nendaz

Elaisha Goes...To Nendaz Switzerland: Photo story & City Guide

IMG_4890.jpg

I loved Nendaz (pronounced nen-dah), Switzerland so much I cried on my way to the Gare (train station). I felt an incredible rush of emotions as I said goodbye to the people I had met and the ski town that truly changed my life.

Keep reading for my complete guide to Nendaz, Switzerland.


 

How to Get there

IMG_4400-1.jpg
IMG_6488.jpg

The easiest way there was to fly to Geneva then take the train from Geneve (Geneva in French) to Sion and hop on a local bus (that runs until 9 pm). The bus station was a quick walk from the Gare Sion (Sion train station). However, my plane to Geneva was full. So, I flew into Marseilles, France where I took the train to Geneve. It as a long day. The bright side was, I finally got to take a bit of a Euro-train tour. So I was pretty chill about it. I checked flight prices from Toronto to France and they were way cheaper than a direct flight to Switzerland. However, the daytime travel across France meant that I arrived too late. The bus had stopped service by the time I got there. So I had to pay $80CFH (Francs) for a cab up the mountain. It was then that I realized that Switzerland was going to be hella expensive.

Where to Stay

Travelopo-Villas-Nendaz.jpg

Nendaz, Switzerland was an adorable Ski down located up a mountain about a 20-minute drive up from Sion. The mountainous view at night allowed me to see across to other mountains where houses and chalets were lit up. It was beautiful. I stayed in the Woovim Chalet by Travelopo with 4 amazing women who were there to blog about their experiences too. 

The £5036Per/week chalet was absolutely amazing and I would stay there a million times over. There were 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms and plenty of room for over 5 guests. I had an ensuite shower while Allison (one of the ladies I roomed with) had a bathtub. My room was filled with 4 wood bunk beds that matched the fragrant wood through out the house. I was in love. I watched the sunrise each morning as the clouds grew and moved over the mountain that faced us. It was truly awe-inspiring.

IMG_6489.jpg
Sauna-room.jpg
IMG_6490.jpg
Living-room.jpg

Where to eat

Food-Mountain-biking.jpg

We visited the Co-Op a local grocery store that had everything I needed. I grabbed the cob salad and munched away between activities or while I worked. I also raided the store for chocolate that I brought back to my family (I bribed them with it, of course). Plus a daily chocolate croissant made my life.

IMG_6585.jpg
IMG_6584.jpg
IMG_6583.jpg
IMG_6587.jpg

We visited a few restaurants while there. The most notable was Cafe du Sapin Blanc just outside of Nendaz. We sipped on glasses of wine while we looked over a mountainous view. The subtly sweet bottle with a name I can't recall was a delicious choice for the evening. It got a bit chilly that evening so we moved inside of the restaurant for our meal. The group ordered a cute charcuterie board. Allison and I ordered beef carpaccio. It was delivered to us in a way I had never tried it before with a delicious pesto that made my eyes roll back. I was in bliss. I tried (and loved) fondue for the first time! I had a mouthwatering dish for my entree. The fish was prepared perfectly. I scarfed down for dessert and left full and content. Be sure to visit them if you make it out to Nendaz.

What to do (in the summer)

I'll have a detailed video review up of each activity I loved in Nendaz. However, I  drafted a quick summary of my favourites below.

Cover-photo.jpg

Go Mountain Biking

Mountain biking was terrifying and exhilarating. When I told Taylor that I was going Mountain Biking and she paused for a moment. More than anyone else she knew how clumsy I had been. But I survived! Our amazing guides Travis and Florian took amazing care of us. We rented e-bikes that boosted our efforts up the steep inclines of the mountain. There were times I held up the group because I was so enraptured by the views. I understood why people biked through the Alps and across mountainous Europe. No picture or verbal description could really capture what I saw in front of me. You've just gotta go.

IMG_4905.jpg

Go for a Hike and a Run

Hayley and I motivated each other. In one day we went on a sunrise trip, went on a 2-hour hike/run then powered through a Yoga and meditation session. All before dinner that evening. The mountain air really affected me in the best way. My breathing wasn't laboured when I ran and I felt so at peace. Nendaz was filled with incredible trails where we watched people hike and bike. I wished I had hiked more and did some trail runs.

