India, March 28 -- The choppy seas tossed our boat high up in the air as the roaring waves whipped up a frenzy of foam right across our faces. But in a moment, it was all over. The anger melted as the calm waves gently rocked the boat, and we saw the shore in the distant horizon. We were a motley bunch of travellers in a lone boat surrounded by the azure waters of the Gulf of Bothnia, cruising from the coastal town of Kalajoki to the uninhabited Maakalla Island in Finland.

It was our first day exploring the Pohjola or the Northern Route, a microcosm of authentic Finland, also dubbed as the birthplace of the Nordic country. Surrounded by 900 kilometres of fells and forests, there are over ten pristine destinations along the scenic route i...