Land of Fire and Ice – Iceland Ring Road Adventure on Wheels
Apr 13, 2020, 3:57 pm
#33
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SFOSJCOAK
Programs: AA-EXP & 1MM+, AS, MR-LTT, HH Gold
Posts: 7,583
Part 13 – Drive from Dettifoss to Egilsstadir and continue to Hofn
After leaving Dettifoss, we pressed on to a town named Egilsstadir, in the Eastern Region of Iceland. After a short break there, we forged ahead to Hofn near Vatnajokull, mostly in the dark of the night.
Road Map - From Dettifoss to Egilsstadir
Road Map - Egilsstadir to Hofn
On the Way to Egilsstadir – Interesting countryside
On the Way to Egilsstadir – Interesting countryside
From Dettifoss to Egilsstadir, it took about 2.5 hours to cover a distance of 160km. Along the way on Route 1, we saw nice but different landscape again. Strange enough, in some area we didn’t see farms for miles. Many valleys with rivers. Many smooth rolling hills.
Approaching Egilsstadir – Crossing the bridge
Approaching Egilsstadir – After crossing the bridge
As we crossed over the bridge, we saw the town was in yellow and golden, because it was fall season here. It continued to rain lightly at the time we pulled into the parking lot near Salt Cafe and Bistro.
The Cafe was kind of quiet at this hour between lunch and dinner. We ordered a 16" pizza, which we could finished only half of it. We packed the rest and took it with us. Next, we drove across the street to N1 gas station and refueled the car.
We refueled at the Salt Café & Bistro – a nice clean place with free wifi
We refueled at the Salt Café & Bistro – a nice clean place with free wifi
It was getting dark by now and the light rain continued. Conditions were not great for driving at night. The car engine was started at 18:00 and we were traveling on Route 95, aiming to do a short cut (instead of traversing many fjords if we were to take Route 1). At the Y intersection, we turned right at Oxi Road. The road became Route 939. Not until later did we discover that it was a bad dirt road in serious need of repair (perhaps it was under construction). Driving in Sport Mode and slowly, negotiating up & down many mountains and valleys. In dim light, we saw many smaller waterfalls, but didn’t have time to really check them out. By now rain turned into snow flurry at higher elevation. It was getting very dark. This seemed like a dangerous road to drive on at night! (hind sight is always 20/20) Thankfully a huge truck was behind us. We found a shoulder wide enough to pull to the right and let it pass. We then just followed this truck. Felt much better now!
From Egilsstadir to Vatnajokull - One of many roadside waterfalls.
From Egilsstadir to Vatnajokull - It hailed with wet snow in higher elevations
From Egilsstadir to Vatnajokull - Climbing the mountain pass
From Egilsstadir to Vatnajokull - Sigh of relief at the sight of the Berufjordurfjord
From Egilsstadir to Vatnajokull -. Total darkness engulfed us. Fortunately we were at the fjord level now and soon would join Route 1.
The rest of the journey was in total darkness. Heavy clouds began to give way to clear skies as we pushed ahead further on Route 1.
Tonight, Aurora Borealis forecast had a KP index of 2 or lower. So far we did not see any. We still had a long drive ahead to our next home, Fosshotel Vatnajokull near Hofn. Along the way, we kept on looking up from time to time for aurora in vain. We finally arrive at the hotel by 21:45. We booked a deluxe room for 3 nights, breakfast included. After settled down and finished the left over pizza, we went outside the hotel to look for Aurora Borealis, just in case. It was very faint and seemed very far away to the north beyond the mountains, so we decided not to chase it. This gave me a couple of hours to catch up on things. The Fosshotel Vatnajokull is located north of the small fishing town of Hofn. It is a somewhat new and modern hotel. So far everything about the hotel seemed quite acceptable. Around here, like most parts of Iceland, hotel options are quite limited.
Up next, Part 14 – Eastern Region of Iceland, Eystrahorn & Jokulsarlon
Road Map - From Dettifoss to Egilsstadir
Road Map - Egilsstadir to Hofn
On the Way to Egilsstadir – Interesting countryside
On the Way to Egilsstadir – Interesting countryside
From Dettifoss to Egilsstadir, it took about 2.5 hours to cover a distance of 160km. Along the way on Route 1, we saw nice but different landscape again. Strange enough, in some area we didn’t see farms for miles. Many valleys with rivers. Many smooth rolling hills.
Approaching Egilsstadir – Crossing the bridge
Approaching Egilsstadir – After crossing the bridge
As we crossed over the bridge, we saw the town was in yellow and golden, because it was fall season here. It continued to rain lightly at the time we pulled into the parking lot near Salt Cafe and Bistro.
The Cafe was kind of quiet at this hour between lunch and dinner. We ordered a 16" pizza, which we could finished only half of it. We packed the rest and took it with us. Next, we drove across the street to N1 gas station and refueled the car.
We refueled at the Salt Café & Bistro – a nice clean place with free wifi
We refueled at the Salt Café & Bistro – a nice clean place with free wifi
It was getting dark by now and the light rain continued. Conditions were not great for driving at night. The car engine was started at 18:00 and we were traveling on Route 95, aiming to do a short cut (instead of traversing many fjords if we were to take Route 1). At the Y intersection, we turned right at Oxi Road. The road became Route 939. Not until later did we discover that it was a bad dirt road in serious need of repair (perhaps it was under construction). Driving in Sport Mode and slowly, negotiating up & down many mountains and valleys. In dim light, we saw many smaller waterfalls, but didn’t have time to really check them out. By now rain turned into snow flurry at higher elevation. It was getting very dark. This seemed like a dangerous road to drive on at night! (hind sight is always 20/20) Thankfully a huge truck was behind us. We found a shoulder wide enough to pull to the right and let it pass. We then just followed this truck. Felt much better now!
From Egilsstadir to Vatnajokull - One of many roadside waterfalls.
From Egilsstadir to Vatnajokull - It hailed with wet snow in higher elevations
From Egilsstadir to Vatnajokull - Climbing the mountain pass
From Egilsstadir to Vatnajokull - Sigh of relief at the sight of the Berufjordurfjord
From Egilsstadir to Vatnajokull -. Total darkness engulfed us. Fortunately we were at the fjord level now and soon would join Route 1.
The rest of the journey was in total darkness. Heavy clouds began to give way to clear skies as we pushed ahead further on Route 1.