Go for a Swim

The local pool was a 5-minute walk from the chalet. We were able to quickly pop over and enjoy the pool on a rare hot day. We dipped in and swam with some of the kids in the pool. The best part though was when we spread out across the grass and dried out in the sun. Allison Hayley and I all pulled out our books (I brought my trusty Kindle) and just chilled.

IMG_4750.jpg

Visit the Spa

The Hôtel Nendaz 4 Vallées & Spa was like nothing I had experienced before. There were so many choices! From the steam rooms to the ice cold room we strolled about and tried it all. My favourite spot was the heated outdoor pool where Hannah and I had the chance to get a little photo shoot on.

IMG_5004.jpg

Go Cheese Making

As a night owl, I can honestly say that cheese making early in the morning was totally worth it. Jessica and I peered over the cows as we listened to their bells echo through the mountain. It was an oddly spiritual experience as I watched the sun beam through the mountain to the cows as they grazed.

IMG_5783.jpg
elaisha jade nendaz switzerland

 

What was your favourite activity that I did? Or do you plan on visiting Nendaz? Let me know in the comments below.

I Faced my fears: Elaisha Goes Mountain Biking in Switzerland

Elaisha-Jade-Mountain-Biking-theme.jpg

I didn’t die! Mountain biking in Switzerland was possibly one of the most fun activities I did while out there. I admit, there were moments when I bounded down hills and felt my stomach flop like I was on a roller coaster. I white knuckled my way through many of the trails but in the end, I was so proud of myself. Keep reading for why I crashed my bike and what I would have done differently.

IMG_5836.jpg

Our guides Travis and Florian from Neige Aventure shepherded us through the tough terrain. Sticks, rocks and even the mountains edge were all hazards of the high octane activity. We rode a Teli-Cabine up Tracouet TDN station. We then biked our way through the trails and I felt like I was in one of those extreme GoPro videos.

Elaisha-Jade-Mountain-biking-nege.jpg

The e-bike assist only took me a few tries to get used to. We used it to climb hills that ranged from mid to extremely steep. I would not have made it up those hills without the boost the assist gave me. The trick was to just roll with it and not think about it too much.

Click Here to Find Cheap Flights to Switzerland

I loved the experience of taking the ski lift all the way up the mountain with our bikes. It was cool to think that in a few months people would be on the same lift ready to ski down powdery snow. That the lush greenery we were surrounded by would be covered in just a few months.

IMG_5833.jpg
Mountain-lift.jpg

We had a delicious lunch at a cute restaurant. It sat at the top of the second ski lift we took. By the time we got there we were rained on, shivering a little and ready for a feast. However we got some sound advice from Travis our guide who recommended we not stuff our faces too much. We had a pretty long stretch ahead of us either back to Nendaz or on to another town through the mountain. We had steaming fondue and a classic Swiss cheese board.

Food-Mountain-biking.jpg
food-mountain-biking-2-.jpg
IMG_5839.jpg

I crashed my bike when I was overthinking and not doing. At the start of the trip I was pretty nervous as we rounded tight corners over mountain edges. We quickly biked over tree roots and huge dents in the mud. Towards the end of our trip, I didn’t trust myself because it was slippery in the rain as we bounded down mountainous roads. I rounded a corner I should have leaned into a bit more. But I was scared and ended up plastered on a dirt mountain.  It was definitely a lesson for the final leg of the bike trip to trust myself more! I left with a small scrape on my knee, nothing some hot chocolate and a warm shower at our Chalet couldn't fix.

Plan on doing this excursion? I put together a few tips that I wish I knew before I did this activity.

Dress for the occasion: It rained then it was sunny. It was hot then it was chilly. Since we biked to different cities and altitudes we experienced about 3 seasons at once. I recommend wearing a hat when you mountain bike in Switzerland

Go with the flow: Give your guides the flexibility and time to pick routes that will challenge you so you can really experience this journey.

Know your limits If you aren’t an experienced biker or you just don’t feel comfortable on a bike, then try a different activity. Or ask your guide for an easy route along the way with frequent stops to take in the view.

IMG_5842.jpg
IMG_5840.jpg

I recommend this activity for anyone who is an experienced biker so they can really experience the incredible views. There were basic trails available but I was happy we took some hard routes. Our 4-5 hour adventure ended with an incredibly long shower and hearty meal. Would you try mountain biking in Nendaz? Let me know in the comments below. And be sure to check out Travelopo.