We are living through such strange times; the world has not lived through a major pandemic for more than a hundred years and here we are experiencing something extraordinary. Our lives in lockdown feel at times totally surreal like we are just taking part in an eery film or a really scary dream, nothing feels real. We step outside our homes to walk on roads devoided of the usual chaotic traffic, town centers that are deserted, shops, and restaurants closed.
What is even more incredible about
Writing about travelling and travel plans changes seems trivial when the world is facing a “health war” against an invisible enemy. The impact of this worldwide coronavirus pandemic on our little travel plans pales into insignificance when every news headline tells a tale of disruption, significant increase in associated mortality rates, and a disaster for the world economy. The travel industry as a whole has been badly affected, and for us as individuals being a traveller is fast becoming a very hazardous if not an impossible activity.
Countries are closing their borders, amid fears of a virus that is invisibly carried around by people and passed on to the next person with an alarming contamination rate causing the COVID-19 respiratory illness that although not usually a fatal disease, can became serious enough to cause death in some more vulnerable people. The death toll is rising across the world and most importantly national health systems may not cope with the potentially vast number of seriously ill people. We hear words such as “flattening the curve” by health experts and world leaders, who are frantically trying to come up with solutions.
Backpacking in South East Asia
Back in early January 2020, when we set off on a 10 week backpacking trip in SE Asia, we read a few reports of a certain coronavirus that was causing a respiratory illness in a certain Chinese town. As our trip progressed we met travellers who had been teaching English in China and who were concerned about returning to the country after their holiday. Friends and family expressed some concern about our travels, and urged us to keep an eye on the news and perhaps even change our travel plans. But since we were not going to visit China on this trip, we felt there was no need to make any travel plan changes.
Enjoying the freedom and ease of backpacking in SE Asia.
Fast forward a few weeks later and we noticed a huge change in the numbers of tourists travelling in SE Asia, most notably the Chinese and South Koreans were no longer travelling and many places were banning Chinese tourists altogether. We reached Vietnam in early March, the last country we would be exploring before returning home, and it soon became clear to us that things would take a turn for the worse, as far as the coronavirus risks were concerned and travelling would became a very tricky and undesirable activity.
Travelling in Vietnam
In Ho Chi Minh City, life was going on as normal, although tourist numbers were starting to decline. We enjoyed our stay and managed to visit most of the main attractions without any issues. We moved on to Hoi An and enjoyed 5 nights in the charming, lantern-illuminated town of Central Vietnam. Here we met up with blogging friends Ben and Peta (www.greenglobaltrek.com) who took us on a wonderful street food crawl experience that was a huge highlight of our travels in this region.
Fabulous food crawl in Hoi An, with travel blog friends Peta and Ben (www.greenglobaltrek.com)
Moving on to Hue and concerns about coronavirus contamination started to grow, we noticed the continuing decline in tourist numbers.
A few days later, we arrived in the Province of Ninh Binh in Northern Vietnam amid rumours of closed guest houses, people being taken into quarantine, closed restaurants and closed attractions.
Wearing a face mask became the “new normal”.
Our temperature was monitored for the first time, before entering an attraction, and we were asked to wear our face masks all the time now. The town was fast becoming more like a ghost town than a tourist destination.
On our last evening in town, as we were having dinner at our guest house, new guests arrive. As they disembark their van, they march towards our dinning table shouting “we are NOT Chinese, we are from Taiwan”…we laughed it off, thinking how bizarre that they felt the need to tell us that.
Hanoi
We left for Hanoi and booked ourselves into a lovely hotel at the Old Quarter. At the hotel check in, there were some health forms to fill in (something that was never required beforehand), we also had to provide details of every hotel we have stayed at since entering Vietnam. Our temperature was taken again, and we both looked at each other anxiously and finally with great relief when we were told that it was all ok.
We made the most of our 3 nights stay in Hanoi, meeting up with some lovely friends from the Netherlands we had met in Ninh Binh and who were also staying in a hotel very near us.
Dinning with our friends from the Netherlands.
But it soon became clear to us that we needed a change of plan. All Hanoi attractions were now closed; restaurants were starting to close, or refusing to serve us foreigners. Our two night Halong Bay cruise had been cancelled since the Halong Bay Marina was now closed down by the Vietnamese Government. At first we thought we would just spend the last week in Hanoi, seeing the sights there, but soon found them all to be closed, so we had to think again. We needed to get out of Vietnam sooner rather than later, so we changed our flights and headed for Thailand, where we are still waiting for our flight home.
Changes of travel plans.
All over the world people are changing their travel plans. Our daughter was due to travel to Vietnam on March 20th, but her tour has now been cancelled. She is still waiting to hear about getting her money back.
It was our intention to spend the Spring travelling around Europe, particularly Italy, by motorhome. But with most countries in Europe now in complete lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic, this plan is no longer an option.
We also thought of touring around the UK with our motorhome, but as we listen to the news here in our hotel room in Thailand it is becoming very clear to us that even leaving our home to go for a walk in the park is likely to be a problem, never mind travelling around the country.
Our immediate plans now are simply to go home and same as everyone else hope that this crisis will be over sooner rather than later.
We feel very sad for all the people who have or will lose their lives and/or have been adversely affected by this pandemic. In particular, we really feel for all the lovely people we have met along the way in the tourism industry; taxi drivers, boat rowers, restaurant staff, and the many lovely families running small homestay hotels, who made us feel so welcome and could not do enough to make our stays so enjoyable.
You can’t help wondering what such a dramatic and prolonged plunge in their incomes could do to their futures. We have become accustomed in the Rich West to various social safety-nets to protect us in times of hardship, but there are few if any such backstops in these countries and some very lovely, very hard-working people are going to have a very tough time. That is hard to swallow. I don’t think anyone could have predicted the recent developments and/or how long it is going to last.
Meanwhile lets all keep practicing the new “social distance” recommendations, stop “panic buying” toilet paper, remembering “no touching our faces” and of course…washing our hands. I shall be sharing more about our 10 weeks’ travelling in SE Asia in the coming weeks, particularly since our self quarantine on return to the UK is likely to be VERY boring. Just as well I have not changed the name of this travel blog, since I have became once again a “traveller interrupted”, joking apart…STAY SAFE EVERYONE!
=&0=& by visiting Ayutthaya > Sukhothai > Chiang Mai > Chiang Rai and Chiang Khong (where we will cross into Laos).
It is our preference to avoid flying between places by using overland means of transportation whenever possible. We leave Bangkok on an easy door-to-door ride by Grab taxi at £27 for the one and half hours ride in a comfortable airconditioned taxi, it was a winner for us. A very comfortable journey that delivered us at the pretty little bungalows (Baan Kong Homestay, £27 per night) just few metres from all the temples we are here to see. The owner is a lovely lady who welcomes us warmly and proceeds to give us all the necessary maps and useful advice for exploring. She has her cute two-year old granddaughter at the front desk, helping out and making us feel at home.
Ayutthaya – Once Upon A Capital
In its glory days this former capital would have been stunning, centred around enigmatic temples and sumptuous palaces. Now the old, crumbling temples are a sad reminder of the brutality of war. This city was the Capital of Siam from 1350 to 1767 when it was invaded and mostly destroyed by the Burmese.
Many people come here on a day trip, but we are glad to be staying overnight. Since arriving we got busy exploring, there is not a huge amount to see and we covered all of the main temples in just a few hours. The map handed over to us by our guest house owner was great at pointing us in the right direction and ensuring that we saw all the main sights.
After a few hours of exploring we get very hot under the midday sun, so we take a break for lunch and carry on exploring on foot afterwards… with hindsight hiring a tuk-tuk to drive us around would have been a good option. Too late now, our tired feet will be complaining tonight.
Our cute bungalow at Baan Kong Homestay.
Wat Ratchaburana, a Buddhist temple in the Ayutthaya Historical Park.
Brian and I at Wat Mahathat, with the Buddha head stuck on the tree, one of the most popular sites in the Ayutthaya Historical Park.
I loved that he was happy to pose for my photo.
But no rest for us yet, since we have booked via our guest house, into a boat tour of the Temples on the outside of the island. We love how easy it is to organize everything via the hotel and we are picked up late afternoon, along with other tourists by a tuk -tuk and taken to the river, where we board a small boat.
Although we are tired from the earlier Temple hopping under the hot sun, we thoroughly enjoy the boat cruise, stopping at different sights and temples along the way, and particularly love our last stop to visit Wat Chai Wattanaram and witness a glorious sunset behind the old temple.
Dinner tonight is at a small restaurant with outdoor tables, just few metres from our guest house, but then we return home to realise that we should have bought our bus ticket for the next morning trip to Sukhothai. Our hostess kindly gets her son to drive us the few kilometres into New Ayutthaya, where the small bus station is located and we soon have our tickets to ride.
It is also possible to travel to Sukhothai by train from Ayutthaya or Bangkok, but just bear in mind that the train arrives at Phitsanulok train station which is about 60 km away from Sukhothai. From there you will need to arrange transport to Sukhothai, which usually involves a tuk-tuk to nearby bus station and then a bus to Sukhothai.
Tips for your visit to Ayutthaya – You can visit as part of a tour or very easily go independently from Bangkok. There are overland public transport services such as buses, train, mini-vans or like us using the Grab taxis. There are also boat trips from Bangkok, but not something we have tried ourselves.
The temples can easily be explored in one day, but if you would like to see the temples on the outside of the island consider staying overnight and perhaps doing it as part of a cruise like we did, your Ayutthaya hotel can arrange it for you.
Sukhothai – “the dawn of happiness”
This UNESCO World Heritage City was the first capital of Siam (1238-1438), the birth place of Thai culture, art, architecture and language. It remained prosperous until it was annexed by the Ayutthaya Kingdom.
Our bus journey from Ayutthaya was very comfortable, with lots of leg room, AC and WC. We were served cake and coffee at the start, also given a bottle of water each. There was a lunch stop with some buffet type food included on the price of the ticket. The trip took about 5 1/2 hrs, with the lunch stop. Overall we enjoyed this bus journey and would recommend it. We arrived at a small bus station in New Sukhothai, a fairly lengthy tuk-tuk ride to our hotel in Old Sukhothai was 300 Baht.
We were impressed with our hotel, the Thai-Thai Sukhothai Guest House. Super friendly staff welcomed us with lots of smiles and enthusiastic “sawasdee” (hello in Thai, as a woman you say “sawasdee ka” ) and the lovely “wai” gesture which is done by placing the palms together in a prayer pose just under the chin.
We were impressed with our hotel the Thai-Thai Sukhothai Guest House.
Our little bungalow was beautiful with a 4-poster bed and a private bathroom, costing us £33 per night. Again we were given lots of written information about the Temples to visit, places to eat, how to hire bicycles from them etc.
You will be given this map at the Historical Park, if you visit the temples outside the walled city, in the Northern Zone you will pay extra, but they are worth a visit.
Perfect place to explore by bicycle.
Wat Si Chum, located in the Northern Zone outside the walled city. This giant Buddha is fabulous, this photo does not do it justice.