Tonight, Aurora Borealis forecast had a KP index of 2 or lower. So far we did not see any. We still had a long drive ahead to our next home, Fosshotel Vatnajokull near Hofn. Along the way, we kept on looking up from time to time for aurora in vain. We finally arrive at the hotel by 21:45. We booked a deluxe room for 3 nights, breakfast included. After settled down and finished the left over pizza, we went outside the hotel to look for Aurora Borealis, just in case. It was very faint and seemed very far away to the north beyond the mountains, so we decided not to chase it. This gave me a couple of hours to catch up on things. The Fosshotel Vatnajokull is located north of the small fishing town of Hofn. It is a somewhat new and modern hotel. So far everything about the hotel seemed quite acceptable. Around here, like most parts of Iceland, hotel options are quite limited.
Up next, Part 14 – Eastern Region of Iceland, Eystrahorn & Jokulsarlon
Apr 13, 2020, 10:55 pm
#37
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SFOSJCOAK
Programs: AA-EXP & 1MM+, AS, MR-LTT, HH Gold
Posts: 7,583
You have a great shot there of Mount Kirkjufell. I have this shot captured on the same shoreline (much more to your left, I guess), but at totally different time. Your sky and reflection elevated the image. Good job!
How many days did you spent there on that trip?
Apr 14, 2020, 1:01 pm
#38
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SFOSJCOAK
Programs: AA-EXP & 1MM+, AS, MR-LTT, HH Gold
Posts: 7,583
Part 14 – Eastern Region of Iceland, Eystrahorn & Jokulsarlon
Getting ready to begin a day trip around the Eastern Region of Iceland
Fosshotel Vatnajokull is located in the middle of nowhere. Perhaps that in part is why we absolutely loved its location. Vatnajokull National Park is to the north and the fishing village of Hofn which is a few km to the south. There is a farm half kilometer away. Beautiful countryside!
Isolated but beautiful surrounding of Fosshotel Vatnajokull
Fosshotel Vatnajokull
Fosshotel Vatnajokull
Fosshotel Vatnajokull
Fosshotel Vatnajokull – Standard buffet breakfast with good coffee
Fosshotel Vatnajokull – Standard buffet breakfast with good coffee
While having breakfast, we enjoyed a great view of the mountains and the glaciers to the north (3 fingers, probably the Hoffelsjokull (far east 20 km), Flaajokull (30 km), Heinabergsjokull (middle 40 km) and the 4th one named Breioamerkurjokull (which is 80 km to the west and was too far to be seen from hotel). More on the Vatnajokulll NP later.
Today, we experienced the first sunny and cloudless day since setting foot on Iceland. Not so good for landscape photography but great for Aurora Borealis tonight (so I wished). But who knows, weather could change "on a dime". So, we will see.
Our plan for today is to backtrack to Eystrahorn (we passed by the night before) and then reverse direction to Jokullsarlon, all on Route 1. This part of the Ring Road is in very good condition.
Road map – To Eystrahorn & the Hvalnes Lighthouse
On the way out of the hotel – Farms & ranches in Hofn
Ranches near Hofn – There are more sheep than population in Iceland
Horses in this Ranch loves tourists – they love to be fed by visitors
Mountains near Hofn
After passing through the tunnel, Eystrahorn and the Hvalnes Lighthouse were not far away. It was sunny and no clouds here as well, ie more boring blue sky. In this area, you find some great but odd looking mountains such as the Krossanesfjall, large black sand beaches and the Pufuhraunstindur Mountains. Note that the Krossanesfjall is the rock outcrop of Eystrahorn, on the other side of the Bay of Lon is the Vestrahorn
Approaching tunnel – Eystrahorn is not far
Eystrahorn & Hvalnes Lighthouse
Eystrahorn – Krossanesfjall
Eystrahorn – Black sand beaches
Black sand beaches – difficult to walk on
Eystrahorn – Krossanesfjall
This place was interesting enough. We did some hiking around scouting for possible foregrounds for Aurora shoot tonight (wishful thinking).
After a couple of hours, we wrapped up here and drove back in south-east direction toward our hotel and beyond to Jokullsarlon (aka Glacier Lagoon).
Road Map: Eystrahorn to Jokullsarlon
In Vestrahorn, there is a café named Viking Cafe. Snack and coffee are offered here.
To visit the Viking Village, there is an admission charge of 900 ISK per person, not per car. Entry to Stokksnes costs a separate 900 ISK. Stokksnes is a stunning seascape for photography. I would’ve preferred a more dramatic cloudy sky as oppose to the blue sky. So I did not go in during mid-day. Thought about possibly returning tonight for aurora shooting, weather permitting. Unfortunately, later that night, it didn’t happen.
We kept pushing toward Jokullsarlon, because we wanted to be there at sunset. Along the way, we noted that the weather got more cloudy, with the sun poking out here and there.
Jokullsarlon at sunset – Crazy clouds and the golden sunset make for dramatic skies. Big contrast to the earlier cloudless blue skies!
You couldn’t quite notice it from the images, but this place was full of tourists. The golden hour was gorgeous due to all the dramatic cloud formations.
I was checking aurora forecast for Stokksnes and Hofn areas constantly. We would have clear sky but extremely weak KP index. It was getting dark. We had no time and no light to see the nearby Diamond Beach. Save that for later date.
We picked up a sandwich at Jokullsarlon before returning to the hotel. Double checked with the front desk for aurora forecast. They saw the same as I did. Clear sky, but no KP. We stayed up till 22:45 hoping for better luck to no avail.
Up next, Part 15 – Nice Adventure to Vatnajokull and Diamond Beach
Fosshotel Vatnajokull is located in the middle of nowhere. Perhaps that in part is why we absolutely loved its location. Vatnajokull National Park is to the north and the fishing village of Hofn which is a few km to the south. There is a farm half kilometer away. Beautiful countryside!
Isolated but beautiful surrounding of Fosshotel Vatnajokull
Fosshotel Vatnajokull
Fosshotel Vatnajokull
Fosshotel Vatnajokull
Fosshotel Vatnajokull – Standard buffet breakfast with good coffee
Fosshotel Vatnajokull – Standard buffet breakfast with good coffee
While having breakfast, we enjoyed a great view of the mountains and the glaciers to the north (3 fingers, probably the Hoffelsjokull (far east 20 km), Flaajokull (30 km), Heinabergsjokull (middle 40 km) and the 4th one named Breioamerkurjokull (which is 80 km to the west and was too far to be seen from hotel). More on the Vatnajokulll NP later.
Today, we experienced the first sunny and cloudless day since setting foot on Iceland. Not so good for landscape photography but great for Aurora Borealis tonight (so I wished). But who knows, weather could change "on a dime". So, we will see.
Our plan for today is to backtrack to Eystrahorn (we passed by the night before) and then reverse direction to Jokullsarlon, all on Route 1. This part of the Ring Road is in very good condition.
