What would it be like for you to travel and experience some unique hiking trails around the world? There are numerous good choices, so we begin this series with three special hikes that we believe you would enjoy and would create some good memories.
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE TONGUE OF A TROLL?
TROLLTUNGA TRAIL
How would you like to discover some of the most beautiful places on earth? Norway is a great choice for you to see many natural wonders that include spectacular scenery and some of the best hiking trails around the world.
Norway is famous for its beautiful fjords and they are just about everywhere. They are long and narrow deep inlets of the sea between tall cliffs that were created during the last Ice Age when the ice cut through the tall mountains. They are just waiting for you to be discovered and explored through hiking, sailing, kayaking, diving and camping.
Trolltunga Trail translates into the Troll’s Tongue and is one of Norway’s most famous and breathtaking sights to explore the beauty of the country. It is an astonishing rock formation and famous cliff that was formed from glacier erosion during the ice age about 10,000 years ago. It is a piece of rock that looks like a tongue sticking out and gives you some tremendous views of the deep fjord, crystal clear blue water and some breathtaking scenery. The Troll’s Tongue was named after the Trolls, which are depicted as ugly cave-dwelling creatures being either giants or dwarfs.
Trolltunga Trail is near the small village of Skjeggedal (municipality of Odda) and about 6 hours away from Oslo. A great place to stay overnight before and after your hike is the Trolltunga Hotel, where you can get a taste of the local culture and cuisine.
It is important to have the right type of travel insurance when you are visiting other countries and especially when you are exploring hiking trails around the world and other outdoor activities. Good Neighbor Insurance is here for you to provide the best policies and service for your trips.
You will get to hike through mountain terrain with a strenuous and demanding trail. For this effort, you will take in some spectacular views and the perfect place to take some great photos. The scenery is captivating and the hike has some incredible views out over lakes and snow-capped mountains.
The hike starts in Skjeggedal and takes about 8 – 12 hours to complete (almost 18 miles), so it is best to start early in the morning. It is a long and challenging hike, so it is important to be in good physical shape and fully prepared with your comprehensive travel insurance from Good Neighbor.
You will encounter all types of terrain. It will be grassy, rocky, wet, dry, muddy, snowy and slushy. The temperature and weather can change quite a bit from the start to reaching the top, where it is always colder. Although you do not need a hiking guide for this trail, it can be very helpful to have one to give you some of the background and assistance to make the hike more enjoyable.
The first part of the hike is the most strenuous part, as you are climbing some steep stone steps and gravel trails until the terrain levels out. There are ropes for some of the steeper sections to provide some extra support. After this initial climb, you can take some pictures of the great view of the valley and lake.
Once you get past this part of the trail, it levels out for a bit and then you encounter some smaller climbs through a mountaintop valley. As you move upward, there are some amazing panoramic views of the countryside. You will have a chance to cross many streams and creeks along with climbing over some large rocks.
As you hike further upward, you will come across an impressive valley with a few lakes. You will get a wonderful view of lake Ringedalsvatnet and at this point there is a flatter terrain where most of the climbing is behind you and then you will come upon a nice waterfall.
With the toughest part of the hike completed, you will come around a bend and approach the spectacular Trolltunga. You have finally arrived-yeah! You have earned the right to take some time at this beautiful viewpoint and enjoy the unforgettable scenery.
After you pass some rocks, you will reach the back of the tongue. This is the moment you’ve been waiting for. You can take some great shots and pose for some very unique pictures on the tongue. It is even possible to sit on the tip with your legs hanging over the edge, as there is an incline that makes it less intimidating to accomplish.
After completing this hike, you will feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment from this adventuresome experience. As long as you are in the area, you may want to check out some great waterfall experiences. The Latefoss Waterfall and The Valley of Waterfalls are some good choices.
As you travel to these great hiking trails around the world, make sure you don’t forget your passport and be properly prepared with the best travel insurance from Good Neighbor , where you will serviced by our experienced travel experts.
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ARE YOU UP FOR THE HIMALAYAS?
GHOREPANI POON HILL TREK
Nepal is home to some of the friendliest and engaging people you will ever meet. It offers an incredible diversity of scenery, including the magnificent Himalayan mountains, wildlife viewing options and tropical lowland plains in the south. You will find some monasteries, temples and historical monuments throughout the country.