We stayed 2 nights which was plenty to explore all the temples, we had a lot of fun riding a bicycle around all the temples and around the old town. We followed their advice on places to eat and particularly loved the very humble Su Ree Rat restaurant along the main road. In spite of the plastic chairs and simplicity of the place, it was a family run restaurant with delicious local food. At a table next to us we chatted to British couple Paul and Linda, from Stafford who are also travelling in SE Asia for few months.
We left on an early bus bound for Chiang Mai… another very comfortable journey, with food and water included on the ticket price. We noticed some of the people who travelled with us from Ayutthaya are now also on this bus journey. Including the Dutch guy who we befriended and chatted to few times before. He has a very distinctive look being very tall, slim with many piercings and tattoos. He tells me that he can’t wait to add to his tattoo collection once arriving in Chiang Mai, apparently there you can find some of the best tattoo artists in the world. (we’ll take his word for it…)
He also tells me that he has quit his job in Holland to find enlightenment at a Buddhist Monastery in Northern Thailand. Aged 38 he is feeling a bit lost, not sure of what to do next. I thought back at myself aged 38…was I also trying to find myself then? I guess I did have a complete change of career at around 37…but sorry I digress. We say our goodbyes soon after arriving in Chiang Mai, sadly I don’t see him again.
The people you meet on the way are just so fascinating, one of the great joys of travelling.
Tips for your trip to Sukhothai – We loved Sukhothai and stayed 2 nights with one full day exploring. If we could only choose to visit either Ayutthaya or Sukhothai, we would have chosen the later. It is much better preserved and not as busy, renting a bicycle was a fun way of exploring it, but some people prefer to hire a tuk-tuk.
We really enjoyed staying in Old Sukhothai (as opposed to New Sukhothai), it is charming and very near to all the historical sites. Although I have heard that there are more budget friendly options of accommodation in New Sukhothai. One full day is enough to see everything.
I suggest buying your onwards bus ticket to your next destination on arrival at Sukhothai, to avoid having to return there later. It is also possible to buy tickets on line, although we have not done it ourselves.
Chiang Mai – Capital of the North
In early December 2017, Chiang Mai was awarded the UNESCO title of Creative City. It is a gem of a place, surrounded by some of the highest mountains in Thailand. There is lots to do in this area, including hill tribe tourism and trekking. Luckily we have been here before, or we would have felt very “short changed” with the two meagre nights we are staying this time.
No wonder many who find themselves at this Northern gem never leave again. This town is a Mecca for the “Digital Nomads” crowd who love the great Wi-Fi connection and excellent value for money lifestyle. It is charming, laid back and interesting.
We stayed in the heart of the historic centre and found ourselves doing a little exploring early next morning, by visiting the beautiful Buddhist Temple, Wat Phra Singh, just around the corner from our hotel. Pilgrims flock here to venerate the famous Buddha image known as Phra Singh (Lion Buddha), I was happy to just get a Monk blessing…one can never get too many blessings. He tied a little bracelet around my wrist whilst chanting a mantra. Donations are welcomed, but not expected.
I was right behind her to get my very own blessings.
Wat Phra Singh Buddhist Temple
Just before sunset we managed to visit Wat Chedi Luang, which has an impressive ruined Lanna-style chedi built in 1441 and a large compound built around the stupa. A group of Monks were busy doing some work on the grounds, it was interesting to watch their camaraderie and playful interactions with each other.
Wat Chedi Luang is very atmospheric
Monks were busy doing some renovation work.
When we visited Chiang Mai, back in 2014 we explored Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, just outside the city, high on top of a mountain overlooking the city. It is absolutely gorgeous and should not be missed by anyone visiting Chiang Mai. We did not make it back there this time around.
Eating is always a highlight of any trip to Thailand, here in Chiang Mai we found some very tasty places to tickle our taste buds and one that particularly stood out for us was Lert Ros. A very unassuming hole in the wall local place, with a queue of punters outside…always a good sign. We ordered a whole tilapia, which was grilled and served with a spicy sauce. Absolutely delicious!
Lert Ros is a Chiang Mai institution, there was a big queue when we turned up for dinner.
Tips for your visit to
Bangkok tops the list as one of most visited cities in the world. On arrival you immediately get that feeling that the whole world is actually living here. Dusty, chaotic, crazy, wonderful Bangkok is a hub of activity, people arriving here from all over the world to either stay for a few days or to connect with somewhere else in Thailand or even further afield in Asia.
On arrival it can feel a little overwhelming, it certainly was for us when we first visited this city back in 2014, but it has been less of a culture shock this time around. Although the airport immigration queue on arrival did scare us a little bit, but surprisingly the queue moved quite fast and soon we were collecting our luggage.
We are on a 10 weeks backpacking trip exploring Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. We intend to do as little flying as possible, using overland transport options such as buses, trains, boats, cars, motorbikes etc…you get the picture. Bangkok is our first stop, although we only have planed to stay two nights here, we arrived excited and looking forward to exploring a little of the Thai Capital.
Bangkok is packed full of exciting and interesting things to do and see, but this is our second visit to this South East Asian city so we don’t’ feel the need to check out every touristic site available. After a long flight from London we are tired and jetlag, so on our first night, we don’t venture far from our hotel, opting to have dinner at nearby Khao San Road.
Feeling a lot more refreshed by the next morning, we set off to explore two places that we have not had a chance to visit before. We called a “Grab” taxi (the equivalent of an “Uber” in the UK) to take us to the Jim Thompson House. Bangkok’s traffic can be notoriously slow, so our “Grab”taxi got caught in the action for a while, making us consider getting out and just walking there, but with the morning sun already heating things up we opted to stay in the car’s aircon instead.
We often prefer to use the Skytrain, Subway MRT or even the river ferry boats which can offer a faster way of moving around the city.
Jim Thompson House
Jim Thompson, was born in America, he was a business man and an Architect who ended up making Thai silk famous around the world. Unfortunately he disappeared during a trip to Malaysia, never to be seen again.
His house is now a museum housing his amazing South East Asia Art Collection. It is well worth a visit, and it feels like an oasis of calm in the middle of busy Bangkok. We enjoyed our visit, although I would say only visit if you have lots of time in Bangkok as there are other places I would recommend as a priority, particularly if this is your first visit to Bangkok. See at the end my tips for visiting Bangkok for the first time.
His house is near a canal, so it was very easy (and quicker than going by road) for us to jump on a canal boat afterwards, to visit our next destination:
Wat Saket Ratcha Wora Maha Wihan
A Buddhist Temple dating back to the time when Ayutthaya was the capital, it was then called simply Wat Sakae. But when Bangkok became the capital of Thailand, King Rama I (1737–1809) renovated it and gave its present name. Visit it for some gorgeous views over Bangkok and if at all possible stay for sunset. Wat Saket Ratcha Wora Maha Wihan
Wat Saket Ratcha Wora Maha Wihan, is the crowning glory of the Golden Mt.
Enjoy the interesting statues and fountains as you climb up the stairs.
Great views of Bangkok from Wat Saket Ratcha Wora Maha Wihan.
From the pier it is just a short walk up to the Temple: there are few steps up, but nothing too strenuous, but unfortunately there are no lifts. Make sure you cover your shoulders and knees when visiting. The lovely views of Bangkok from the top will be even more special during sunset.
Khao San Road
As mentioned before, our hotel was just around the corner from this famous (or rather infamous) road. This road was made famous by the book and film “The Beach” which describes Khao San Road as “the centre of the backpacking universe”. It is worth spending sometime here, just walking around, drinking in the many lively bars, eating at one of the little restaurants or street food carts.
Fancy a massage?
Gawping at the unusual sights, such as the peculiar selection of creepy crawlies and spiders on offer for tasting. The many massage parlours with comfy chairs spilling into the pavement. Tattoo and henna shops are plenty and so are the shops selling all sorts of clothing, custom jewellery and foot wear, although prices here are a lot more expensive than in the less touristic parts of the city. For serious shopping I would recommend one of the many markets, including the great Weekend Market.
Street Food
We both love Thai food and there is no better place to try some of the best Thai cooking on offer than on the streets of Bangkok. There is a huge selection of places to try, just walk around and have a taste of the dishes that look appetizing to you. Good places usually have a queue of local people. One of our favourite areas for street food is Chinatown, where there is a mixture of Thai and Chinese dishes. Maybe you would like to try a food tour? Not something we have done there ourselves, so will not be making any recommendations.
If street food is not to your taste or scene there are plenty of great restaurants, including Michelin star places with prices to match. But trust me, there is no need to spend a lot of money to get great food in this city.
Where to Stay In Bangkok
There is no shortage of great places to stay in Bangkok to suit all budgets. Aim to stay in one of the following main areas, although I have not had first hand experience of all of them:
The Khao San Road area – This lively area is a favourite with the backpacking community, particularly the ones with limited funds. Although there are all types of accommodation here, including the more upscale options that will cost a little bit more.
It is a very fun area with lots going on in the evening and although we are no party animals this is the area we chose to stay, at the Casa Vimaya Riverside at around £70 per night. Our room had air-con and a private bathroom, and there was also a small pool on the top floor. We were very happy with our choice. Located on a side streets to Khao San Road, by a little canal and not on Khao San itself, since it can be very noisy there.
When we visited in 2014 we also stayed in this area, at the more upscale Riva Surya (at around £120 per night) located on the riverbank about five minutes walk away from Khao San road. An elegant boutique hotel, with beautiful balcony rooms overlooking the river.
The River Side Area – By the Chao Praya river is great for romantics, since many of the hotels have great river views, glittering temples and shrines. This area has many of Bangkok’s 5 star hotels with a prices to match. There are also some lovely little boutique hotels that can be a little more budget friendly. The great thing about this area is being able to use the river ferries as a means of transportation.
Sukhumvit area – One of Bangkok’s most modern and cosmopolitan neighbourhoods. Here you can find the lungs of Bangkok, the famous Lumphini Park a great green and peaceful space to unwind. There are good public transport links in this area as it has several Skytrain and Subway (MRT) stations, making it an excellent base from which to explore the city.
Siam Area– Has the largest concentration of shopping malls in Bangkok, this area is shopping heaven. If you want to shop in air-conditioned and fashionable shopping malls such as MBK, Siam Paragon, Central World, Siam Discovery, Siam Centre and Central Chitlom, this is the area for you.
Chinatown area – One of the oldest areas of Bangkok, it used to be the sole domain of budget travelers but not any more, since there are many upscale yet affordable boutique hotels here. Some of the streets and buildings are not very well maintained and has a bit of a run down feel.
There are no Skytrains in this area, but there is a Subway station (MRT) at nearby Hua Lamphong Station and two new Subway stations have recently opened. There is fabulous street food available in this area. Most of the action centres around Yaowarat Road. This street comes alive in the evenings and there is nothing better than spend some time eating your way around this area.
Just a Few Tips For Your First Visit to Bangkok
- Most people arriving by air will be landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport. We bought a SIM card on arrival at the airport. But you can also get it from many other places around the city.