Road map – To Eystrahorn & the Hvalnes Lighthouse
On the way out of the hotel – Farms & ranches in Hofn
Ranches near Hofn – There are more sheep than population in Iceland
Horses in this Ranch loves tourists – they love to be fed by visitors
Mountains near Hofn
After passing through the tunnel, Eystrahorn and the Hvalnes Lighthouse were not far away. It was sunny and no clouds here as well, ie more boring blue sky. In this area, you find some great but odd looking mountains such as the Krossanesfjall, large black sand beaches and the Pufuhraunstindur Mountains. Note that the Krossanesfjall is the rock outcrop of Eystrahorn, on the other side of the Bay of Lon is the Vestrahorn
Approaching tunnel – Eystrahorn is not far
Eystrahorn & Hvalnes Lighthouse
Eystrahorn – Krossanesfjall
Eystrahorn – Black sand beaches
Black sand beaches – difficult to walk on
Eystrahorn – Krossanesfjall
This place was interesting enough. We did some hiking around scouting for possible foregrounds for Aurora shoot tonight (wishful thinking).
After a couple of hours, we wrapped up here and drove back in south-east direction toward our hotel and beyond to Jokullsarlon (aka Glacier Lagoon).
Road Map: Eystrahorn to Jokullsarlon
In Vestrahorn, there is a café named Viking Cafe. Snack and coffee are offered here.
To visit the Viking Village, there is an admission charge of 900 ISK per person, not per car. Entry to Stokksnes costs a separate 900 ISK. Stokksnes is a stunning seascape for photography. I would’ve preferred a more dramatic cloudy sky as oppose to the blue sky. So I did not go in during mid-day. Thought about possibly returning tonight for aurora shooting, weather permitting. Unfortunately, later that night, it didn’t happen.
We kept pushing toward Jokullsarlon, because we wanted to be there at sunset. Along the way, we noted that the weather got more cloudy, with the sun poking out here and there.
Jokullsarlon at sunset – Crazy clouds and the golden sunset make for dramatic skies. Big contrast to the earlier cloudless blue skies!
You couldn’t quite notice it from the images, but this place was full of tourists. The golden hour was gorgeous due to all the dramatic cloud formations.
I was checking aurora forecast for Stokksnes and Hofn areas constantly. We would have clear sky but extremely weak KP index. It was getting dark. We had no time and no light to see the nearby Diamond Beach. Save that for later date.
We picked up a sandwich at Jokullsarlon before returning to the hotel. Double checked with the front desk for aurora forecast. They saw the same as I did. Clear sky, but no KP. We stayed up till 22:45 hoping for better luck to no avail.
Up next, Part 15 – Nice Adventure to Vatnajokull and Diamond Beach
Apr 15, 2020, 12:48 pm
#39
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SFOSJCOAK
Programs: AA-EXP & 1MM+, AS, MR-LTT, HH Gold
Posts: 7,583
Part 15 – Nice Adventure to Vatnajokull and Diamond Beach
Our plan for today is to stay within the Eastern Region with re-visit to the Bay of Lon and Vestrahorn area in the morning. Then return to Hofn Port (and lunch) and the glacier fingers of the Vatnajokull NP will be covered in the afternoon. If time allows, we would go over to Diamond Beach, since we know tomorrow we would not have too much time to stop there despite it is on the way.
Cover Eastern Region by car
Road map for the drive – first go east, then back to Hofn, and continue west to Diamond Beach
The Bay of Lon & Vestrahorn
Nutty point of interest – The Red Chair of Lon, good Ad by a nearby B&B
The Bay of Lon –the amazing shapes of the tops of the mountains
Vestrahorn Aear
[[url=https://stefanofoto.smugmug.com/Assets/Epic-Journeys/Iceland-Ring-Road/Destinations/12-Lon-Vestrahorn/n-QHHWMW/i-gqKt2Sp/A]
Ranches near the Bay of Lon & Vestrahorn
Ranches near the Bay of Lon & Vestrahorn
This drive was great. Could not believe the diversified landscape at every turn. Now we have a short drive back to Hofn harbor for some photo-shoot and some local lobster roll for lunch.
Hofn Harbor
Hofn Harbor
Hofn Harbor
Hofn Harbor
Lunch at Hofn – Lobster roll, aka langoustine with baquette & fries. Delicious!
Lunch at Hofn – Lobster roll, aka langoustine with baquette & fries. The langoustine has that distinct taste of sweetness makes it unique. Delicious! We saw quite a few local workers who drove their trucks and ordered take away. That confirmed my suspicion that this is good place to eat.
Lunch at this tiny restaurant – Restaurant Hafnarbudin seen from the outside.
Energized after lunch, we drove south west to explore the glaciers (or the fingers of the glaciers). We ventured into the Heinaberg area to take a look.
Heinaberg Area Glaciers in Vatnajokull – Tourist friendly signage with map.
Glaciers in Vatnajokull - Bridge over now a dried river. Glaciers decide to carve out a river elsewhere!
Heinaberg Area Glaciers in Vatnajokull
Heinaberg Area Glaciers in Vatnajokull
Heinaberg Area Glaciers in Vatnajokull
Heinaberg Area Glaciers in Vatnajokull
Well, it was quite a treat to get a glance at some glaciers. It was quite easy to reach this area by driving on some gravel roads. We failed to find a way to get even closer, due to fenced off Private Property signs. We saw ranches located right at the edge of the glaciers.
Diamond Beach – Blocks of ice from glaciers on black sand beach
Diamond Beach – Blocks of ice from glaciers on black sand beach
Diamond Beach
Late afternoon, the weather had turned for the worst. Now it was extremely windy, cloudy and rain lightly! Diamond Beach would have been great if there was a golden sunset. Sorry, no today!
All hopes for Aurora Borealis had been shattered as well.
Returned to Hofn town center near the harbor for dinner at Humarhofnin. I found this place online and read a few reviews. I often take online reviews with a grain of salt. I further checked with a hotel staff, who confirmed it was good for seafood and lamb. Bingo!
We ordered Lamb Shank and Cod, and both were fantastic! Both were cooked to perfection, juicy and were delicious. Recommend!
Dinner at Humarhofnin in Hofn
The lamb shank was delicious
Cod fish with bacon was also excellent
Post dinner drive home to hotel was quick but in steady rain. No hope for Northern Lights yet one more night!
Well, we spent time packing up as we would be moving on to Vik tomorrow. Charging devices and uploading photos were all part of our travel routine!
This day had been quite rewarding. I am mildly surprised by the location of Hofn as a base to explore this region. If I came back to Eastern Iceland again, I’d use Hofn as a base for perhaps 4 to 5 days.
