Norway, Oslo ~ Feb 2019
Updated: Mar 25, 2019
With Air Tickets on black friday for merely ₤5, it was too hard to resist such a deal, so we booked a return flight to Oslo, roughly 3 months ahead of the deal. To be honest, it was the single cheapest thing we had throughout our 3 days in Oslo. With an average meal ranging from ₤12 to ₤16 (20-27 SGD), and return transport to the airport being ₤18 (30 SGD), I simply could not fathom how much I would spend if I were to go there on an exchange program, much less living as a student there.
Day 1:
Upon arriving at oslo, we purchased a 48 hours oslo pass, which covers transport and entry into almost all museums. It was a pretty good deal since we weren’t planning to leave oslo for this trip.
We settled for lunch at fiskeriet youngstorget, where I had the best fish and chips I ever had in my life (albeit being the most expensive at 24SGD).
The first day was pretty chill (literally and figuratively), and even though the weather forecast said that it was 3 degrees, the whole place was covered with snow, sometimes shin deep.
Our accommodation for all 3 nights was an Airbnb apartment at Lindemans gate 2B near the Frogner pass station. It was pretty darn convenient considering that it was only a 12 minutes tram ride to Oslo sentrum. In addition, it was only ₤20 per person per night, nearly the same price as a meal would cost.
Day 2:
On the second day, we began our museum tour, starting out at the Norwegian museum of cultural history. It was a museum like no other I have been to, simply because it was mostly outdoors, with a replica of the old parliament and the shop being the only things indoor. There were many buildings on the outside, mainly that of old Norwegian houses, cars, and even a playground.
After a tour of the Folkemuseum, we walked to the Viking ship museum (literally 5 minutes away), and witnessed the architectural genius of the Vikings as well as the ships they used for their raids.
Not being particularly intrigued by large wooden ships, we moved on to the next museum, the Norwegian Maritime Museum. The Maritime Museum featured the history of ships used by the Norwegians as well as their navy, but the most interesting thing we did there was to play with the bumper ships, play with snakes, and mess with ropes. As much as the museum was informative, we had our fair share of fun and laughter as well.
After a morning of museums, we headed off for lunch at Kaffistova which was pretty much a Norwegian version of a Swedish Ikea Restaurant. Wei Loon had reindeer meat, and it’s closest description would be beef but with extra pepper.
After filling our stomachs, we headed off to the Nobel Peace museum, one of the main highlights of Oslo, where the Nobel Peace Prize is given out every year. The museum had several highlights, some of which highlighted the atrocities of mankind, while others highlighted the deeds of kindness and the admirable determination of the laureates in striving towards a better world. A trip around the exhibition makes one ponder about the existence of good and evil. Is anyone truly evil when they are the heroes in their perspective?
With the days ending early in winter, we headed back to our apartment to catch up on our lectures (we might skip school but we do make up for it whenever we can), and had some delicious (but expensive) Indian food at Curry & Ketchup.
Day 3:
As the weather forecast predicted that there would be clear skies, we woke up early to catch the sunrise, and we weren’t disappointed. With pink skies, frozen ground, and heaps of snow all over the place, it was a sight to behold. It would have been an amazing setting to go for a jog if only it wasn’t so cold.
After having our fair share of the cold, we headed back to the apartment and ended up sleeping till noon (still astonished at how we managed to spend such a clear and beautiful day in bed). Awake and refreshed, we headed for lunch at Dognvill Burger Vulkan. The burgers there were fantastic, but then again with the prices we had to pay (18£), quality would have been a given.
After lunch, we headed for a boat tour around the islands of Oslo, where we witnessed the beautiful fjords. In addition to the clear blue skies, the sceneries were really breathtaking, and definitely worth a second trip to. Sadly we did not have enough time to step off the ship to explore the islands, but then again it was really cold as well so we were not too inclined to do so.
After our tour of the islands, we had dinner at Rice Bowl, a Thai restaurant that served pretty fantastic Thai Food, and went back to our apartment for some Panopto.
With our flight at 11am, we did not do much on our last day. However, what we did catch was the beautiful sunrise at the train station.
All in all, the trip was pretty chill, and I would definitely recommend a short trip to Oslo(2 days or so). Below is the estimated expenditure for the 72h trip:
1) Return Tickets to Stansted Airport and Oslo Airport (38£)
2) Air Tickets (10£)
3) Accommodation for 3 nights (60£)
4) Food (100£)
5) Oslo Pass – covers transport, museums, as well as discounts at some restaurants (47£)
Total: 255£ (450SGD)
Tips:
Save some money by travelling with National Express (and get a coach card if you are a frequent traveller) to Stansted Airport. Ryanair also offers really cheap tickets, but be sure to visit this website to ensure you don’t get wrongfully charged: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/ryanair-tips/
Wear warm clothing, you never know when the temperature will drop to -10 degree Celsius.
If you are not willing to spend money on food, bring some energy bars over.
