Ice Ice... Iceland

Miles

- Iceland is a Nordic island nation.

- Reykjavík is the capital city of the Republic of Iceland.

- Iceland’s population is about 334,252.

- They speak Icelandic with most of them also speaking English.

- The currency is Icelandic Króna. It Converts nearly 1-1 to the USD.

- The phenomenon of the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) can be seen during mid-winter (November-December) when the weather is clear.

- Traditional dishes are mad typically of seafood and lamb. Hangikjöt (smoked lamb) is still very popular today. Skyr (curds) is also very popular especially served with fresh bilberries

- Agriculture is the main source of income. Tourism i only makes up 18% of Iceland’s income.

- Iceland has both volcanoes and glaciers.

- Iceland is part of Scandinavia (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden).

Fun Fact: Many Icelanders believe elves exist.

Icelandair Hotels Natura

Icelandair Hotels Natura is a decent hotel. The modern décor gives it a little bit of an edge. The customer service, cleanliness of the hotel, and amenities were good.

However, I have to say that I was disappointed with the room. It was clean but not at all what I imagined in terms of size. It was very small. Livable and doable for the durations of the trip but it definitely was not what was depicted in the photo prior to booking.

Even though the USD and the Icelandic Króna are nearly one to one, Iceland is an expensive country. Breakfast can easily run you $15 for croissant and coffee. Packing snacks is helpful in cutting food cost while there. Their water is almost all tap. If you only drink bottled water, you have to buy the bottled water that is imported. For your packing needs, PACK WARM! You’ll need at least one pair of hiking boots or Timberlands— especially if you intend to go during the winter months. Reykjavik is a relatively small city and pretty easy to navigate. The bus is a viable transportation option, and Icelandair Hotel Natura actually gives its guest a complimentary bus pass to use for the duration of their stay. You have to request the pass at the front desk. The sun doesn’t rise until almost 9am so the day starts a bit later. Nightlife ends fairly early ending around 1/2am. An important thing to not is cans are very expensive and become harder to find late nights. I used the Grey Line for my airport transportation and tour needs, and bought all my vouchers from Expedia.

Travel Tips/Travel Hacks: When exchanging currency, use big bills ($100s/50s). You'll get a better conversion rate. This holds true at the airport. It may hold true at the bank but it does not hold true at the hotel.

Meals

Suarta Kaffit

This soup spot claims to have the best soup in town and I have to say they delivered! Suarta Kaffit, a menu-less restaurant, serves 2 new soups daily. You’ll never go and get the same soup twice. When I went, there was a mushroom soup and a Hungarian meat soup. The Hungarian meat soup was actually really tasty and flavorful!

Reykjavik Chips

Many European countries are well known for French fries (chips or frits) and mayonnaise or other dipping sauces. Reykjavik Chips was very delish 😋. I loved that they paid homage to some Hip-Hop’s legends!

Te & Kaffi

The name of this cute little coffee shop is exactly how you would translate it in English, Tea and Coffee. This coffee shop was the perfect little breakfast spot with a variety of breakfast, coffee, and tea options. The staff was very helpful and friendly with great customer service!

The ham and cheese croissant was 👌🏽!

Seranno

Seranno is a burrito bar. It is probably the closest thing to chipotle you’ll find in Iceland lol. It had an Icelandic twist on the burrito but was very flavorful.

Blue Lagoon Café

There’s a nice little variety of foods to choose from at the Blue Lagoon Café. The ham and cheese sandwich was good.

Durum

The breakfast here was decent but definitely nothing to write home about. It most definitely wasn't worth the $18 it costed.

Domino’s Pizza

When all else fails, stick to what you know 😂. Surprisingly enough, it tasted exactly how it does in the US.

Memories

I undoubtedly exercised my adventurous side in Iceland. There are so many nature filled activities to do!

Blue Lagoon- Gray Line

The Blue Lagoon is among the world’s most remarkable places and you’re about to see why!

