I cannot rant and rave enough about how spectacular this company is. I love the variety of options…read moreand every employee delivers outstanding customer service. This company is perfection. I have to say we travel a bit and Rose is my favorite tour guide, hands down! She is wonderful, patient, gave out great information and went above and beyond in every way. Fjord Safari makes you want to come back for more! Skål!

If you find yourself with 24 hours in Flam (population: 387) - and you will if you're on the Norway…read morein a Nutshell tour package like Jamie W. and me - then you may find it challenging to fill your time. There were no casinos, no designer outlets, no long-term residencies starring Celine Dion or worse, Katy Perry. But there was this RIB boat adventure excursion. If you don't know what RIB means, it stands for Rigid Inflatable Boat. Yep, it's a zodiac boat with a motor that adds a jolt of speed to your trip. I decided to book us in advance for the standard fjord safari which lasted approximately ninety minutes. It cost 790 NOK or about $80 in US dollars. Pretty typical Norwegian tourist pricing. You're given a pair of goggles and heavy-duty fluorescent chartreuse coveralls as if you're scaling Everest during a typhoon. It was a bit of overkill but a fine Instagram moment (photo: https://bit.ly/3JAo0VU). There were just seven of us including a young child who already seemed bored despite constant prodding from her insistent father. Our guide and boat pilot was Gustav, an ebullient local who brought the necessary enthusiasm to his role. With dexterity, he took us to key spots in both Aurlandsfjord and Sognefjord including a stop where the tip of our boat entered a rushing waterfall (photo: https://bit.ly/3QosZv3). Gustav also shared colorful stories about life around the fjords. There are longer versions of the excursion, some including a goat cheese tasting since it's a local delicacy. I was almost sorry to take off my coveralls as I could feel the testosterone slipping out of me. RELATED - Exploring Norway? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3PEL4Fe

This is a charming hotel to stay at! A historic building set in the middle of the most beautiful…read morefjord. We stayed here for 3 nights and I wish we could have stayed longer. It was a very convenient spot to take some tours and day trips from. My biggest recommendation is to book everything in advance. Hotel reservation, restaurant reservations, tours, and transportation. Since Flåm gets cruise ships almost daily things book up. There aren't many options for restaurants open after 6pm in flam so it was nice to have one available in the hotel. The hotel was a little dated but the amenities were clean and comfortable. The room was fairly spacious and quiet. We enjoyed our balcony as the view is breathtaking! The shower/ tub is a big step to get into so be aware before booking if you have troubles with large steps. Breakfast was a tasty inclusion and served buffet style. I would definitely book here again!

There are few hotel choices in Flam and most are owned by the same people. Given the shear number…read moreof tourists that pass through this town it is not a surprise that this hotel is outrageously expensive. The location across from the train station is very convenient. The staff was friendly and helpful. Our room on the fourth floor in the newer section was small as was the bathroom. The window was unique since it was more of a glass greenhouse which gave an interesting perspective of the fjord. The bed was super mushy. And at this price point no refrigerator / mini bar... The public spaces were clean and up to date. We had both dinner and breakfast included in our package which for two people was about 200 NOK. Both buffets were expansive especially the dinner buffet - the selection was huge! Everything was tasty. Since we don't leave until later in the day they stored our luggage for us. Overall a nice stay but even if this was 50% less it was a rip off.

They weren't kidding about it being the best fish soup -- this was absolutely delicious. Chunks of…read morefresh fish, mussels and shrimp with nicely toasted bread. Absolutely 10/10. Service was a bit slow but otherwise very kind and helpful. Beautiful views of the Fjord and not too crowded. Also good outdoor seating.

Wonderful view, glad to know of this place just a short walk from the more touristy spots around…read moreFlåm Fjord tour, Highly recommend!

We highly recommend this place! Friendly and helpful Staff! Very clean facilities! Convenient…read morelocation, close to everything! We booked a camper site with electricity. Well manicured grounds. Beautiful setting!

