Sunshine and Southern Africa

Sunshine and Southern Africa

After watching a recent reality show where two men road tripped from Scotland to Cape Town. I was completely intrigued about what Africa had to offer. All great things start with a flight and a ton of planning. I decided to use Victoria Falls for my base to travel around the region. Many safaris and overland tours use Victoria Falls, as a starting and end-point for their tours. Usually only spending a day or two in the area.

There are 3 airports that serve the region, and all are in three different countries. Picking the right one and the right visa is key to a seamless trip. I watched quite a few American’s come via Botswana and did only single-entry visas for the region. They were held at the border for over 3 hours trying to enter. I cannot stress enough that if you plan to country hop the Kasa Visa (Zimbabwe and Zambia) 30-day visa was the best option. I do not believe it’s possible to obtain this when coming into Botswana currently.

Now do you book ahead or wing it on arrival? I came in the height of high-season and many of the tours I had booked were sold out when I arrived. So, it’s a risk you must weigh if you chose to wing it. Choosing who to book through was the hardest thing by far. With the amount of tour companies in the area, it was overwhelming to say the least. I decided to go with Shearwater Adventures, as they were budget friendly and offered the largest variety of tours. They even helped with organize an external camping trip, but due to the water levels it had to be cancelled last minute.

Day One

Upon arrival I was collected by the Shearwater staff and taken to Explorers Village in the heart of Victoria Falls. The village offered camping and chalet accommodation. I stayed in a tent the first two days and then moved to the chalets the latter three days. To be honest knowing what I know now I would have stayed in the tents the whole time, as it was feasible for time I spent in the “room”. The shower/toilet block was large and clean. Don’t forget a towel and a lock for your tent and you are set.  The village was a five-minute walk to local craft markets and most of the restaurants. The falls were under a 10-minute walk.  

Straight off the plane I wasted no time and headed over to get some views of the bridge and waterfalls. There is a small trail that runs parallel to the road to the falls. Along the way you will see signs for the “Lookout Cafe” which is owned by Wild Horizons another prominent tour company in the area. I turned up as lunch was ending, but they did not skip a beat in letting me order. The view from here was downright incredible. From their viewpoint you can watch the zipline and swing that plunges into the falls. I called it an early night and headed back to camp.

Day Two

The next morning, I was collected for my trip to Botswana. The border crossing was quite quick, if you have the right visa to exit Zimbabwe. I love pedestrian border crossings, as they always have that good amount of chaos and excitement. We had some free time in Kasane to walk around before heading down to Chobe Safari Lodge on the river. Killing some time before our safari boat launch and I opted for a speed boat tour along the river. It was amazing, as you get into areas where the large barges cannot reach. If you an elephant lover, you are in for a freaking treat!!

I had pre-booked the game drive and river safari cruise with lunch to commence at 11am. You will get close to crocodiles, hippos and if you are lucky you will see tons of elephants. I preferred the water safari over the land, as many of the animals had already started migrating due to the bush being dry in areas. We saw a lot of impalas, water buffalo and a family of giraffes.

The group headed back to Zimbabwe and I met up with some of the other campers. We had found out that there was a free bus to Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, which is said to have the best sunset views. Off we went on the bus to check out this new-found gem. Upon arrival we headed to the bar for drinks and grabbed a seat overlooking the national park. The sunset did not disappoint in the slightest and glad this saved us the chaotic burden of the sunset cruise.

Day Three

Another morning and another activity. This by far was the one I was looking forward to the most. Canoe safari down the Zambezi river. I convinced one of the campers to join me, as I had book two spots to have this private tour. We headed through the national park for about 25km until reaching our landing point. As it was very early the game in the park was really on the move. We spotted so many animals, including a mother and baby giraffe.

We stopped and had a quick breakfast with the guides. The guides went over all the risks and safety information and we set off down the Zambezi. I say risks, as there are points when you come in close contact to hippos and they do try to capsize boats. I will not sugar coat it, I was damn scared. But how cool to talk about if you survive. This is quite strenuous, as you do canoe for over 20km down a river avoiding wildlife and debris. I got the experience of a lifetime and while we did have a near miss. I call it a win in my book.

