The happiest place on earth
Shah Shamshiri is ecstatic as beautiful Norway more than lives up to his expectations
SCANDINAVIAN countries have always been on my travel bucket list. Simply because it’s not a typical choice for Malaysians visiting Europe and also because of the beautiful natural phenomenon known as Aurora Borealis, better known as the Northern Lights.
I finally stepped foot on Scandinavian soil, specifically Norway, late last year. It was the end of autumn when I arrived in Oslo, the Norwegian capital. The weather was quite cold but pleasant nevertheless.
Located in Northern Europe, Norway is the closest neighbour of Finland and Sweden and currently ranks No.1 in the World Happiness Report.
Like the other Scandinavian countries, it is a well-developed nation, with an impressive public transportation network.
The Oslo International Airport is connected to the city via a high-speed train known as the Flytoget, which takes passengers to and from the city centre within 20 minutes despite the 50km distance.
From the Oslo Central Station, visitors can visit almost every part of the city via tramways, buses, underground metro trains and other similar modes of transportation.
A user-friendly service, the public transportation utilises an integrated oneticket-for-all system, which saves users from buying new ticket each time they change their mode of transportation.
The ticket is however sold according to the zones and number of passengers. Those purchasing their tickets online can just download the given barcodes onto their mobile phones as proof of purchase.
AWESOME OSLO
The city centre of Oslo is quite a sight to behold. The city has been masterfully planned in a systematic manner with beautiful buildings adorning every street and corner.
From traditionally designed shophouses to ultra-modern skyscrapers, Oslo has it all.
The fastest (and perhaps easiest) way to see the city is by catching a ride on the famous Hop-On Hop-Off buses which pass its most important sites.
A must-visit for firsttime visitors is the Oslo Opera House.
Tourists are encouraged to climb up to the roof of the futuristic building and enjoy the city’s breathtaking scenery.
In fact, its meticulously designed glass windows of the Opera House give life to the reflection of the facade of the opposite
buildings. It is also the perfect spot to witness the sunset.
Apart from the main shopping street known as Karl Johans Gate, other gorgeous buildings include City Hall and the Nobel Peace Centre building which was conceptualised from the Nobel Peace Prize itself.
For a different angle of the city, I visited the beautiful Ekeberg Garden on Ekeberg Hill, which is famous for its artistic sculptures and Ekeberg Restaurant which serves some of the best Norwegian cuisine. It also has a mind-blowing view of the city.
Not far from the residential area of the Majorstuen district lies the Vigeland Sculpture Park. It is the world’s largest sculpture park made by a single artist, and is one of Norway’s most popular tourist attractions. The park is open to visitors all year round.
The unique sculpture park is Gustav Vigeland’s lifework with more than 200 sculptures in bronze, granite and wrought iron.
Not far from the park, within the Schultz Gate residential vicinity, is La Sada, a cosy neighbourhood Italian restaurant which cooks up some delicious seafood and Italian dishes.
BEAUTIFUL AURORA
From Oslo, I flew north to chase my dreams in the quaint town of Tromso. Tromso is popular with tourists as it is where most people go to view the Northern Lights.
Even though it was autumn, Tromso was already covered in snow. Under the falling snow, I was greeted by representatives from Arctic Drive who were ready to take me on my Northern Light adventure.
We drove for more than two hours and crossed the Finnish border to the town of Kilpis where the phenomenon was usually witnessed.
As many would have heard, the sighting of the Aurora Borealis depended on luck.
However, luck was on my side after less than an hour of waiting at the lookout point. The dancing lights greeted us and I saw the Aurora Borealis in all her glory. A glimmering green in a night full of stars, she made her way from one point to another.
I could feel the excitement trickling down my nerve and my smile was of course bigger than usual. Things got even better as my tour was accompanied by Kjetil Hanssen, an award-winning photographer who has immortalised the natural wonder several times.
Most tour companies would provide photographers as the phenomenon could not be captured on a normal camera phone.
The following night, I went on a night cruise on board a catamaran and enjoyed a night under the stars with Kurt Larsen of the Arctic Cruise. She cooked us a simple yet delicious dinner of salmon soup.
On my final day in Tromso, I went on an open boat tour with the people of Green Gold of Norway to witness Tromo’s breathtaking scenery.
We wore special suits to ensure that we would not freeze and yes, it was quite an experience. But it was worth it!
Norway lives up to my expectations and so much more. I can now understand why it tops the world’s happiest list as everything in the country (from the people, to the food and the places) is bound to make you happy.