- If getting a taxi from the airport to your hotel, make sure you have the address and name of your hotel handy. Some hotels can arrange a pick up for you
The incredible River Nile in Egypt is the world’s longest river and it has played an essential role in creating the life that we see along this valley today. In ancient times the Nile River predictably flooded every year generating fertile sedimentation along its shores. Rich soil for good crops and plenty of water for irrigation ensured that Ancient Egyptians could thrive in this area for thousands of years. The legacy left by this ancient civilization can be found scattered along the Nile, comprising of incredible monuments, sculptures, tombs, artifacts and hieroglyphs that have been uncovered and deciphered from archeological investigations. A visit to this area provides an insight into the golden age of the Pharaohs and rulers of Ancient Egypt showcasing accomplished architecture, stunning art, advanced technology, and science. Cruising along the still, dark waters of the Nile, learning about the life and death of Pharoes, their Gods, religious traditions and also the ordinary lives of Egyptian’s that have existed here for thousands of years has been in our wish list for a very long time.
Finally, we made it here and expectations were high. Choosing the right option for us took a little research since there are so many different options for cruising the Nile. We opted for a 7 days cruise from Luxor to Aswan, flying from London directly to Luxor and were met on arrival by our cruise representative who arranged our minibus transfer from the Luxor Airport to our cruise ship MS Tulip.
Our floating hotel for the week.
Our flight was a bit delayed and we ended up arriving at around 11 pm on board our cruise ship. The crew had sandwiches and drinks waiting for us, although none of us had much of an appetite, we nevertheless enjoyed the opportunity to unwind. We also met Ahmed, the guide who would be accompanying us for the duration of our trip. He gave us an overview of the itinerary and next day’s instructions. There were 11 of us in our tour group, and although there were other tour groups onboard the cruise ship, we were glad to find out that the boat was only half full.
Our Itinerary looked as follows:
Day 1– Flight London to Luxor, transfer to the cruise ship, late night going to bed.
Day 2 – Early start with a visit to the Valley of The Kings, also called “Valley of the Tombs of the Kings” which is a place used as a burial site for almost all the Kings or rather Pharaohs of the 18th, 19th and 20th Dynasties ( Circa1539–1075 BC). The Valley of the Kings also contains the tombs of nobles as well as the wives and children of both nobles and pharaohs.
There are 63 tombs and chambers that have so far been found in these limestone hills. More are likely to exist… the experts believe there are 3 more to be found and excavations are ongoing to discover more. The most famous resident in this valley is the tomb of Tutankhamun.
Tomb of Rameses IV, Valley of the Kings.
Brian and I inside the Tomb of Rameses IV
A ticket to visit 3 of the tombs was included on our cruise package. Brian and I also chose to visit the Tutankhamun Tomb at an extra cost, paying directly to our guide who purchased the extra ticket for us. The tombs are different in size and how they are decorated. Interestingly many of the tombs even have some graffiti written by ancient tourists, with some of the graffiti dating back to 278 BC. Not all tombs are open to the public at any one time, they usually rotate the tombs that can be visited to prevent overuse and damage.
Our guide Ahmed was great at explaining the history and meaning of what has been found here in this valley. Entering the tombs, walking through the narrow corridors covered in beautifully painted images and texts was just mind-blowing. The tombs were so incredibly detailed and ornate, with almost every inch of walls and ceiling alive with brightly coloured hieroglyphs that had survived for thousands of years in the darkness. The Valley of the Kings was definitely a huge highlight of this trip for us and should not be missed by anyone visiting this area.
Afterward, we also visited the Temple of Hatshepsut – Hatshepsut came to the throne of Egypt in 1478 BC, and is generally regarded by Egyptologists as one of the most successful pharaohs, reigning for over two decades and was one of Egypt’s first female pharaohs.
Temple of Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut Mortuary Temple carved below the limestone cliff is strikingly beautiful, an amazing architectural masterpiece.
On the way back to base we visited an Alabaster shop where we learned a little about how the vases and lamps are made and to make any purchases if we wished. I guess these commercial stops are a compulsory part of the itinerary in a bid to encourage tourists to spend some cash into the local economy, we certainly can’t blame them for that. Altogether there were 3 of such stops included in our 7-day itinerary.
We also stopped briefly, just long enough for taking few photos, at the Colossi of Memnon, before returning to our cruise ship in time for lunch and a leisurely sailing towards Esna.
Colossi of Memnon, Luxor
Day 3 – Early morning sailing to Edfu and a visit to the Temple of Horus. Our cruise ship docked not far from the Temple and we were all taken there by horse and carriage. An activity that would have been delightful and successful if not for the poor state of the horses who all looked quite thin and overworked. Our carriage driver also looked very thin and undernourished, like many Egyptians we have met on the Nile Valley, certainly no obesity issues around here.
Horse and carriage ride to Temple of Horus
Our guide Ahmed reassured us that they would have been paid fairly and even given extra tips. We all felt slightly uneasy about the horse and carriage leg of this trip but agreed to participate since it is clear that our tourist dollar does help the economy of this area (I am not sure what the answer is, but if I visited again I would ask to use the tuk-tuks instead, although that option was not on offer to us). The Temple of Horus was nevertheless hugely imposing and beautiful and its history fascinating.
The Temple of Horus
Horus, believed to be the son of Isis and Osiris, was a God of the sky, whose role was protecting Egypt’s ruler. Ancient Egyptians believed that the Pharaoh was the “living Horus”. The Temple of Horus was started during the reign of Ptolemy III Euergetes and completed in 57 BC under Ptolemy XII Auletes.
Our guide Ahmed was great at bringing the history alive for us.
The sandstone walls are covered in interesting hieroglyphics and dazzling friezes depicting images of Ancient Egypt’s powerful rulers. A colossal gateway leads into the towering columns of the huge Forecourt. The columns are beautifully decorated with drawings and hieroglyphics. We wandered around feeling like small ants underneath the giant columns. Having a guide was indispensable and we lucked out with Ahmed who was a very knowledgeable historian. University educated, he was so passionate about Ancient Egypt, it was great to learn so much from him.
We stopped at a perfume shop on the way back to our cruise boat… some members of our group also managed to get neck, back, and knee massages there. But not many of us were keen to purchase any perfume. We arrived back in time for lunch and set sail for the Ptolemic Temple of Kom Ombo afterward. Our cruise boat glided effortlessly along the river, and we hardly noticed any movement. We spent time on the upper deck enjoying the scenery and the life of the people who live along the shores of the river. Occasionally people would wave to us, or we would hear children shouting a cheerful “Hello…Hello”.
We passed many small communities along the shores of the River Nile.
Brian and our tour companion Derek enjoying the views along the Nile.
Ptolemic Temple of Kom Ombo
The Temple of Kom Ombo rises dramatically above the banks of the Nile, and as we arrived the sun was going down and the Temple was all lit up and glowing against the dark skies. Together with our guide, we walked from our cruise ship, past the many gift sellers (thankfully they were not too aggressive here, Ahmed explained that as we moved South the population was becoming largely Nubians who are famously friendly and laid back.). After exploring the Temple it was a short walk to the Crocodile Museum, which has a collection of mummified crocodiles.
Mummified crocodiles at the Crocodile Museum
Tonight our cruising ship was hosting an Egyptian night and we were all encouraged to wear our recently purchased galabeyas, a traditional Egyptian garment native to the Nile Valley. It was a fun evening with our fellow travelers and we even managed a bit of a boogie on the dance floor. Unlike sea cruising, there is not a lot to do in the evenings on this river cruise ship, so having an organized event was a welcome distraction, although some people were so exhausted after the full-on day activities that they opted for an early night instead.
Some members of our group dressed up for an Egyptian party. Our guide Ahmed in the middle.
Day 4 we sailed to Aswan, where we visited the Aswan High Dam – The dam is fed by the River Nile and the reservoir forms Lake Nasser.
Brian and I at the Aswan High Dam
The dam successfully controls the Nile River floods, which occur annually, by regulating the river flow and supplying water for irrigation throughout the year and during droughts. It is also used to feed 12 power turbines providing half of Egypt’s power demands. Construction began in 1960 and was completed in 1968 with funding help provided by the Soviet Union, following the withdrawal of funds from the USA, UK, and the World Bank. It was officially inaugurated in 1971. Construction of the dam was not without controversy, and it created tensions between various countries. The dam’s site also submerged certain historical sites and caused the relocation of about 100,000 Nubian inhabitants.
One of these submerged historical sites was the Temple of Philae, which was relocated from its original site on Philae Island to Agilika Island as part of a rescue project led by UNESCO. The temples were dismantled up into sections, which were carefully numbered and re-erected in the same relative positions on Agilika.
We boarded one of these small boats to visit the Temple of Philae
Part of the Temple of Philae
After the High Dam, we were taken by tour bus to a Nubian Village, where we boarded a small boat for a visit to the Temple of Philae. It was wonderful to see it from the water first before landing on the Island and exploring it with our guide Ahmed who brought its history alive for us.
During our return boat trip and just as we were docking at the port, unfortunately, one of the ladies in our group lost her balance and fell backward onto the boat and ended up injuring herself a little bit, luckily nothing too serious.
Lunchtime was fast approaching, but we had one more stop where we visited the “Unfinished Obelisk”. Laying like a sleeping giant among the stone quarries, it gives a glimpse into the rock carving techniques of Ancient Egypt and provides evidence of how obelisks were quarried. This huge granite Obelisk was commissioned by the powerful Hatshepsut to celebrate her sixteenth year as pharaoh, but it was abandoned following visible cracks that appeared on its surface. One can only imagine what would have been the punishment for whoever misjudged this project. We were in awe of the sheer size of this piece of rock. Even with modern technology, carving such a huge single piece of rock, weighing hundreds of tons, would be a massive undertaking. Thousands of years ago, with primitive tools, it would have taken years of work and huge numbers of workers, especially when it came to transporting it to its final destination along the banks of the Nile. Once again, we found ourselves staring in awe at the ambition and scale of this ancient civilization, nourished by the fertile waters of the mighty Nile.
Unfinished Obelisk, Egypt
Another great highlight of our day 4 was the afternoon sail on a traditional Felucca. In short, a felucca is a traditional Egyptian wooden boat with a canvas sail. Not a large vessel, although they do come in different shapes and sizes. Our group of 11 had a vessel all to ourselves, plus our guide Ahmed.
Traditional wooden Felucca boat
We also had two young Nubian guys as our sailing crew. They told us that although they spend a lot of time on the boat, in the evenings they go home to their families since they live not far from Aswan on a small Nubian Island.
Day 5 – Was probably the most tiring, but also the most exciting day of our journey. Our wake up call was about 4 am and soon after we joined our guide Ahmed plus our travel companion Derek and together we boarded a minivan bound for the Great Temple of Abu Simbel 3 hours away from Aswan, to Upper Egypt, near the border with Sudan. It was a cold morning and we shivered in our seats all the way to Abu Simbel, even though we did take a fleece each with us. There is an option of flying there instead, but it is a lot more costly.
