//Can you believe it, this was our private pool at Dhara Dhevi during our last stay in Chiang Mai…//
Hi lovlies.
I’m heading for a new mini adventure tomorrow. Jumping on a plane in the morning and straight to Chiang Mai. Hopefully the rain won’t be too bad. We were stuck between a beach holiday in the south or nature in the north and we both agreed that if the rain would start to pour, Chiang Mai was the place we wanted to be. We had an amazing trip to the North and Pai last year, but haven’t been in Chiang mai since our fantastic stay at Dhara Dhevi in 2014. Safe to say the city has developed a lot since our last trip. And to our pleasure I’ve heard that the café/bakery game is strong up in the north right now. Can’t wait to find spot some nice hidden gems and just enjoy the nature.
Thailand has a lot to offer in terms of scenery and culture and saying that you have a favourite place here might sound a bit rushed. But, there’s something special about Krabi that in, when people ask me for my favourite beach destination, Krabi is the first place that comes to mind.
Island hopping in Krabi. This is at Koh Tup.
It might not be unspoiled by tourists or even a hidden gem where it requires the help of locals to get to. If you do want that, you should go to Koh Krandan and the islands around Trang.The sunsetsthere are the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.
#Leapkiss at Koh Poda also known as Poda Island.
Krabi is actually quite developed and the ease of travelling there is a part of what makes it so attractive. You can literally to go there with 5 minutes of planning. Thank you internet! There are plenty of nice areas to stay depending on what you like to do, which makes it a place suitable for ANYONE.
//So happy we didn’t listen to the weather forecast. It was supposed to be raining 24/7… should have worn that sunscreen…//
There’s Ao Nang which is the “mainland” and even if it’s not the center as in Krabi town, it is the center in terms of transportation. You can get anywhere from here. This is also where the main pier to go to Railay beach is located.
For me, Ao Nang is probably not a place I would recommend to stay, but a nice place to start if you are travelling with family or you just want to relax on the beach with good restaurants, bars and nightlife.
//This year I went there with my family. It was good times.//
There are plenty of daytime activities in Krabi such as The Emerald pool, island hopping, climbing, temple exploring, night markets, beaches- you can easily rent a bike anywhere to explore by yourself. Or you can rent a private (or with groups) speedboat/long tail boat.
//Typical way to get around in the islands in Thailand. Long-tail boats…//
//Perfect place to visit for couples<3//
//That climbing scenery… don’t worry. This is just the warm-up. But hello, would you like to climb on Railay beach? Check out the scenery.//
My go-to place in Krabi will always be Railay beach. I cannot go there without visiting this place. And if I didn’t know better, I would have thought Railay was an island. That’s definitely the vibe it gives you. Reggae music, endless smiles, peacefulness and perfect sandy beaches. Strolling along the beach and eating delicious seafood. And the best of all, the rock climbing opportunities. I love bumping into travelling souls along the climbing areas. Experienced climbers and first-timers alike, they all love it.
//The guides are so chilled and fun- not on the safety side though. You’ll be happy whatever company you go with. Krabi people are a good bunch of people <3//
<3
So- if you are living in Thailand or is planning to come here, do go check out this gem of a place. The accommodation is great and affordable as well!
I told you guys I’d show you how we eat our waffle, so here you go- a recipe for Norwegian waffles!
I decided to make it with a twist and ended up making protein waffles instead. It only ended up with 10 grams of protein pr. waffle, but it can be adjusted by exchanging some of the flour for protein powder. It’s almost as delicious as normal waffles and very quick to make!
So here you go, Norwegian waffles with a twist!
This batch made around 7 waffles, but this depends on the size of your waffle iron.
200 g wheat flour (can be switched for whole wheat flour to make the waffles healthier)
1 scoop of Dymatize iso vanilla flavour
1 scoop of Dymatize casein chocolate flavour
1 tsp cardamom
3 dl 0% fat milk
50 g melted butter
1 tsp honey
1 tsp baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add all the dry ingredients together in a bow and slowly pour the milk in, a little by the time. Mix well to avoid lumps! This is always where I go wrong with my baking, hehe.
Mix the eggs into the batch and add the melted butter. Leave the batch to rest for 30 minutes.
For a full info blog post about Norwegian waffles, brown cheese and the regular waffle recipe, check out The Stay at Home Chef.
Romsdalseggen might be rated expert, but I would say that it’s a relatively safe trek, as the ridge is thick enough and have chains for support at the roughest parts. This is why, even with the weather forecast showing us constant rain, that we choose to try to climb the Romsdalseggen Ridge on the one day in the midst of all the rain, where it seemed to be a sunny day! And I am so glad we did!
Mountain mood
From my hometown, Levanger, it was a 5:30 hour/ 379 KM drive to get to Åndalsnes. Åndalsnes is, by some, called the mountain capital of Norway, and it’s not without any reason. It is home to some of the most beautiful mountains and sceneries in Norway.
We started our drive the day before so we could camp out in Åndalsnes the day before, to start fresh for our trek. Unless you live close to Åndalsnes, this is probably the best idea. Because you will need to make the 9:30 AM bus on the day of your trek if you want to experience the full range of Romsdalseggen ridge. And mainly so you don’t have to walk back to the parking lot after the trek. It’s a long 12 km walk and taxi in Norway is not very affordable.
We sat up camp in the middle of the night and couldn’t really see well. I thought we did well until I saw our tent the following morning, hehe.