Up next, Part 16 – Moving from Hofn to Vik
Cover Eastern Region by car
Road map for the drive – first go east, then back to Hofn, and continue west to Diamond Beach
The Bay of Lon & Vestrahorn
Nutty point of interest – The Red Chair of Lon, good Ad by a nearby B&B
The Bay of Lon –the amazing shapes of the tops of the mountains
Vestrahorn Aear
[[url=https://stefanofoto.smugmug.com/Assets/Epic-Journeys/Iceland-Ring-Road/Destinations/12-Lon-Vestrahorn/n-QHHWMW/i-gqKt2Sp/A]
Ranches near the Bay of Lon & Vestrahorn
Ranches near the Bay of Lon & Vestrahorn
This drive was great. Could not believe the diversified landscape at every turn. Now we have a short drive back to Hofn harbor for some photo-shoot and some local lobster roll for lunch.
Hofn Harbor
Hofn Harbor
Hofn Harbor
Hofn Harbor
Lunch at Hofn – Lobster roll, aka langoustine with baquette & fries. Delicious!
Lunch at Hofn – Lobster roll, aka langoustine with baquette & fries. The langoustine has that distinct taste of sweetness makes it unique. Delicious! We saw quite a few local workers who drove their trucks and ordered take away. That confirmed my suspicion that this is good place to eat.
Lunch at this tiny restaurant – Restaurant Hafnarbudin seen from the outside.
Energized after lunch, we drove south west to explore the glaciers (or the fingers of the glaciers). We ventured into the Heinaberg area to take a look.
Heinaberg Area Glaciers in Vatnajokull – Tourist friendly signage with map.
Glaciers in Vatnajokull - Bridge over now a dried river. Glaciers decide to carve out a river elsewhere!
Heinaberg Area Glaciers in Vatnajokull
Heinaberg Area Glaciers in Vatnajokull
Heinaberg Area Glaciers in Vatnajokull
Heinaberg Area Glaciers in Vatnajokull
Well, it was quite a treat to get a glance at some glaciers. It was quite easy to reach this area by driving on some gravel roads. We failed to find a way to get even closer, due to fenced off Private Property signs. We saw ranches located right at the edge of the glaciers.
Diamond Beach – Blocks of ice from glaciers on black sand beach
Diamond Beach – Blocks of ice from glaciers on black sand beach
Diamond Beach
Late afternoon, the weather had turned for the worst. Now it was extremely windy, cloudy and rain lightly! Diamond Beach would have been great if there was a golden sunset. Sorry, no today!
All hopes for Aurora Borealis had been shattered as well.
Returned to Hofn town center near the harbor for dinner at Humarhofnin. I found this place online and read a few reviews. I often take online reviews with a grain of salt. I further checked with a hotel staff, who confirmed it was good for seafood and lamb. Bingo!
We ordered Lamb Shank and Cod, and both were fantastic! Both were cooked to perfection, juicy and were delicious. Recommend!
Dinner at Humarhofnin in Hofn
The lamb shank was delicious
Cod fish with bacon was also excellent
Post dinner drive home to hotel was quick but in steady rain. No hope for Northern Lights yet one more night!
Well, we spent time packing up as we would be moving on to Vik tomorrow. Charging devices and uploading photos were all part of our travel routine!
This day had been quite rewarding. I am mildly surprised by the location of Hofn as a base to explore this region. If I came back to Eastern Iceland again, I’d use Hofn as a base for perhaps 4 to 5 days.
Up next, Part 16 – Moving from Hofn to Vik
Apr 16, 2020, 7:22 pm
#40
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SFOSJCOAK
Programs: AA-EXP & 1MM+, AS, MR-LTT, HH Gold
Posts: 7,583
Part 16 – Moving from Hofn to Vik
Today we are heading to Vik with many stops on the way, to experience more glaciers, strange looking mountains and waterfalls. The weather had turned real nasty. Gusty winds and heavy rain. Hope it got better as the day evolved.
From Eastern Region to Southern Region – Good road and scenic vista that is a trademark of Iceland!
Route Maps for today
Many Farms & Ranches Along the way
Many Farms & Ranches Along the way
Approaching Fjallsarlon – More Glaciers
As we pulled into the parking lot of the visitor center, it rained dogs and cats.
Next we moved on to the Hvannadalshukur (name of Mountain that has glaciers) Area for many more Glaciers. Within 30 to 40 minute drive, we came across several areas worthy to explore. That we did.
Now at Fjallsarlon
At Fjallsarlon – A Heart Shaped Glacier!
Fjallsarlon – Note a glaciers lagoon in front
Moving west along Route 1 further, we were at Visitor Information Sign Board of Hvannadalshukur.
At the Hvannadalshukur – See the fingers of glaciers from afar
One of the fingers reaching out from Hvannadalshukur
We parked the car at the location indicated by this sign, and hiked around. The ground was covered by various vegetations.
Road Sign to Svinafellsjokull – 2km
Hiking near Svinafellsjokull
Taking a Road Side Break at the Gigjukvisl Bridge Monument – Old girder from the Skeidara River
At a road side pullout, we enjoyed some snack as lunch that we purchased from a super market. This roadside pullout has a monument. It is some remnant from the Gigjukvisl Bridge that used to span over the Skeiđará River.
In 1996, the volcano Grímsvötn (part of Vatnajökull NP) erupted, interrupting tens of thousands of air passengers (including one of my colleagues who was returning from Europe to the USA), and melting portions of glacier and creating massive floods. The rest was history. This monument is there to remind people of the power of nature.
Pushing forward on the Ring Road, we passed by many strange looking mountains. Because of the wind and rain, I shot many photos from the comfort of the front seat of the car.
Examples of many weird looking mountains
Examples of many weird looking mountains – The one is flatter than the Table Mountain in Capetown.
Examples of many weird looking mountains – this is a real winner!
Examples of many weird looking mountains – Note the hole at the top!
Twin waterfalls tumbling down near a village
Unknown waterfalls within fenced private property
At this junction, we headed toward Vik, but …
It was time to take a break at N1 in Skaftarhreppur. It is located right at the intersection of Route 1, Route 203 & Route 205. The hot mushroom soup and bread were fine. Now we were still 75 km to our hotel in Vik. Along the rest of the way, we noticed vast acres of fertile lands with plenty of waterfalls and rivers. The rain had lightened a bit, but the wind remained nasty.
Taking a break at N1 – Rather busy place. Rain got heavier by now!
Looked like the weather had turned for the worst. By about 18:00, we arrived at the parking lot of Icelandair Hotel Vik. We were greeted by even stronger winds. It was a struggle just to run with luggage from the car to the hotel front door. There was a tall concrete wall acting as wind breaker in front of the main doors. Perhaps strong wind is ingrained with the weather here in Vik.