There are two huge Temples on this site, originally carved out of the mountainside in the 13th century BC, during the reign of Ramesses II of the 19th Dynasty. They serve as a lasting monument to the king and his queen Nefertari. The Great Temple is dedicated to Ramesses II himself with the Small Temple, dedicated to his favorite wife Queen Nefertari. Both Temples are gorgeous.
The Great Temple of Abu Simbel was carved out of the mountain on the West bank of the Nile between 1274 and 1244 BC by Ramses II. A temple dedicated not only to himself but also to Egyptian Gods Ra-Horakhty, Amun and Ptah. Over the centuries the desert sands completely covered the site and this temple was lost to the world until 1813 when it was accidentally rediscovered by the Swiss explorer Jean-Louis Burckhardt (although like so much in Egypt, it was “discovered” by a European when a local person said come and have a look at this… lots of sand shifting later, there it was. The temple was finally all cleaned up and ready to be entered again in 1817 after a clear up project lead by Giovanni Belzoni.
There are four colossal statues of the pharaoh fronting the Great Temple, although unfortunately one of the heads has broken off.
Inside the Great Temple of Abu Simbel
Inside one of the chambers of Abu Simbel
The Small Temple, dedicated to Queen Nefertari.
Unfortunately by the end of the century, there were plans afoot for a dam on the Nile and therefore Abu Simbel was doomed to be buried again, although on this occasion it would end up many meters underwater. A UNESCO sponsored campaign managed to sort out finance and expertise from more than 50 countries to save it. Archaeological teams cut the temples up into more than 2000 massive blocks and reconstructed them inside an artificially built mountain, 210metres away from the water and 65metres higher than the original site. The temples were carefully oriented to face the original direction, and the landscape of their original environment was re-created on and around the concrete, dome-shaped mountain. There is a great little museum on site explaining all about this incredible and very costly project.
The sun illuminated figures of Ra-Horakhty, Ramses II and Amun. Although Ptah is never illuminated.
Every year in October, the first rays of a rising sun reaches across the Nile, penetrating the temple and moving along the hypostyle hall into the sanctuary, where they illuminate the figures of Ra-Horakhty, Ramses II and Amun. Although Ptah is never illuminated.
Although this day of exploring was very tiring with the 6 hours by mini-van round trip to Abu Simbel, we felt that it was totally worth the effort and the price tag, since this excursion was not included in our cruise package. Our traveling companions who chose to fly there reported that although the flying time was short, there was quite a lot of waiting around the airport. They felt it was worth the extra money since they were able to leave later than us and it was overall a shorter day for them. However you get there, don’t miss this Wonder of the World.
Day 6 – Was an all-day sailing back to Edfu and then Luxor, and we welcomed the more relaxing pace and a chance to catch up with some sleep since there was no early morning wake up call. Many of the other people on our cruise ship returned home or moved on somewhere else from Aswan. There were only 8 people left in our group now and just 10 ( a couple from Germany who were not part of our group) of us sailing back to Luxor. Brian had acquired a cold bug and so did others in our group, so the chance to relax was just perfect. Although we did tear ourselves away from the sundeck to visit the ship Capitan and learn all about the Nile River Navigation system used. Spoiler alert…they don’t use GPS and navigation relies on local knowledge. Glad I have only found out about this piece of information at the end…gulp.
Relaxing on the upper deck.
There is no denying that we took full advantage of a relaxing day, reading books, chatting with friends and watching the world go by from the comforts of our cruise ship. We arrived in Luxor later in the evening.
Day 7 – We overnight in Luxor ready for our return home tomorrow, but before then we had another exciting day ahead of us, visiting the huge Karnak Temple Complex near Luxor and an evening sound and light show back at Karmak, after dinner.
The name Karnak is derived from the Arabic word Khurnak meaning “fortified village”. The complex consists of four main parts, of which only the largest is currently open to the general public. Approximately thirty pharaohs contributed to the buildings, enabling it to reach a size, complexity, and diversity not seen elsewhere. Built over the course of several centuries it is one of the largest and oldest religious monuments in the world.
Entrance to Karnak Temple Complex, with the tallest surviving ancient obelisk on Earth, standing at 97-feet tall and weighing about 323 tons, built by Hatshepsut. (Remember the obelisks are a single piece of granite… just staggering)
Avenue of Sphinxes at Karnak Temple Complex
We could hardly believe the size of the towering columns inside the complex, huge pillars and the beautiful Avenue of Sphinxes. Hatshepsut built many of the monuments, including twin Obelisks erected at the entrance to Karnak Temple, one still stands, as the tallest surviving ancient obelisk on Earth, but the other has since broken in half and tumbled down.
Karnak Temple
In the evening there was an optional excursion to see a Sound and light show at the Temple of Karnak. There were 4 of us who took up this excursion, and it was really interesting to see the temple at night looking very mysterious and enigmatic.
Waiting for the Sound and Light Show at the Temple of Karnak.
The light show itself we felt was a little disappointing and the sound system was not great, so we could hardly hear the stories told. But overall we enjoyed it and we were glad that we made the effort to attend.
Day 8 – Early morning transfer to the Luxor airport for our flight home… goodbye Egypt.
Tips For Your Nile River Cruise
A Nile cruise is a fantastic way to see the Nile Valley in comfort, appreciating the sites from the water as well as exploring on land. But choose your Nile cruise carefully, since cruising ships vary a lot not only in size but also in the level of comfort, service, food, cleanliness, etc. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend our cruise company (Discover Egypt), boat (MS Tulip), and itinerary, although this is not a sponsored post.
- The best time to visit is between September and May, for cooler temperatures, we visited in early December and loved it. It can get super hot here from June to August, although it will also be cheaper.
- Take advantage of the bottled water handed out before the tours, it’s hot and the desert air is very dry. and you will get thirsty. Also pleased to say that we had no tummy problems at all, and the food
Our 3 months road trip in Norway has been epic, from July to September 2019 we have been traveling across the length and breadth of one of the most beautiful countries on earth, experiencing some of the best of Norway. We ventured above the Arctic Circle to bask under the midnight sun at the top of Europe’s Nordkapp (North Cape). We found lonely roads and places rarely visited by tourists in the most remote rural settings and sparsely populated areas of Finnmark. Among the awe-inspiring landscapes, there has been no shortage of amazing wildlife to keep us entertained, such as reindeer, eagles, huge colonies of birds including the super cute puffins, plus numerous whales, dolphins, minks, etc
I have already written extensively about our travels in the Far North (see previous blog posts on Norway), so in this post, I will be describing some of the highlights of the Western and Southwestern Fjords, as well as some of our favorite moments in Central and Southern Norway. Most of Norway’s visitors tend to concentrate on these areas and it is not difficult to understand why, since here you can find the essence of what this country is about. These areas are more easily accessible with flights to larger airports such as Bergen or Oslo, so making it easier for exploring with a rental car or with a bus and/or train journeys.
We traveled by motorhome and found no shortage of fantastic campsites as well as the most amazing wild camping spots on this whole trip. Read on to find out more about some of what we got up to:
Geiranger Fjord
My last blog post found us witnessing a mountain rescue by the famous 11 hairpin bends of Trollstigen mountain road. There was certainly plenty of drama on this road, but little did we know that the dramatic landscapes would not end there. We followed along the 68km long road between Trollstigen and Geiranger, which is another one of the 18 tourist routes in Norway, taking us just over 2 hours to complete with few stops for photos of the mountainous landscapes. This road is beautiful with the descent into the small town of Geiranger being one of the highlights. More hairpin bends here with extraordinary views over the valley and the stunning Geiranger Fjord. This Fjord is deservedly one of the most visited tourist sites in Norway, and in 2005 was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was very busy when we arrived with two large cruise ships moored at the town’s harbour, but we did not linger here for long and soon made our way to our fantastic campsite overlooking the fjord, where we spent a very peaceful night overlooking the still waters of Geiranger Fjord.
Evening view from our motorhome on the shores of Geirangerfjord surrounded by stunning mountain scenery, see the Geiranger town in the distance.
Geiranger Fjord is arguably the world’s greatest Fjord with its natural features consisting of towering cliffs rising up from the deep blue waters of the Fjord; simply majestic. From the water one can appreciate the many tumbling waterfalls and small farms perched on the top of the high cliffs. Looking up from our cruise boat it looked truly extraordinary that anyone would think this inhospitable terrain could be farmed. Doing a cruise along the Fjord is something that should not be missed when visiting this area. We chose to do a ferry cruise (boarding the ferry on foot, leaving our motorhome parked by the harbour) the Geiranger to Hellesylt ferry ride was stunning and we would totally recommend it, although there are other cruise options we felt the ferry ride was a great option for us. We bought the return trip ticket as we boarded the ferry at a cost of £81 for both of us. It is possible to board the ferry with a motorized vehicle, including a motorhome, but it will cost a lot more, so we opted to be foot passengers. There are other cruise type options that can be bought from the ticket office by the harbour.
Dalsnibba
Driving our motorhome up and out of the Geiranger valley on the Rv63 we climbed higher and higher towards the viewpoint of Dalsnibba, the highest point on this journey which was at 1500m above sea level. A place that offers the most incredible views of the Geiranger Valley. Totally worth paying the toll road ( £14) to get there. The drive is not for the faint-hearted with hairpin bends galore, but venture up there and the rewards will be sweeping views of snow-capped mountains and the Geirangerfjord Valley down below. Truly spectacular!
All smiles at Dalsnibba, one of the most beautiful viewpoints in Norway.
There is a viewing platform, the Geiranger Skywalk with see-through glass and a vista that goes on forever. You will not have it to yourself though, with many tourist buses making the journey up there, it is very busy. There is even a public bus that takes punters on this journey twice daily, during the summer months. Take warm clothes, since it may well be cold and windy. The journey is often better than the destination, but in this case, both will take your breath away.
Jostedalsbreen National Park
Mainland Europe’s largest Glacier is indeed a mighty natural wonder. We stayed 5 days in this area, exploring the Northern and Southern sides of the National Park. Here more than ever one can appreciate the urgency in finding solutions for the doom and gloom of climate change. Jostedalsbreen has also recently succumbed to climate change and like many other world glaciers, it is fast receding.
We started our visit with a drive along the shores of Lake Lovatnet where we learned about the tragic landslides that triggered a tsunami sweeping away entire villages. The first one occurred in 1905 when a large chunk of the mountainside plummeted into the lake causing a massive wave that destroyed the nearby villages of Bødal and Nesdal killing 63 people, only 9 bodies were ever found. The survivors rebuilt their villages on higher ground, but in 1936 a huge rock came down from the mountain causing another tsunami and destroying the villages again with the loss of life of 72 people or more.
The narrow but good road along the shores of Lovatnet Lake towards the memorial site and Kjenndalsbreen. The turquoise blue glacial waters of the lake, surrounded by mountains and waterfalls make this area an incredible place to visit.
