Somewhere in between Katherine asking me where I was going during my time off in between jobs and past viewings of WOW airfares, I decided to go to Iceland. Truthfully though the actual booking of the ticket took a bit more convincing from friends and colleagues to make sure I wasnāt totally nuts.
Hello again dear readers, my absence may have been long but Iām back for now. Admittedly Iām unsure what form and regularity this blog will possess moving forward -- surprise, surprise but blogs can be work and as my friends know, I kind of like to keep myself just a little bit busy in the day-to-day. This being said, back to Iceland.
I had just completed a site visit to Chicago and left my current position for a brief break before taking on a new position. I had planned on cleaning the apartment, lounging, and languidly exploring the area nearby my new offices in the intervening time before my start date. Yet, something in my brain clicked and I couldnāt ignore Katherineās suggestion. Iāve had friends whoāve visited Iceland and had previously viewed commercials bragging about extraordinarily low airfares. The rumors were true; I jumped on and booked a trip at the low, low value of $260 round trip*. Iceland had seemed like the perfect destination for some post-old job and pre-new job rumination and reflection--plenty of beautiful, natural settings and a friendly towards travelers. Never mind that it was early winter, I was sold.
I already knew I would be making the trip alone. Having booked on a Sunday and set to take off on the following Wednesday, there was little time for others to request leave; moreover, I wanted to go alone. I needed the time and space for a fresh perspective and knew that from previous experience and Iceland travel blogs, Iād be comfortable solo traveling so long as I had my trusty Kindle Paperwhite or a good paperback.
The pieces all fell into place from there: I booked three nights stay at Reykjavik City Hostel (chosen over others more centrally located for a quiet nightās sleep), a visit to the famed Blue Lagoon complete with spa experience, and later a 2-day Extreme Iceland adventure tour of the South Shore and JƶkulsĆ”rlĆ³n glacier lagoon and nearby Vatnajƶkull glacier ice caves at the recommendation of friends.
Day 1: 6pm ET - Depart BWI Aiport. 5am ISK - Arrive at Keflavik Airport. ~45 min. bus into town. Breakfast at hostel. 1 hr. bus to Blue Lagoon. Signature treatment at Blue Lagoon with in-water scrub, wrap, and massage. 1 hr. bus back to hostel. Nap! Hot dog dinner and nighttime walk of the city.
Day 2: 9am ISK - Pick-up and depart for tour. Stops at Seljalandsfoss and SkĆ³gafoss waterfalls. Stop at ? overlooking the area. Drive through Vik and stop at Reynisdrangar black sand beach. Stop at a tiny gas station in the middle of nowhere somewhere near KirkjubƦjarklaustur for Northern Lights and dinner. Break for the day at a country hotel near Hƶfn.
Day 3: Breakfast at country hotel and pick-up for Vatnajƶkull glacier and ice caves tour. Stop at JƶkulsĆ”rlĆ³n glacier lagoon. Stops at various view points on the way book to admire scenery and good weather, saw Icelandic horses. Stop at lava fields. Stop at country hotel for dinner and to meet Northern Lights guides. Long, late drive to Northern Lights viewpoints. Back to hostel and Reykjavik by 2am ISK.
Day 4: Packing up at the hostel. Took the public bus to downtown Reykjavik and walked the main street, Laugavegur. Picked up a few souvenirs and stopped at Sandholt bakarĆ for coffee and a Danish pastry. Bus out to Keflavik and departed for the U.S. at 3:30pm ISK. Landed about 4:45pm ET.
Granted I explored downtown when it was both raining and still rather dark / early on a Sunday, but still the city kind of let me down. I found it to be either a) hugely overpriced b) downright closed (I walked through from 10-11:30am) and c) overly touristy. The building are neat and there is some great street art but many of the more local / unique stores I wanted to visit were closed or simply out of my price range. Even the touristy souvenir stores were crazy expensive. If I return, Iād make sure to visit at a different time of day but wouldnāt otherwise plan to spend a ton of time within the city. I didnāt make it to the HallgrĆmskirkja church due to time, but I did see the Harpa which was a very pretty concert venue located right on the harbor.
