Skip to main content

Norway’s Manshausen Island Resort is a Minimalist Retreat Founded by a Real-Life Explorer

Norway's Manshausen Island Resort
Borge Ousland Photo

In your early twenties, vacation means crowds, loud music, bright colors, and even brighter sunburns. But as you get deeper into adulthood, something shifts. You start to crave space over socializing, restful quiet over fast-paced excitement. Moreover, you grow a little more discerning about the digs you’ll be inhabiting. You want more than just a place to crash — you want a space that inspires your mind and nurtures your soul in the same way as your natural surroundings do.

When you want a getaway in every sense of the word, look no further than the sea cabins at Manshausen Island. The setting: a series of modern minimalist bungalows perched in natural outcroppings in the rocky terrain or along the island’s 15th-century stone jetty. The location: a 55-acre former trading post in Norway’s remote Steigen Archipelago, just south of the Lofoten Island chain. Some people might balk at the nearly 20-hour car/train/ferry journey required to reach the island from Oslo; those people are welcome to spend their vacation at a suburban waterpark.

Founded by celebrated polar explorer Børge Ousland, the resort’s lodging is designed by Norwegian architect Snorre Stinessen, who won several architectural honors for how his design of these functional modular spaces heightens people’s connection with their natural environment. Cantilevered over the island’s natural topography, Manshausen’s sea cabins feature floor-to-ceiling glass windows oriented for optimal viewing as well as privacy. With their natural larch wood interiors and Corian kitchens and bathrooms, the cabins have a light, airy atmosphere that adds to the feeling of floating amid the ethereal landscape. Visitors enjoy the incomparable experience of falling asleep in the glow of the Northern Lights and enjoying their morning coffee while watching gigantic sea eagles wheel against the sky.

Given its history as a fishing port, Manshausen Island is the perfect place to seek calm with the help of a boat and a line. The island is surrounded by white sand beaches composed of the dust from the coral reefs of West Fjord. The island’s rocky hills offer hikes from easy to strenuous, all offering spectacular views as a reward. The truly intrepid can venture out to climb the island’s red granite cliff faces, explore Resshola, the “troll cave,” down to its 140m depth, or brave the cold waters of the West Fjord for a diving expedition.

Since even low-key adventures in these northerly climates are demanding on the body and mind, you’ll be well served by a visit to Manshausen’s open-air wooden hot tub and sauna. If you’re feeling extra hardy, you can counteract the soporific effect of the heat with a bracing dash into the resort’s salt-water dam. Bring your heart rate back down again with a late-night chill sesh in Manshausen’s main house library, where you can enjoy a drink from the in-house bar, books from Børge Ousland’s personal collection, and views of the night sky from the lofty glass ceiling.

Manshausen Island resort was designed to be a place for visitors to explore the harmony between themselves and nature. Whether you spend your visit basking in the island’s pristine natural surroundings, or sitting in silence before the ever-shifting vista outside your cabin window, each moment offers a new encounter with the world, and a new understanding of yourself as someone in it.

Editors' Recommendations

Chelsea Batten
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Chelsea Batten is a writer, photographer, and Kerouac groupie. One of the original digital nomads, she was seduced from life…
Do you need a passport to go to Canada?
What to know about traveling to Canada
U.S. passport book

Traveling to Canada from the United States is relatively straightforward, but the documentation required can vary depending on your mode of transportation and citizenship status. While a passport is the most widely accepted form of identification for international travel, alternative options are available for U.S. citizens entering Canada by land or sea.

What you need to know about traveling to Canada
So, what exactly do you need to cross into Canada? It really depends on how you're getting there.
What documents do I need to cross the Canadian border by car?
If you're a U.S. citizen traveling to Canada by land or sea, you have a few options for acceptable documentation:

Read more
Monos vs Away: Which is the better luggage brand?
A view of the Monos Monos Hybrid Carry-on Plus suitcase.

It's time to get new luggage. Maybe you already have a trip planned, or you're getting ready to book a vacation, but in either case, you'll need a travel bag to stow your gear. Two of the hottest, upscale, and modern luggage brands on the market, which you've likely encountered at some point, are Monos and Away. As competitors, a head-to-head of Monos vs Away makes a lot of sense, albeit the comparison is not as simple as you might think. There are a lot of similarities but a lot of differences, too, especially depending on what you're expecting out of these high-end luggage offerings. Let's discuss.
Monos vs Away luggage: Who wins?

If you're not interested in the full comparison and just want to know which brand you should purchase, the answer is Monos. While offering better designs, premium materials, and higher build quality, Monos luggage still manages to be priced more competitively. That said, you can't go wrong with luggage from either brand, so you wouldn't be making a poor choice if you decide to purchase luggage from Away.

Read more
This ultra-luxury, 6-star cruise trip usually costs $102,780 — but it’s 64% off
scenic arctic cruise gilt march 2024 eclipse at sea

If you want the ultimate vacation and at a fantastic discount, Gilt has a spectacular offer on a fantastically luxurious cruise. Right now, you can enjoy travels around the Arctic Circle and Northern Europe for 17 nights for $35,990, for two people (that's $17,995 per person) instead of the usual $102,780 that Gilt says it would cost. That means a huge saving of 64% off the regular price and the chance to enjoy a vacation and cruise of a lifetime. It’s all thanks to Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours and we’ve got all you need to know about this phenomenal cruise. There’s just one space left on this highly exclusive cruise.

Why you should travel on the Scenic Cruise
This time around, there’s hardly any need to read up on cruise ship packages and add-ons worth paying extra for as this Scenic Cruise has everything you could need to be included. All you need to do is make sure you have a passport. You get 17 nights on board the Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours ultra-luxury yacht, the Scenic Eclipse. It leaves from Tromso, Norway on June 25, 2024. The small-ship experience has room for just 228 guests so it’s an exclusive trip.

Read more