I suspect people have radically different experiences here based on whether they are staying in the…read morehostel/cabins vs. the campsite. The hostel/cabins book months in advance, so don't come here expecting to find a room the same day. We made that mistake and were directed to the campsite instead. I have to admit, paying 225 krone (about $30) per night to pitch our tent on a random patch of grass was a disappointment, but you'd be hard-pressed to find anything cheaper in Flam, which is a major tourist destination. This place is in a solid location too, as it is about a 5-minute walk from the bus station. As far as campsites go, this one is very basic. There are water spouts, bathrooms with coin-op showers, a small communal kitchen, a playground for the kidlets, and coin-op laundry. Food options are a mini-store at the info desk and a food truck that comes at night. There are some broken wooden picnic tables to eat your food at, some covered by the pavilion and others uncovered. Bathrooms are clean enough. If I were to return to Flam, I would book a cabin way in advance, since it seemed to be an overall much nicer experience.

Steinsdalsfossen is one beautiful waterfall in Norway. After getting an up close and personal look…read moreof the Falls, make sure to check out the souvenir shop. They carry all kinds of merchandise. There are snacks and drinks if you are famished. Tons of souvenirs. The assortment of trolls is large. We bought some caps and goodies. Prices were reasonable. Staff was great. Check them out.

We loved visiting this store during our trip to Undredal. It is very clean and organized and…read morestocked with "everything" you could need. The staff was very friendly and helpful.

"A slab or slice or chunka, A snack that is a winner, And…read moreyet won't spoil my dinner, I hanker for a hunka cheese" ~Time For Timer, Schoolhouse Rock Geitost or Brunost? Whatever you call Norway's beloved, brown, caramel-like cheese, and whichever way you slice it, you can grab your own hunka cheese and other tomatoes/tomahtahs at Underdalsbui/Naerbutikken. Take a cue from Timer and fashion a wagon wheel from cheesy bits while you're at it! Underdalsbui is like the Oleson's Mercantile of Underdal, sans Harriet and Nels, or Willie stealing candy on the sly. It is the only general store in this isolated fishing village where you can mail your postcards, pick up some souvenirs, get your groceries, and best of all, check out a vintage Hüsker Dü poster (rock band from Saint Paul, MN)! It is also the spot to sample and buy some local goat sausage, along with white and brown goat cheese for lunch or an afternoon snack . Underdal brown cheese is the iconic rock star of Norwegian Geitost, so go ahead and snap some cheesy selfies in homage (or in fromage) ...you might even get photobombed by one of the 500 local goats! "Oh hey there, goat!" The salty white Underdal cheese is also a winner, taking "Best Cheese of the Year in Norway in 2011 and 2012--toss that in your cart as well. I like to imagine that Underdalsbui is run by a big cheese similar to Ramone from "The Proposal"...someone who also officiates weddings, waits tables, and smashes karaoke in his free time...but has the last name of Underdal. Because everyone living there has a last name of Underdal. Everyone. That is in fact why we came to visit the village, because my great grandfather came from there, changing his last name from Underdal upon arrival in the US. The extreme isolation of the village is what caused many people to leave in search of better lives over the years (the population is currently around 100, not including the goats), but has also left the landscape of the village to remain largely unchanged. We felt like we were seeing the village almost in almost exactly the same condition as when my great grandfather grew up there. Underdals have lived here for centuries, breeding goats and producing cheese, with some farmers still migrating with their goats and cheese equipment to three different mountain farms over a single summer! Wow! Still today brown cheese is made by hand in the traditional way. The whey is boiled in a copper vat over a wood fire until the lactose sugar caramelizes and the whey thickens. It really makes you appreciate that brown cheese atop a heart-shaped Norwegian waffle when you think of all the hard labor involved in making it. Add this village to your itinerary for a step back in time, and visit Underdalsbui while you're there--you'll be "grateful" you did. If you come during Norway's largest brown cheese festival, you might even get to celebrate with some GOAT BINGO! "A hard-boiled egg, a chicken leg, or cheese or luncheon meat, Or a peanut butter sandwich, Any time of day's a treat!" ~Timer "To the window, to the window, to the walls, to the walls." ~Sandra Bullock, "The Proposal"

Restaurant review: We enjoyed our first meal at Ullensvang…read moreGjesteheim so much we ate there again! Other restaurants in town were either over priced or had weird hours so Ullensvang Gjesteheim became a reliable option for us. The serve both Scandinavian and Thai food with lots of local beers and ciders. The shrimp Thai dish we had on our first visit was over-peppery so on our second visit we asked for less pepper and the dish was perfect. You can eat your meal inside, outside, or take it to go. I'd definitely recommend Ullensvang Gjesteheim for a delicious, casual, and well-priced meal in the Ullensvang / Lofthus area.