Welcome to Icelandair Hotel Vik – Windy conditions, storm ahead.
Hotel lobby
Icelandair Hotel Vik – Very small room
Icelandair Hotel Vik – Very small room
Icelandair Hotel Vik – Very small room
Icelandair Hotel Vik – Very small room
So far we’ve stayed at 2 Fosshotels and 2 Icelandair Hotels, we think the Fosshotels were much better in room size and every other aspects. Fosshotels are newer hotels and seem to have better facilities.
At this Icelandair Hotel Vik, we got a very small room. The shower is so tiny that a person of size will have problem with it. Our room is also in what appeared to be an older building..
After freshened up, we drove out for dinner. My travel notes pointed us to the nearby The Soup Company. Guess what we ordered? Yep, Plokkfiskur supa, the fish soup again.
Insert Fish Soup
The restaurant signage indicated a different name, however.
It is more appropriately called seafood stew (plokkfiskur) than soup. It is hardy, and loaded with white fish, and sometimes shrimp and shell fish depends on the restaurant. It was always very delicious!
A short 2 minute drive took us back to our hotel.
Up next Part 17 – From Vik to KEF with multiple stops
From Eastern Region to Southern Region – Good road and scenic vista that is a trademark of Iceland!
Route Maps for today
Many Farms & Ranches Along the way
Many Farms & Ranches Along the way
Approaching Fjallsarlon – More Glaciers
As we pulled into the parking lot of the visitor center, it rained dogs and cats.
Next we moved on to the Hvannadalshukur (name of Mountain that has glaciers) Area for many more Glaciers. Within 30 to 40 minute drive, we came across several areas worthy to explore. That we did.
Now at Fjallsarlon
At Fjallsarlon – A Heart Shaped Glacier!
Fjallsarlon – Note a glaciers lagoon in front
Moving west along Route 1 further, we were at Visitor Information Sign Board of Hvannadalshukur.
At the Hvannadalshukur – See the fingers of glaciers from afar
One of the fingers reaching out from Hvannadalshukur
We parked the car at the location indicated by this sign, and hiked around. The ground was covered by various vegetations.
Road Sign to Svinafellsjokull – 2km
Hiking near Svinafellsjokull
Taking a Road Side Break at the Gigjukvisl Bridge Monument – Old girder from the Skeidara River
At a road side pullout, we enjoyed some snack as lunch that we purchased from a super market. This roadside pullout has a monument. It is some remnant from the Gigjukvisl Bridge that used to span over the Skeiđará River.
In 1996, the volcano Grímsvötn (part of Vatnajökull NP) erupted, interrupting tens of thousands of air passengers (including one of my colleagues who was returning from Europe to the USA), and melting portions of glacier and creating massive floods. The rest was history. This monument is there to remind people of the power of nature.
Pushing forward on the Ring Road, we passed by many strange looking mountains. Because of the wind and rain, I shot many photos from the comfort of the front seat of the car.
Examples of many weird looking mountains
Examples of many weird looking mountains – The one is flatter than the Table Mountain in Capetown.
Examples of many weird looking mountains – this is a real winner!
Examples of many weird looking mountains – Note the hole at the top!
Twin waterfalls tumbling down near a village
Unknown waterfalls within fenced private property
At this junction, we headed toward Vik, but …
It was time to take a break at N1 in Skaftarhreppur. It is located right at the intersection of Route 1, Route 203 & Route 205. The hot mushroom soup and bread were fine. Now we were still 75 km to our hotel in Vik. Along the rest of the way, we noticed vast acres of fertile lands with plenty of waterfalls and rivers. The rain had lightened a bit, but the wind remained nasty.
Taking a break at N1 – Rather busy place. Rain got heavier by now!
Looked like the weather had turned for the worst. By about 18:00, we arrived at the parking lot of Icelandair Hotel Vik. We were greeted by even stronger winds. It was a struggle just to run with luggage from the car to the hotel front door. There was a tall concrete wall acting as wind breaker in front of the main doors. Perhaps strong wind is ingrained with the weather here in Vik.
Welcome to Icelandair Hotel Vik – Windy conditions, storm ahead.
Hotel lobby
Icelandair Hotel Vik – Very small room
Icelandair Hotel Vik – Very small room
Icelandair Hotel Vik – Very small room
Icelandair Hotel Vik – Very small room
So far we’ve stayed at 2 Fosshotels and 2 Icelandair Hotels, we think the Fosshotels were much better in room size and every other aspects. Fosshotels are newer hotels and seem to have better facilities.
At this Icelandair Hotel Vik, we got a very small room. The shower is so tiny that a person of size will have problem with it. Our room is also in what appeared to be an older building..
After freshened up, we drove out for dinner. My travel notes pointed us to the nearby The Soup Company. Guess what we ordered? Yep, Plokkfiskur supa, the fish soup again.
Insert Fish Soup
The restaurant signage indicated a different name, however.
It is more appropriately called seafood stew (plokkfiskur) than soup. It is hardy, and loaded with white fish, and sometimes shrimp and shell fish depends on the restaurant. It was always very delicious!
A short 2 minute drive took us back to our hotel.
Up next Part 17 – From Vik to KEF with multiple stops
Apr 17, 2020, 10:54 am
#41
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,609
The one bonus about Iceland is that their nature attractions and maps are usually very well signed. You shouldn't get lost there if you're paying attention.
The back half of the island appears much more quiet than the SW corner with the main airport and the capital.
The back half of the island appears much more quiet than the SW corner with the main airport and the capital.
Apr 17, 2020, 4:38 pm
#42
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SFOSJCOAK
Programs: AA-EXP & 1MM+, AS, MR-LTT, HH Gold
Posts: 7,583
The one bonus about Iceland is that their nature attractions and maps are usually very well signed. You shouldn't get lost there if you're paying attention.
The back half of the island appears much more quiet than the SW corner with the main airport and the capital.
The back half of the island appears much more quiet than the SW corner with the main airport and the capital.
We were there during "should" season, we saw very few cars on the road. But at famous sights, that's where you find some tourists. I often had to wait for people to move (for photo shoot) near waterfalls to no avail.
Apr 18, 2020, 7:28 pm
#43
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SFOSJCOAK
Programs: AA-EXP & 1MM+, AS, MR-LTT, HH Gold
Posts: 7,583
Part 17 – From Vik to KEF with multiple stops
Southern Region to Capital Region – Black Sand Beaches, Glaciers and Waterfalls
Early morning we tried in vain to do airline OLCI. After midnight tonight, we would be flying to Warsaw (WAW) on W6 (WizzAir). It was not unusual that we failed to do online check-in. Agent probably needed to see passport etc.
