I’m guilty of being one of those travellers with numerous lists. There, I said it. I’m one of those. Lists of hotels, restaurants, destinations and unique parts of the world that I hope to one day uncover, if time and money allows it. Visiting the majestic Norwegian Fjords was firmly on that list from when I wanted to visit Norway a few years ago, but alas it was another trip that never came to fruition.
I often find some of the best made travel plans are the ones you least expect, or at least in my case, wasn’t on my radar until one weekday lunchtime, where I exchanged a few messages with a dear friend mine, Catherine, who funnily enough I met through travel blogging. Within minutes, my request for annual leave was in and we’d booked flights to Norway for a long-weekend away. I was embarking on another trip into Scandinavia!
Fast-forward a couple of months and the time came. We landed over the snow-covered planes of land into the city of Bergen late at night, ready for our adventures the next day. I could barely sleep through sheer anticipation and excitement – I was going to be on a boat sailing through the Fjords in a matter of hours.
We caught the Rodne boat from Zachariasbryggen Quay at 9:30am, ready to embark on an experience of a lifetime – a big thanks to Orginal Travel for organising. The trip itself lasts just over three hours and would span a 34-mile round-trip of the 17-mile long Osterfjord.
The boat is equipped with everything you’d need for a pleasant experience, including multiple viewing decks, so you can ogle from height and get different perspectives of the Fjords, especially important for those avid photographers.
There is plenty of indoor seating for those who don’t wish to stand outside. However, if you do wish to stand up on the decks, make sure you’re wrapped up warm – I was wearing a t-shirt, thick jumper and a thermal coat and boots and I often found myself feeling the chill. If you have thermals, be sure to wear those, including leggings. Bring warm gloves and a scarf too, these are all things I wish I did bring in hindsight, but I’m passing on my insights to you.
You will often find yourself need to take a break from the blistering cold winds, the boat has the perfect little cafe inside if you need to warm up with a hot chocolate, coffee or grab yourself a little snack.
But, in essence, every cold-feeling disappears when you cast your eye across nature’s beauty. Before we knew it, we were sailing through Tyssebotnen which presented us rocky mountains with vegetation aplenty, which steadily got build up as we entered further into the Fjord. Right before our eyes, we transitioned into snow-capped mountains and as the sun hit perfectly on the water, the reflections just glistened and glimmered like a true work of art.
There are small nomadic villages that house small communities of people, so we saw a series of small houses situated amongst the beautiful white snow, with a lashings of colour to make them stand out to guests of the Fjords admiring the views.
As we approached Mostraumen we heard an announcement that we would soon be approaching a small waterfall where we’d be able to have a taste of fresh spring water. We were sprayed with a refreshing sensation of spitting water as it gushed down. The boatmen held out a bucket on a stick, filled it right up and shared it out amongst those on-board in small glasses. It was absolutely delish – fresh, smooth and naturally cold too.
We continued onto Mofjorden to Mo which is where another small community of 100 people reside, lined up with architecturally symmetrical homes – pretty as a picture I say, before turning back around to head back to Bergen. At that point, most of us were chilled to the core and spend the return journey indoors with a hot drink, thawing out. The route back was slightly different and meant we didn’t stop much as there were fewer picture opportunities, so be sure to capture your shots on the way out.
I honestly couldn’t stop talking about how utterly breathtaking the Fjords were and highly recommend a trip out to Bergen simply to see the Fjords alone.
Until next time…