The country is known as a hiker’s paradise for what it has to offer. You don’t have to be a hard-core climber or climb to the top of Mt. Everest to take advantage of some spectacular hiking in Nepal. There are some good choices for inexperienced trekkers with some great views and a chance to observe local culture.
You don’t have to have a guide, although everything is organized for you and you learn a great deal with a local expert, as well as protecting your safety. Find out more at: https://nepalindependentguide.com/
It is important to have the right type of travel insurance when you are visiting other countries and especially when you are exploring hiking trails around the world and other outdoor activities. Good Neighbor Insurance is here for you to provide the best policies and service for your trips. If you live in the U.S., one of our good short term plan to meet your coverage needs is our Pivot Plan. If you reside outside the U.S., our Atlas Plan will give you the best coverage to meet your needs.
Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek is a top choice for many visitors that do not have extensive hiking experience and would like to get a taste of hiking in the region and enjoy the beauty of snow-capped mountains. It is a quick 30-minute flight from Kathmandu to reach Pokhara From Pokhara, it’s just 1 ½ hours to Nayapul, where you will start the hike.
The hike is relatively easy and can be completed in 3– 5 days. It gives you a good taste of trekking without committing to 16 days on a trail. This popular trek is well marked and there are many guesthouses (tea houses) and restaurants serving Nepali and western food to give you a taste of the local culture.
You will hike through farms, terraced rice fields, waterfalls and forests. There are beautiful mountain views throughout the trail. Parts of the trail take you through nature trails and through forests and other parts are stone steps that are between the villages.
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DAY 1 Nayapul to Tikhedhunga.
The walk takes you on a gravel road as you pass a number of villages on the way, along with plenty of restaurants to stop and have a meal or get a snack. It is an easy and gradual uphill climb with the river along the side as you experience the farms and small villages.
There are a few suspension bridges we would walk on throughout the trail. You will also encounter plenty of mules along the way as they carry goods and supplies to the various villages.
Eventually, you will reach Tikhedunga and its time to find a guest house to spend the night. Most are clean and covering the basics- a room with a bed, shower facilities and usually a restaurant on site.
DAY 2 TIKHEDHUNGA TO GHOREPANI:
After a good night’s sleep and a breakfast with some local choices, you are ready to start hiking for the day. This section of the trail is the most challenging with many steps to climb. You will get a chance to walk on some narrow suspension bridges along the way. You will also pass some terraced hillsides that contain corn fields and then another beautiful green forest. There are also some beautiful cascading waterfalls along the way that provide a relaxing and peaceful atmosphere.
The higher you claim, the better views you have of the Himalayas. These sights alone are worth all of the effort required. After all of this effort, it will be a beautiful sight for you to see the arches of the sign that welcomes you to Ghorepani. It was another day of accomplishment and time to get a good night’s sleep.
DAY 3 GHOREPANI TO POON HILL AND GHOREPANI TO GHANDRUK
It is recommended that you start the day early to get a chance to see an incredible sunrise from the popular Poon Hill viewpoint. There is a vigorous hike up to poon hill, but you will be rewarded with a most phenomenal panoramic view of the mountain ranges. The views all around are breathtaking and its definitely worth it to spend an hour for a part of the journey that you will always remember.
The next portion of the hike involves a nice steady climb to observe some of the majestic peaks of the Himalayas as you reach higher elevations. There are some local villages where you can stop for lunch and get some rest. It gets colder and colder, so it is important to have the proper clothing and supplies to continue the hike. You will find many guest houses to stay overnight and there are some good restaurants to relax and enjoy the evening.
For the ride back to Pokhara, there are jeeps and buses that will get you there in about 2 ½ hours. Now you can absorb everything you have experienced on this adventure and have a deeper appreciation for what Nepal has to offer and what a special destination it is for the hiker. After this experience, you are now ready to think about some of those two-week hikes for the future.
Once again, make sure you have the right type of travel insurance when you are visiting other countries and especially when you are exploring hiking trails around the world and other outdoor activities. Good Neighbor Insurance is here for you to provide the best policies and service for your trips.
If you live in the U.S., one of our good short term plan to meet your coverage needs is our Pivot Plan. If you reside outside the U.S., our Atlas Plan will give you the best coverage to meet your needs.
ARE YOU READY FOR A HOUSEBOAT ADVENTURE?
