Flipside summer camp Southern Norway

Summer camp is not just something that happens in America. At a coastal area in Lista Farsund, Southern Norway, there is a summer camp for kids that goes over 5 weeks.

Flipside camp is a great place for the kids and a great initiative. The camp is open in the summer and kids can stay for one week at a time. They need to be aged between 10 and 17.

The camp usually starts in the last week of June when it is the school summer break in Norway and lasts between 3 and 5 weeks depending on how many have registered.

During the registration process, everyone signs up for one activity and is assigned one or more activity leader that will be with them for the week. In all there are approximately 20 staff members on site.

Action sports include BMX, Skateboarding and scooters. Additional activities include Go-karting, paintball and Radio Controlled Car races. In the future, the camp plans on having more activities for the kids including acrobatics, arts, multimedia, IT etc etc.

There is also musical instruments and rehersal studios that the kids can use in conjunction with a girls camp called "Loud". 

Its a band camp where anyone from beginner to experienced can participate. No songs or rehearsed music are required in advance. From day one they will be split into groups that they will be working with the whole week. From then on they get to rotate on instruments with lessons and work out the band name, signature moves, dance, logo, t-shirt printing and career planning. At their last day each band will have one rehersed song that they play on concert for the camp.

There is also a concert room where the kids can perform their rehersed music. Other bands and musicians are sometimes invited to play.

The kids live at hostels on the Flipside Camp Grounds in groups of 6 to 16 and they can choose their own rooms. There are bunk beds and bedding and towels are included. The kids have four meals a day which includes, breakfast, lunch, dinner and an evening snack/barbeque.

There are many competitions during the camp including skate boarding, bmx or scooters. 

Fun games and prizes are also added to the mix.

The main focus is that the kids have fun and socialise.

The kids need to bring their own equipment - skateboards etc, or they can be hired and booked in advance. Parents are advised to book these early as they are rented very quickly.

Parents can drop of their kids for check-in on Sunday at about 18:00. After that, there is an information meeting where parents can join in. During the camp, parents can stay in the flipside Hotels and enjoy activities in and around Lista. 

There are the amazing beaches along the coastline, the Lista lighthouse, the American Festival in June, bird watching, surfing, horse riding, boating, fishing... the list is endless.

However, parents are not allowed on the camp premises so that all the kids get to have the same camp experience. Flipside has responsible leaders around the kids at all times.

After the camp the it is open everyday from 10:00 to 18:00, and booking is possible for anytime.

Price per child for one week is 5900 kr and the band camp is 3500 kr. Shorter and longer stays are available.

Check out more information on the Flipside Camp website www.flipsidecamp.no. Camp registering is only valid through an online form with a credit card transaction. 

Parents are encouraged to check the website, instagram and Flipside Facebook Group for more information on opening times etc.Dra på ferie til Farsund

Tlf: +47 455 02 806     E-mail: info@flipsidecamp.no     Adr: Lista Flypark 4560 Vanse

(All pictures are courtesy of Flipside Camp).

A boat trip in Kristiansand

Adam from Visit Sørlandet took the family on a boat trip to Kristiansand.
(Pictures taken with a mobile phone)

At Odderøya Live concert this summer, Back Street Boys were amongst the line up. My wife is a fan but she did not have time to get tickets, so we decided to take a little boat trip into the city with the kids to listen to it from the boat.

It was an amazing summers evening, there was not a breath of wind and it was about 22 degrees celcius all night. We started up the river and the kids had a little swim. 

Then we continued on past Hamresanden on our way out to the city.

We parked the boat just outside of the concert area and listened to some music.

There were many other boats around and it was an amazing sunset.

Then there came the moon....

After the kids fell asleep in the cabin, we took a little drive into fiskebrygga and past Kilden theatre. There we saw the Colorline Danish ferry.

On the way back we drove past an old boat docked at the port. They were playing music with a violin and an accordian that would have been exactly how it was in the old days. If only there was a time machine...

We slept in the boat that night and woke up to another lovely summers day.

You can park your boat for free at fiskebrygga (the fish market) in Kristiansand. This is a great thing to do because it is also the best place to be on a boat. You can leave it there while you take a stroll into town, eat at a restaurant, or enjoy the award winning fish cakes at the market.


Contact the Kristiansand Tourist Office to find out about boat hire possibilities:


Phone: +47 38 07 50 00Email: turistinformasjon@kristiansand.kommune.no

Free internet in Kristiansand

There are a number of places where you can go on the internet for free in Kristiansand. 

Just look for the red coloured ''FREE WIFI inside'' stickers and you can surf away.

Here is a list of the stores that currently offer this service.


1. Tilstede Mat og Mer
2. Lillemarkens kjøpesenter / 30 butikker / fellesområder
3. Slottet kjøpesenter – 12 butikker / fellesområder
4. Aquarama
5. Drømmeplassen
6. Frk. Larsen
7. Hotel Norge
8. Barberern
9. Både &
10. Bakgården
11. McDonald ́s 
12. Kiwi Markens
13. Kiwi Torvet
14. Food Asylum
15. Gatropuben Kick
16. Sørlandets Kunstmuseum
17. Scandic Bystranda Hotel

Enjoy your free internet service in Kristiansand!

The Maritim Fjordhotell in Flekkefjord

Adam from Visit Sørlandet took his family to Flekkefjord where they stayed at the Maritim Fjordhotell.

Flekkefjord is a coastal town in Southern Norway that has a lot to offer for a family on vacation. The Maritim Fjordhotell (Maritime Fjord Hotel Flekkefjord) was the perfect choice for this trip.

We are a family of five and so we had two connecting hotel rooms where my wife and I were in one and the plan was that the kids would be in the other. However, our smallest boy Indy wanted to sleep in our room, so we had a fold out bed for him.