In 1950 there was yet again another landslide, but luckily this time there were no fatalities and minimal damage. We visited the memorial to the lost lives and also spotted the steamboat “Lodalen” which was used for carrying passengers around the lake as it was swept away inland by the tsunamis. Its wreck can be seen via a path near the memorial site.
Driving on along the narrow road with the Lake to our right side we arrived at the Kjenndalsbreen, which is the least popular of the four glacier arms of the mighty Jostedalsbreen, but really worth the visit for the beauty of the drive and the easy hike to the Glacier arm…without the crowds.
Parking area by Kjenndalsbreen. From here it is an easy walk to see the glacier arm.
There is a small toll to pay and we had to do it in a very old-fashioned way by putting about 40 NOK (around 4,50 Euros) in an envelope and writing our number plate on there. The road is slow going, but there is a large parking area and also an easy to follow trail towards the glacier tongue.
Briksdalsbreen
Most visitors to this area will want to visit Briksdalsbreen, the most famous glacier arm of Jostedalsbreen, and for good reason. It is stunning, we had visited last year when our cruise ship anchored at Olden, but this time it was a totally different experience for us. We stayed overnight at the amazing Melkevoll Bretun campsite with stunning views of glaciers and waterfalls, it was the BEST campsite ever. There are also great pitches for tents and or cabins for people who are on a road trip by car/bicycle etc. Check out the picture below.
Melkevoll Bretun campsite is set in the most amazing location, can you spot our motorhome just below the cabins in the distance? Yes, it is a glacier tongue on the top of that mountain just ahead, unfortunately, it did not show well on this photo.
We were able to visit the impressive Briksdalsbreen in the evening, soon after dinner and have it all to ourselves. The hike from the campsite to the glacier tongue is about 6 to 7 km upwards, but it is not a particularly difficult hike – although not a walk in the park either.
Yes, that is me waving from the bridge, and getting soaked in the spray. The path continuous upwards along behind the waterfall.
There were only us and another couple visiting the glacier tongue in the evening. We asked them to take our picture.
The hike is super scenic, passing white water rapids, surrounded by lush green cliffs, waterfalls tumbling down from the melting glacier above and the final arrival at the impressive Briksdalsbreen with the blue lake fed by the melting glacier waters.
Loen Skylift
Another amazing highlight of this area is this fabulous cable car. One of the steepest in the world, it whisks you up to Mt. Hoven at 1011m above sea level in just 5 minutes. The views from the top are just stunning and there are various trails that can be hiked from the cablecar station. After enjoying coffee and cakes from the restaurant, we decided to do a short hike which ended up being a lot longer than we had planned. Since we enjoyed the views so much we just kept going upwards and ended up at the summit of Staurinibba at 1,379m above sea level.
Epic views from the Skylift.
At the summit, only these views could make us forget our thirst.
Completely forgetting that we had not brought any water with us, we carried on towards the summit. It was a sunny day and the hike to the summit was quite strenuous, we felt a bit silly for not coming better prepared, although we did have a snickers bar with us, so at least we were not hungry. Totally worth it for the views, but my advice is “never go hiking in the mountains without good preparation, snacks and plenty of water”.
Leaving the Loen area behind we headed towards our next destination, the Gaularfjellet scenic route, which is a road leading across Gaular, the mountain between Dragsvik and the Sognefjord, it was a serene drive with very little traffic. The drive skirts the fjord before snaking up towards the highest point of Gaularfjellet. Mountains all around and views of glaciers in the distance. We caught a ferry from Dragsvik Kai to Hella, staying on the Road 55 Sognefjord Vegen traveling towards a very special museum.
Norwegian Glacier Museum
This striking museum dedicated to the dissemination of knowledge with regards to glaciers and climate is a leading center in Norway. Designed by Professor of architecture, Sverre Fehn, the receiver of the 1997 Pritzker award (the highest international award an architect can get). The building itself is very striking, set among green fields, surrounded by mountains and glaciers. It even has a family of model mammoths outside
Norwegian Glacier Museum is an architectural success as well as a great place to learn all about glaciers.
Fantastic interactive displays, with exhibitions presented in 13 languages. We loved all the exhibitions and in particular the one about climate change, also the panoramic film about the Jostedalsbreen Glacier, being able to experience what it feels like walking through a glacier, learn why the glaciers are in motion, see how crevasses are formed, carry out experiments with 1000-year-old ice from the nearby glacier and so much more. If you find yourself in this area, don’t miss this fantastic museum.
From the museum, we drove towards the pretty town of Solvorn, where a very small ferry (Brian had to reverse our motorhome into this one) was waiting to whisk us over the other side of the Lustrafjorden to gorgeous Ørnes. Keen to visit a very special Stave Church, the Urnes stavkyrkje is a UNESCO World Heritage site perched on the hill with views over the Fjord, in an idyllic setting. Dating from the 12th Century, it is Norway’s oldest surviving place of worship. Covered in fascinating wood carvings, it was definitely worth the detour we took to visit it.
Urnes stavkyrkje (Stave Church)
We stayed overnight for free, overlooking the Lustrafjorden and enjoyed an amazing sunset sipping a glass of wine (GPS 61.30005, 7.31578). The next day we woke up to heavy clouds and rain, so it was time to move on. The rain did not stop all day as we drove past small settlements, narrow roads nestled between the fjord and the mountains. It was not a road for the faint-hearted, driving a motorhome in Norway was not always very easy, particularly when rain and fog accompanied our travels.
The 18 Norwegian Scenic Routes
There are 18 Scenic Routes (which used to be called National Tourist Routes) in Norway. These are some of the most beautiful roads in Western, Central and Northern Norway, along the coast, and across mountains. The project took close to two decades and hundreds of millions of kroner to complete. An initiative that aimed to combine nature, culture and great design. Several renowned Norwegian and foreign architects and designers were involved in creating resting areas, viewing points that could become a more memorable experience.
We drove them all, in total just driving the scenic routes we covered a total of 2,136 km, and we managed to link them in a way that made sense without having much backtracking. Each scenic route was memorable, some of our favorites included: Senja and the Lofoten Islands, The Atlantic Road, The Geiranger-Trolstigen and the longest of them all the amazing Norwegian Scenic Route Helgelandskysten ( part of Kystriksveien which runs from Steinkjer to Bodø) where we crossed the Arctic Circle at 66 degrees northern latitude.
I have already written about the above Norwegian scenic routes, so for the purpose of this blog, I will mention some of our favorites in Western, Central and Southern Norway.
- Aurlandsfjellet, in Western Norway, is a road of contrasts between the fjord and the high mountains with the viewing point at Stegastein being a big highlight. We chose to drive this scenic route instead of taking the much faster road tunnel that runs under the mountains instead. The 24.5km tunnel is the world’s longest road tunnel and it would certainly have been quite an experience to drive it, but we have driven so many fantastic road tunnels during this trip already that choosing stunning mountain scenery over the long dark confinements of a tunnel was a no brainer for us. Opening in 1967 the road runs from Lærdalsøyri to Aurlandsvangen over the mountains and the highest point is 1,306m above sea level. The road is closed in the winter and snow lies on the mountain throughout large parts of the summer, so it has been nicknamed “the snow road” for obvious reasons.
Viewing point at Stegastein
After completing the above road trip we stayed overnight at a campsite in Flåm (GPS 60.8627, 7.1069) conveniently located next to the famous Flåmsbana. We intended to ride on this railway line which is considered Norway’s most scenic train journey. The railway line is part of the Bergen Railway connecting Oslo to Bergen. Our ride would be just the 20.2 km (12.6 miles)through the Flåmsdalen valley between Flåm and Myrdal and then back to Flåm. Because of its steep gradient and scenic surroundings, the Flåm Line is now almost exclusively a tourist service and has become the third-most visited tourist attraction in Norway. The line’s elevation difference is 866 meters (2,841 ft) with a maximum gradient of 5.5 percent.
Riding the Flåmsbana railway.
The train will stop at Kjosfossen Waterfall, be ready for a lovely surprise.
The train stops briefly at the Kjosfossen Waterfall giving passengers a chance to disembark on the viewing platform for a short break. Norwegian folk music starts playing as a mysterious woman with long hair and a red dress emerges from behind the little stone cottage, dancing to the haunting tune of a Norwegian folk song. She is supposed to be the legendary “Huldra”, an elusive forest spirit from Norse mythology. Although it sounds rather “cheesy” we actually really enjoyed this little surprise.
We lucked out with the weather and enjoyed a fantastic ride, but I would not recommend it in bad weather since it is all about the views. Note that only certain windows, usually the last and front of your carriage can be opened, something quite useful for taking good photos.
- Hardanger was another favorite of the scenic routes, running through dramatic mountain scenery it is a real feast for the eyes, the road at times follows a shelf along a steep-sided valley. Rich pickings from the endless apple orchards will also be on the menu. But it is the thundering waterfalls that are the main attractions here, they are all different but equally stunning. The main ones to visit are Steinsdalsfossen (where you can walk behind it), Vøringsfossen, Skjervefossen, Låtefoss (with the twin falls) and Furebergfossen. Certainly, a quick stop and or a hike to see them from close up is a must for waterfall enthusiasts. This scenic route has three “arms” that are connected by ferry crossings, plus there are also few tunnels and bridges.
Steinsdalsfossen, you can walk behind this waterfall.
Låtefoss, these twin falls are beautiful, and really thundered with all the recent and ongoing heavy rain.
Set in such idyllic valley, Vøringsfossen is very special.
We enjoyed them all, apart from losing my mobile phone at Vøringsfossen, which was totally my fault as I tried to balance an umbrella (it was raining) whilst trying to film the waterfall with my mobile phone. The Vøringsfossen Waterfall cascades from the Hardangervidda plateau down into the valley of Måbødalen with a free fall of 145m and a total fall of 182m, it is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Norway and totally worth a visit, just hold on to your mobile phone and don’t lose it as I did, you won’t get it back!
- Sognefjellet scenic route was an important transport artery linking the coast and inland areas, and now provides a drive of powerful impressions with dramatic mountain scenery. The road makes its way up to the summit at 1,434m above sea level, making it northern Europe’s highest mountain pass. We started our journey in Lom, where we visited its beautiful Stave Church.
Knut Wold’s stone sculpture, like a giant stone window into the landscape.
At the Mefjellet stop, you will find Knut Wold’s stone sculpture which provides an interesting perspective into the mountainous landscape. There are a number of hiking options in the Jotunheimen mountains with alternatives to suit all fitness levels.
- Norwegian Scenic Route Ryfylke is 260 km long and it was for sure one of the most challenging drives that we have done in Norway. Sections of the road, particularly over the mountain to Røldal, are narrow with many hairpins bends to navigate. We drove along barren mountains, covered in colorful moss, lush hillsides displaying the most stunning Autumn colors and finally descending towards the southern point of this road where you will find Lysefjorden. There are two short ferry trips that gave us a chance to experience the fresh sea air of the fjords.