Do it, do it, do it! Iām convinced that winter is THE time to visit (although Iām sure summer or other times have their own benefit).
It wasnāt crazy busy/crowded like the high-season tourist months
I had opportunities to try seasonal activities like ice caving and viewing the Northern Lights.
Holiday spirit was in display (fun fact: Iceland decorates cemeteries for the holidays with lights too).
It really wasnāt that cold - for most of my trip the temperature hovered right around the 40s.
See above, crazy expensive! Even when outside of the city, food was ridiculous. A gas station buffet cost me something like $23 for what was mostly chicken meatballs, potatoes, and a meager salad bar. I lived on Skyr yogurt (mmm) and Kind bars Iād brought with me. Like others, Iād recommend that you grocery shop and lower your expectations going in. Glad I tried the famous hot dogs the Icelandic way, but I wouldnāt necessarily recommend all the toppings next time.
A lot of people argue this is over-rated, and I can see why. BUT, I think itās worth a visit if you prepare appropriately. I would absolutely recommend going either in the off-season or during off-hours. The place fills up fast and from what I can tell Iceland is still figuring out how to accommodate the recent rise in tourism. Also, I think itās worth shelling out for one of the pricier tickets -- otherwise make sure to plan on bringing your own towel, flip flops, and maybe even a robe depending on weather. The spa experience was definitely a highlight too and worth considering. I never left the water - thatās right the massage, scrub, wrap, etc. was all in water as was the masseuse. Just be sure to book ASAP because those fill up fast. I was there from 10-1pm and it had definitely filled up by the time I left. Oh, and definitely bring a waterproof camera. Donāt worry if itās raining, it was for me and I was more than content in the water. Yes, my skin felt improved after. Ā
The hostel was perfectly fine. The dorm I stayed in was clean. The style was pretty plain/industrial. The staff was relatively helpful although not super friendly and there was a public bus station right outside that for 420 ISK would take you directly into the city within 15 or so min. There was also a nearby geothermal heated pool complex that is popular, but I didnāt have time for a visit. On the downside, the dorm didnāt have lockers so there was nowhere to lock luggage other than a large luggage storage room and the bathrooms were located either a floor down or up, which was a bit inconvenient. The other big minus for me was the location: Iād booked it over others because I heard the ones downtown could get super loud at night due to nearby clubs, but City Hostel was at least 30 min. walking distance from downtown and most restaurants, etc. Next time, Iād book something more central. Great value though!
Two thumbs up, would recommend! The plane was perfectly comfortable and seat size was either equivalent or better (I thought bigger after flying but didnāt verify) than other carriers. The in-flight service from the stewardesses was great - mine were all Icelandic and really nice. A caveat though, NOTHING is free not even water during the flight so stock up on snacks and drinks before you take off and downsize, downsize, downsize, downsize. They will check that your carry-ons/luggage are in compliance with their size limits prior to boarding and they will charge you if they donāt fit into the model that airports have to display size limits. This means you get a briefcase sized carry-on and a personal item (purse, laptop bag, NOT a backpack) for free. Anything larger will cost you, e.g., large carry-on is $40 I think and to check is $70. When you factor these costs into the cost of the flight, itās still a great deal. May look into flying elsewhere in Europe with them in the future.
Katherine asked me this question on a Thursday I think. By Saturday, I had my flight booked. I booked the hostel on Sunday and on Monday Iād booked the tour across the South Shore. I borrowed wool socks from my Aunt and from Greg (plus his travel backpack), got a parka (the white one in the pics) at Goodwill for $10, borrowed a travel charger from Jordan, and stole itinerary ideas from Danielle and Kyu. Now granted, Iceland in the winter makes for an easy spontaneous trip and I already had my passport. BUT Iāll say youāll be amazed at how easy things can fall into place even on relatively short notice. Donāt be scared of it!
