Adventure of a lifetime

I had the opportunity to host a trip to Iceland. This was my first visit to Iceland, and I could not wait to visit the land of Fire and Ice. I had wanted to visit Iceland for years, its a country of extreme contrasts and dramatic landscapes. With some of the world’s most active volcanoes and is home to some of the largest glaciers in Europe. Which is why I planned our itinerary to include as much as we could in the 4 days we were visiting. Saturday, we flew over to Iceland and had an afternoon leisure. I chose to stay in the Storm hotel Reykjavik; the hotel is located between Reykjavik's main business district and Laugavegur shopping street. Excellent for the excursion pick up as Bus Stop 12 was outside the hotel. Modern rooms, friendliest staff an ideal base for a few nights stay. Saturday evening, we enjoyed a Northern Lights Cruise. When you search for the Aurora Borealis you board the winter cruise boat to distance yourself from city lights and try to find the clear skies. Searching for the Northern Lights needs patience. We had a slight glimpse this evening, so had the opportunity to see the lights on another free cruise. As the northern lights are a natural phenomenon you cannot guarantee that we will see them, but we use professional aurora hunters with years of experience searching for the lights around Reykjavík. For a good aurora pursuit, you need three things: solar activity, clear skies, and darkness. I’d always recommend arranging this on your first night to allow a second opportunity if need be. It is often free, with most cruise companies. Sunday, we enjoyed a Free day. We walked from the hotel and soon came across some great attractions, there is always a photo opportunity in Reykjavik with so much street art. Stones Piles are built overlooking the Atlantic Ocean not far from our hotel. Solfar Sun Voyager is a little steel boat which resembles a Viking ship. Again, minutes from the Storm hotel. I had booked to see the Lava Show and Flyover Iceland as they are next door in advance. Flyover is the ultimate flying ride; we chose Iceland experience, and it offers an unforgettable experience over one of the most interesting countries you can visit for natural beauty. You hang with suspended feet dragging before a 20-meter screen whilst the film takes you over Iceland. This was one of the groups highlights. Lava show got me a safe distance to lava as I’d want. Really informative show and in a great area for more tourist attractions. Minutes from the Flyover/Lava show attractions on foot, you have the Hlemmur Matholl food hall, which is fabulous as so many wonderful food choices from fish and chips to Korean dishes you have it all to choose from.

Monday Golden Circle Super Jeep and snow mobile on Langjokull – This was by far the best day of the whole trip. If you hear anyone talk about Iceland excursions, they will be more than likely to bring up the Golden Circle. It’s featured near the top of almost every list of things to do in the country. The Golden Circle consists of three equally stunning locations in southwest Iceland: Thingvellir National Park, the Geysir Geothermal Area, and Gullfoss waterfall. These sites are renowned across the world and are as spectacular as they are unique. None of them is further than a two-hour drive from Reykjavik, making it possible to visit all three within a day. Thingvellir National Park is an amazing site, steeped in history and folklore and surrounded by incredible geology. It has the honour of being the first of Iceland’s three national parks to be established. It is also the only one that has been granted UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Considered to be the first stop on the Golden Circle, the park is only a 45-minute drive away from Reykjavik. It is a place where dramatic geology meets a millennium of fascinating history. Here, visitors to Thingvellir can discover the roots of this island’s formation and how Medieval Icelanders created its democratic society. The Geysir Geothermal Area The second stop on the Golden Circle is the Geysir Geothermal Area, located within the Haukadalur Valley. It is approximately a fifty-minute drive from Thingvellir. En route, it is possible to see the earth’s volcanic activity grow more intense. Steaming vents and chimneys are visible along the way and notably concentrated in the village of Laugarvatn, located halfway between Thingvellir and Geysir. This settlement has a spa that is heated by hot water currents beneath the ground’s surface. Its steam rooms sit on top of bubbling hot pots, which reach a sweltering 60°C (140°F). The third and final stop on the Golden Circle route is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Iceland: Gullfoss waterfall. Visitors can find the waterfall less than ten minutes down the road from Geysir. This powerful waterfall is in a plunging, ancient valley and tumbles down two drops, from an overall height of 32 meters (105 ft). During its heaviest flow in the summer, it pours an average of 140 cubic meters (4944 cubic feet) of water every second. Arriving at Bus Stop 12 our huge super jeep certainly got the tourists stopping in their tracks to look at our vehicle. So pleased we enjoyed the private superdeep to take up to the glacier hut, to gather appropriate equipment such as helmets, overalls, overshoes, gloves, and a hat. We had a fun-loving guide to instruct use how to use the snowmobiles and enjoy safely using them to ride off into the winter wonderland as part of our excursion. Then enjoy breathtaking scenery and a lot of fun. We shared a super jeep, and I was glad to sit at the back and shield myself from the wind, was beautiful but yes extremely cold. Tuesday Blue Lagoon and Departure. We walked up to Hallgrimskirkja Church which looks impressive from all angles. You just pay to see the church tower views, which is optional. The Blue lagoon is very close to Reykjavik airport, so it made sense to do this on the way back to the airport. As it did not feel like we were going home this day and had a leisurely afternoon in the worldly wonder Blue Lagoon which is in the heart of a volcanic landscape. The Blue Lagoon’s geothermal seawater is 70% ocean water and 30% freshwater, enriched with silica, algae, and minerals. We enjoyed the comfort entrance, which included silica mud mask from the in-water mask bar, towel and 1 drink from the in-water bar which includes smoothies, juices, soft drinks, beer, or wine.