valitettavasti = unfortunately
ruoka = the food
ei vastannut = didn’t meet / match
odotuksia = expectations
Say it step by step: Valitettavasti ruoka ei vastannut odotuksia.
Kiitos, palvelu oli ystävällistä. Thank you, the service was friendly.
Break it down:
Kiitos = thank you
palvelu = service
oli = was
ystävällistä = friendly
Say it warmly: Kiitos, palvelu oli ystävällistä.
Subscribe to get new Inside Finnish Life blog posts straight to your inbox – language tips, cultural insights, and personal stories from Finland!
Giving Feedback in Finland: What Happened When We Spoke Up
Unlike many Finns, we gave direct feedback, every time.
In Finland, this is still a bit unusual. People often prefer polite silence to direct complaints, but I’ve learned how to give respectful feedback when needed. And the staff always responded kindly.
After our stay, I received an automatic feedback survey from the hotel. I filled it out and shared our experience.
Even though the food wasn’t great, I wanted to be fair and honest. I said we enjoyed our stay, the newly renovated part of the hotel was clean, the sports facilities were excellent, and the staff was friendly. It’s just a pity the kitchen didn’t meet the same standard.
The hotel replied to my feedback, and we had a good, constructive conversation.
Final Thoughts: Would We Go Back to This Finnish Resort?
This wasn’t our first time at the resort, so I know the issues we faced aren’t the norm. I’m sure we’ll go back again for another mini holiday.
And even with a few surprises at the dinner table, our mini holiday was exactly what we needed: movement, fresh air, time together, and a few good laughs along the way.
Have you ever had a holiday where things didn’t go quite as planned? I’d love to hear your story.
