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Discover the Beauty of Fjords in Norway by Road

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If you are thinking of going to Norway, you don’t want to miss the Fjords! Norway is a Scandinavian country with many mountains, glaciers and deep coastal fjords. You’ve no doubt heard of the Fjords, but you may not be familiar with Fjords or what they look like. In this article, we will write about discovering Fjords by Road. There is no better way to discover Fjords than by taking a road trip by car. The beautiful roads with stunning views make a road trip through Norway an amazing and memorable experience.

What is a Fjord?

A fjord is a deep waterway that is surrounded by massive cliffs on each side. The creation of a fjord is a very long process and created thanks to glaciers. Without too much theory and detail, glaciers moved through the valleys and glacial melting formed the waterways that are often deeper than nearby seas.

Discover the Fjords by Taking a Road Trip

The perfect chance for discovering the beauty of the fjords in Norway is to take a road trip with by car. If you have a few hours or a few weeks, you can have an amazing road trip. Many tour operators offer trips to see the most famous fjords, but these are usually expensive and full of tourists. You will experience the most of your trip if you take a car and discover it by yourself. Here are a few road trips that can last for a few hours or a few weeks by car.

Short Trips Up to 5 Days

A short trip (no longer than 5 days) is perfect for people who want to relax and clear their mind from an urban area. If you want to discover the fjords by car, we suggest you to take a journey from Bergen to Ålesund. This can take from 2 – 5 days with a route distance of 500 kilometers. You need to take 5 ferries on your trip, but these are short rides and are inexpensive. The road trip starts in the city of Bergen and the final destination is the beautiful city of Ålesund with its amazing architecture. The road is easy to drive with many curves that are offer tremendous views of the fjords along the road. If you’re a real adventurer, take a tent and camp somewhere along the roadside. Another great short trip is to start from the capital city of Oslo and go through national parks and Haukelifjell Mountains with magnificent views of fjords along the way.

Medium Trips Up to One Week

If you have more time available to extend your road trip up to one week, you’ll discover still more of the beauty of the fjords. There are many different medium length trips to consider. The first one is ideal for travelers who want to discover the southern part of Norway. The trip starts in Kristiansand and ends in the same city as you do a round trip. The coastal road is going by the North Sea offering amazing views of mountains, waterfalls, interesting towns on the road and fjords. The trip length is around 1000 kilometers and it can take up to one week to discover everything on the road. A second trip option starts and ends in the northern part of Norway, the city of Ålesund. The trip is around 900 kilometers long and it offers dramatic landscape along with interesting small villages and towns that will show you the Norway culture.

Long Trips Up to One Month

You’ll get the most Norway has to offer if you have time to extend your trip up to 1 month. If you’re staying in Oslo, you have a chance to take a road trip that will show you the best of the country. The trip starts in Oslo and ends in Bergen with the distance no longer than 1300 kilometers. You could take up to two weeks to finish the trip, but you’ll experience amazing view of valleys, mountains, glaciers, fjords, cities, and many villages on the way. If you want to blend Norwegian culture and discover the beauty of fjords, this is the trip you should take.

Now you have an idea of a few trips that uncovers the beauty of fjords and Norway landscape. It’s time to plan and start your road trip. Have you taken a road trip to discover the fjords in Norway? Share your road trip experiences with us!

 

About the Author: This article was written by Dorothy Goodman, savvy travel blogger at asabbatical.com , a personal travel blog of Adrian Sameli. To connect with Dorothy, follow her on Facebook.

6 Best Golf Courses in Australia

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The importance of doing any kind of sport cannot be stressed enough, and you should make it an essential part of your travels as well. For all of you golf enthusiasts out there, here’s a list of the 6 best golf courses in Australia to play up your performance on the road.

Kingston Heath, Melbourne

Belonging to the famous Melbourne Sandbelt, Kingston Heath is one of the world’s most renowned golf clubs and one of the smallest courses too. It has a long history of hosting national championships, as well as international events, such as the 2016 World Cup. The most challenging element of this course are its bunkers, which both stimulate your mind and look incredible. Kingston Heath is a feast for all the senses and it’s constructed to make you push your limits and constantly improve your performance.

source: greatgolfaustralia.com.au

Barnbougle Lost Farm, Tasmania

Located along the coast, Lost Farm is a true paradise for golfers. It features 20 holes that pose a challenge to any golfer, regardless of their level of knowledge and practice. The course tour stretches along the coast and deep towards the Tasmanian hinterland, to provide the ultimate golf challenge, while soaking in the beauty of the nature and landscape. The course also offers professional lessons and practice facilities on the spot, to help you improve your game and achieve the perfect shot.

source: caddiemag.com

Long Reef Golf Club, Sydney

Situated 20 km outside Sydney CBD, this North Shore golf club is the perfect choice for those who want to smoothen their game and enjoy the scenic landscape of the Northern Beaches along the way. British and Australian Open winner Peter Thomson, one of Australia’s best golf players and course designers, stated that Long Reef is “the best site of any golf course in Sydney”, which is a perfect recommendation for everyone who is considering to play golf here. The design of the course stimulates your thoughts and actions, regardless of your golf standard. What separates Long Reef Golf Club from the rest is that it is fully functional in wet weather, so you don’t have to miss out due to the rain.

