Exploring the Outdoors: Nature-Inspired Things to Do in Oslo
Oslo is known worldwide for its stunning natural beauty, being surrounded by forests, lakes, and the fjord, collectively providing ample opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, and boating just minutes from the city center. While many people visit Oslo to dine on incredible seafood, visit the city’s numerous museums that include the Munch Museum which displays the works of Edvard Munch, and possibly to see its architecture like the Oslo Opera House, there’s no denying that Oslo’s nature reigns supreme and is the biggest drawcard that entices people to come.
read moreThe Ultimate Polar Region Bucket List
There are few places left in the world that you can truly call pristine, but that’s just what our Polar Regions offer. They are surprisingly havens for wildlife, and a range of small group tours journey to remote destinations like Greenland and Spitsbergen in the north as well as Antarctica in the south.
Whether you’ve always wanted to witness a vivid aurora or be bathed in 24 hours of sunshine, the world’s Polar Regions offer adventures unlike any other. From walruses and polar bears in the north to elephant seals and penguins in the south, our Polar Regions abound with rare and endangered wildlife.
In addition to witnessing almost unimaginable landscapes and wildlife, there are many epic activities on offer including dog sledding, hiking on ice sheets, mountain biking in Greenland, and kayaking or taking a polar plunge in the icy waters off Antarctica.
So grab your parka because Quark Expeditions, the leader in polar adventures, is ready to help you choose from some of the top Polar Region bucket list adventures.
read moreThe Best Foods to Try on Your Trip to Norway
We all know the saying “you are what you eat”; the belief that to be healthy and remain in shape you need to eat quality nutritious food. If this is true, then your dream of becoming as fit and strong as a Viking may mean you have to start eating like one!
Of course there is no better way to start eating like a true Viking than to head to Norway. People have long been taking bucket list trips to Norway to see the country’s breathtaking landscapes, but they have recently started travelling for another reason as well.
The new diet craze that is sweeping the world is the Nordic Diet. It is a diet that is not only proving to be quite healthy for us but the environment as well. It is a sustainable diet that takes advantage of seasonal ingredients and requires fewer natural resources with less pollution to produce meals.
The following dishes are some of the “must try” dishes you have to experience on your next Scandinavian adventure.
read moreDear LGBTQI Travelers: These Countries Will Recognize Your Same Sex Marriage #LoveAlwaysWins
Ever since same-sex marriage was legalized in the Netherlands in 2001 (props to the Netherlands for always being at the front of progressive change), the legalization of same-sex marriage has snowballed throughout the world.
28 countries (26 with another two pending) now legally recognize the right for same sex couples to marry, so if you’re part of the LGBTQI community, and want to travel, live overseas, or plan a destination wedding, these countries will recognize your right.
More than 760 million people now live in countries where same-sex marriage is legal, and I encourage all travelers to support those countries at the forefront of equality and recognition of human rights. I also have one thing to say to my own country, in a slogan they coined: Australia, where the bloody hell are you?
read more5 of the Best Things to do in Norway
Sharing a 2,000 km border with Sweden, in the northern European region of Scandinavia, Norway is a beautiful Nordic country, and in recent years rumors have begun to spread of it’s insane natural beauty.
A country defined by epic landscapes which rank among the most stunning in the world, the sheer drama of the fjords is alone worth the effort of coming here.
Rumors of this magical place are spreading like wildfire, though what can a traveler actually do? While 98% of its territory is uninhabited and impossible to live in, for those who choose to travel, there are unlimited possibilities for adventure. The following are our 5 favorite choices.
read more5 Best Destinations to Drive to in Europe
Flights are one of the most obvious ways to travel throughout Europe, but that doesn’t mean that they’re the most affordable, comfortable, or even the most memorable. In fact, one of the best ways to explore Europe is to drive.
There’s a huge diversity of natural scenery throughout Europe, much of which you miss when you’re flying at 35,000 feet. And with roads which wind directly through some of the world’s most incredible landscapes, if you’re visiting the following European hot spots you should trade in your plane ticket for a set of car keys and drive.
read more11 Amazing Things to do in the Arctic
The Arctic region’s beauty crosses the borders of 5 countries: Canada, Denmark (Greenland), Norway, Russia, and the United States. Because of its immense size it contains some amazing sites, both natural and those that occur from the meshing of cultures.
There is simply no way you’re going to be able to take in all that the Arctic has to offer in one visit. So we’ve put together a quick list of eleven bits of awesomeness that should help you get started in putting together your Arctic adventure.
read moreMy Favorite Cities and Fjords Along the Norwegian West Coast
Before my trip to Norway, I thought of the country as a fairy tale land that although travel guides insisted was real, seemed to me to be fiction. And sure enough, you really have to be there to believe it.
Western Norway’s epic landscapes rank among the most stunning in Europe, and the “sheer drama of the fjords is alone worth the effort of coming here. Fjords of extraordinary beauty cut gashes from a jagged coastline deep into the interior, cliffs plunge down to barely populated shorelines, and waterfalls drop from impossible heights.”
I was in Norway in June, when the days are long and the light never goes away. This truly is the best time to visit because you can literally explore for 24 hours a day. And although I’m not a frequent backpacker, backpacking is the best way to experience Norway. Railway transportation is the easiest (and cheapest) way to travel around the country, and having a backpack is a very practical as you’ll find there’s a lot of walking ahead of you.
read moreCountries Which Won’t Let You In Without Health Insurance
There are many, many reasons you should purchase health insurance when traveling abroad, the most obvious being to protect yourself in the case of an emergency, though some countries are beginning to require health coverage as a mandatory condition of entry, meaning travelers no longer have the choice to travel without a plan.
Expat hubs around the world are beginning to require mandatory health insurance before issuing a visa, and more and more countries are deciding to refuse entry without it. Many travelers don’t realize that without the correct insurance, they could be turned away from the destination they are visiting before they make it past airport arrivals.
The following countries are among those jumping on the trend of making health insurance mandatory for those wishing to travel or live overseas.
read moreBest Places to See the Northern Lights in Norway
One of the world’s most dazzling natural phenomenons, few travel experiences can top witnessing the Northern Lights. Also known as Aurora Borealis, this is mother nature’s most impressive light show, and something which tops almost every traveler’s bucketlist.
Located in the far-northern latitudes, northern Norway is a popular destination for witnessing the spectacle. “Created by solar winds interacting with charged particles in the earth’s magnetic field, the lights appear as otherworldly streaks of green, red, yellow and purple dancing across the arctic skies.”
The following are the cities and towns in Norway where you have the most chance of seeing the Northern lights. It’s important to note that there is no exact science to catching the Aurora, and that there’s never any guarantee. But occurring predominantly between late September and late March, often close to midnight, here some of your best bets.
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