Route Maps for today – Vik to KEF (Airport)
The hotel has a rather large breakfast restaurant, as it often caters to tour groups. Breakfast was buffet style as usual. It was all standard fare, nothing amazing and nothing bad.
Breakfast in hotel
Breakfast in hotel- Kaffi og Eggs
Said goodbye to the hotel
Well, unfortunately the morning rain set the tone for the rest of the day! After a totally non-memorable breakfast, we checked out and loaded up the car and drove across the street for fuel and food. Super market and gas stations are all there.
Heavy rain sets the tone for the drive from Vik to KEF (Airport)
Route Map – With multiple stops along the way
Google map has yet to update the name of this hotel since it had been re-flagged as Icelandair Hotel Vik. Anyway, the above map shows 2 very interesting spots near Vik, namely Reynisdrangar (sea stacks) and Dyrholaey (more sea stacks and rock formation). Followed by Skogafoss.
Reynisdrangar is a popular place, even on a lousy day like today. This place is known for huge waves, reminded by the many "danger" warning signs.
A short drive to Reynisdrangar.
At Reynisdrangar – All these WARNING signs are telling me something!
Reynisdrangar sea stacks stand fighting the angry weather
The raging sea
Bad sign of a major storm is approaching?
The rock formation at Reynisdrangar
The Black Sand Beach at Reynisdrangar
Moving on to Durholaey
At Dyrholaey – Major storm brewing
At Dyrholaey – Major storm brewing
At Dyrholaey – Major storm brewing
OMG, hail!
It hailed!
The angry weather got worst here at Dyrholaey because it is sitting higher on top of a cliff. The wind speed was so strong and rained hard. I could hardly stand up so taking photos was not possible. Finally when it started to hail (see white stuff on the ground), we decided we had worn out our welcome.
Both Reynisgrangar and Dyrholaey have a nice visitor center and good parking lots. To use toilet, one needs to pay (guarded by electronic turnstile). I saw some people jumped over the turnstile, perhaps they had no local currency or credit card.
Next, we drove back to Route 1, heading toward Skogafoss.
On the way to Skogafoss
Huge parking lot here at Skogafoss
At Skogafoss
Note a viewing platform on top of the falls
Skogafoss and ranches
Skogafoss
Form Skogafoss to Seljalandsfoss took only 30 minutes to cover the 30km distance. Both falls are close to the Ring Road.
Seljalandsfoss
Seljalandsfoss
Seljalandsfoss
There is something quite unique about Seljalandsfoss, that being you can actually walk across and underneath the falls. You will no doubt get totally wet under normal weather condition. Today, due to the whipping wind, the mist from the falls was like rain going sideway. I decided to pass this opportunity to shoot a couple of images from behind the falls. It would be impossible to even take your camera out without getting it totally soaked. No thanks!
Far reaching sprays from the falls carried by the wind
Time to get a snack – A shrimp salad from the cafe
Since the weather was getting from bad to worse, we would have to hurry back to the city and the airport for check in to our flight.
We bypassed Selfoss, a little town seemed to have a building boom. We saw several cranes. By 20:00 we made it back to the city and stopped by Sea Voyager for couple of shots before heading to the airport. Surprisingly, it was dry here but the wind was getting stronger.
Here at the Sea Voyager – No rain but wild wind!
Here at the Sea Voyager – No rain but wild wind!
Next stop was a gas station very close to the airport, where we filled up before returning the car. It was extremely windy and cold. The car door almost got ripped away. I was not able to standup to pump gas without hanging onto the door handle. It was incredible!
Finally made it back to the airport, but having real trouble locating the spot to drop off the car. GPS was playing havoc. With the car (strangely, there was no other car in sight) parked outside of the departure terminal, I ran in to the Hertz counter for assistance. Behold, the terminal looked quite empty! At the queue in front of the Hertz counter, I was informed that the entire airport had been shut down all day due to inclement weather. Oh boy, now what!
Didn't have patience to continue standing in line, as it was not moving for 10 minutes. I checked email and read the alert sent from W6. We were re-booked on tomorrow night’s flight.
We decided to keep the car until tomorrow. First thing though we must get a hotel room in the airport or Reykjavik, then cancel 1st night room in Warsaw Marriott.
By now the rain was pouring. We parked by the Airport Hotel Aurora, went inside with our luggage, only to find out the hotel was full. No surprise really. What was a surprise was that the entire city and including 60km radius, had NO VACANCY anywhere.
We asked the front desk agent if we could stay in the hotel lobby and waited if they have cancellation. She said no problem. We then went to the restaurant to have dinner before it was closed.
Despite possibly being homeless tonight – We were comforted by the tasty lamb burger
The salad was superb as well!
Can’t fault the local brew either (according to DW, since I don’t drink alcoholic beverages)
Prayer answered. Close to midnight, while still sitting in the lobby, the front desk agent came by and asked if we were still interested in a room. Of course! They had 1 cancellation. PTL. €200 not bad. Now a shower and and a bed to sleep in was not a dream! No longer homeless!
Meanwhile, still tried to contact Marriott Warsaw to no avail. Email, tweet were not answered and skype call didn't get picked up. Just hope that our reservation was not cancelled due to no show (we had 3 nights booked).
Airport Hotel Aurora – Good bed and adequate shower!
Airport Hotel Aurora
It has been a long and tiring day. Slept soundly till alarm went off at 08:30. Looked outside the window to see a much brighter sky and the wind seemed to have died down some. Airport info online indicated flights were landing and taking off today! Had a good and very slow breakfast at 9:00am. Next we returned the car to Hertz. During the day, when we could see where we were going, the car return office was but 2 minute walk away from the hotel, across the parking lot. Returning the car was routine and rather quick. We walked back to hotel in the rain. The walk took exactly 2 minutes without luggage. We had to check out by 1230pm (hotel kindly extended it by 30 minutes). So there was time for a warm shower & then packed.
We would take refuge in the lobby again until time for flight check in. The departure terminal is quite close to the hotel, perhaps a 4 -6 minute walk.
When you were stranded, best thing to do is to eat. Right?
Lunch at hotel – Fish & chips
Fish & chips with salad
Fish & chips with salad
View from hotel lobby – great improvement over last night
During the hours of sitting in the hotel lobby, we were busy with a variety of things. Finally received words from Marriott Warsaw that all was well. Sigh of relief! Reshuffle of the itinerary for Warsaw began.
Finally it was time to walk to the airport for check in. The departure terminal seemed empty, maybe there were not that many flights going out at midnight.
The check in counter # kept changing 2 times. We had priority so the check in and printing of BPs was quick. We walked through the duty free shops to our bus gate.
