Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Frommer's Favorite Offbeat Adventures
•
Dog Sledding:
Traveling over the frozen tundra or through snow-
laced forests at the speed of a dog can be one of the great experi-
ences of the Nordic world. You can be a passenger, bundled aboard
a sled, or a driver urging on a team of huskies. An outfitter that spe-
cializes in the experience, usually as part of midwinter camping trips
under a canopy of stars, is
Muir's Tours,
Nepal House, 97A Swansea
Rd., Reading, Berkshire RG1 8HA England (
&
0118/950-2281;
www.
nkf-mt.org.uk). Eight-day, all-inclusive tours are conducted in winter
for $1,600 (£842) per person. You're given your own team of four to
six Huskies for this safari. As you ride along, you'll see reindeer along
the side of your trail.
•
Observing Musk Oxen:
A remnant of the last ice age, the musk ox
had become nearly extinct by the 1930s. Between 1932 and 1953,
musk oxen were shipped from Greenland to the Dovrefjell (a
national park that's about an hour's train ride south of Trondheim),
where about 60 still roam. On a safari you can observe this thriving
herd—take along some binoculars—as well as Norway's purest herd
of original mountain reindeer. The park, another remnant of the last
ice age, is Europe's most bountiful wildflower mountain. Accommo-
dations in or near the park can be arranged through
Borton Overseas
(
&
800/843-0602;
www.bortonoverseas.com). Hotel staff members
can direct you to where you're most likely to see the herds.
•
Rafting:
Norway's abundant snow and rainfall and its steep topogra-
phy feed dozens of roaring white-water streams. Experience these
torrents firsthand as part of white-water treks downriver. One of
Norway's most respected river outfitters is
Norwegian Wildlife and
Rafting AS,
Randswerk, N-2680 Vågå (
&
61-23-87-27;
www.nwr.no).
Based in central Norway, about a 90-minute drive north of Lilleham-
mer, the company has a flotilla of devices suitable for helping you
float, meander, or shoot down the white-water streams. Whatever
conveyance you can imagine (paddle boards, kayaks, canoes, or inflat-
able rafts), this company can provide it. Trips last from 1 to 8 days.
takes place from June to September and is best in August. The brown-trout sea-
son varies with altitude.
Fishing in the ocean is free. To fish in lakes, rivers, or streams, anyone over 16
must have a fishing license. The cost of a license to fish in a lake begins at
95NOK ($13); it costs 190NOK ($27) to fish in a river. National fishing
licenses can be purchased at local post offices. For more information, contact the
Bergen Angling Association,
Fosswinckelsgate 37, Bergen (
&
55-32-11-64
).
A U.S.-based company that can arrange fishing (as well as hunting) excursions
anywhere within Norway and the rest of Scandinavia is
Five Stars of Scandi-
navia,
13104 Thomas Rd., KPN, Gig Harbor, WA 98329 (
&
800/722-4126;
www.5stars-of-scandinavia.com). For a truly unusual fishing experience, consider
renting one of their old-fashioned fishermen's cottages in the isolated Lofoten
Islands. The rustic-looking, fully renovated cottages each lie adjacent to the sea
and evoke 19th-century isolation in a way that can be wondrous or terrifying,