Summer’s finally here! The days are longer and the temperature’s warmer. There is a feeling of fun and the hustle and bustle of activities in the air. Got a couple of free weekends to spare? Read on for a list of places you can travel to for a great weekend trip! (Plus my personal reviews)
Rixen CableSki Waterpark
Where is it: 5 km from the town of Flekkefjord, Norway
Distance from Stavanger: 150 km south of Stavanger
How to get there: By car (1.5 hours), by train (2 hours), by bus (2 hours)
Where to stay: This can be a daytrip but if you would like not to have to drive up and down, you can try Egenes Camping or any of the Flekkefjord Hotels.
Recommended for: Teenagers and adults. (However, I remember seeing 5 year-olds cableskiing as well, so….)
First things first, what exactly is cable waterskiing?
Cable-Skiing or Cable Wakeboarding is basically water skiing or wakeboarding using the pull of a cable system that goes continuously around the lagoon. At any one time, up to 8 riders can be on the water simultaneously. However, that’s not all…at Rixen, there is something for everyone! There’s a cosy cafe and the non-skiiers are not forgotten: you can learn to ski or wakeboard, enjoy a game of beach volleyball, sunbathe by the beach and have a fun time on the trampoline!
You have the option of paying for the use of the cableski park by hours, days, weeks or by getting a season card.
Normal equipment is for all to use and is included in the price but if you want a specific board or skis, you’ll need to rent them there.
My thoughts: I went there with my husband and another couple. We had a blast! It was an easy drive down, just follow E39 south to Flekkefjord and you’ll see the cableski park on your left right before you reach Flekkefjord. We stopped for lunch in Egersund. Though my friends have not tried waterskiing before, they are skiiers and picked it up really quickly. It was the same for my husband with wakeboarding – he snowboards and skateboards so there was transference of skill. We bought a 3-hour card and after 2 hours, we girls were spent and spent the rest of the afternoon chilling on the large float they had while the boys continued their fun. If you are a beginner, they have lessons for you and the employees give you tips all the time. We drove back to Stavanger the same day but it would have been nice to spend the night in Flekkefjord and waterski and wakeboard again the next day. It would definitely be a place where I would return to this summer!!
Kristiansand Dyreparken (Kristiansand Zoo)
Where is it: Kristiansand, Norway
Distance from Stavanger: 250 km south of Stavanger
How to get there: By car (3.5 hours), by train (3 hours), by plane (45 mins). Map here.
Where to stay: Variety of locations available here.
Recommended for: All ages
Few parks cover such a variety as the Kristiansand Zoo, which is why the Zoo likes to call themselves “The Living Park”. Just 11 km east of Kristiansand you will find the most beautiful and natural zoo, with scenery and environment in abundance.
Dyreparken is actually five separate parks, including a water park (bring bathing suits and towels); a forested park; an entertainment park; a theme park; and a zoo, which contains an enclosure for Scandinavian animals such as wolves and elk, a large breeding ground for Bactrian camels, and exotic animals such as lions and tigers. In the zoo, the Africa exhibition allows you to move along a bridge observing native savanna animals such as giraffe and zebras. The park is 11 km (6 mi) east of town.
Kristiansand Zoo is Norway`s most 
frequently visited attraction covering an area of 150 acres of wild Nordic terrain. It is totally different from other European zoos, which are characterised by bars and heavy padlocks. In Kristiansand Zoo, the animals have wide open spaces in which to roam – however, the visitors are still able to get up close to observe some of the most beautiful animals – like the red panda, which is threatened by extinction.
The first part of the rain forest is alive with a variety of apes and monkeys. Here you will find an open air area where some of the smaller monkeys run wild amongst the trees and climbling areas and swing on the ropes while you can move amongst them! Deeper into the rain forest, the mist and the humid atmosphere, dark and scary passages lead the way to crocodiles, alligators and many other reptiles – You will find more than 800 animals and birds living in as much freedom as possible in a natural environment.
The park has many kilometres of good paths throughout, to enable visitors the possibility to roam for hours. Kristiansand Zoo is working very closely with the World Wild-life Foundation to help save animals under threat of extinction. It offers you the opportunity to see the Nordic wolf, lynx and wolverine in their natural environment.
A trip to Cardamom 
Town (Kardemomme by) is recommended. The town is based on a well-known children’s story written by Thorbjørn Egner and you will meet all the Kardemomme by’s characters from the book in the park’s main season!