There are four different admissions packages that include different things. From the basic package that includes entrance and a mask to the very extravagant one including a private changing room, complimentary drink, and much more. It is important to book your Blue Lagoon excursion before you even leave for Iceland to guarantee you get the time slot you desire. Tickets sell out quickly. You can purchase your ticket directly from the Blue Lagoon website or you can get it from Expedia (that’s where I bought mine when the Blue Lagoon website no longer had the time slot I wanted.)

There is transportation from the airport straight to the Blue Lagoon. Many people like this option because you have to pass the Blue Lagoon in order to get to many of the hotels so it kills 2 birds with one stone. No need to worry about your luggage if you choose to go with this option, the Blue Lagoon allows guest to stow away luggage.

A few things to keep in mind are:

The water is nice and warm but the air is absolutely freezing. It was 40 degrees when I went!

Make sure you do the complimentary face mask. I did the volcanic mask and the silica mask. I have very sensitive acne prone skin and the masks did wonders! Had I known it worked so well, I definitely would have bought a face mask kit.

If you’re going to wet your hair in the Blue Lagoon, make sure you douse it in conditioner. The water makes your hair very dry and brittle.

Fun Fact: The water in the Blue Lagoon is actually white. It is the sun that makes it look blue.

Northern Lights Mystery Tour - Gray Line

This was the number one reason for my trip! The mesmerizing Northern Light, Aurora Borealis, are an absolute must if you go when they’re in season. The Northern Lights are best seen during the winter months when it is the darkest (Sept-April). This is a fun and exciting activity to participate in. You are basically on a hunt to find these beautiful lights. Now here’s the catch, majority of the pictures you see of the Northern Lights are captured on DSLR cameras. The camera allows for you to see the aurora in its true beauty. Something that cannot be seen with the naked eye. There was low activity on the night that I went so it was very hard to see with the naked eye but we were able to capture a beautiful picture of it with a DSLR camera.

Unfortunately, phone cameras do not pick up activity. However, results may vary if there is a lot of activity. The great thing about this tour is that if you went on a night with little to no activity, the tour allows you up until a year to go back and try again.

Golden Circle (Road Trip)

A road trip in another country is only recommended if you have 100% confidence in your driving ability and navigation skills. The Grey Line and a few other tour companies do have a Golden Circle tour but my best friend and I used this as our opportunity to be adventurous. We rented a car from Hertz and followed the map used by one of the tours. The main points on the Golden Circle Tour are Geysir geothermal area, the waterfall Gullfoss, and the UNESCO site Þingvellir National Park.

We started the road trip about 10:30/11am (when the sun was fully up) and headed back by 4:30/5pm to make sure we were home before the sun went down. It toke about an hour to a hour and a half to drive to each point.

Along the way we stopped for some views…

And made a few friends!

Þingvellir National Park

Þingvellir National Park was the first stop on our journey. Þingvellir National Park is located in an active volcanic area just outside of Reykjavik. The National Park is enclosed by a varied belt of mountains, grass-covered lava fields, and Lake Þingvallavatn. This outstanding scenery is to die for!

There is a café and gift shop. You have to pay to use the bathroom here.

Geysir

The Geysir is a geothermal area. This consists of a hot spring area with boiling mud pits, exploding geysers, and the lively Strokkur which spouts water 100 ft. into the air every few minutes.

It is such a thrill waiting for the Stokkur to erupt. Watch below!

You do not have to pay an entrance fee to visit the Geysir. The Geysir has a café, gift shop, and restrooms if you’d like to make a pit stop before heading to your final destination.

Gullfoss

The Gullfoss waterfall is undeniably the right way to end the road trip (tour).

Remember, a road trip is NOT the only way to experience these wonders of Iceland. You can do an organized tour. A road trip is just a cost-efficient alternative.

The Sun Voyager

The Sun Voyager is a sculpture by Jón Gunnar Árnason, located next to the Sæbraut road in Reykjavík, Iceland. It is a dream boat and an ode to the sun.

Icelandic Phallological Museum

The Icelandic Phallological Museum is an Icelandic hot spot and home to the world’s largest collection of penises and penile parts. The Museum contains a collection of more than 215 penises and penile parts belonging to almost all the land and sea mammals that can be found in Iceland. Admission is 1500 ISK.