As the excursion was quite early we ventured out to the Victoria Falls Bridge for some views. This was the perfect time to watch the bungee jumpers from the main platform. I cannot believe that over 1,000 people a month jump off that bridge. 90% of them women. The money from the activities on the bridge is used to paint and provide restoration. Sunset was approaching, and we whisked off to local brewery for some beer and grub. The River Brewing Company was touristy, but tasty.

Day Four

The next day was a bit chaotic, as I naively crammed three tours in one day. It usually works, but my transport in route was shared and well the group sharing transport turned up nearly an hour late (no apologises either). I started my day in a foul mood to be honest. The transport rushed me to the border to start my historic bridge tour, but I had missed it. They sorted it out and got me a private guide Simba. He really made the best of my frustrating morning. You are given some information about the bridge and then jump in a harness to walk the underneath of the bridge. I found this interesting and had the pleasure of a train coming over the top when we were underneath. As we finished the tour I walk to meet the bus and see it leaving back to Zimbabwe. Apparently, the others who were late, were too impatient to wait another 5 minutes for me to finish. The irony I tell you. The driver came back shortly after, as he saw me waving him down from Zambia. (HAHA)

I was rushed to the National Park to meet my guide Thabani for our waterfall tour. It was well worth the wait!! As it was now mid-afternoon most of the tourist had left. We had the waterfalls to ourselves for most of the tour. After a picturesque walk in the rain forest we headed back to the lodge. I killed a few hours before the sunset cruise I had booked for this evening.

I will spare you the grim details, but if you want to feel like cattle on a boat this is for you. We had arrived nearly last and others had already rearranged tables for their parties. I get it, but spare seats were sparse and forget anyone being considerate when asked to use a chair they had their bags in. I ended up standing right above the stairs in a nook to even get breathing room. Only bonus is unlimited booze was included, but we got some very unpleasant looking snacks. There were lots of boats on the river that looked orderly, but this was not it. So, do your research and book a sunset dinner cruise. I believe I got a better experience for free at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, but to each their own. The amount of alcohol consumption helped my fear of heights, as impromptu booked the helicopter flight for the next day.

Day Five

Final day in Victoria Falls and my hike to the Boiling Point was cancelled the night before. Rightfully so as the water was still too high, and we would have been swept away. There was one spot left to visit the local Elephant Orphanage. It was a before sunrise departure, but I felt it was totally worth it. On arrival you are greeted by the staff at the lodge and paired up with an elephant for your 45-minute walk.  I will spare you too many details but consider the Elephant Back Safari. After a walk in the bush, snacks with the elephants and breakfast we left. I was thankful I was able to go and learn more about the elephants native to the region. This is no dog and pony show, so if you really want to learn about elephant migration and conservation this place is for you. They limit the visitors to around 30 people a day.

Then the finale happened. Somehow convinced that getting in a helicopter over the falls was a great idea. My fear of heights and questioning the safety of the aircraft kept playing over and over in my head.  The van showed up to take me about 10 minutes away to the helipad. After arriving I jumped on the scale with my bags in hand and was briefed on my 15-minute flight. The couple I was to share the trip with had flown before, so pretty much told me I was taking the front seat. It was incredible and memorable seeing the falls from a few thousand feet above. You can get the video from your flight after your tour if you wish.

This trip was really one of the most amazing trips I have been on. It was great to meet so many people along the way, but enjoyed being outside my comfort zone alone.

Happy Travels,

Katrina

Norway – Fjords – Journey to Trolltunga - Part 2

The trip was high on my husband’s bucket list. The man who could care less about travelling, expressed interest in doing some Norwegian hiking. We were only in Norway for 3 full days, so making the most of it was essential. Flying into Haugesund would have truly maximized the trip. It would have cut out about an hour of driving and using the ferry, but we would have missed some incredible views going this route.

