Naustholmen | My trip to Randi Skaug's Adventure Island in Norway
Last February I traveled to the north of Norway to spend four days on an Adventure Island called Naustholmen. Yes, an actual adventure island – how cool is that? It’s the island of Randi Skaug, mostly known because she was the first Norwegian woman that climbed Mount Everest. But she did so much more. I can safely say – she is pretty badass. I carry my stay on this island really close to my heart and I wanted to tell you the story. Buckle up!
It was my mum that discovered the existence of Randi Skaug and her island in Norway. Randi was the guest in an episode of Ben Fogle’s tv show ‘New Lives in The Wild.’ After seeing this episode – my mum was sold. She needed to go to that island and immerse herself in all the great things the island had to offer. It took her about a year or two to actually get there. And I tagged along with 3 of her best friends. It was me an a bunch of 50 year old. Literally. And it was the most fun I’d ever had.
“Okay, but – who is Randi Skaug,” you may ask?
I’ll tell you!
⟶ Randi Skaug, the adventurer.
Randi is a born adventurer, well – I don’t really know about that, but she definitely became an adventurer at the age of 44 when she quit her desk job for good. She has always been a badass woman – from a story I heard on the island, she rode her motorcycle to work and all the female employers were in awe – but that badass attitude only grew when she started her new journey.
Like I said already mentioned, she was the first Norwegian woman to summit Mount Everest, but she also summited the highest mountains is all seven continents. And it doesn’t stop there. She did skiing expeditions in Norway, Greenland and Antartica and to top that - she kayaked round the coast of Norway up to Russia. Oooh and I almost forgot - she traveled to 70 countries. Not a big deal at all. Did I already tell you being an adventurer is her full-time job now? Well, it is. I kinda want to be Randi Skaug. Plus, she is funny as hell and she has tons of stories to tell. I can listen to her for days.
I’m rambling now, moving on!
⟶ & then there was Naustholmen.
So, after her many adventures, she was wondering what she would do next. And then she came across Naustholmen while she was kayaking. And she fell in love. After spending most of her life alone, she wanted to be around more people. She said: “When more than one heart is in the same place, there is energy emerging that is really strong and makes you feel good.” Naustholmen seemed like the right next step in her life. After negotiating with the owner for a while, they finally settled on a price and the island became Randi’s.
Randi’s idea behind the island is the following: “People can come to Naustholmen to experience peacefulness in a world that is not so peaceful.” Simple, but powerful. And what a peaceful experience it was indeed. Naustholmen is situated north of the city of Bodo, in the Steigen area to be more exact. Steigen is a very remote area with mostly only locals living there and very few tourist accommodations which makes it an absolute gem when you don’t like huge crowds and you just want it to be you and the mountains to enjoy some peace and quiet. Bonus: on a good day you can spot the famous Lofoten wall from the island, which is an amazing view. I can teel - because I’ve witnessed it :)
So, that’s how the island came to life and now every year, all year round, Randi welcomes guests from all over the world to the island to entertain them with food, stories and adventures. Okay, okay I’ll tell you about the adventures before you become impatient!
⟶ Let’s go on an adventure.
Randi takes her guest on all sorts of adventures. When I was there in winter, she took us out on the boat for some fishing, we went an a hike in the snow to visit a cave and she took us on a trip around the island at sunset while talking about the trading history of Naustholmen and why that trading business went bankrupt. None of the activities are obligatory and in between those activities you can just, …. take it easy. And that’s what we did. We cozied up in the lounge and told stories to each other, payed games, read, had coffee outside, set up a sauna tent and swam in the ice cold sea, ate delicious food, and so much more. Before I forget: they even made us a seven course dinner one night and it was epic! Oh, and Randi her ceviche is AMAZING! I will never forget that meal. In summer you can also go kayaking, go hiking in the mountains, sleep outside in tents and go climbing.
Naustholmen is amazing! It’s so amazing that people that were guests one day, come back later as volunteers to help Randi take care of the guests. All the lovely staff that was there when I was visiting the island, were once guests at Naustholmen. They just loved the island as much as I did and decided to come back as a volunteer so they could keep enjoying the goodness of the island. And I don’t blame them.
⟶ What it’s all about.
It’s hard to explain the magic of the island when you haven’t been there, but I’ll try.
Naustholmen is a place of peace and quiet. A place where you can just be you. The raw and real you. Nobody will judge you there, because all those people are just like you, beautiful souls that are craving something different in life. Maybe for a little while or maybe they come to the island to gather their thoughts and courage to live the different life they want. It is something really special meeting all these like-minded people from all over the world. It felt like we were all the same, but we were also very very very different. It’s funny when you think about it, but it makes up for some good stories and everyone quickly feels like lifelong friends and even a bit like family. We shared our victories and struggles in life. We laughed a lot. Really loud. But we also cried a few times and that resulted in hugs. It was beautiful and magical.
To me - spending time with people that ‘get’ me is probably what made my stay on the island so special. It’s also the reason why I travel & why I love it so much. Travelers are people who have a different kind of view on life and they tend to accept people more for who they are and to me, that means so much. When I feel that people accept me for who I am and don’t judge - I tend to loosen up and be my true self. When I lived in New Zealand I noticed that I hadn’t been my true self at home in Belgium. I blossomed in New Zealand. It was a really strange experience. And when I got back home I had a really tough time being myself again. At Naustholmen that feeling of being able to be my true self came back and that’s probably why I think it is such a magical place on this planet.
I always think when I find a place like that, I want to keep it for myself, that it doesn’t get too crowded. But I think you should all know about the existence of Naustholmen because you deserve to experience it too. So, that’s why I’m sharing. You’re welcome! Now go and book your spot.
Love,
Caro x
⟶ PS: Naustholmen would be an epic place to have your elopement!
You can book the place to have all to yourselves, or - you can invite a handful of family and friends so they can experience your elopement together with you. I can already picture it. Saying your vows at sunrise all by yourself on top of the hill - have breakfast with your family & friends, go on a fishing trip or do some kayaking, have your ceremony on the beach followed by a BBQ and a dance party under the midnight sun. Or maybe soms Northern Lights? I’ve seen them and they are BEAUTIFUL! If this sounds like you, don’t hesitate to sent Randi a message :) Oh, and take me with you to capture it all. DUH!