A few images of the KEF airport below:
The Boarding Gate
Bus Gate Downstairs
On board our flight just past midnight. Seats 2A 2B with very tight pitch. The plane sat on the tarmac for about an hour. My guess was that the crew was trying to do head count. They did that several times. Meantime, there was no announcement as to why the delay. Finally, they found 1 pax on board the wrong plane. Dummy!
Took off was delayed by 70 minutes. Slept most of the way. Arrived at WAW 37 minutes late. We were greeted with nice sunrise!
This marks the END (with a reflection to come) of the report on Iceland Ring Road adventure. Thanks for riding along. Safe travel!
For the DIY folks in this forum, hope this report shed a bit of light to your future trip to Iceland, in terms of planning.
Next Up Part 18 – Reflections of this trip
Early morning we tried in vain to do airline OLCI. After midnight tonight, we would be flying to Warsaw (WAW) on W6 (WizzAir). It was not unusual that we failed to do online check-in. Agent probably needed to see passport etc.
Route Maps for today – Vik to KEF (Airport)
The hotel has a rather large breakfast restaurant, as it often caters to tour groups. Breakfast was buffet style as usual. It was all standard fare, nothing amazing and nothing bad.
Breakfast in hotel
Breakfast in hotel- Kaffi og Eggs
Said goodbye to the hotel
Well, unfortunately the morning rain set the tone for the rest of the day! After a totally non-memorable breakfast, we checked out and loaded up the car and drove across the street for fuel and food. Super market and gas stations are all there.
Heavy rain sets the tone for the drive from Vik to KEF (Airport)
Route Map – With multiple stops along the way
Google map has yet to update the name of this hotel since it had been re-flagged as Icelandair Hotel Vik. Anyway, the above map shows 2 very interesting spots near Vik, namely Reynisdrangar (sea stacks) and Dyrholaey (more sea stacks and rock formation). Followed by Skogafoss.
Reynisdrangar is a popular place, even on a lousy day like today. This place is known for huge waves, reminded by the many "danger" warning signs.
A short drive to Reynisdrangar.
At Reynisdrangar – All these WARNING signs are telling me something!
Reynisdrangar sea stacks stand fighting the angry weather
The raging sea
Bad sign of a major storm is approaching?
The rock formation at Reynisdrangar
The Black Sand Beach at Reynisdrangar
Moving on to Durholaey
At Dyrholaey – Major storm brewing
At Dyrholaey – Major storm brewing
At Dyrholaey – Major storm brewing
OMG, hail!
It hailed!
The angry weather got worst here at Dyrholaey because it is sitting higher on top of a cliff. The wind speed was so strong and rained hard. I could hardly stand up so taking photos was not possible. Finally when it started to hail (see white stuff on the ground), we decided we had worn out our welcome.
Both Reynisgrangar and Dyrholaey have a nice visitor center and good parking lots. To use toilet, one needs to pay (guarded by electronic turnstile). I saw some people jumped over the turnstile, perhaps they had no local currency or credit card.
Next, we drove back to Route 1, heading toward Skogafoss.
On the way to Skogafoss
Huge parking lot here at Skogafoss
At Skogafoss
Note a viewing platform on top of the falls
Skogafoss and ranches
Skogafoss
Form Skogafoss to Seljalandsfoss took only 30 minutes to cover the 30km distance. Both falls are close to the Ring Road.
Seljalandsfoss
Seljalandsfoss
Seljalandsfoss
There is something quite unique about Seljalandsfoss, that being you can actually walk across and underneath the falls. You will no doubt get totally wet under normal weather condition. Today, due to the whipping wind, the mist from the falls was like rain going sideway. I decided to pass this opportunity to shoot a couple of images from behind the falls. It would be impossible to even take your camera out without getting it totally soaked. No thanks!
Far reaching sprays from the falls carried by the wind
Time to get a snack – A shrimp salad from the cafe
Since the weather was getting from bad to worse, we would have to hurry back to the city and the airport for check in to our flight.
We bypassed Selfoss, a little town seemed to have a building boom. We saw several cranes. By 20:00 we made it back to the city and stopped by Sea Voyager for couple of shots before heading to the airport. Surprisingly, it was dry here but the wind was getting stronger.
Here at the Sea Voyager – No rain but wild wind!
Here at the Sea Voyager – No rain but wild wind!
Next stop was a gas station very close to the airport, where we filled up before returning the car. It was extremely windy and cold. The car door almost got ripped away. I was not able to standup to pump gas without hanging onto the door handle. It was incredible!
Finally made it back to the airport, but having real trouble locating the spot to drop off the car. GPS was playing havoc. With the car (strangely, there was no other car in sight) parked outside of the departure terminal, I ran in to the Hertz counter for assistance. Behold, the terminal looked quite empty! At the queue in front of the Hertz counter, I was informed that the entire airport had been shut down all day due to inclement weather. Oh boy, now what!
Didn't have patience to continue standing in line, as it was not moving for 10 minutes. I checked email and read the alert sent from W6. We were re-booked on tomorrow night’s flight.
We decided to keep the car until tomorrow. First thing though we must get a hotel room in the airport or Reykjavik, then cancel 1st night room in Warsaw Marriott.
By now the rain was pouring. We parked by the Airport Hotel Aurora, went inside with our luggage, only to find out the hotel was full. No surprise really. What was a surprise was that the entire city and including 60km radius, had NO VACANCY anywhere.
We asked the front desk agent if we could stay in the hotel lobby and waited if they have cancellation. She said no problem. We then went to the restaurant to have dinner before it was closed.
Despite possibly being homeless tonight – We were comforted by the tasty lamb burger
The salad was superb as well!
Can’t fault the local brew either (according to DW, since I don’t drink alcoholic beverages)
Prayer answered. Close to midnight, while still sitting in the lobby, the front desk agent came by and asked if we were still interested in a room. Of course! They had 1 cancellation. PTL. €200 not bad. Now a shower and and a bed to sleep in was not a dream! No longer homeless!
Meanwhile, still tried to contact Marriott Warsaw to no avail. Email, tweet were not answered and skype call didn't get picked up. Just hope that our reservation was not cancelled due to no show (we had 3 nights booked).
Airport Hotel Aurora – Good bed and adequate shower!
Airport Hotel Aurora
It has been a long and tiring day. Slept soundly till alarm went off at 08:30. Looked outside the window to see a much brighter sky and the wind seemed to have died down some. Airport info online indicated flights were landing and taking off today! Had a good and very slow breakfast at 9:00am. Next we returned the car to Hertz. During the day, when we could see where we were going, the car return office was but 2 minute walk away from the hotel, across the parking lot. Returning the car was routine and rather quick. We walked back to hotel in the rain. The walk took exactly 2 minutes without luggage. We had to check out by 1230pm (hotel kindly extended it by 30 minutes). So there was time for a warm shower & then packed.