Tanjung Puting National Park
If you are like me, a chance to cruise on a real houseboat through a rain forest is an opportunity you can’t turn down. It is an adventure that you will never forget.
Kalimantan is famous for its orangutan and rainforests. It has one of the most breathtaking equatorial rainforests on the planet. There are all kinds of adventures into the deep and vast jungles where you will find all kinds of captivating wildlife.
One of the most famous and popular tourist destinations for international travelers is Tanjung Putting National Park. It is home to the largest population of wild orangutans in the world and offers unique and adventurous river cruises through the rainforest. Orangutans are an endangered species due to deforestation of the rain forest. To reach the park, flights operate from Jakarta and other major cities to Pangkalan each day. Once you reach Pangkalan Bun, you will travel down Sekonyer River by boat.
When traveling overseas and especially for exploring various hiking trails around the world and other adventuresome outdoor activities, it is highly recommended that tourists use Travel Insurance. Good Neighbor Insurance is the perfect company to meet your insurance needs with helpful and responsive customer service.
Good Neighbor Insurance is here for you to provide the best policies and service for your trips. If you live in the U.S., one of our good short term plan to meet your coverage needs is Our Pivot Plan . If you reside outside the U.S., our Atlas Plan will give you the best coverage to meet your needs.
In addition to the orangutans you will also see proboscis monkeys, red monkeys, long-tailed macaque and silvered langur, lizards and exotic birds like hornbills and kingfisher to name just a few of the species. If you look carefully enough, you may even spot a crocodile or two in the midst of the dense rainforest as you are enjoying the flora and fauna. It will be a memorable experience that you will never forget.
The best way to experience the orangutans firsthand is a houseboat tour down the river to see them in the wild and to watch them swinging from tree to tree through the thick vegetation.
You can have the unique experience of cruising through the jungle in a small wooden boat called a klotok. You will live on board the boat while you explore through the rivers and creeks.
The boat layout is simple, as the top deck includes a dining table, mattress and some chairs. There is a galley and upper viewing deck and all meals are typically included and are skillfully prepared giving you a taste of the local cuisine. Many tourists have mentioned that sleeping on the deck of the boat in the middle of the jungle was an unforgettable experience.
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The relaxing ride deep into the rainforest gives you a chance to spot some orangutans in the wild. Usually it doesn’t take long to spot some monkeys up in the trees. In keeping an eye on the treetops, you will likely spot some orangutans swinging from the treetops.
Tanjung Harapan camp:
After cruising for a few hours, the first stop is Tanjung Harapan camp. On this stop, you begin hiking through the jungle to the first feeding station. The staff put some food out and ‘throw’ some calls to attract the orangutans to a platform where they will eat bananas and corn. As you make your way further into the park, there are more feeding stations to check out and you will see many of these great apes playfully swinging through the treetops as they feed on bananas.
Pondok Tanggui
On the next part of the journey, you will stop at Pondok Tanggui. You will likely see proboscis monkeys hanging in the trees and crossing the river. After walking down a long wooden path, you will find another feeding station to check out. On your way, you will watch orangutans swinging from tree to tree through the thick vegetation.
CAMP LEAKEY
After a short hike you will encounter a local village. Most of these villages are only accessible via kotok or canoe. At this point, you will arrive at Camp Leakey, which is a legendary orangutan rehabilitation camp funded by the famous Paleo-anthropologist Louis Leakey.
There are various orangutan studies and the camp now provides a base for scientists, students, park rangers and staff.
You will get a chance to observe various orangutans in their mostly wild environment along with wild boar and other types of monkeys. It is fun to watch the younger orangutans swinging from tree to tree. You may also observe mothers and their babies as some make their way down from the trees and walk along the side of the trail.
Hopefully, these three hikes will whet your appetite to explore some of the many great hiking trails around the world. There are so many unique and fascinating hikes to enjoy and a chance to spend time exploring various terrains and meeting some interesting people. It can be a tremendous sense of challenge and accomplishment to experience these various habitats and well worth your time.
Remember to always use Good Neighbor Insurance to provide the best policies and service for your trips.
If you live in the U.S., one of our good short term plan to meet your coverage needs is Our Pivot Plan. If you reside outside the U.S., our Atlas Plan will give you the best coverage to meet your needs.
