A stunning kayak day trip led by capable, friendly guides through an 18 km fjord, stopping to…read morebarbecue under a waterfall (!). Language barriers were sometimes a problem for various folks. As a nearly costless 80/20 solution that can be done in a day, I'd suggest typing up the three major sets of instructions (getting gear, putting on gear, operating the kayak), running them through Google translate for Chinese, French, etc., and printing them out. I wonder whether the principles of the lean startup and the Toyota method could be used to figure out how to streamline operations. It was over two hours between arriving at the site and getting in the water. Surely experimentation and leveraging the insights of employees could trim that time (even good scuba companies are faster).

Booked a kayaking tour through a cruise line. Nordic Ventures picked us up from the port in Flam in…read morea bus and took us to Gudvangen. We were given life jackets, spray skirts, and water shoes. They had cubbies to place your items in, but between our group and others that had already left, there were more people than boxes, so most of our bags were left on the floor. Once outside, we met up with our tour guides, who described what we were doing, and they asked if anyone had food allergies. I raised my hand and told them I could not eat peppers, they replied that would not be a problem. It took a while for everyone to get set up in kayaks due to some of the adjustments for the rudder pedals not working. The information provided by the cruise line included a weight limit for the tour, one couple was obviously well over the limit and was still allowed to participate, even after they took a significant amount of time getting into a kayak, as they kept tipping it over on the beach. Once underway, we enjoyed a nice paddle along the fjord. Several times, we were instructed to quickly paddle from one side or the other to stay away from other kayaking groups and ferries. We also had to stop and wait several times for 'that one couple' as the wife refused to paddle. The guides took those opportunities to tell us about the small villages that had very few residents we were passing. The views of the mountains and waterfalls were awesome. The clouds were so low you could not see the tops of the surrounding mountains. We paddled just over 3 miles to a picnic area along a hiking trail. After pulling all the boats ashore, the tour guides went around to all the kayaks collecting the supplies that had been stored in them for lunch. The picnic area did have a small bathroom, there was also a group of sheep hanging out in the shade with us. After I walked around a while, I returned to the area where the guides were making food and saw they had sprinkled some sort of reddish colored powder on all of the pork chops on the grill. I asked one of them what was in the seasoning and he handed it to me to read. The listed ingredients had 3 different types of pepper in it. The look on their faces indicated they may have thought I was kidding when I told them I could not have pepper. They offered to rinse one of the pork chops, but I was not willing to risk being stuck in a kayak if I had a reaction to it. I was left with just pasta and cookies for lunch. After lunch had been packed up, we got back in the kayaks to paddle back. The larger lady tipped her kayak and fell into the water as she got in. The paddle back was also nice, several times going back and forth across the Fjord, as well as waiting for the couple that was only half paddling. When our group returned to the beach where we started, they told us we had about 15 minutes to change clothes before the bus would be leaving to take us back to the port. The lady who fell in the water was still wet, but again, she had not read the information provided, so she had not brought a towel or change of clothes. I opted to change as the inside of my kayak was a little wet when I got in it. One of the employees came out with the keys to the bus and asked if everyone was there, we were all accounted for. But then he decided we were not going back on the bus, another guy who has a transportation service was going to come pick us up. I have a feeling they did not want the wet lady on the cloth bus seats. At this point, it was 3:15, our scheduled return time to the port was 3:45, and it was a 20-minute drive away. The all aboard time for the ship was 4:30. They came out and told us 5 more minutes, 10 more minutes etc., multiple times, and instructed us to wait by the same picnic tables and not go anywhere. The guy with the van showed up at 4:10, and we did not get back to the port in Flam till 4:35. We were the last people back on the ship. We also had no time to shop in Flam as the Excursion had left as soon as we arrived in port. If we had gotten back on time, this would be 4 stars.