Along this route, you will find Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) and the Kjerag boulder with Lysefjorden in the background, both very popular with hikers. Brian and I had our hearts set at hiking Preikestolen, but the filthy weather was holding us back. We stayed put for two nights at a beautiful location by the Lysefjorden (GPS 58.9102, 6.07785) waiting for a dry day. Our wait paid off and on the 3rd day, we drove to the parking area by Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) to enjoy one of the best hikes in Norway.
Preikestolen also know as Pulpit Rock
Hiking Pulpit Rock is often described as a huge highlight of a trip to Norway and one can definitely appreciate why it is so popular. We did the hike mid-September/19 when the summer crowds had gone home. We were not alone on the trail, but it was not super busy either. The hike is classified as moderate with an about 334-meter ascent and perhaps two or three more taxing uphill sections. Quite steep at the very beginning of the hike, interestingly many of the uphill sections having stepping-stones that were laid by Nepalese Sherpas. There is also a boulder-filled section halfway up, which was a little bit more challenging, but certainly not too bad.
Pulpit Rock, can you see me waving in a pink top? No, I am not the one at the very edge.
Preikestolen is an almost vertical rock face towering over Lysefjord at a height of 604 meters, it was carved during the last ice age more than 10,000years ago. This impressive place will leave you speechless, the sheer drop is scary and exhilarating at the same time.
Brian and I at Preikestolen also know as Pulpit Rock
There are no safety barriers and people do crazy things here, watching people jump up and down at the very edge or dangle their feet from the edge to get the perfect Instagram picture was at times almost heartstoppingly scary. A fall from here will be fatal and the unlucky faller will have at a full 10 seconds to contemplate his/her fate before hitting the icy waters of the fjord directly below.. Brian and I agreed beforehand that we would both be sensible and stay away from the edge.
Altogether it took us about 4 hours to complete the hike and return to our home on wheels, after the walk of about 3.8km each way. If you find yourself in this corner of Norway and you enjoy hiking, don’t miss out on this incredible hike, probably our favorite one in Norway.
Oslo
Nestled between the Oslofjord and lush green hills, it is a very exciting city to explore.
Oslo is an ideal walking city, with many attractions easily reached on foot from the city center. We bought the 48-hour Oslo Pass at a cost of about 655 NOK,which includes travel on all public transport and entrance to most museums and attractions. For us, it was easily worth it.
Checking out the weather forecast we decided to do most of the museums on our first day of exploring since it was going to be a wet day, being indoors was a winner. We took a bus to the city center and from there made our way, via a ferry link to the Bygdøy peninsula where there are five national museums.
Our first stop was the Fram Museum (Frammuseet), in my opinion, a must-visit. This magnificently restored polar ship is housed inside the museum and it is possible to go aboard it to explore all its nooks and crannies and imagine what it would be like to take part on the famous polar expeditions lead by the legendary explorers Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen to the Arctic and Antarctic. Their exploits are captured in various displays, paintings, and photographs. This wasn’t just a museum about a ship, it was the ship itself, and you could explore inside and run your hands on the massively strong timbers and triple hull that had withstood the enormous pressures of frozen polar ice. Just incredible. We enjoyed a quick lunch in their Cafe before moving on.
The fabulous Polar ship “The Fram”.
Next, we explored the Kon-Tiki Museum (Kon-Tiki Museet), which depicts the adventures of Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl. The explorer and his five-man crew sailed across the Pacific from Peru to Polynesia in the fragile balsa wood raft, Kon-Tiki, in 1947. The voyage aimed to prove that it would have been possible for South Americans to have reached Polynesia in ancient times. His voyage of exploring and resulting conjectures have been rather controversial, but certainly quite an amazing adventure. The Kon-Tiki is quite a small museum and easily done in 30 to 40 minutes, other exhibits include the papyrus boat Ra II and some archaeological finds from Heyerdahl’s expeditions to places such as Easter Island and Peru.
The balsa wood raft, Kon-Tiki.
Viking Ship Museum
Our next stop was at the Viking Ship Museum (Vikingskipshuset) which features three of the world’s best-preserved Viking ships from the 9th century that are among Norway’s most beloved cultural treasures. These are funeral ships that were discovered in the Oslofjord between 1867 and 1904 and have been painstakingly preserved since then. The star attraction is the Oseberg Ship, excavated in 1904/5, this 9th-century burial ship looks like new since it had
The twisty Trollstigen, also know as “Troll’s Ladder” oozes dramatic scenery with its 11 hairpin bends and cascading waterfalls. A road carved at the side of a mountain providing a rollercoaster of a ride with a 10% steep incline and narrow, twisting switchbacks. Basically it is a single lane road for most of the way, with some larger passing points in certain strategic places.The road is normally open from end of May to the end of October. It closes in the winter due to heavy snow.
This road is often rated as one of the best drives in the world and it is the most visited tourist road in Norway. We have already visited it last year when we came to Norway on a cruise of the fjords. The cruising company offered a day tour to this area and I remember breaking into a sweat when our tour bus was being hurtled down all the 11 hairpin bends by our skilful bus driver. It impressed us so much then, that we couldn’t wait to return and drive it ourselves (or rather Brian driving with me as a co-driver).
We expected plenty of dramatic scenery when we visited recently at the end of August/2019, but we certainly did not expect to witness a dramatic mountain rescue operation to boot. All unravelling right next to our motorhome overnight stop at the main carpark of the tourist centre, located on the plateau at the top of the Trollstigen.
Rewinding a bit to few days beforehand, we started our journey from the town of Åndalsnes just 15 km from Trollstigen. Set in a valley alongside Romsdalfjord, this town is relatively modern since it was badly bombed during WWII. The small town of just about 3,000 inhabitants is surrounded by mountains of up to 1800 metres and offers many outdoor activities including hiking and a popular Via Ferrata.
View of Åndalsnes from our motorhome.
We stayed overnight on the shores of the fjord at an off grid location. A few days previously I had managed to break the handle on the passenger’s side of our motorhome.
Kroken Åndalsnes workshop were super efficient and got our door handle fixed.
So Brian contacted a garage in Åndalsnes and they told us to bring our motorhome into their workshop on Monday morning. It did not take them long to fix it and we were happy to hear that it was still under warranty, therefore nothing to pay…great result.
We set off soon after lunch time heading for Trollstigen, but took a small detour and stopped briefly at the tourist centre of Trollveggen with its moody and huge rock wall. The highest vertical rock face in Europe is very popular with climbers and base jumpers.There are 1800 meters from the bottom of the valley to the top! 1000 meters of which are vertical, and in some places the wall is “hanging” 50 meters outwards.
Trollveggen rock face and small memorial to the people who have lost their lives climbing or base jumping.
It was sad to read about the climbers who have lost their lives here, even as recently as July/2019 two Czech climbers lost their lives climbing Trollveggen rock face. It took rescuers four days to recover their bodies, since mountain rescues in this area can be very difficult. A memorial plaque bears their names along with others who have sadly also perished in these mountains. In the eighties, base jumping was banned at this site after a number of accidents with very expensive rescue operations, since all rescuing operations are paid for by the Norwegian government.
This mountain range is no stranger to tragic accidents and just this year alone there has already been plenty of action for the mountain rescue team in this area. In July/2019 a tourist from Lithuania has died after falling backwards into the river. He was taking a picture when he lost his balance and went backwards over the railing and down into the river that runs alongside the Trollstigen Pass. Unfortunately he was already dead when the rescue team caught up with him further downstream.
The drive up Trollstigen
The drive up Trollstigen was a bit nerve-racking (I was glad not be in the driver’s seat), but fortunately the traffic was light and we did not encounter too many buses coming from the opposite direction. It is an awesome road trip and one that we can wholeheartedly recommend. It certainly did not disappoint and we consider it one of our top favourite drives in Norway.
At the start you will drive over a natural stone bridge where you get up close and personal with the beautiful Stigfossen waterfall.
It then climbs up to Stigrøra at about 858 metres above sea level in a series of twisty 11 hairpin bends until you reach the plateau at the top. The road which is in places cut into the side of a mountain is an impressive feat of engineering dating back to nearly 100 years ago. His Majesty King Haakon VII opened this road in the summer of 1936.
Plateau at the top of Trollstigen with tourist centre.
Once at the top there is a tourist centre comprising of a café with panoramic windows, a souvenir shop and toilets. The car park was quite busy when we arrived, but we managed to get a parking space for our motorhome, before heading out towards the viewing platforms. There are epic uninterrupted views from the steel and glass viewing platform, where you feel like floating over the landscape.
Trollstigen viewing platform.
Epic views from here.
Trollstigen, one of the most popular road trips in Norway.
We spent some time having a good look around, enjoying all the incredible views, before settling down for the night at the car park (we were actually not allowed to stay there overnight, but we did not realise our mistake until the next morning when we spotted the sign…oops).
It was only next morning that we noticed the “no camping” sign.
It was rather odd that we did not have the usual motorhome neighbours parked next to us. Particularly this being such a great location to stay overnight. We did find out why the next morning. Interestingly with all the police action throughout the night, they did not bother us at all.
Mountain Rescue
I did notice a police car at around 11pm with his headlights pointing towards another car in the car park, I mentioned it to Brian, but we both felt there was nothing to be concerned about.
It rained a lot overnight and we did not hear anything going on at all, until at around 5am when a helicopter hoovering over our motorhome abruptly woke us up. We looked through the window and saw that there were two other police cars next to the car we had noticed there the previous night. We quickly realised that the car owner must be missing and there was a search party now looking for him/her. It was barely light as the helicopter flew slowly up and down the valley with its hugely powerful searchlight sweeping along the valley sides in the morning gloom
The rescue helicopter hovered for ages above us.
At around 6am the helicopter landed next to us, the rescue team got out and chatted for a while with the police officers. They did not stay landed for long and got back in the air for some more searching soon afterwards. By this time I could no longer sleep, so just got up and made coffee. Both Brian and I feared for the worst. It was a cold and wet night, therefore someone out in this kind of conditions would be very lucky to be found alive. We also wondered if perhaps it was a suicide, since there are huge drops from the viewing platforms.
He was found alive and successfully rescued.
At around 7am the missing person was found by the rescuing team on the ground. A man of about 50 to 60 years old, was been carried on a stretcher, we could see that he was very much alive and even able to talk to the medics. The rescuing helicopter landed once again next to us in the car park before whisking him to the nearest hospital for further treatment. We both felt so relieved to see that this rescue mission was completed successful.
After breakfast we enjoyed another look around before the hordes of tourists arrived, it was now beautifully peaceful and quiet. It was great to be able to stay here overnight, although we were not actually supposed to. We then continued our journey down the tourist route towards the Geranger Fjord and another adventure awaits us.
Norway’s Atlantic Road (Atlanterhavsvegen) has become world-famous, ever since been hailed the “world’s best road trip” in 2006 by a British Newspaper. It has also been awarded “Norwegian Construction of the Century” in 2005. The road has become a popular place for the car industry to film sports car advertisements and it has also starred on an episode of the popular British TV series “Top Gear”.
Recent rumors of a James Bond movie being filmed here with a high-speed car chase along this unique stretch of coastal road will no doubt further contribute to its stardom status.