We would take refuge in the lobby again until time for flight check in. The departure terminal is quite close to the hotel, perhaps a 4 -6 minute walk.
When you were stranded, best thing to do is to eat. Right?
Lunch at hotel – Fish & chips
Fish & chips with salad
Fish & chips with salad
View from hotel lobby – great improvement over last night
During the hours of sitting in the hotel lobby, we were busy with a variety of things. Finally received words from Marriott Warsaw that all was well. Sigh of relief! Reshuffle of the itinerary for Warsaw began.
Finally it was time to walk to the airport for check in. The departure terminal seemed empty, maybe there were not that many flights going out at midnight.
The check in counter # kept changing 2 times. We had priority so the check in and printing of BPs was quick. We walked through the duty free shops to our bus gate.
A few images of the KEF airport below:
The Boarding Gate
Bus Gate Downstairs
On board our flight just past midnight. Seats 2A 2B with very tight pitch. The plane sat on the tarmac for about an hour. My guess was that the crew was trying to do head count. They did that several times. Meantime, there was no announcement as to why the delay. Finally, they found 1 pax on board the wrong plane. Dummy!
Took off was delayed by 70 minutes. Slept most of the way. Arrived at WAW 37 minutes late. We were greeted with nice sunrise!
This marks the END (with a reflection to come) of the report on Iceland Ring Road adventure. Thanks for riding along. Safe travel!
For the DIY folks in this forum, hope this report shed a bit of light to your future trip to Iceland, in terms of planning.
Next Up Part 18 – Reflections of this trip
Apr 19, 2020, 6:05 pm
#44
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SFOSJCOAK
Programs: AA-EXP & 1MM+, AS, MR-LTT, HH Gold
Posts: 7,583
Reflections of this trip
As far as outdoor adventures, Iceland ranks among my top 3. That is totally from the perspective of a landscape photographer's point of view. The other 2 places are The State of Alaska (in the Northern Fall) and New Zealand (in the Southern Fall).
My choice of timing to be in Iceland (late September to early October) was perfect in terms of weather (avoiding snow and extreme cold). All the rain, hail, cloudiness and extreme wind are just normal in Iceland.
My total time in Iceland of 2 weeks proved to be not enough for me. I’d like to have more time in Lake Myvatn and the Eastern Region (maybe up to 5 nights). An additional 3 nights to visit the north eastern fjords towns such as Seydisfjordur, Neskaupstadur, Eskifjordur and Reydarfjordur.
Pre-trip, I was concerned about where and how to fuel up the car due to plenty of misinformation on the web. Be sure to have a debit card with PIN#. Gas stations are spaced out very logical places, between villages and at major intersections.
Credit cards are never refused however small a purchase! I am speaking of US issued cards. I did not change any local money for the entire trip.
I found Icelanders are friendly and on the most part have good command of English. In my travels, I treasure any opportunity to converse with locals. Such opportunities availed themselves on several occasions. A lady told me which pump to use to get discount! The lady Mayor of Grundardfjordur helped us to solve the mystery at the gas pump. She also shared how Grundardfjordur and 4 other neighboring villages are joining together to address the rapid growth of tourism. Had great conversation and laughs with the fish and chip food truck family.
Iceland tops my list in terms of Diversity in Landscape within short distances. This makes driving such a joy! I always say, “Sometimes the journey is as great as the destination”. Driving in Iceland reconfirms that!
Is Iceland expensive? I am not going to lie. Yes, it is. That said, it is not that bad.
Weather wise, only 2 days (of which only partially) had great sunshine with blue skies. Other days were mixed with sunshine, cloudiness, wind, and rain. Twice we experienced hail very briefly both times. That final day, the wind was so strong that the entire airport was shut down by it!
Will I return? You bet! I had so much fun. My return trip shall be 3 weeks long and with a higher clearance vehicle to explore the interior!
For those DIY FTers out there (I am being one), I provided cursary information in the report to aid those who want to “drive and see” without resorting to professional tours. Tours are great if you don’t want to do any homework. Should you have questions, please feel free to raise.
I shall wrap this whole report up by these memorable images from Iceland. Enjoy!
The Journey is as great as the Destination
The Journey is as great as the Destination
The Journey is as great as the Destination
My choice of timing to be in Iceland (late September to early October) was perfect in terms of weather (avoiding snow and extreme cold). All the rain, hail, cloudiness and extreme wind are just normal in Iceland.
My total time in Iceland of 2 weeks proved to be not enough for me. I’d like to have more time in Lake Myvatn and the Eastern Region (maybe up to 5 nights). An additional 3 nights to visit the north eastern fjords towns such as Seydisfjordur, Neskaupstadur, Eskifjordur and Reydarfjordur.
Pre-trip, I was concerned about where and how to fuel up the car due to plenty of misinformation on the web. Be sure to have a debit card with PIN#. Gas stations are spaced out very logical places, between villages and at major intersections.
Credit cards are never refused however small a purchase! I am speaking of US issued cards. I did not change any local money for the entire trip.
I found Icelanders are friendly and on the most part have good command of English. In my travels, I treasure any opportunity to converse with locals. Such opportunities availed themselves on several occasions. A lady told me which pump to use to get discount! The lady Mayor of Grundardfjordur helped us to solve the mystery at the gas pump. She also shared how Grundardfjordur and 4 other neighboring villages are joining together to address the rapid growth of tourism. Had great conversation and laughs with the fish and chip food truck family.
Iceland tops my list in terms of Diversity in Landscape within short distances. This makes driving such a joy! I always say, “Sometimes the journey is as great as the destination”. Driving in Iceland reconfirms that!
Is Iceland expensive? I am not going to lie. Yes, it is. That said, it is not that bad.
Weather wise, only 2 days (of which only partially) had great sunshine with blue skies. Other days were mixed with sunshine, cloudiness, wind, and rain. Twice we experienced hail very briefly both times. That final day, the wind was so strong that the entire airport was shut down by it!
Will I return? You bet! I had so much fun. My return trip shall be 3 weeks long and with a higher clearance vehicle to explore the interior!
For those DIY FTers out there (I am being one), I provided cursary information in the report to aid those who want to “drive and see” without resorting to professional tours. Tours are great if you don’t want to do any homework. Should you have questions, please feel free to raise.
I shall wrap this whole report up by these memorable images from Iceland. Enjoy!
The Journey is as great as the Destination
The Journey is as great as the Destination
The Journey is as great as the Destination