Rimstigen is by far the best hike in the best fjord in Norway, and it's a hidden gem! The trailhead…read moreis in Bakka, down a small road from Gutvangen. You can park on the side of the road and the trailhead is on the right side of the road just before the bridge. The trail starts as a steep climb...and then continues as a steep climb until the very top! But it is SO worth the pain. All the way up and all the way down are amazing views, and if you are really adventurous, you can keep going up onto the ridge. This trail was an old road the farmers used to take with their herds to take them to the summer grazing fields, so it connects several cities if you're willing to hike far enough. It would be a fun multi-day hike if you are up for it! Naeroyfjord is easily one of the most beautiful things in Norway. Partly because no one else is going to be there while you're there, and partly because it is such a small fjord, you can easily access all parts of it and see across the fjord without a problem.

What a beautiful hike! We parked in the free lot hopeful to make it to the top for the view with…read moreour nine-year-old daughter. After an hour of hiking up, we decided to go back down. Despite an early end, we loved the beautiful views, the design-forward hut along the way, and benches overlooking the water. Near the parking lot is a little playground our daughter enjoyed.

Easily one of the best things we did in Norway! Not only did we love Balestrand (at the foot of the…read moretrail), but this was one of the prettiest hikes we did all trip. We went in July and there was still several feet of snow near the top, so take sturdy, closed shoes (I wore Chacos-big mistake). Took about 2.5 hours up, 2 hours back down, and the trail was well marked the entire way.

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

There's some weird things that have happened to me during my adventure here in Europe but nothing…read moreas bizarre as what happened yesterday. During a random hike, at some random place I picked to hike, called Kongevegen (King's road), I was chased down by a rabid herd of goats. I was near the end of my hike towards an old 18th century bridge built next to an old Viking era stone bridge when I heared bells clanging, hundreds it sounded like, and it got louder and louder barreling down the hill towards my location. This trail meanders through forests and open grasslands full of sheep and other farm animals. There are gates that you simply pass through and close behind you but you pass by private property it seems like. Back home somebody would have a shotgun ready to gun you down from stepping into their private property, but not here, I passed by farmers going on about their daily routines and waving to say "Hallo!" Very friendly bunch these Norwegians...but back to the goats...Yes there I was finally making it to the fabled stone bridge and a pack of rabid horned goats ready to mow me down. I quickly ran towards the nearest wooden gate at the end of the bridge and quickly locked it from behind me. The goats dared follow me closer but to no avail...whatever drove these crazy animals to chase me is beyond comprehension - maybe because of what I was wearing? All red.

Norway is a beautiful picturesque country with many lovely waterfalls. Tvindefossen is one of…read morethese beauties. It is located less than 10 miles from the town of Voss. Our Norwegian friends took us here. We were the only ones so we had the waterfall all to ourselves. Parking lot was empty and the souvenir shop already closed. It was late that summer evening, but you would never know it in the land of the midnight sun. Highly recommend dropping by to admire this waterfall if you are anywhere close by. It is not the tallest or largest waterfall in the country, but it is a sight to behold especially if you are a nature lover.

Fun nature center that was part of the tour. Ecological history throughout the museum to teach…read moreabout the fauna and flora. I especially loved the widescreen aerial footage over the fjords. The vast beauty of the landscape is breathtaking.

Our Viking Cruise ship docked in Eidfjord, which was small but mighty in terms of it's stunning…read morescenery. Gayle and I enjoyed walking around town (and surroundings) in the morning, and in the afternoon we took a tour bus for a short journey to the Norsk Natursenter Hardanger or Norwegian Nature Center. One really cool feature of the Nature Center compound is the grass roof on one of the buildings, including a small shed for the goats. That building also houses a decent gift shop and a cafe. The Center itself does a nice job of showcasing various aspects of Norwegian nature, climate, and the environment. It's also an authorised visitor's centre for Hardangervidda National Park. It was a well presented and good learning experience for both of us. And it made us wish for more time in this gorgeous part of Norway.