We started in Stavanger, arriving around midnight on Friday night. SIXT rental car staff will stay out of hours if you provide your flight information when booking. We stayed overnight near the airport in order to get a good night’s rest for the rest of the trip. Saturday morning we set off to Kyrping Camping. I chose this location as it was centrally located along the area we wanted to see. They offer a variety of accommodations to stay in, we chose one of the log cabins along the lake. The drive took about 3 hours with the ferry and winding roads from Sola Airport. There were so many lakes and gorgeous photo stops along the route. We were able to check in early, drop bags and headed towards Røldal. Røldal is known for having one of the oldest stave churches in Norway, dating back to 1200. https://www.visitnorway.com/listings/r%C3%B8ldal-stave-church/1267/

Breath-taking scenery

On the way to Røldal you will see numerous waterfalls, including Langfoss, also known as the 5th largest waterfall in Norway. It was voted in 2006, as the World’s Most Beautiful Waterfall. There is a hiking trail at the base to the top, which could be done in about 3 hours. We chose the photos from the bottom option due to the heavy off and on rain most of the day. There is a small parking lot next to the falls which offered a bathroom, snacks and souvenirs. https://www.visitnorway.com/listings/langfoss-waterfall/2135/

Upon arrival to Røldal there is signs for the church along the road. We arrived after they had closed for the afternoon, so a few photos of the exterior and we set off to Skjeggedal.

Along the road you will approach another large waterfall. The famous Låtefoss, also known as the twin waterfalls. It was quite the site to see. There is a waterfall a few hundred yards before Låtefoss that is likely to drench your car enroute. The waterfalls were definitely a highlight of our trip. https://www.visitnorway.com/listings/l%C3%A5tefoss-waterfall/1268/

As we approached Skjeggedal we started to see signs for Trolltunga. We stopped in to assess where to park and where the start of the hike was. I had read numerous blogs leading up to the hike and wanted to know what to expect myself. We wanted no surprises at 6am for the start of the hike. We found that there is a large car park at the bottom of the hill which is 100NOK a day at the time of writing.

It is another 6km to the top from here. Many people were parked here, because in high season if you arrive late to the top carpark, you will have to park here and hike up the road to the top. The 6km road to the top was an adventure in itself. It is a single lane road along the cliff side.  Watching for cars and people that afternoon was quite the task. Once at the top you will find another carpark at the base of the hike. This one is hourly parking. We read some of the information on the signs and then headed back to the lodge for dinner and a good night’s rest.

https://goo.gl/maps/ZCeBDgkYgQt

Time to hike

Now here is where the adventure truly starts!!! Remember this was a family holiday and we have decided that it is a great idea to take our 11 year old on an expert level hike in Norway. When I say expert level, I mean grown men were turning back in the beginning realizing how under prepared they were. But, we were committed to making it up and down, and in one piece.

We woke up at 5am in order to make the 1 hour drive to the base of the mountain. We packed everything that was mandatory to hike in Norway. All listed here for your reference. https://www.visitnorway.com/listings/trolltunga/8625/

I had read the day before that the car park payment machine was broken. Many people waited until 8am when they opened to start their hike. We decided we were not waiting around 2 hours and paid once we came back. We paid 400NOK for the 12 hours we were gone. The area gets quite a bit of rain so expect a bit of mud. I do mean the thick pull off your shoes kind of mud. Everything I read about the hike stated that the 1st kilometer was the worst. They have closed the funicular to which offered stairs to the top. So the only way up was through a wooded path in the forest or a tour company using the sky ladder.

The 1st kilometer offered a variety of terrain and somewhat stairs along the way up made of rocks. The route up you will use ropes in numerous areas to pull yourself to the top.  I might have been a bit ambitious to get to the top and I rushed to the top. DO NOT do this! As much fun as this part of the route was, my 30 something body paid me back at the back end of the hike.

With the 1km done, I remember roughly the sign said 21km total for the hike. We proceeded up numerous mountains, across waterfalls, wood planks, rivers, mud, lots more mud, more water, cliff side drop offs, and sheer rock face. We took 10 minute breaks a few times, but overall snacked in route. 3-4 kilometers into the hike gets interesting again with lots of terrain changes. This was up there with the 1st kilometer in my book. Worn out and sore, but at 7.5 miles later, yes that 12 kilometers, we reached Trolltunga. We arrived just before 12 meaning it took just over 4 hours to get to the top. The view was incredible to say the least. The line was about 20 people back when we arrived. We agreed to swap out with others in line to take photos. If not we would not have been able to take a photo together. We spent just at an hour here with photos, lunch and a pee stop.