Note: This review is for the restaurant only. We stayed elsewhere down the road and this was…read morerecommended to us by our local host as a place to eat. It should not be classified as a $$$$ restaurant IMO, as it had extremely reasonable prices when you consider that Norway is a very expensive country. The guest house Ullensvang was easy to locate on our drive. It's a beautiful red building right off the narrow fjord road. There is a small parking lot in the rear that is reserved for guests, so no need to worry about where to park. In mid-September, nearing the off-season for hiking, we didn't have any trouble getting a spot. The restaurant is downstairs in the main building, but still has lots of windows and natural light inside. We came for dinner the night before hiking Trolltunga, thinking it'd be a good idea to stock up on carbs and not stress about cooking anything ourselves. Outside was a little stand selling local fruit, and a few other goodies - but get something before dinner if you're so inclined as they were packed up by the time we left later in the evening. The menu might seem a little odd at first...Thai and Scandinavian, say what?! But the couple who runs the restaurant reigns from each place and knocks their own cuisine out of the park. The last page of the menu was great as a reference key for any type of allergy. There were notations for shellfish, nuts, different seeds, and gluten. I really think the restaurant is knowledgable about their ingredients and would be able to ensure any allergy request was met based on this page. In diving into the menu, I will say that some of the translations from Norwegian to English aren't as descriptive of the traditional Norwegian dishes, so we did do a little looking up to see what the components were (more than just a basic translation). My husband and I decided to order something from both sides of the menu. When in Rome! (Or Århus?) He chose the traditional Hakkasteik while I selected the Kaeng Keaw Wan Khai. Both portions were larger than expected - definitely a good value! The green curry was most definitely spicy, as described on the menu, and tasted very fresh. There was a great balance of veggies mixed in and plenty of rice to soak up that delicious sauce. Originally there was a thought of, "Hey, this would make great left overs. I should really take some home for later", but who am I kidding? I cleaned that plate. The Hakkasteik wasn't as much to my taste, but I knew it probably wouldn't be my favorite dish ever based on the description. It was an excellent take on a traditional Norwegian dish though, and my husband loved it. The Hakkasteik comes with a wafer thin cracker crisp that you can put the meat mixture on. This gave the dish some texture variation (a crunch) since it is a fairly uniform consistency otherwise. His dish was much heavier due to the blend of meats and barley, and VERY filling. My husband somehow finished the entire thing (by now I really shouldn't be surprised by this). We decided to make room for dessert and I'm so glad we did. We ordered the apple cake as the entire nearby region is filled with orchards. It was incredible. We kept joking (kind of?) about licking the dish for that sauce. While I didn't order anything to drink, my husband did have a glass of cider. I snuck a sip and it was absolutely delicious. I would have indulged in a glass had I not been driving. I'd definitely recommend being the passenger on a trip here! Overall, I'd 100% recommend this to anyone in the region and will definitely be back should we travel to this area of Norway again. We were so satisfied after dining here versus some of the other meals we indulged in during our trip that were just as pricey, but left me hungry.

Right across from the train station, barely a 2 minute walk, so easy! Front staff was friendly and…read morehelped us figure out the bus schedules for seeing the fjords the next day. Room was nice with amazing lake view, comfortable bedding, bidet, bath tub and handle showerhead. Spacious room with closet as well, space to open luggage and a small couch as well! The bar downstairs was empty when I was here but the three bartenders were welcoming and seemed relatively interested in what we were doing in Voss area and what our impressions were of Norway. They were a little judgy about our choice of previous cafe/bar earlier in the day which was a little weird but otherwise friendly staff and prompt service. Theres a piano player that comes to the bar, I think only on fridays.