Source: longreefgolfclub.com.au

Ellerston, New South Wales

This golf course is one of the most exclusive clubs, and it was in the private possession of the late Kerry Packer, Australia’s richest man. It’s located in the Upper Hunter Valley, a rugged area with stunning nature that influences the game with its ravines and gullies. The terrain stimulates your brain and affects your moves, encouraging your best play, while it’s also visually appealing.

Source: gngcd.com

The National (Moonah), Cape Schanck, Victoria

The ‘Moonah’ golf course, a part of the National Golf Club, is a world-class course that provides its attendees with everything they need for a successful and stimulating play. This championship course contains 18 holes and it’s built on sand dunes, so the players can enjoy an amazing view of the sea while practicing their shots. Even though this is a private club, select groups are allowed to play, and they consist of both Australian and international visitors.

Source: nationalgolf.com.au

The Royal Adelaide, Adelaide

Located in South Australia, in the Adelaide suburb of Seaton, this private golf club has been the host of the Australian Open nine times, confirming its status in the world of golf. Despite being a private club, the Royal Adelaide gives opportunities to visitors to have a go on their course and tackle the challenges of the links.

Source: royaladelaidegolf.com.au

There you have it – a list of the top golf courses in Australia, where you can improve your skills and have a lot of fun along the way.

Journey from Canberra to Alice Springs

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If you are planning a trip to the heart of Australia, you’ve come to the right place! We are going to tell you everything you need to know for this 2500 km long journey. By the time you finish reading this article, you will have a better idea about which form of travel suits you best.

Flights

There are two things you need to be aware of. First, only Qantas Airways and Virgin Australia (best connections to New Zealand as well) fly to Alice Springs. Second, there are no flights to Alice Springs in Canberra. In other words, you will have to go to the Sydney Airport if you want to get there by plane. The average one-way adult ticket costs about 240$ and the flight lasts around three hours.

Airport tips

If you opt for travel by air, you should know that the Alice Springs airport is 15 km south of Alice Springs. To put it simply, you can’t see the town from the airport. The airport is very small and has two sets of toilets. We will tell you one secret: instead of going to the first lot of toilets, go through the security area and turn left. There you will find the toilets that the locals always use, and they never have a queue in front of them (you’re welcome).

You can book a shuttle drive at the airport’s shuttle desk (at the front of the airport near the baggage carousel area) that will transport you directly to Alice Springs. If you are a backpacker, many backpacker hostels offer free shuttle drives from the airport. There are also plenty of private car hires and taxis. But if you want to hire a car, it will be much cheaper to hire it in town rather than at the airport.

Driving

This is probably the best way to get to Alice Springs. You will have an a great time and see amazing scenery, such as Stuart Highway , Port Augusta, Uluru, Coober Pedy, etc. In other words, you are going to live and experience the full size and beauty of Australia (and it will be cheaper than flying).

But driving also has its downsides. The travel itself is going to be a bit more exhausting because you will need to add 3 extra days of travel time, and the fuel costs are going to be big. Along the Stuart Highway fuel costs from $1.80 – $2.30 per liter.

Train

If you are an Aussie you probably already know about the legendary Ghan train service. With the train, you will experience the pleasure of meeting new and different people, and enjoy the cheerful service and comfort of the train itself.

Bus

There are many different options for buses, but if you are in a group, you should check charter bus rental in Canberra. Just imagine you and your family and friends traveling alone in a spacious and fully equipped bus, relaxing and enjoying the view. Grab some playing cards, beer and food and you will experience the best possible road trip.

If there are only a couple of you, or you are travelling alone, there is actually a regular Greyhound bus that goes up and down the Stuart Highway directly to Alice Springs. Consider getting a kilometer pass since they last for a year and you can hop on and off the bus whenever you want until you run out of kilometers.

Rental Car

This is definitely the cheapest option for those that just need to get to Alice Springs, or get out of Alice Springs. Basically, you rent a car at one location and your rental finishes at your final destination. In other words, you don’t have to worry about returning your car to the original rental office. The cost can be as cheap as 1$ per day hire plus fuel. The downside is that sometimes the rental company can give you a really short time limit between the two locations so you won’t have time to look around. They book very fast and if you are travelling alone, you have a lot of driving to do in a very short period of time.

That would be it for Alice Springs tips. We would love to hear about your Alice Springs experience, so feel free to share it with us in the comment section. You can never get too much information and advice.