You see, the trek itself starts at Vengedalen/Venjesdalen at a parking lot in a convenient location in the valley where it’s easy for both cars and busses to reach. The best way to get here is by taking the bus in the morning (there is only one departure time for most part of the season). You can get on the bus right outside Tindesenteret. It’s impossible to miss that building once you get to the centre!
Up up we go!
The trek starts at about 600 meters above sea level and will take you to a rather steep terrain in the first couple of hours. Once you are half way up you are rewarded with a breath-taking view over the mountain range. The most amazing part of this trek is the scenery… wherever you turn you will be seeing something spectacular. Fjords, waterfalls, mountain ranges, and a small peak at Troll latter road. It’s just insane.
Once your about 3 km up, you are almost at the peak. This is where the best photo-op is! A beautiful panoramic view over Rauma river and some of the Romsdal mountain range such as Romsdalshorn, Breitinden og Trollveggen/Trolltindene.
From here onwards you are starting to understand why the trek is called the Romsdalseggen Ridge. The next few kilometers you wll be ascending on a ridge, and once you hit the peak at 1216 MOH at Mjølvafjellet, you will be descending on the ridge as well. So, there is plenty of scenery to explore, on both sides!
I thought I had made it… untill I understood that the descending part must have been why this trek was rated expert! Remember to bring good trekking shoes when going here.
That scenery…
Once you hit the little rock cabin at Neksala, the terrain starts to change and the downhill path in the rubble and forest is harsh. I would say it’s a lot more tiring than on the way up and it’s going to take you several hours to get down unless you run for it. I regret not bringing some knee support as it becomes quite demanding after “Rampestreken” and downwards.
The famous “Rampestreken” a long ledge where you can walk out and take pictures above Åndalsnes city.
The total trek is around 10,5 km, and the average person will spend approximately 7 hours to complete the trek. The trek ends right in Åndalsnes centre. Which is why you should leave your car there and catch the bus up.
To complete the trek you should go have some pizza at Mama Rosa, I got one of the spicy pizzas with garlic sauce and it saved my day!
Wow, it’s been 4 months. And a lot has happened since. But, first, I’ll start with something plain and simple, my annual summer holiday back to my home country- which most of you already know, is good old Norway. When I moved abroad, I never thought that I would ever want to return to Norway, other than for holidays, but the older I get there is a piece of me that gets stuck every time I return.
I ate brunost (brown cheese) almost every day I was there… and I even brought some home. What is wrong with me?! I don’t even eat brown cheese, haha. I also just ordered myself a waffle iron, for heart shape waffled so I’ll show you guys how we eat waffles in Norway. And what brown cheese aka. brunost is!
We started of the trip in Oslo, which was supposed to be one day… but all the flights to Trondheim was fully booked so it turned out to be almost a full week in Oslo. It was nice, to see Oslo more than just for daily trips. And quite frankly during the week, Oslo did grow on me. I’ll show you some of the eating and beer gems we stumbled upon in a later post.
Most of the holiday was spent in Levanger, 10 days to be precise. And during this time, along with some of the days in Oslo, I got to work on my Fortnite skills! It’s crazy looking back to when I first moved here and how my baby siblings who still live at home have grown up. Alex and Christina was just a button and a doll when I left. Now, Alex is all grown up playing soccer, video games and hanging out with his friends without me and Christina a teenager, loving her TV series and Youtube! You can follow her channel here .Time really does fly.
Norway has had some insane weather this summer, but of course on the day that we arrived, it was starting to turn a bit grey… We were lucky enough to get one day of super sunny weather in Oslo. Also I, was following the weather forecast closely when we came to Levanger so I could plan our hike to Romsdalseggen, which has been my bucket list for quite a while now. Did we make it? I’ll be writing about our post to Åndalsnes and *hopefully* our trip to Romsdaleggen very soon.
For anyone interested for more stuff from Norway or travel tips around Norway, you can start by clicking here to see how to make the perfect roadtrip around Norway in only seven days!
I can’t say this enough times. Japan have always been on my bucket list and I can’t believe that I still haven’t been able to go. This year we have decided that we will definitely be crossing Tokyo off the list- so no more dreaming!
From talking to friends, watching movies, or just browsing online we all might resonate Tokyo with a hi tech city filled with lights, unique shopping malls, luxury hotels and endless places to eat. But being able to be part of the Japanese Metropolitan Govt projects I have discovered that it has so much more for us to see.
Japan is such a beautiful country with so much variety, just watching this video you can see all the different sceneries Tokyo has to offer.
I’ve always been in love with the outdoors and exploring as much as possible when staying in one place. Walking around the temples in Asakusa, followed by Japanese markets, cruising in horse carriages around the city…sampling Japanese culture wherever you go.
**Don’t forget to use the 360 view when watching the video
Just a small plane ride to the Chugoku region and we can explore their largest city Hiroshima. Hiroshima might be known to you through history, but it is also a very popular tourist destination. It’s being praised for it’s rural beauty and a stunning scenery, perfect to be explored by bike. While you are there, it’s worth visiting the town Onomichi, to walk up the cosy concrete hills to watch the beautiful viewpoint over the town, or if you want to relax and have as much time as possible for other activities you can go for the cable car which gives you rewarding views all the way up to the top.
So which one is it? Are you going to Tokyo or Chugoku region? Or are you like me and will plan for a two week trip and get to see it all?
*This post has been presented by Tokyo Metropolitan Govt but it’s all my own thoughts and opinions.