The park is full of surprises – not only will you find animals, but there is also a “Summer Island” (a bathing area), with heated swimming pools. Watch the Pirates battle it out from the Black Lady ship, while you enjoy an ice cream. It’s paradise for both young and old… The Living Park is a place to be remembered – a park to be revisited…
My thoughts: 6 of us 
went to the zoo – we had a 3 year old, a 13 year old and 4 adults with ages ranging from 27 to 32. Everyone had a great time! There was a wide range of different animals in open enclosures and one could really get a close look at the animals. My 3 year old niece was fascinated by the lions and she had a blast in the petting zoo as well! The 13 year old enjoyed the amusement rides and so did I! Don’t forget to bring along your swimwear! You can choose to buy a one or 2 day pass to the zoo.
After the day at the zoo, enjoy a good seafood meal in the town of Kristiansand – great atmosphere and fantastic food! Take some time to do some shopping in Kristiansand too.
TrollAktiv – Troll Mountain
Where is it: Evje, Norway. Map here
Distance from Stavanger: 250km southeast of Stavanger
How to get there: By car, about 4 hours.
Where to stay: Rent tepee tents or rooms in the youth hostel or a holiday house.
Recommended for: Teenagers and Adults
TrollAktiv – Troll Mountain 
TrollAktiv AS operates from Setesdal Rafting & Activity Centre, situated beside the river Otra, 7 km north of the town of Evje. The centre can cater for corporate groups, school parties, individual tourists or outdoor education courses. TrollAktiv is a professional provider with a wide range of activities. They can offer 20 different activity packages all within 10 minutes driving distance of its rafting centre. All are organised as half-day packages.
The centre’s aim is to provide quality adventure products, safe and professional guiding or instruction, good equipment, clean accommodation, wholesome food and a friendly service.
Activities:
Rafting
Rock climbing
Canoeing
Axe-throw, Rifle and Bow and arrow
Bronco Riding 
Water Skiing and Wakeboard
Climbing wall and Zip wire
Fishing safari
Gokart
Golf
Inline skating
Mountain biking
Mountain trekking
Paintball
Pro Rafting and Riverboard
River kayak
Kids kayak school
Sailing
Team Challenges
Wildlife safaris
Telemark skiing
Mineral park
My thoughts: My friends and I rented a cabin for the weekend. The car trip took about 4.5 hours with rest stops. The cabin which we stayed in was nice and clean and had cooking facilities for us to make our own meals. We did whitewater rafting – we started off with a briefing (in English) then suited up and went on to learn how to work as a team to steer the raft. Before we actually whitewater rafted, we were taught how to swim against the current to the river banks and we all had to jump in the water to show that we could do it. We rafted (with an experienced guide) down the river twice! It was an exhilarating experience!! Unfortunately we did not get time to try out the other activities but we’ll be back!! The centre also had a table tennis table and a foozball machine. We had fun with those too!
Sørlandsbadet, VikingLand
Where is it: Lyngdal, Norway
Distance from Stavanger: 180 km south of Stavanger
How to get there: By car (2.5 hours), by train (2.75 hours), by bus (3 hours)
Where to stay: I stayed at Rosfjord Strandhotell but there are many other fine places to stay. Check out also Kvavik Camping.
Recommended for: All ages. You can also drive to the Dyreparken in Kristiansand from Lyngdal.
In this area, there are hotels, camping places and caravan parks for families. There are numerous playgrounds and other activities for your children. Have a splashing good time in Sørlandsbadet (Map here) (Don’t forget to pamper yourself at the Spa) and go back in time in VikingLand.
Bergen
Where is it: North of Stavanger, Norway
Distance from Stavanger: 190 km north of Stavanger
How to get there: By car (5 hours), by bus (5 hours), by flight (40 mins)
Where to stay: Check out hotels here.
Recommended for: All ages
Bergen is the 2nd largest city in Norway, with a population of 210 000. It is an important cultural hub in its region. There are many activities to do and sights to see in Bergen. These are among the top few recommended:
Fløyfjell
Bergen Aquarium
Hanseatic Museum
Market Square
Bryggen
Hope you’ll have fun this summer! Nothing beats getting away for the weekend and feeling totally refreshed after!
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About Cynthia Myrnes
Cynthia is a Singaporean who has been living in Stavanger since Feb 2008 with her Norwegian husband. She works as a physiotherapist here and also owns her own petsitting service, Stavanger Petsitter, for the residents of Stavanger. In addition, she manages the Stavanger International Moms group. She loves hanging out with friends, spending time with animals, travelling and watersports such as scuba diving and wake boarding. Most of all, she is enjoying the experience of being a first time mom!
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