Scandinavian Exploration part 1: Copenhagen, Denmark

Denmark is known as the Scandinavian country as it is located in the Northern Europe. Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark and was thought to have been founded by Bishop Absalon in 1167, but it is now thought to be more than a hundred years older.The urban population in Copenhagen is 1.2 million, is consider the most populous city in Denmark. 55% of all Copenhageners commute to work or to their place of study by bike. Therefore, you can see a lot of bike around the Copenhagen city.

Most of you would definitely ask me this few questions

1. What airlines do you use to get to Copenhagen?

There are a lot of options to get to Copenhagen so my best advice is to check skyscanner.com, enter your destination with your preferred dates and you'll find the best flights in terms of pricing and total flight time. After about a week of research and discussion with my travel mates, we mutually agreed to use Emirates Airlines because I've been a regular customer of Emirates during my university days so I feel that they're a trustworthy brand capable of delivering their products, and obviously, it was a lot cheaper than other airlines!

As Emirates works in collaboration with Malaysia Airlines, I was able to book my flight from Kota Kinabalu to Kuala Lumpur and catch the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Dubai, and subsequently Dubai to Copenhagen. This also meant that Malaysia Airlines has responsibility to ensure that I will be able to catch my Emirates flight in Kuala Lumpur, and in the event of a delay from Malaysia Airlines, Emirates will have to be delayed as well because it is a connecting flight. When you purchase a connecting flight, your luggage will change planes as you do so fret not because your luggage will usually be forwarded to your final destination, unless otherwise stated by your chosen airline so make sure you check properly!

There are two airplane models that I know Emirates regularly use to service their passengers, namely the Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 - if you just so happen to be using the mammoth double-deck Airbus A380, then you'll have a chance to buy seats in the upper deck which are more comfortable because the seating arrangements are 2-4-2 instead of the standard 3-4-3 which can be found on the lower decks. Of course, there's always an option to purchase business or first class but because I always aim to travel on a low budget, the premium cabin classes are not something that I would consider for the time being. As per my experience for the past few years, the food that Emirates serve are delicious meals and it was no different this time - some people might call it boring food but hey, for an airplane food this is pretty good.

Appetizer: Quinoa Salad
Main: Grilled Salmon Fillet
Dessert:Milk Chocolate Mousse

OR

Roaster Turkey Roulade

2.  What is the best places to visit in Copenhagen?

• DESIGN MUSEUM DENMARK

Design Museum Copenhagen

   

One of the world's largest collections of Danish design. The collection covers applied art and design from Art Nouveau to contemporary Danish design and include fashion, poster art, ceramics and glass. The nearest metro station to this museum is to stop at Osterport and you will need to walk about 9 minutes to reach the destination.

• AMALIENBORG PALACE

Enjoy royal time travelling at this palace, where you can discover the private living quarters of former kings and queens. Unfortunately, we did not manage to get into the palace because it was closed due to Christmas holiday (Danes really love their Christmas!). However, we got to watch the customary guard changing ceremony outside of the palace. This place is about 5 minutes walk from the Design museum so I would suggest coming here after the museum. The nearest metro station for this is Kongens Nytorv. 

• ROSENBORG CASTLE

Christian IV had Rosenborg castle built 400 years ago. There are crown jewels and royal crowns shine inside the thick walls of the treasury. According to one of the locals who was nice enough to tell me this, anyone who crosses or climbs over the fence surrounding this castle will be shot immediately by the military with no hesitation. He also mentioned that the queen used to stay in this castle back in the old days but she has now moved to the Amalienborg Palace. To get to this site, you will need to walk approximately 15 minutes and I would definitely recommend to walk as there is a lovely botanic garden along the way where you can stroll around to take some awesome pictures. The nearest metro is Norreport Station.

• CHRISTIANBORG PALACE

The modern day Christianborg Palace, known as the third Christianborg Palace, is the most recent successor of buildings that have occupied this part of Copenhagen for more than 800 years. The predecessors of this site (from earliest to latest) include the Absalons Castle, Copenhagen Castle, the first Christianborg Palace, second Christianborg Palace, and finally the current and third Christianborg Palace.

For centuries, these structures have been destroyed and rebuilt as a result of war, modernisation, as well as fire, and today, it has become one of the best castles to visit in Denmark.  Fun fact - it is the only building in the world that houses the Danish Parliament, Supreme Court and the Danish Prime Minister's office.

The nearest metro to reach this palace is Metro Kongens Nytorv. You can also walk along the Stroget (shopping street) from Rosenborg Castle to reach this site about 15 minutes. 

• STROGET - Shopping Street

It is the longest pedestrian street in Europe and stretches from Kongens Nytrov to the City Hall Square. You'll find the some of the world's expensive brands on this street towards the end of the street near Kongens Nytrov, and if you're looking for something less than that, you can head towards the City Hall Square where you'll find H&M, Weekday, Vero Moda and Zara.