I was really surprised that Icelanders actually seemed to be for Trump. Hereās a bit of what I heard in discussions:
Obama: was/is too weak; I expected more of him. Did not deal with ISIS and let them advance. OR on the flip side, why canāt he run again?
Clinton: is corrupt. Would not want her because Bill Clinton was already President.
Trump: said what he needed to get elected. Is playing the game. Will be a strong President. Good for business.
There was wifi everywhere!! I was so surprised. There was wifi on the tour van, in the hostel room, in the middle of nowhere country hotel, etc. I used Facebook messenger to call my parents and sister and WhatsApp to chat with Greg and connectivity was near equal to connecting from my apartment despite the fact I was in rural Iceland!
Icelandic is really hard; not to worry though, everyone I met spoke English well. Check out pronunciations for some of the places I visited here.Ā
Did you travel alone? How was it?
YES! Oh my gosh, it was just great and I think just what I needed. Iāve done some traveling on my own but more often it was for work or I would join up with a group later on. This was my first true solo trip and I really enjoyed it. If youāre thinking about solo travel, Iād recommend planning your first trip such that itās not too long and maybe include some social activities like a tour or two that way you can have some interaction along the way.
It was so nice to go at my own pace and really minimizes stress too in that if you donāt let yourself be bothered by situations, then all is well and youāre often better equipped to right them. Doing it all on my own and handling the bumps on my own also restored my sense of confidence and self. I came back feeling really secure in my abilities and that was a great place to be in considering I was starting a new job.
Moreover, thereās something about solo travel that really imparts the experience on your person -- seeing the beautiful vistas and processing them internally is an entirely different experience and impacts you in different ways than say traveling with a friend or family. And thanks to social media, friends and family are never truly too far away.
My tour group too made it easy to dial in and talk with people when I felt like joining in; I met a couple from Singapore (there were a lot of Asian tourists in Iceland), a quartet from Spain, and another couple from Florida/Turkey. I donāt think I would have connected as much with these fellow travelers if Iād had other friends along, so thatās also an opportunity especially for me since I can be a bit socially shy at times. People are friendly and will help you if you reach out.
You do you. You do exactly what you want, when you want, how you want.
Did you see the Northern Lights?
Yep, but I have to say it wasnāt a high of my trip contrary to popular belief. I saw them two nights in a row--once in the middle of nowhere past Vik, and the other time somewhere about an hour and half outside of Reykjavik. The kind of looked like cloudy moonbeams that shivered and moved and sometimes had a greenish tint to them. You could miss it if you werenāt paying close attention. You need clear and dark skies to have a shot and theyāre mainly seen only during the winter. The amazing striations and colors you see in a lot of photos are only possible if seen through a camera (youāll need a tripod and a point-and-shoot fancy camera, a cell phone definitely wonāt cut it). One of my travel companions took some shots for me and promised to email, so Iāll be sure to share them if I hear from her. Still, itās one of the wonders of our natural world and a kind of once-in-a-lifetime event so Iād definitely say worth it even if not quite what I expected.
Gosh, Iād have to say the tour through the South Shores and maybe seeing the basalt rock formations at Reynisdrangar black sand beach and the Vatnajƶkull glacier. The beach was just incredible for the sheer force of the elements: the wind knocking you off your feet, the waves crashing down, and the thought of lava forming the cliff sides. Really brought home Icelandās epithet: the land of fire and ice.
I think this mostly captures it, but please donāt hesitate to reach out if you have more questions. TL;DR: Iceland was a magical, awesome, restorative trip and I would absolutely recommend it to people seeking an adventure through some of the most awe-striking, unusual natural settings youāll probably ever encounter. Pictures to come in follow-up.Ā
