The Icelandic Five
Iceland, you’ve been the flavour of the month ALL year long. Everyone wants a scoop of your sweet country towns, your natural attractions– the waterfalls, the volcanoes, the geothermal pools – your unique beauty and your otherworldly landscapes.
You're incredible. You're breathtaking. You're downright the weirdest yet most wonderful place I’ve ever been.
So what is it about you, sweet little Iceland, that makes you so damn irresistible?
A little geography for you all: Iceland sits on the cusp of Scandinavia and the Arctic Circle (in other worlds: COLD) and has a modest population of just over 334,000. There’s no railway system and the top picks on the menu are cured shark and whale steak. Iceland took a heavy blow in the Global Financial Crisis and the country fell into such a deep hole of financial misery that even their only McDonald’s franchise was forced to close up shop for good. And if that isn’t already tearing your heart strings, the last burger ever sold there has been preserved in a glass enclosure as remembrance ever since, and is on a 24/7 live webcam (which you can waste your life watching here).
In the past couple of years, this quirky country has been swallowed into an absolute tourism frenzy, with a 40% increase in the industry from 2015 and 2016 – the latter raking in 1.7 million tourists.
Naturally, it was only a matter of time before I succumbed to the desire of getting a taste of Iceland myself. My visit was at the beginning of their winter, which meant five hours of daily sunlight and not a single one of them spent in less than five layers of clothing. So sticking to the theme, I offer up my five must-do’s in Iceland, all accessible from the capital, Reykjavik.
The Blue Lagoon
It’s worth arguing that if you went to Iceland without visiting the Blue Lagoon, you never really went to Iceland at all. Because this place is the absolute BEE’S KNEES.
The Blue Lagoon is a natural geothermic pool, and sits isolated amongst remnants of volcanoes and ice. This glowing blue bath welcomes people from all over the world for a soak in its healing waters, and upon seeing this attraction, I wasn’t surprised as to why. My morning at the Blue Lagoon was one of the most ethereal and magical experiences of my life. I spent the entire time covered in a clay mask, catching the snow on my tongue whilst being immersed in the bubbling, steamy water, and watching the sun rise (at 10 o’clock in the morning, might I add). I was lucky enough to meet a fellow solo female whom I spent the time with floating around; both of us giggling in awe at how stupendous this place was.
The Blue Lagoon is a tourist magnet, but it’s also a pretty ritzy place. Don’t expect some kind of sweaty and tight-packed steam room with a bunch of strangers. The spa limits the number of people in the facility, so booking in advance is essential. Typically, I booked on a whim and the only time slot left was the first session of the day at 8 in the morning – and honestly, it was incredible. I got to soak in the complete darkness under the stars, watch the sun rise, and spend some time there during the lit hours, too.
Essentials: Waterproof camera // Krona to blow (I paid $17 bucks for a frozen coke…) //
Golden Circle
Another must-do when visiting Iceland is partaking in the good ol’ Golden Circle tour. This loop of sightseeing takes you to some pretty spectacular nooks and crannies just outside of Reykjavik like the National Park Thingvellir, Gullfoss, and my favourite of them all, Geysir. Each of them equally breathtaking, and all of them spectacularly untouched.
Iceland has some fabulous tour companies which will all offer Golden Circle tours running out of Reykjavik. Sure, they’ll cost you an arm and leg, but what doesn’t in Iceland?!
Essentials: Gloves (my hands actually froze to the camera by the Geysir) // Earplugs (there’s only so much foreign chatter you can listen to on a long bus ride) //
The Icelandic Phallological Museum
Yep, you read that right. Reykjavik is home to the world’s only museum dedicated entirely to penises. Ever wanted to measure up over 200 penises from 46 different mammals? Neither did I! But it sure was an interesting/disturbing afternoon. And yes, that is me standing next to (and falling a few inches short of) a whale’s dick.
Essentials: Eat before you go… you won’t be able to after.
Northern Lights
I’d been lusting after a glimpse of the Northern Lights for months before getting to Iceland. I was set up for the win: I was there in the cold months, the night skies were cloudless, and there’d been plenty of solar activity in the weeks surrounding my visit.
Late each night, busses drive a bunch of people into clearings away from the city lights, where for two hours, everyone gets off the bus and looks up at the sky. And waits. Looking up. Yep, still waiting. OH WAS THAT A GREEN LIGH- oh, no never mind. Nada.
For FOUR consecutive nights, I stood out in the sub-zero cold looking to the sky, waiting, hoping, wishing, and all to no prevail. One night, I was so frustrated I actually sobbed… which resulted in my tears freezing my eyes open and having to spend the night looking into the heater vent. The only thing I gained out of this pitiful experience were some strangers that became close friends after our nights out in the snow (shared body warmth is KEY in these conditions).
All in all, the lights are meant to be pretty wonderful. So that’s why this cruel form of torture is on the top five list – because at least some of you suckers might see these "beautiful" lights as per my recommendation. The tour companies have you covered for this painful activity. And they taunt you even further by offering free journeys each night until you see the lights. Which in my case, didn’t do me any favours.
Essentials: Layers. Company. Patience. A clear mind. Maybe meditate beforehand. Or maybe don’t. Maybe just don’t even go. Just watch videos of the lights on Youtube – less painful.
Despite not seeing a single streak of Northern Light, I managed to get this long exposure shot from a clever Spaniard behind a camera. This was in fact the spectacle going on in the blackness of the sky!!
Hit the town
Reykjavik - even though small and relatively empty - is actually quite the party town. Enjoy some overpriced beer and a chinwag with one of the fabulous locals of Iceland. They all speak impeccable English and are the friendliest bunch of folk I ever did meet. And how’s this for a tidbit: the singles of Iceland all use an app that lets them check if you’re related to them before they start chatting you up. Being born and bred in a little country means that accidentally marrying your cousin isn’t that uncommon. Gosh, think of the poor bloke that was driven to creating that app… I’m sure he’s got some stories to tell.
Essentials: Pre-purchased alcohol from duty free – if you can afford a drink out in Iceland, you’d be rich enough to persuade even the Northern Lights to make an appearance.