I don't know about you but I personally love to collect postcards and magnets from every country I visit, it's just a hobby that I've developed over the years of growing up and travelling. You will find plenty of souvenir shops along this street so take your time and get your souvenirs while you're there! 

• THE ROUND TOWER

King Christian IV built this round tower as an observatory tower because back in the day, Denmark was famous for its astronomical achievements and he wanted to help scientists further research into the astronomy field. The round tower is worth a visit because of its great views of the city and its spectacular 209 metre long spiral ramp which winds its way upwards. Unfortunately luck was not on our side because the sky was already dark and we couldn't get the lovely city view during the day. If you are lazy to walk, you can stop at Norreport station and walk ahead for 400 metres from the pedestrian shopping street. 

• NYHAVN

Chocolate Waffle ... Yummy!

I heard this saying, that you've never truly visited Denmark if you did not visit this tourist attraction site. Honestly, I did not find anything interesting here because there was only two rows of colourful townhouses along the canal and apart from that you don't really see anything else. 

The sight of these colourful houses brings me back to the time when I was travelling in Amsterdam. I can guarantee you that if you have ever visited Amsterdam, then you'll definitely get the same feeling as I did. How to get there you might ask? As always, just use the ever convenient metro and stop at Kongens Nytorv station. 

• FREDERIKSBORG CASTLE

This castle is really far situated in Hillerod, north of Copenhagen. You need to use train to get there and it is at the last stop, Hillerod St. I would say this place is worth visiting. Not only you can capture good pictures at the castle but along the walkway to the castle you can see beautiful gardens and a beautiful windmill on your right.

The validity of our Copenhagen Card was down to its last day and it was due to expire at 3PM - more importantly we wanted to visit Tivoli Gardens before the expiry so we had no choice but to choose 1 of 2 options available before heading back to the city - the Frederiksborg Castle or the Little Mermaid. Well, I can tell you from all the panting, gasping for air and walking, I have no regrets in choosing this castle over the mermaid statue. 

• TIVOLI GARDENS

 

If I were to come up with a list of must visits in Copenhagen, the Tivoli Gardens will be one of the first few names I will think of putting at the top of the list. The combination of decorations, beautiful lightings and the creation of winter wonderland attractions were magical and divine!

I was so amused by this place and there's not much content here because I will create a separate blog just for the lovely Tivoli Gardens so stay tuned for this! The best station to stop and get to Tivoli is Kobenhavn Nytorv. 

3. Where did you stay in Copenhagen?

Computer for you to check-in

Many people will definitely have a hard time when it comes to making decision on where to stay in Copenhagen. There were too many offers and options on the table so I was also having a tough time to choose but after searching through a few websites such as Booking.com, Airbnb and TripAdvisor we finally come to a decision to stay at Steel House Copenhagen.

Its just like any other hostel, but the luxurious and affordable type. For solo travelers who love to hang out in the common area, make new friends from different backgrounds, this is a place that is built for you. Contrary to popular belief that hostels are usually dirty, dodgy and uncomfortable, it was actually really cozy, comfortable and clean, just like any other 5-star hotel you would find in the city. You will also find the self-service kitchen, swimming pool, gym, cinema room, Steel House bar, lounge and TV room.

Address                  : Herholdstgate 6,  DK-1605 Kobenhavn V
Email reservations : reservations@steelhousecopenhagen.com

Nearest metro        : Forum St.

They offer 6-bed dorms, 4-bed dorms, twin rooms, double rooms, and single rooms to suit your preference and budget. The cheapest option available in their hotel is single bed in a dorm. You can have your dorm in a private room or within the people you travel with. If you would like to meet other people while travelling you can have the choice of a dorm for all or dorm for women only. In our case we were travelling in 4 people so we chose 4-bed dorms. The dorm is quite small to be honest - we had cabin bags and luggages of our own which made the room look really jam packed, so I'd say it is suitable for light travelers. They do provide 4 small locker inside the dorm to keep your things safely if you are choosing sharing dorm. You will need to check in yourself when you reach the place. They provide the computer for you to check-in yourself just follow the steps and scan the number of cards you need.

 


4. Where to dine in Copenhagen?

Now, this first part might be a little bit biased simply because, when Asians travel to Western countries they will still look around for some restaurants that serve Asian cuisine. I would say that 80% of our meals were Asian food, whereas the remaining were Danish and Western cuisines. I would not recommend everything that I had. I will just pick some which I think is worth to try.

• Stick'n'Sushi

This is a Japanese restaurant which serves a delicious Japanese favourite, sushi! Some of might ask -  why suggest a Japanese restaurant when I'm in Copenhagen ? Are you serious ?

