My husband is NOT a traveler. A bit ironic considering he married me, a spontaneous traveler who can not seem to sit still. The one way to convince him to get on a plane and travel across the Arctic ocean with me was to promise a trip to the legendary and mystical lands of Norway; His one bucket list destination! Continue reading and come enjoy this 10 day adventure with us. I am excited to share our experience and awaken your inner Viking!
We officially began our cruise in the Netherlands, but the fun truly began at our first stop in Mandal, Norway (day 3 of the planned itinerary). Our first leg of the journey was a long 24 hour ocean crossing from Amsterdam to Mandal. We were supposed to have a nice pit stop at a small island off the coast of Denmark on day 2, but due to poor weather and rough seas, we hoofed it to mainland Norway. It was a nice reprieve to finally board the tender boats and make our way to dry, unmoving, land! A local tour company met us at the dock and whisked us away on a lovely 3 hour walking tour of the town. Mandal is a quiet town with a history in the salmon trade. It is still a large part of their culture which we found to be true for most of the country as well. Our walk led us through winding cobblestone streets, up to the tallest point in the town to a lookout tower, to a local shopping district, and to the original church. We also took a few stops along the way to say hello to a number of friendly neighbor cats. After our tour we had a few hours to self explore. Tadd and I found a nice restaurant along the marina and enjoyed the local atmosphere. That evening as the ship left port we made our way to the rooftop deck, sat in the hot tub and watched as the town slipped into the distance. Day “one” was an absolute success!
Creating a checklist was very beneficial and meeting objectives on certain dates helped as well (to keep my trip organized). The Adventure Travel personnel helped keep me on track which is why my trip was so successful. Communication from both travel agencies (AT/MT) was vital.
Iziah Carthens
3 days ago
This is an amazing company to work with. I generally do not use tour companies as I am more of an independent traveller so I was slightly reticent. They were fantastic from the start - 10/10 - from lining up a phone call to discuss requirements, then their ongoing communication in the lead up to the tour and during it (thank you, Franny and Phen). They also explored cost-effective options (eg group transfers). The tour was in Patagonia so Adventure Life organised a pickup from the El Calafate airport to the El Chalten accommodation, two day hikes with a private guide and then to the El Calafate accommodation. A tour coordinator came to the hotel to explain, using the maps, what was involved in each day tour and what should be expected, and patiently answered all questions. The tour guide Marcos was excellent - very professional, knowledgable, communicative and at all times felt very safe with his navigational skills (important in the Patagonian wilderness). On the second day I forgot to take hiking poles so Marcos kindly gave me his. I honestly wouldn't have changed a thing and would happily recommend and book through them again.
Petrina Sta
5 days ago
Adventure Life has been great throughout my planning process for our up and coming Galapagos cruise. Kevin Moore, in particular, was very helpful in assisting me in making choices and providing me with options. He was also very patient, as I worked through figuring out what I really wanted in this vacation.
Lucy Greenway
5 days ago
Adventure Life was a pleasure to work with. They helped us find different options for our charter and answered a lot of questions with patience and clarity.
Brooke Hopper
6 days ago
Excellent service, great hotels and well organized excursions with expert guides! Highly recommended!
