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funkyart_gw

Iceland?

funkyart
9 years ago

Nothing is committed.. we're still looking at a few options-- but our semi-joking about vacationing in Iceland has gotten more serious. I came here to see what others have done because I swore there was a thread about iceland a few months ago but I'll be darned if I can find it.

I am just digging in on my search for info-- I had an icelandic friend in high school but admittedly most of what I know right now is from movies and anthony bourdain. :/

Comments (23)

  • mtnrdredux_gw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    email SueB; she either is going or planning to or was planning to or talked about it or

    something about SueB and Iceland sticks in my head

  • sushipup1
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We just saw a preview for the movie Land Ho! about two former brothers-in-law who go to Iceland, a buddy road trip movie for seniors. The preview was gorgeous. The movie goes on my Netflix list, and I lust for a trip to Iceland!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Land Ho!

  • bbstx
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have an acquaintance who photographed a wedding in Iceland. Here is a link to a short film he made while he was there. No planning help, but it'll whet you appetite.

    netla, who is sometimes in the Cooking Forum, lives in Iceland. The link to her page is http://www.gardenweb.com/auth/nph-logincheck.cgi?action=public_profile&user=netla Her posts are very nice. Perhaps she can answer questions for you, too.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Grimsey Iceland

  • funkyart
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ah thanks, Mtn! It was Sue! I'll drop her a note!

    Sushipup-- that's a great trailer! Thank you for sharing!

    bbstx - thanks for the video-- it was charming! Thanks too for the tip about Netla!

  • karin_mt
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yes Iceland! I love that place and coincidentally have just begun to plan a trip there for this spring.

    I've been there twice, albeit in the 1990s, but I can lend some advice, or at least major encouragement to go.

    (Disclaimer: I am a geologist. Iceland is Disneyland for geologists, so I do have a bit of bias for the place.)

    What kind of trip do you like? Cushy? Adventurous? DIY? Guided?

  • Sueb20
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yes, SueB is going to Iceland in June!

    I can send you our whole itinerary (if you want) when I get home -- away this weekend for DD's gymnastics meet.

  • funkyart
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    SueB.. yes! please do send your itinerary! I expect we'd go in early Sept.. so I'll also have the advantage of your experiences!

    Karin-- I like cushier than bf but I don't see this as a luxury trip. We'll want to spend lots of time outdoors -- low impact adventure/off the beaten path. We'll also want some city/harbor time. We love food, photography, outdoors and water. I imagine hikes, bikes and boats... interesting places to eat (but not foodie enough for fermented shark or puffin!) shopping and wandering.

    Thank you all!

  • blfenton
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I can't help you with personal experience however a friend of mine went 2 years ago and loved it. She and her DH were going to Norway for a wedding and the airlines/flight they were on allowed for a stopover with no charge so as a lark they stopped off at Iceland and absolutely loved it. They were there for 4 days and wished for more time.

  • ice1
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Im Icelandic and live in Iceland.

  • karin_mt
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Funkyart,

    You might check the weather in September. Iceland is a rainy place and I'm not sure how September stacks up in that category.

    Assuming that checks out, then yes, it sounds like a good fit for you. There is lots of hiking, and there are many astonishing sights to see with just a short hike. Of course long hikes are abundant too. Iceland is nirvana for photographers. There are waterfalls around every corner, spectacular fjords, black sand beaches, glaciers, and wonderful, low-angle light due to being so far north.

    Food might not be Iceland's strong suit, but I'm not a seafood lover, so maybe my perspective is off.

    There are short boat excursions for things like a glacial lake full of icebergs, or a few islands that have fantastic birds. I think we did 2 or 3 different boat rides. One was all day long up in the Westfjords. Super remote up there, loved that!

    City time can be found in Reykjavik, and also up north in Akureyri. They're both great. Shopping is OK, but maybe too expensive to be much fun.

    A lot of the major sights are concentrated in the southern and southwest parts of Iceland. My personal favorite area is Skaftafell National Park. But the whole coast is terrific. The interior is hard to access and there are no paved roads that go through the interior.

    There are bus tours, but I like renting a car so you can hop in and out on a whim. Everything is expensive though, so check out the pricing before you get too far into the planning.

    Hope that helps! I can give more specific recommendations if needed, and it sounds like others have lots to offer too.