Personally I would recommend to try because this Japanese restaurant is slightly different from what we have back in my country, in terms of presentation and taste. The environment is cozy and lovely so I guarantee that you will be able to take a beautiful picture here.

ROBUST
Sticks: chicken and squid sausage with
miso aioli,chicken chili & teriyaki,
beef with miso herb butter, duck breast with panko
 and wasabi caesar, emmental cheese with bacon,
organic free range pork with yuzu-miso.
Rice and grilled broccoli with spicy goma
kr 229

Cozy atmosphere

PERFECT DAY
Nigiri: seared salmon, tuna and avocado with miso aioli & sesame
Maki: crispy ebi, spicy tuna and rice paper with duck & goma
Kani Karokke: crab croquettes & wasabi caesar
Edamame: beans with salt & lemon

Sticks: asparagus with bacon, salmon with teriyaki and chicken meatballs with teriyaki
Note: for 2 persons kr 599
for 3 persons kr 897

• 42 Raw  

42 Raw is a vegan tribute to food and drink in its natural state. You can only find this cafe in Copenhagen airport terminal 2. It was so good and the food is to die for. We ordered Acai bowl and Avocado and Hummus on that day. It was so healthy and I feel you should definitely try it if you love healthy food or smoothies bowl.

Acai Bowl
*Strawberries, banana,blueberries, acai berries,
coconut, granola and goji berries
DKK 89

Avocado & Hummus
*Avocado, cucumber, hummus, and organic spinach
DKK 89

• Gloggs and Bailey's Chocolate

Glogg
DKK 35

Hot Chocolate with baileys
DKK 90

For drink wise I would recommend this two drinks as shown above. Glogg is their traditional Scandinavian Christmas punch drink. Glogg is actually made from mulled red wine along with raisins, herbs and sliced almonds. If you love some good old Bailey's Irish Cream then you definitely need to try this Bailey's Chocolate. It came with an option of either one shot or double shots - it's entirely up to your preference but I went for the double shot because I love it!. The Bailey's taste was strong and when it was mixed with the chocolate, it's just the kind of perfection that you're looking for in a good drink mixture. Seriously, it's that good.  

5. Travel Tips in Copenhagen: 

• Make sure to get yourself a Copenhagen card. Personally I think that it worth the price. You can travel using the metro, trains and buses with this card along with free entrance to 86 museums and Tivoli. So please buy one for yourself - if you've landed in Copenhagen by plane then you can purchase it in the airport. There is a counter somewhere near 7-eleven in the airport that you can purchase this card. Otherwise if you can't find it simply just ask around the people in the airport and they will guide you through.

• Please get some Danish Krone changes in the airport if you do not have any. Some places accept other currencies such as Euros or USD but they give you an unfair conversion rate and you'll probably end up losing some of your money through the conversion - the locals told us that they will give you the changes in Danish Krone when you pay with Euros or USD.

• If you are lazy to walk around the city with your leg then you may opt for renting a bike. You can see so many tourists renting bikes to travel around the city. The bike rental is approximately 160 Danish Krone per day (morning till midnight). Unfortunately I did not rent as we already purchase the Copenhagen Card.

• If you're looking to travel during the festive period, make sure you have everything reserved so you don't miss out on food and accommodation.

• If you travel during Christmas please take note that most of the shops including restaurants will close starting on the 24th till the 26th December. Other than that, most of the tourists attraction places will close as well. So please plan wisely on your time and things to do when you are travelling during Christmas period. It's one of the biggest celebrations for Danes and everything in the city will be in a standstill. 

• A must visit place in Copenhagen is Tivoli. This place is so beautiful during Christmas. I am not sure about other days. If you are travelling during winter please don't miss this beautiful place. I will blog solely regarding Tivoli on my next blog so stay tuned. 

• You can purchase pocket wifi or sim-card in their convenience stores or through online. I remember there is one company  that you can purchase the pocket-wifi online and they will send directly to your hotel. You will return it by placing back into the envelope and keep it in the hotel and they will arrange some of their people to collect it. Convenient innit? You can also purchase the sim-card through 7-eleven but most of the time it runs out of stock so I think it's better to purchase online. 

• If you buy mineral water or any frizzy/canned drinks throughout your entire trip in Copenhagen, you can actually keep it and bring it to some of the local groceries store that provide recycle machine. You can do some recycling while you are travelling and get some rebate vouchers that you can use for your grocery bill. Sounds great innit? Note: If you've recycled something at a supermarket, for instance Aldi, you can only use the cash voucher at Aldi so make sure you don't bring that voucher elsewhere to ensure of its validity.  

Note: If you need some help with the itinerary or you'd like a copy of mine, please do not hesitate to ask me.

Till then my blog for Scandinavian exploration part 1 to Copenhagen, Denmark. Hope you guys enjoy reading it

XOXO