Most Memorable Night's Sleep Travel Link Up

I'm starting to get into these linkups, so at the initiative of Emma from Adventures of a London Kiwi and Kelly from 80 Pairs of Shoes, I'm joining in again this month to write about my most memorable night's sleep I've ever had.

The most comfy sleeps I've ever had were in Scandinavian hotel beds. I'm surprised Scandinavians even manage to get out of bed every morning as beds in Norway, Sweden and Denmark make you feel like you're sleeping on a cloud. Fluffy pillows, fluffy duvets and even fluffy mattresses. Soporific heaven.

                        This photo of Hotel Skt. Petri is courtesy of TripAdvisor

On the other hand the most uncomfortable sleeps I had was on my trip to Fiji. Okay, we didn't exactly splash out, but paradise was a little less exotic when the sun went down and we had to turn in to sleep on a mattress that was as hard as a plank.

                        This photo of Coralview Island Resort is courtesy of TripAdvisor

The most quirky place I ever stayed at was the Wildebeest tent Camp in the city of Nairobi. Memories of camping in the south of France with hordes of Dutch and German people, were soon forgotten when we entered our luxury tent complete with double beds, and our own en-suite bathroom. This was camping the Karen Blixen way. Minus Robert Redford, unfortunately.

                        This photo of Wildebeest Eco Camp is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Of course things are better when they are free, and being a travel industry professional sometimes comes with perks. On a famil to the Cook Islands we were lucky to test some top notch hotels out for the sake of higher sales figures. I stayed in my very own water front villa at the Pacific Island Resort and woke up to the sound of the waves breaking on the sand. That was the best wake up call ever.

                        This photo of Pacific Resort Aitutaki is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Christiania in Copenhagen

                      This photo of Christiania is courtesy of TripAdvisor

I was just reading an article in the Guardian travel section that according to some surveys, Copenhagen is the happiest city in the world. This happy feeling is especially present in Christiania.

                        This photo of Christiania is courtesy of TripAdvisor

This area located in Christianshavn is a self proclaimed autonomous neighbourhood which is home to about 850 residents. It's a bit of a controversial area, with a turbulent history.

                      This photo of Christiania is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Christiania sits on the grounds of old military barracks that were left empty in till early 70s. In 1971 neighbouring residents broke down the fence and took over the ground to turn it into a playground for their kids. This action was a form of protest against the government for the lack of affordable housing and was the beginning of the free-town. It slowly became a self-contained society within the Danish society with its own rules and ideals. For a while the government just kept a blind eye to the antics that were going on here. (Read drug trading) But later on police would regularly raid Christiania which resulted in several riots. Eventually conflicts between the residents and the state led to the closure of the free town, however in 2011 the residents bought the ground from the state which made the area a legal independent, mini society.

                    This photo of Christiania is courtesy of TripAdvisor

A visit to Christiania is like walking around a version of Amsterdam on steroids. The scent of marijuana lingers in the air, there are bikes strewn along the sides of the streets and walls are covered in colourful graffiti drawings. Besides the old army barracks the streets are lined with DIY residences, some looking more sturdy than others. They range from colourful caravans to ramshackle sheds to homes, but I also saw a home that wouldn't look out of place on the TV show Grand Designs. I spotted dogs and kids running around the marijuana plants and zen looking Buddha statues while mom and dad were roasting a pig in the front yard. I even walked past an actual Buddhist shrine standing on the corner of street.                      

                      This photo of Christiania is courtesy of TripAdvisor

On the main street which is aptly called Pusher Street, marijuana is traded freely in the market stalls, but you can also find other items here such as tie-dye shirts, crazy button pins and Christianite works of art. It's like taking a stroll through the 70s which certainly did put a smile on my face. No wonder they say that Copenhagen is the happiest place in the world, which probably goes especially for the Christianites.