How did the Indonesian paradise island and fox inspire a Hämeenlinna hostel?
I have dreamed the establishment of a small and personal hostel for years, but it felt a too big a step to take.
However, everything changed when I was with my husband Janne on the Gili Islands in Indonesia. There, thousands of miles away, amidst turquoise water, I got a vision of what my hostel should look like. As we toured the tiny island of Gili Meno, we met local brothers who developed creative reuse for plastic and glass waste, which unfortunately was both in the sea and on land. As we participated in their workshop, recycling materialized in a whole new way. That is when I knew I wanted to set up a hostel based on sustainability and ecology to be able to travel with a clearer conscience.
Later on that same island, we happened to end up with a singing session with the locals, skilfully accompanied by a young man on a rattled acoustic guitar. I named him a happy traveller ( as a naurava kulkuri in finish) because of his happy nature. A few years later, as life changes had taken me ever closer to taking a step forward, the positivity and kindness of that person came back to my mind and I decided to have their outlook as my guide as well.
But why there is a fox in our logo? As a little girl, fox was somehow always present to me. There were lots of foxes in the courtyard of my childhood home in Juva, as well as in my fairy tales and drawings. Sometimes they also had adventures in my dreams. Fox might even be some kind of spirit animal to me. That sympathetic animal has remained in my memories from childhood until it now found its place in our logo.
This hostel is inspired by wonderful experiences. I also want to offer similar experiences to my guests. Welcome to Hostel Nauravaan Kulkuuri!
Kind Regards,
Your hostess Merja