When we set out, the Naerøyfjord was as smooth as a mirror. Though we were novice kayakers, my friend and paddle partner Will and I seemed to glide effortlessly across the water, with enough time between each leisurely stroke to gaze up at the rocky peaks that rose almost vertically on either side of us.
This fjord, a branch of Norway’s famous Sognefjord, is considered the wildest and most beautiful stretch of all. At just 250m wide at its narrowest point, and surrounded by peaks that rise up to 1,400m, we were cocooned between sky and water in a bubble of dreamy tranquility.
After paddling peacefully for around three miles, we stopped on a deserted stretch of grass across the fjord from the tiny village of Bakka, which provided a picturesque backdrop for