There is a TV in each hotel room which was great as the kids were pretty keen to watch some cartoons while we could relax watching a movie.

The rooms are very spacious with a desk in each for working on the internet if required. The wireless internet speed was fast and there were no problems uploading the pictures I took from the trip.

The view from the rooms were fantastic. The Hotel is situated on a fjord so there are small boats driving past at slow speeds which is a nice site to see.

The balcony was the perfect place to have dinner, so that is exactly what we did. The sun was shining and we had a warm summers night with vast views.

There is a carpark at the front of the hotel for convenience, a bar, restaurant and a new terrasse area that has just opened.

The staff were friendly and helpful with local information. The breakfast was perfect as it filled the kids up so they did not need any food or snacks before lunch time. There was fruit, cereals, bread, hot food and drinks. It is a buffet, so the kids can eat as much as they like!

Just around the corner from the Hotel is a large AMFI shopping centre, a pizza restaurant and Rail Biking. That is a great adventure for the whole family.

Rixen cable water skiing park is also nearby.

We will definitely be back!


Maritim Fjordhotell
Address: 
Sundegaten 9
Flekkefjord
4400

E-mail: flekkefjord@fjordhotellene.no
Telephone: +47 38 32 58 00

The Lista Lights

Adam from Visit Sørlandet visited to the Lista Lights lookout cabin near Havik beach in Farsund. 
(Pictures taken with mobile phone and unfortunately it was raining that day...)

Here is the turn off to the Havik beach where you will find the cabin

There is a cool local project that involves protecting the local coastline, wildlife and preventing littering. Part of this project is the Lista Lights lookout cabin near the Havik beach just outside Farsund.

It is made in such a way that it can easily be removed with no foreign substances or materials being left behind. There is a long wooden walkway to the booth that overlooks the coastline.

Many people use it for bird watching and there is information on local birdlife in the cabin itself.

It is open all year round and it is also possible to sleep there for free. There is a makeshift bed over the entrance to the cabin, but it does not have a mattress. So you will need to bring one.

There is also a guestbook where you can write your name to tell people you have been there.

My son Levi decided to draw a picture of me in the guestbook with his best attempt at writing in English... "Dis Is Mai Ded" which translate to This is my Dad.

We were very unlucky with the weather that day, but it did not matter. It still is a nice place to visit. 

Next time the kids want to take their sleeping bags and a mattress so they can sleep there. If we do this, then I will definitely need to bring a blow up mattress because the old back will not survive!

You can get some more information from the Farsund Tourist Office Dra på ferie til Farsund

Farsund Tourist Information
Torvgt. 2
4550 Farsund
Phone: +47 38 38 21 15 

E-mail: turistinformasjonen@farsund.kommune.no 
Website: www.visitnorway.com/farsund

River surfing Norway

Adam from Visit Sørlandet had a little river surfing adventure in Tveit, Kristiansand Norway.

The title is both correct but could be a little misleading to some. There are no waves in the rivers in Norway, but you can surf if you have a boat and a surfboard!

There are countless numbers of rivers in Norway with great salmon fishing, bathing in the summer months and water skiing. 




In Topdals river, there is a great little place to go waterskiing.

So, I went out with a mate from New Zealand to catch some waves behind the boat!

We also had one of my boys Levi with me who was more than happy to go on the ring behind the boat.

Have a great summer!

Varbak panoramic lookout in Farsund

Adam from Visit Sørlandet took the family to Varbak in Farsund.

Farsund is a beautiful little coastal city in Southern Norway. Like every city, it has its relatively hidden secret spots. Varbak is one of them.

It is a lookout point within walking distance from the city centre. It is not that easy to find, but you can pop into the tourist office in town to get directions. (If not, I have written directions at the bottom of this article with a map.)

The local council has put a picnic bench there and a specially designed stool where up to 3 people can sit to enjoy the views.

To the left is Lyngdal fjord, the bridge leading into Farsund, the harbour and to the right the sea. It is the perfect place to enjoy a bottle of wine with a friend or a picnic with the kids. I took my family there in July and we stayed for a long time relaxing with the views.

It is a lovely place to be all year round. 

Recommended to take with you:

1. Your best camera and a large memory card for all the pictures you will take.
2. A picnic hamper.
3. Bottle of wine (if it is a romantic evening with a loved one)
4. A book, if you want to relax on your own.
5. Pop into the SPAR food store at the harbour to buy some food for the picnic.

Keep an eye on the local Farsund weather to make sure it will be suitable. Ideally you want to be there with no wind and sunshine, but like I said, it does not really matter.

I will do my best to try and explain it... 

As you can see on the map below, one of the black boxes marks the spot where the lookout is. The other is for the Farsund tourist office.

When you arrive at Farsund from Kristiansand:

1. Turn left at the round about (Strandgaten) just over the bridge. 
2. Take the second street on your right that is Kirkegaten. 
3. Proceed up to the Markeveien road on your left
4. After about 100 metres, you will see a small road with a steep ascent on your left. 

This is the road leading to Varbak lookout. There are post boxes there at the start of this road. 

It is only possible for one car to go up this road, so you may have to reverse back down if there is one coming the other way. It is not recommended for Camper vans as they are too big for the road.

Once you are on this road, you will drive for about 200 metres before coming to the parking area. There is a kindergarden at the top, so you need to drive slowly and carefully. You walk to the left along side a large concrete construction and follow the path to where the lookout is.

On the Visit Norway website, you will find pictures from the spring time at Varbak and more information.

Have fun!


Farsund Tourist Information
Torvgt. 2
4550 Farsund
Phone: +47 38 38 21 15 Dra på ferie til Farsund

E-mail: turistinformasjonen@farsund.kommune.no 
Website: www.visitnorway.com/farsund