AUGUST TRAVEL IDEAS

Iconic hikes in Norway and Japan,
Balloon Fiesta in Bristol
and Notting Hill Carnival

ON THE TIP OF TROLLTUNGA

One of the most spectacular cliffs in Norway can be accessed only a few weeks during the year. You will most likely read that one can hike to Troll’s tongue from mid June until mid-September, however nature is nature and sometimes stubborn snow does not want to follow the travel guide suggestions and melts down to a safe level only in July. Therefore, to hedge one’s bets, especially if you are buying air tickets ahead, it is a good idea to plan Trolltunga in August. It is a whole day (22 km return) and rather strenuous hike with different levels of elevation and changing weather conditions (as well as awesome views behind every turn!). Similarly challenging is getting to the trail starting point in Skjeggedal. This is due to lack of public transportation and steep mountain carway (for those who decide to drive). But challenges are essential element of adventure, right? All in all, ask a thousand travellers and you will hear the same response – hiking Trolltunga  it is extraordinary, breathtaking experience and is well worth it.

If it is your first time in Bergen area – essentials would also be taking a scenic train from Myrdal to Flam, continued with the famous fjord cruise and its unforgettable views  (can be done in reverse as well). Plan your trip carefully and be cautious at all times

SUNRISE AT THE TOP OF FUJI-SAN

To stand above the clouds on the top of Japan’s sacred mountain and watch sun rising over the ocean is a special experience and a lifetime memory. Japanese Fuji mount official climbing season lasts only through July and August. There is no snow at the top at this time of the year and the rest huts are open at different stops along the trails. Since the most popular time to climb Fuji is at night, rest huts provide for a couple of hours of nap, and they also offer food, water and necessities such as… oxygen. Oxygen bottles sold here help you to maintain the pace in the extremely thin air of the higher altitudes, and hot bowl of fragrant ramen soup that you can buy at the summit is a real blessing after a long, exhausting, freezing and damp ascend. The downside of climbing mount Fuji in summer is abundance of other pilgrims. The final section of the way where all the trails meet as well as the summit itself get rather congested, especially during the Obon holiday period in the mid August.

August is vacation time for millions of europeans. It makes sense to avoid beautiful beaches of Italy, France, Spain and Portugal, as well as most of Greece and Croatia – they will be jam packed! Needless to say that this means not only fighting for a spot on the beach or by the pool, or for a table at dinner, but also limited choice of hotels and inflated flight prices.

Head to the UK instead:

BRISTOL AND SOUTH WEST

The spectacular Bristol Balloon Fiesta will take place from the 10th to 13th of August in 2023. Best photos you may have found in the internet accommodate the view of The Clifton Suspension Bridge – true masterpiece of Victorian engineering. To get to the aspiring viewpoint, take a stroll to The Observatory across open green spaces of The Downs (huge area of parkland right on the edge of the city), or settle to an alternative view of the brindge from below, in Hotwells. Another great spot to admire the show is Bristol harbour with it’s famous colorful houses. There will be plenty of spectators, so plan ahead and arrive early.

Where next after Bristol? – Cotswolds are home to the most beautiful English villages and a cup of tea in one of the cafes on the Pulteney bridge in Bath is an extraordinary experience

NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL

Back to the capital, caribbean community will be spreading party vibes in the streets of Notting Hill from the 27th to the 28th of August. Born as a desperate attempt to smooth dramatic racial tension of the 1950, today Notting Hill Carnival is the biggest street festival in Europe, attracting around one million people each year. If you are travelling with the little ones – excite and educate them at a children’s day parade, that is held on Saturdays. For the adults, there will be a fiesta with powerful sound systems shaking the streets on the following Monday. Place is ‘relatively’ empty in the morning, so early birds like us get best views and enjoy dancing along with the participants rather than pushing your way through pedestrian jams. While those who cannot imagine a party without a proper crowd usually arrive in the afternoon. Watching chock-full tube carriages on our way back we were wondering how flexible and compact a human body can become when it needs to get to the party

Photo credits and copyrights: Flickr, PxHere, WikiMedia, UpYourValley