    - Karin

  • ice1
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Im sorry Karin.icelandic food is exellent if I do say so my self. Our lamb is wonderful. Fish the freshest in the world, everyone needs to taste our ice cream. If you stay in Reykjavik go to the Fishmarket, Kopar, Sushi Samba all
    restaurants , Valdis is a ice cream shop down by the harbor (Grandi) just to name a few. September can be wonderful but Karin is right it can rain and even snow. If it were me I would rather come here in jun.july august. you can't expect the weather to behave here. Last summer was not good. If you come do go the Golden cirkle. You can drive by your self or take a bus. All our swimming pools are heated. Wonderful to try, most all are outside. Blue lagoon is something you should also look at. This is just from the top of my head,
    If you have any questions just hollar.

    This post was edited by ice1 on Mon, Jan 26, 15 at 12:54

  • karin_mt
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ice, I appreciate the correction on the food! I'm sure if I liked seafood I would love the freshness of Icelandic seafood. I did enjoy the fresh vegetables grown in the geothermal greenhouses, and I love the whole idea of that.

    The heated pools are wonderful. What better way to wind down a day of adventuring than soaking in geothermal waters and admiring the view of neighboring volcanoes.

    The trip I am investigating is a springtime ski mountaineering trip on the Troll Peninsula. So far it's just speculative, but this trip is at the very top of my list of places to go. I need to start checking on prices, as that is going to be the determining factor. Suggestions are very welcome!

  • Sueb20
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ok, here is our detailed itinerary with a few details excluded to protect my top secret identity. BTW I had nothing to do with planning this. DH is taking the lead, working with our travel agent.

    Departure Day/Arrival Keflavik, On flight arrival, take your included transfer to your hotel located in Grindavik (situated within 5 minutes of the Blue Lagoon). Overnight Grindavik.

    Blue Lagoon & Borgarnes, Iceland -- Enjoy the day at the Blue Lagoon, your hotel offers complimentary transportation to the Blue Lagoon (distance is approx. 5 minutes between hotel and Blue Lagoon). Your vacation program includes the Blue Lagoon Comfort Package: Blue Lagoon Entrance, Towel, Drink of Choice, Algæ Facial Scrub (self-applied). At the conclusion of the Blue Lagoon visit, take your complimentary transfer back to the Keflavik Airport to pick up your car and begin your self drive program towards the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Your package includes unlimited KM. Overnight in Borgarnes area.

    Borgarnes & Snæfellsnes, Iceland -- Drive up to the north side of Snæfellsnes Peninsula to enjoy your included boat tour out of the Stykkisholmur Bay -- this is an opportunity to see beautiful bird cliffs and the coastline of Iceland… after your boat tour, drive to your accommodations on Snæfellsnes.

    Snæfellsnes, Iceland -- Full day to explore Snæfellsnes on your own.

    Snæfellsnes & Westfjords, Iceland -- Drive to the Westfjords area (1 hour 45 minute drive to your Westfjords homebase). Overnight Westfjords area.

    Westfjords, Iceland -- Full day to explore and enjoy the Westfjords! Your program today also includes an afternoon boat excursion to Grimsey Island that departs from the area of Drangnes (2 hours from your hotel). Grimsey island offers a dense population of unique Icelandic birds. Afternoon tour duration: 3 hours

    Westfjords ~ North Iceland, Iceland -- After breakfast, drive to the starting point of your included Family White Water Rafting Excursion (half day excursion); scenic driving distance is about 2 hours 30 minutes. Tour duration: 3 hours; difficulty rating = easy.

    North Iceland -- Today, enjoy time in North Iceland. You may wish to take a drive to Lake Myvatn area (about 2 hrs 30 minutes) and enjoy a possible dip in the Nature Baths (paid locally; optional). At the conclusion of your adventure, drive to Akureyri.

    Akureyri ~ Reykjavik, Iceland -- Drive to Akureyri Airport and drop off your car rental and board your morning flight to Reykjavik Domestic Airport. Arrive Reykjavik mid-morning. This afternoon, enjoy your included Golden Circle Tour with key highlights in Iceland that include: Gullfoss, Geysir and the Thingvellir National Park.

    Reykjavik ~ Skaftafell -- After a very early morning breakfast, enjoy a full day tour (hotel pick-up 7:30am). This program takes you along the amazing South Coast of Iceland: Seljalandsfoss waterfall, Skógarfoss waterfall, seaside village of Vík, Skaftafell National Park, the Glacier lagoon Jökulsárlón, optional boat tour zigzagging between huge floating icebergs available

    Reykjavik, Iceland -- Enjoy the day today to relax and enjoy Reykjavik on your own.