A much less desirable accolade (in my opinion ) is as one of the world’s most dangerous roads. The notoriety gained because of it’s proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and reports of vehicles struggling to negotiate waves crashing down over the road and battling strong winds when weather conditions are less than ideal. During its six years period of construction, it was reported that workers had to battle no less than 12 hurricane-force winds. Fortunately for us, we had flat calm seas during our visit.
Ever since deciding on our Norway travel itinerary by motorhome, driving the Atlantic Ocean Road has always been in our plans (although maybe a fast sports car or motorbike would have been more appropriate) and with so much hype to live up to, we were eager to find out for ourselves what the fuss was all about.
Opened in 1989, at a construction cost of 122 million NOK, the Atlantic Road connects the island of Averøy with the mainland via a series of architecturally interesting bridges. There are altogether eight bridges connecting the small islands spanning over the 8.3 km road.
Photo credit: Visit Norway
There are four resting places and viewpoints along the way, with the Eldhusøya being the largest rest area. Located on a scenic spot at the ocean’s edge with an elevated hiking path that has been constructed of metal latticework secured on poles, it gives a feeling of floating over the land near the water’s edge. There is an Information Centre here with WC facilities and a car park.
Elevated hiking path that has been constructed of metal latticework secured on poles.
As you walk around the metal walkway, you discover this giant crab made entirely of discarded plastics found in this area. The artwork was made by local children.
We stayed parked overnight by the Storseisundet Bridge (Norwegian: Storseisundbrua), the longest of the eight bridges and also the most beautiful and most photographed.
See our motorhome parked near the Storseisundet Bridge.
Apparently this bridge is a cantilever bridge (cantilevers are structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end…the things you learn on the road!!!) It was great to stay overnight at this unique place and Brian was even able to test his fishing skills from the bridge. There is a fishing platform from the Myrbærholmen bridge making it possible for anyone to give it a go at catching their dinner. We did.
Great sunset from the fishing platform.
Cyclists and bikers love the Atlantic Road.
So what is the verdict? Was the Atlantic Road the best drive of our lives?
Although we can appreciate the ingenuity of this engineering project and how exhilarating the drive must be, particularly during stormy weather with massive ocean waves cascading over the road and bridges…in our opinion, there are more exciting road trips in Norway than this one, however fabulous it looks in the aerial pictures. But we did enjoy it…we loved it in fact and would definitely recommend it as a must-do if you find yourself traveling/driving around this corner of the world.
Trondheim
We stopped here for one night on our way to the Atlantic Road. Having just completed the Kystriksveien Coastal Route, we stayed on the E6 going South. We forgot to have a short stop in nearby “Hell” (yes…honestly) and snap at least one picture of the “Welcome to Hell sign”. A bit of a cliché I know, but it would have been fun…anyway we carried on towards our overnight stay, an aire with motorhome services very near the center of Trondheim.
Trondheim is Norway’s third-largest city. A very photogenic place, compact and easy to explore on foot with some pedestrianized areas in the heart of the city. Lovely cafes, restaurants and museums.
Pedestrianized town center with lots of interesting shops.
Relaxing in the sun by the cruise terminal.
Gate into the old town with colourful wooden houses and cool cafes.
We particularly enjoyed the harbour, the colourful wooden houses of the old town and the Nidaros Cathedral. The Nidaros Domkirke (Cathedral) is the Northernmost Gothic structure in Europe. It has a beautiful façade covered in statues of biblical characters and Norwegian Kings.
Nidaros Cathedral, Scandinavia’s largest medieval building.
There are also many interesting hiking trails around this area, but unfortunately, the weather turned a bit wet on our last day and therefore we just decided that it was time to move on.
From here onwards the next parts of Central and Southern Norway things get a bit more complicated. We will need to work harder at our planning since there is still lots to see, but to string the route together without having to backtrack on ourselves will be a little bit more tricky. Norway is a very skinny country further North so everything is more or less in line, but much fatter down here and with the attractions well spread out. We are still loving the wilderness and raw nature of this country, but know that the central and Southern parts will be a little bit busier since this part is more popular and accessible to other travelers.
Having completed the Atlantic Road drive our next scenic driving route is the incredible Geiranger-Trollstigen. It should be interesting to navigate all those hairpin curves by motorhome!
Considered one of Europe’s most spectacular drives, the Kystriksveien is another of Norway’s amazing road trips. The whole route is 650 km long, comprising a car and ferry road trip combo like no other. The road constantly changes scenery, meandering through both mountains and along coastal routes. It can be done in shorter segments for people who either don’t have the time or don’t have the budget for all the ferries (the costs can mount up, especially when your motorhome exceeds 6m long and the costs more than double).
Most people just tend to stay on the mainland via the Arctic Highway (also known as the E6) and miss out on this coastal alternative which, although quite long and a little bit expensive due to the many ferries, is totally worthwhile. Most of this road trip is along a National Scenic Route and there are 6 ferries (7 if you drive via Rørvik), breathtaking views of “The Seven Sisters” mountain range (De Syv Søstre), the Svartisen Glacier, a fantastic but easy hike to Torghatten, and it will also take you across the Arctic Circle during one of the ferry crossings along the way.
Route marked in pink on our map.
With so much to offer it is not surprising that it has been named one of the world’s most scenic drives by the National Geographic magazine.
We travelled the entire route, following the main road Route Fv17 between Bodø and Steinkjer. Since we are in no hurry, it took us just over a week to complete the route. During this journey we again encountered many small fishing communities along a road with hardly any traffic at all.
Some of our favourite parts are as follows:
The most scenic part of the journey
Going South from Bodø, between Storvik and Sandnessjøen was where we found the most beautiful segment of this road trip. I would recommend it for people who only want to do part of the this route. This section is about 350 km long and requires 3 ferry crossings. Expect dramatic mountains, deep Glacier carved Fjords and some fabulous coastline.
Engabreen tongue of the Svartisen Glacier, almost down to the sea
The longest ferry crossing on this section is the Jektvik to Kibogham (1hr crossing). We sat out on the deck admiring the stunning scenery and heard when the Ferry Captain announced that we would be crossing the Arctic Circle, in the distance we spotted the large silver globe marking this event.
Silver globe marks the Arctic Circle crossing
Sadly it was the end of our travels above the Norwegian Arctic Circle, we were no longer part of the tiny percentage of people who are in this unspoiled and isolated part of the world. It really does feel like a special part of our precious planet.
Svartisen/Engabreen Glacier
The Svartisen Glacier is the second largest Glacier in mainland Norway (the Jostedalsbreen Glacier is the largest in mainland Norway and also mainland Europe). The Engabreen tongue of the Svartisen glacier almost reaches the sea and it is clearly visible along route Fv 17.
Many places to stop and admire the scenery.
There are several ways to visit the Glacier, including taking a boat across the Holandsfjord to see it from up close. Unfortunately the weather was not cooperating and since we had already been very close to other glaciers in Norway, we decided to give this one a miss. There are also many great hiking opportunities in this area.
Hiking Torghatten Mountain
The Torghatten Mountain is located about 15 minutes from Brønnøysund. We stayed overnight at Torghatten Camping, parked overlooking the man-made lake and small beach. It is a great campsite and a very handy place to stay for hiking the Torghatten Mountain, since it is located just a short walking distance from the mountain. There are chalets and huts for hire if not travelling by motorhome.
Torghatten Camping
The Torghatten Mountain is an iconic landmark on the Helgeland Coast, in the shape of a hat the mountain has a 35 m high and 160 m long natural tunnel going through it. The tunnel has been named “Nature’s Cathedral” because of its high ceiling. The granite mountain reaches 258 meters above sea level.
This is not my own photo, it was taken from the explanation board at the site, it beautifully captures the hole through the mountain.
The hike starts from here.
If not staying at the Camping site nearby, there is a car park from where the hike route starts.
The hike up is not too hard, but expect a rocky path.
The hike is about a 25 minutes uphill push, via a well marked path and stone steps. Not particularly strenuous, but I do recommend sturdy shoes, since the terrain is uneven and full of large rocks and boulders..
Entrance to the cave
Steps leading to the cave interior.
Views through to the other side.
When you reach the top, there are spectacular views from inside the Cathedral like cave, over the surrounding archipelago of small islands and rocky islets.
Walk through the huge hole via a wooden stairway and the rocky cave interior to come out at the other side for more spectacular views. There is a path leading further down, but we returned from this point to continue our road trip South.
For the curious, the noticeboards in the car park explain how the hole was formed by two back-to-back sea caves exploiting a weakness in the rock long ago when the sea level was much higher here (or rather the land was much lower, most of Norway has been springing up geologically speaking since the ice caps melted after the last Ice Age).
Tips for driving the Kystriksveien route.
Expect some amazing bridges, road tunnels, ferry crossings and great views along this road. Take your time along the route and plan to do it over at least one week or perhaps longer if taking some of the lovely detours to visit the islands and other atractions on the route.
If travelling by motorhome there will be plenty of off grid overnight stays, as well as some fantastic campsites along the way. We particularly enjoyed Furoy Campsite (N66.7388 E13.50162) and Torghatten Campsite (N65.39339 E12.09950), also our off grid near Sandnessjøen, under the bridge spot was very unique ( N66.04127 E12.71933).
Overnight off-grid under this bridge was amazing. Brian fishing AGAIN!
If travelling by car there are many self-catering chalets and huts to rent or small hotels and guest houses. There is no need to book ahead, from our experience at least this route is not too busy at all (we travelled in August/19). The above mentioned campsites had some really pretty chalets/huts for renting. Off grid camping is also easy to find.
We did not book any of the ferry crossings in advance and just payed after boarding the ferries. It is all very chilled and relaxing, ferry attendants are super friendly and seem to speak multiple languages, including perfect English. Ferry crossings varied from 15 minutes to one hour and prices varied accordingly, with the most expensive one being the one hour long ferry costing £63.22 in August/19 (for a 7m motorhome, expect less than half for a car).
It is possible to do just part of the route and to dip in and out of the faster Artic Highway ( E6). If choosing to do that don’t miss out on hiking Torghatten and also the stretch between Storvik and Sandnessjøen which is where we found the most beautiful segment of this road trip.
Our next stop is Trondheim and a drive along the famous “Atlantic Road”.
Norway has a very long and thin shape with one of the longest and most rugged coastlines in the world. With over 50,000 Islands and almost uncountable fjords it is also a very indented coastline. The Islands of Senja, Vesterålen and the Lofoten epitomize what a trip to Norway is all about. This is Norway in a nutshell with mountains, fjords, lush farmland, sandy beaches, and a rugged coastline all contained in this relatively small area. The best way to see this amazing coastline is on a road trip.
We got to experience an incredible summer road trip from Tromso to the Island of Senja, Vesterålen and then into the Lofoten Islands with a very special guest: Our son Jamie who joined us from London for an eight day holiday break and a chance to experience motorhome travelling above the Arctic Circle.