Thrilled with our achievement we headed back with our heads held high. At this point the overnight hikers and many others were all heading back at the same time. There was far more overtaking from experienced hikers. This made the way down much slower as many points it’s a small path along the mountain side. My knees two weeks later still remember the down portion like it was yesterday. At this point even changing out of wet socks and bandaging blisters was not doing the trick. I was tired and we had unusually great weather. That meant that all those layers we packed were wearing us down. The temperature peaked midday to about 85 degrees. We packed two water bottles and filled at each waterfall we encountered, which was quite often. So do not feel you have to pack tons as you can refill about every 2km along the route.

We reached 3-4 kilometers again and the mud was even worse than the way up. Over the hills, through the woods, waterfalls, rivers and mud for another 7.5 miles. We reached the last kilometer and this was my final breaking point. My knees were screaming from the down, down, down and more down. A marathon runner I am, a hiker I am not. The mud, people, terrain and ropes made the last kilometer one of those moments that you wished you got better trip insurance. But WE MADE IT!! We kissed each other, happy that not only that we completed the 25 kilometer trek, but that we FREAKING survived to tell about it. I lived up to my word and my kid got a Fanta and 2 kinder eggs for not complaining the whole time!!

My suck it up, you will survive maternal instinct was clearly on point with this trip.

I am a big goal setter and I used my Garmin Fenix to track the hike. You can find it here: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1344917714

We paid our parking and headed back to the camp ground. We were exhausted and starving, but totally excited for the opportunity to take on this amazing hike.

The next morning we headed into Stavanger for the day. The journey back to the airport was just as gorgeous as the way up. We parked next to the cruise port in the city following the “Old Town” signs. We visited the cathedral and the oldest part of the town. The old town area is filled with 100 white houses and cobblestoned streets. Perfect for an afternoon stroll to stretch out our legs. Enroute to the airport we stopped over to the Swords in the Rock for a photo op. https://www.visitnorway.com/listings/swords-in-rock/1852/

All in and all it was a good 3 day trip for the family. It offered a bit of everything for everyone. Fun, adventure, sites and relaxation.

 

Happy Traveling,

 

Katrina 

Norway – Fjords – North Atlantic Highway - Part 1

Norway – Fjords – North Atlantic Highway - Part 1

We have made the trip to Norway twice in the past year. Both times to see the fascinating waterfalls and landscape of the western Fjords. There are two things you should know about Norway. The conditions can change at any moment and that chances are year round you will encounter snow.

The first trip to Norway was in the end of April, over the Easter Break. There was a TON of snow in the region and people were still skiing up in the area where we stayed. Many of the hiking routes were closed and too dangerous to access. One thing I learned on this trip is that I clearly needed to do more research before heading to Norway. As a city break girl, I had underestimated the seasonal aspect of the region.

This was clear when I found that the ferries I had wanted to take were “seasonal,” which is from May 1st to August 31st in most regions in Norway. I share this because the things I wish I would have known, could have allowed us to maximize our 4 day trip. The main attractions were the city of Alesund, North Atlantic Highway, Geiranger Fjord, and the island of Runde.

https://goo.gl/maps/AAkkJAW44FE2

The use of the ferries in between the islands to the North Atlantic Highway, did not disappoint. In fact, it had me planning my next trip to the Fjords to see more. The island of Runde is known for puffins and when in season, this place is a bird watchers dream.

Geiranger Fjord was everything I could have imagined, but in frozen April the Seven Sisters waterfall we drove for hours to see, was well frozen. We drove through snow banks to get there and the way back down was rather interesting as we were caught in a snow storm. In the end we enjoyed our very snowy trip to the mountains. 

Alesund's viewing area provided a nice overview of the area and some history. This area was once used as a fortress, with numerous pill boxes and caves. In the summer, a cruise from the area is highly recommended. 

In the end it’s about the journey and not the destination. 

Happy Traveling, 

Katrina