  • ice1
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Your welcome Karin lol. I tend to get upset when people are not happy with the food here ( not that it happens often ) You should try and book early to get the best air fare. Im sorry not much of a skier. But the Troll Peninsula in the north is a beautiful place. Today it is a big thing to fly with a helicopter over the volcano (Bárðarbunga). Akureyri
    also in the North is a lovely city. If I were planing traveling north I would book at a bed and breakfast they are all over the island. When in Reykjavík go and find a place called Gló amazing vegitarian place. www.glo.is also you could look into renting a summerhouse, they are all over the island and you can rent for a night or . We have done that and love it. bungalo.is

  • funkyart
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you all SO much.. I have read all responses but am running low on time. I will return with more response and more questions!

  • karin_mt
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I know what you mean Ice - you are justly proud of where you live. I get similarly bothered when people complain about the gem of a hometown we live in. Glo sounds like just my kind of place, thank you for that suggestion.

    On prior trips we stayed in farmhouse bed and breakfasts and it was wonderful. I've done just a little checking for this potential trip and even those seem pretty pricey. But apparently there is also a lodge of some sort that the skiers use, so I need to find out more about that.

    Edited to add: I just had a great time looking things up on bungalo.is. Yes, that is exactly what we're looking for. I think Dalvik is the closest town and there are many options there.

    Airfares are not too bad, at least at this point. Hopefully we'll decide soon and get something booked before the prices go up.

    I assume early May is pretty rainy normally? Apparently that is the time to go for skiing.

    SueB, your itinerary looks great!

    Oh man, I'm getting excited now. I'd love for this trip to work out.

  • ice1
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I hate to say it but about the weather you cant assume anything. May can be good . There is a terrible saying in icelandic and as a woman I should not repeat it lol. The weather in Iceland is like a mood of a woman, you never know from one minute to another. .

  • karin_mt
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yes, that is the same impression I have about the weather. I think we would wait for windows of opportunity, then head up whenever the weather allows it. When I was there on prior visits, we had a running joke about how all the postcards showed the scenery amid a blue sky. We always wondered when those pictures were taken, since that is apparently a rare phenomenon.

    Getting skunked by weather is a totally common experience with this type of skiing, but I think Iceland may be particularly challenging in this regard.

  • kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I booked a great trip through Icelandair. Very inclusive. Northern lights almost every night. Time in Reykjavik and Lake Myvatn. Amazing!! Went in March.
    Very friendly, very clean! Good food...
    K

  • kitchenwitch
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I’m flying through Iceland on my way to Copenhagen in mid-May. If I could spare a day or two, would there be much to see close to the Reykjavik airport or is that just not feasible?

  • ice1
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Kitchenwitch, you land in Keflavík and Reykjavik is a half hour car ride.
    From the airport to the Blue lagoon is 15 minutes. There is plenty to do in Reykjavik. You could also take a bus the Golden circle, that takes if I remember the day. So a 2 day stop is very feasible.

  • karin_mt
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Right, agreed. A lot of highlights are within easy reach of Reykjavik. Not to mention the city itself is fantastic.

    The Golden Circle contains some really cool features.

    - Geysir, the original geyser for which all are named, and it's little brother Strokkur (I think that's the name?) that erupts delightfully every few minutes. It's just terrific.

    - Gulfoss, a magically beautiful waterfall. Just try to take fewer than 50 photos!

    - Thingvellir, which is one place where the separation of geologic plates is plainly visible. Not too many places on the planet where you can see this sort of thing. Thingvellir also has historical significance as the world's first parliament.

    Ice, feel free to correct me if I'm off!

  • funkyart
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I am so sorry it's taken me a week to get back to this thread-- it's been a difficult time here so please excuse me and accept my apologies!

    Thank you all for your itineraries, experiences and enthusiastic recommendations! Unfortunately, it's become obvious to me that we'll have to wait until next year for this trip. From my initial reading, it seemed that early Sept would be a decent -- but not the best-- time to go. Of course ,I knew the weather was unpredictable but seeing it restated here, I realized that Sept was just pushing it. Last thing I would want is to plan a big trip and then have them go out the window due to a shift in the weather. I'll plan for spring 2016.

    The good news is that my bff is just as interested in an iceland vacation as I am. I am not sure we'd travel with her family but it would be fun to meet up for a few stops on our own trips. We'll have good fun making plans!

    So now I need to come up with another destination for my Sept vacation. I am still looking north.. possibly Nova Scotia/Maine Coast.. or Montreal and Quebec.

    Thank you again for all your insight-- and my apologies again for my delayed response!

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