The start of his holiday trip was a bit stressful for him since Jamie’s flight from London to Oslo was delayed and, although he made his connecting flight from Oslo to Tromso, his luggage didn’t. Therefore after picking him up from the airport, we decided to stay overnight at an off grid motorhome area very near the airport in order to pick up his luggage next day. Luckily his luggage did arrive quite early next morning and we were able to get on the road soon after, only a few hours delayed form our original plan.
Our motorhome Island hopping route was along one of Norway’s most beautiful National Tourist Routes. This stretch is made up of Islands of various sizes and connected by ferry crossings, several bridges and tunnels (including undersea tunnels). Our route was as follows: Tromso > Kvaloya Island (ferry from Brensholmen to Botnhamn) > Senja (ferry from Gryllefjord to Andenes) > Vesterålen Islands (Andenes at Andøya) > Andøy Bridge into Hinnøya Island > Lofoten Islands > (ferry from Moskenes ) Bodø > Saltstraumen.
Map of our route from Tromso to the very end of the Lofoten. In pink we highlighted the 3 Touristic Routes (there are 18 in Norway).
The ferry services between these islands operate during the summer time only, usually taking anything from 30 minutes to several hours and run a few times per day. It is recommended to be at the ferry terminal at least an hour early to get in line, since it can get very busy indeed. The ferry rides are beautiful and all part of the whole experience. There are other options to get into the islands without using the ferries, including driving the long way around.
But for us the ferry route was the best option… this road trip is super scenic so it is very much a case of taking the road slowly with plenty of stops for photos and just taking in those “vistas”. Visiting the small fishing villages and hiking were some of the highlights for us.
Senja
Norway’s second largest Island, attracts a lot less tourists then the more popular Lofoten Islands, but in our opinion it was just as beautiful, if not more so because of its more low key popularity. We drove the most scenic part, the North coast on the National Tourist Route the Rv86 and Rv862.
It took us a full day to go through it, with stops for photos and lunch. We particularly loved the two very scenic view points of Bergsbotn and the Tungeneset showcasing great views of knife-edged peaks rising up from the sea.
The Tungeneset view point has a wooden walkway leading out to the rocks with a beautiful view of the craggy peaks of the Oksen mountain as a backdrop. We walked over the big rocks and boulders that go all the way to the waters edge.
Wooden walkway at Tungeneset view point.
Tungeneset view point
Bergsbotn view point myself, Brian and Jamie. We are just silhouettes against the bright evening sun light.
We overnighted at the ferry port of Grylleford, already on the queue for our ferry next morning to the Vesterålen Islands – Andenes (Andøya Island). Being a Saturday night there was some rather noisy drinking and partying until the early hours of the morning. We did not partake but could hear the music and laughter coming from a nearby bar (possibly the only bar in this area).
Vesterålen Islands
The Vesterålen Islands lies just north of Lofoten and we drove through admiring the many scenic forested mountains and small fishing hamlets. The islands are linked to each other and the mainland, by several bridges. We enjoyed the drive, but it is not as dramatic as Senja and the Lofoten Islands. We did enjoy a brief look around the little hamlet of Bleik. There are great boat tours and whale-watching expeditions departing from here, but we decided to carry on towards the Lofoten.
Lofoten Islands
The main islands of the Lofoten Archipelago are separated from the mainland by Vestfjorden, but are all connected to each other via road bridges and tunnels. There are many picturesque villages to visit. Some of the places we enjoyed the most are as follows:
- Climbing Fløya in Svolvær
This short hike took us about 3 hours to complete, up and down. It is an intense and very steep hike (think staircase steep) , gaining an altitude of 580m/1900feet. The views from the top are superb and there is a chance of having a daring photo at the Devil’s Door or Djevelporten as it is known in Norwegian (only Jamie and Brian had the courage for that one, as I chickened out). We could also admire from afar climbers taking on the famous Svolværgeita, also called The Goat, which is a rock pinnacle very popular with rock climbers (not a climb I fancied or would have been equipped for doing). First climbed in 1910, the summit offers the unique opportunity to jump the 1.5m gap between the two “horns” at the summit.
The trail head for hiking Fløya, starts at the small parking area on Blåtindveien, just a few steps from the trailhead. The GPS coordinates for the trailhead is as follows: N 68°14’40” E14°34’40”.
I found the start of the trail very hard, with some rock scrambling on hands and knees, there is a section of large smooth granite rock where you pull yourself up using a metal chain.
Jamie pulling himself up the metal chains. I found this bit the hardest.
We are just half way up here and the views are already amazing.
My son standing on the “Devil’s Door”, I could hardly look at him.
I can do cliff edges, but not “silly” cliff edges.
The path is clearly marked, it flattens out a little, but mostly it is an upwards challenging terrain.
Further on from Djevelporten the path follows the ridge towards the top of Fløya. At some points the path is scarily close to the cliff edge, so one must be very careful here.
Jamie enjoying spectacular views.
Relieved to finally arrive at the top, and relish the stunning views
At a nearby peak climbers are conquering the famous Svolværgeita, also called The Goat.
We decided not to venture all the way to the summit of Fløya, since it looked very steep and perilously close to the cliff edge, although Jamie was keen to do it, both Brian and I decided against it. So we took a path going towards the western ridge from the Fløya summit, which was also challenging. I stayed back a little, but Jamie and Brian ventured to the very edge of the cliff. I am not particularly scared of heights, but there are certain exposed cliff edges that I just can’t do.
The true summit of Fløya is in front of us, but we decided to start heading down from here.
It is a long way down and very hard on our old knees.
The way down was hard on knees, but we got back without any incidents and it was a lot faster than climbing up. It was a great hike and one I would recommend for people who enjoy hiking. Just make sure to wear appropriate hiking shoes, sun hat, sun protection, take lots of water and snacks. Don’t attempt it in bad weather. I would classify this hike as moderate to hard.
There are many other amazing hikes around in the Lofoten, such as Unstad to Eggum, Glomtind, Festvagtind, Kvalvika & Ryten, but unfortunatelly we did not have time or stamina left to do them. Some are very strenuous and can take many hours to hike. We were very happy with completing the hike up to Fløya.
- Lofotr Viking Museum
I have found some of the museums we have visited in the Far North of Norway disappointing. With poor labelling of the artefacts, very few (if any at all ) explanations of the exhibits written in other languages and hardly any written in the English language. I do appreciate that we are in Norway and the language here is Norwegian. But if museums have a vision of educating people and are expecting a wider audience from all over the world, perhaps other common languages should be on offer and in particularly English which is the closest we have to a universal language.
Although perhaps some of the very small museums do lack the funding to improve on that front.
I was certainly not disappointed with the Lofotr Viking Museum in Borg, which was very well sign posted and multilingual. There was even a tour in English and other languages.
The museum features the largest Viking-era house ever found. The impressive 83-meter (272-ft) structure is reconstructed in full size, just off the original house site.
It is a “living museum” where we were able to partake in various activities including bow and arrow, sword throwing etc. There is a Viking ship that takes people on rowing activities in the water. There was a Viking feast cooking over the fire inside the big house and all the staff were dressed in character. It was a really fun, interactive experience that we would recomend for anyone visiting this area.
- Nusfjord
Certainly one of the loveliest villages we visited on this trip. Comprising of a tiny tucked-away harbour nestled between the peaks. The red painted wooden houses are a treasure. To have a look around the old town you do have to pay a fee. It cost for the 3 of us £28…but yes it was worth it.
Small harbour of Nusfjord
Jamie and I posing with Nusfjord in the background.
Can I have 3 cakes please? HOW MUCH???
Once we finished exploring we stopped at a very charming local bakers for cakes and a loaf of bread. It all looked gorgeous and apetizing, but looking carefully at the prices, we could hardly believe that our 3 small cakes and loaf of bread cost us £20 (USD 25)…ouch.
To get to Nusfjord we took a small detour from the E10, between Svolvær and the village of Å.
- Reine
This is the very postcard fishing village of the Lofoten Islands, the one on the cover of my Lonely Planet guide book. Located on the E10, the scenic tourist route that runs through the Island of Moskenesøya on the Lofoten archipelago, it should not be missed. Even if just to snap that post card picture from the bridge as you enter the town.
Reine in the Lofoten
Reine on the shores of the Reinefjorden and dotted with the red and white fisherman’s huts, it is picture perfect.
It is gorgeous and no wonder it has the reputation of being one of the most beautiful fishing villages in the world. The setting is breathtakingly beautiful, with dark granite mountains rising up from the Reinefjorden and fisherman’s red and white wooden huts dotted around the edges of the fjord, it is utterly charming. The red huts are called rorbu (or plural rorbuer), they are one of the most recognizable symbols of the Norwegian Islands, along with the drying racks of codfish.
Reine, is a popular place to stop on a road trip of the Lofoten and many will make it their base for exploring the Archipelago. Some people come here to hike Reinebringen. The hike is only about 450 meters high but don’t be fooled by the short distance, this hike is steep and very slippery. Not a hike I was keen to do, so we rode out of town and into our next pretty fishing village.
- Å
Honestly there is a little village in the Lofoten that it is simply called “Å” (the last letter of the Norwegian alphabet). Located on the island of Moskenesøya, it is like a living museum. Cute and bijou, it did not take long for us to have a good look around it. The shoreline is dotted with “rorbuer”, like many of the other villages we have visited. It used to be a significant fishing port, but now the families live mostly from tourism. As you walk around the harbour you can still spot the codfish drying racks.
Welcome to Å
The little village was our last stop on this road trip, from here we drove to Moskenes where we stayed at a friendly campsite right by the ferry terminal. It was then very easy for us to catch our ferry into Bodø next day. We booked this ferry crossing in advance to guarantee our place since it is a busy crossing taking us about 4 hours, the longest and most expensive one on this road trip (£259 for the 3 of us plus our home-on-wheels).
Jamie would be flying back to London from Bodø, but before that we had one more place to visit together:
Saltstraumen Maelstrom
A natural phenomenon that takes places 4 times every day. The Saltstraumen Strait is only 3km long and 150m wide, and the tides try to shift 400 million cu metres of water from one fjord into another causing a series of whirlpools that form and blend together forming other larger whirlpools in a fast and furious water mayhem surge that is just mesmerizing.
Looking out from the bridge
Looking out from the water edge.
It happens every 6 hours, but it is important to catch it at the right time when the tide is flowing at its fastest. We found a campsite just by the Saltstraumbrua bridge that stradles the Saltstraumen Strait and we were able to visit it when the tide was coming in from the West in the evening as well as when it was coming in from the East the next morning. It was an exhilarating spectacle.
Sadly our threesome road trip has come to an end. Together we have spent 8 days exploring some of the most beautiful islands in the Far North of Norway. The weather here is unpredictable, but we lucked out and had sunshine and warm temperatures the whole time ensuring that we could have the best time and that Jamie could go home with an unexpected bonus. A fabulous Arctic Circle tan…who would have thought?
With a heavy heart we said goodbye to our son at the airport in Bodø. From here Brian and I will continue our motorhome road trip heading South, with our next destination being the coastal route of Kystriksveien, considered one Europe’s most spectacular drives. We shall check it out and let you know.