Chapter 4 : Aurland & Flåm
Episode 4: From Aurland to Flam City
We overnight at a huge cabin in Aurland and when I say huge, I really mean it. It didn’t feel like a cabin at all. It felt like a proper house dropped in the middle of nature. Surrounded by mountains, cold fresh air, and silence that you can literally hear.
Staying there came with rules. Quite strict ones, actually. Before checking out, we had to do self-cleaning; vacuum the floor, wash the dishes, take out the trash, and remove bedsheets. No hotel service here, everything DIY. Somehow, it made the stay feel more real. Like we were truly living there, not just visiting.
After we arrived, my mom and Ustazah cooked Nyonya instant noodles. Three packs for all of us, plus blueberries on the side. Simple meal, but when you’re in cold weather and surrounded by mountains? It tasted like 5-star comfort food. We ate together, laughed, and Alhamdulillah…We ate together and felt so full.
The next morning in Aurland was breathtaking.
Subuh light slowly touched the fjord. From the window, we could see the massive Aurlandsfjord stretching between the mountains, calm, blue, majestic. The kind of view that makes you pause and say, “Ya Allah, it's so beautiful,"
We dressed up, took lots of pictures, had a short morning briefing, and even did group photos with the fjord as our background. The air was so fresh it felt like free therapy.
After that, we headed to Stegastein Viewpoint. The drive up was winding and slightly scary, but when we reached the top… speechless. The viewpoint extends out 30 meters from the mountainside, like you’re floating above the fjord. From there, you can see the entire valley and the deep blue water below.
What I love about Norway is how serious they are about protecting nature. Even ferries and tourism activities around the fjord follow strict environmental laws. Everything is designed to preserve the landscape. No chaos, no overdevelopment. Just respect.
Then we continued our journey to Flåm.
Flåm is a small village but super famous because of the fjord and the Flåm Railway — one of the most beautiful train rides in the world. The town itself is tiny, but full of souvenir shops, cafés, and tourists from all over.
We walked around, explored little shops, and yes… everything was expensive 😭 A small souvenir can cost like triple the price back home. But still, we couldn’t resist buying a few memories. Sometimes you don’t buy the item , you buy the feeling of being there.
Flåm felt peaceful but lively at the same time. Cruise ships docking, people speaking different languages, and cameras everywhere. Yet behind all that, the mountains stood tall and quiet like they’ve been there forever, watching generations come and go.
The journey that day was long. Bus rides, winding roads, quiet moments staring out the window. I remember just sitting there, watching waterfalls slip down the mountains, thinking how small we are compared to this earth.
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