“Welcome to Hotel Klettur

Klettur means a big rock. Or a cliff.

If your name is Cliff Rock we will make you our guest of honor.”

It’s always cold in Iceland – there’s nothing to stop the cold wind ripping across the island from Greenland and the Arctic – so it’s great to have such a warm welcome to the Hotel.

Hotel Klettur is one of the hotels in Reykjavik centre that’s far enough away from the town to enjoy its own quietness, while still being close enough so that you don’t miss too much of the action.

The entrance has a cosy library/lounge vibe with couches and reading lights if you should need to wait for your room to become available. We’d arrived before 3pm and had a bit of a wait for our room to be ready so availed ourselves of the facilities to get a bit of work done (or pretend to as I checked out the other parts of the reception area).

Opposite us was a tour desk, and behind that I could see souvenirs for sale. In front of the tour desk was an impressive shelf of brochures and leaflets advertising all manner of tours and activities. On our arrival we had walked past a group of people waiting outside the door, and it became apparent that they were waiting to be picked up for one of the any tours available. Great to see that Klettur was on the map for tour pickups!

The Room

From the entrance the hotel looks like a small boutique sort of place, I had thought maybe 20 rooms at the most. So I was a little surprised to learn that they had over 160! Ours was a standard room with a view into the central courtyard, away from any street noise.

The room wasn’t overly large with two single beds pushed together in the Continental European way, creating a surprisingly large sleeping area. Ange loves the individual duvets but I’m not sold. We didn’t like the pillows that were there, as they were a bit flat, but a quick call down to reception sorted that out.

The furnishings aren’t extensive but appropriate given the size of the room. An armchair and a seat at the desk allow you to do some work, and there are tea-making facilities. The blackout blinds were amazing and necessary – not a smidgen of light got through.

The bathroom features Duke & Lyle toiletries and is compact and functional. The room is warm enough and the windows do open so you can get fresh air if you want.

Most of the time you’d be out and about in Iceland, so investing in the comfort of the room would probably go unnoticed.

Breakfast

So normally we go into great detail about the breakfasts at hotels, and what they do or do not include. It was important to us to have a good breakfast at Klettur because it was included in the room rate and everything was just sooo expensive in Iceland.

Breakfast was scheduled between 6 and 10 each morning in the basement dining room, while check out is at 11. Unfortunately with the jetlag of the flight over from Portland and the all night dusk the night before at the Silica, we’d had our sleep cycles messed up and so ended up sleeping through our alarm.

So at 10:20 I found myself sprinting down the stairs to the dining room in the desperate hope that the breakfast hadn’t all been put away.

Upon arriving at the dining room (I must admit I must have looked just a little manic), I could see that two staff members were in the process of clearing away the breakfast food. Uh.. I managed..  guess I missed breakfast? One of them smiled over to me and said “You can grab something now if you like.”

Lifesaver! I grabbed a plate and filled it up blindly from the continental section, looking wistfully at the hot food section, already sparkling clean and devoid of food. I loped back up to the room with my booty and shared it with Ange as we packed, the twin deadlines of check-out and airport bus pickup looming.

Pros and Cons

Would I Return?

Definitely! Hotel Klettur is one of the more reasonably priced places to stay in Reykjavik. It’s geared to help you maximise your stay in Iceland, connecting you to the touristy side of Reykjavik, as well as being close enough to the amenities that the locals use, like the supermarkets and the local rooftop public pool, Sundhöll Reykjavíkur.

Hotel Klettur supported our Return to Europe trip by providing a complimentary stay. All opinions remain our own.

The post Hotel Klettur: Reykjavik Accommodation Review appeared first on etrip.tips.

Our plan for staying at the Silica Hotel in Iceland was this: because we’d be flying overnight landing in the early hours of the morning, we’d spend the day at the Blue Lagoon with the complimentary Premium Pass, have lunch at the Lava Restaurant and then spend the rest of the afternoon in the private lagoon at the hotel.

I sort of figured we’d be able to relax for the complete day and maybe not be affected too much by the jet lag of crossing 7 time zones.

We’d read online that the buses from Keflavik Airport to the Blue Lagoon stopped at the Silica Hotel enroute, but when we told the driver that was where we wanted to get off he dismissed us with a snort and said that he didn’t stop there.

We’d booked the ticket with the expectation that we’d have minimal exposure to the elements getting to the hotel, and so the prospect of a trek across the scree, exposed to the blustery cold wind, coupled with the overnight flight with zero sleep made me just a tiny bit grumpy.

The kilometre walk between the Blue Lagoon where the bus drops you off and the entrance to the Silica Hotel is stunning, alternating between aqua lakeside path and moss covered lava field. It’s also very exposed with nothing stopping the wind from ripping in off the sea and through your bones.

We came across the low slung buildings of the hotel and tried to gain access that way but the door was locked and so we had to walk all the way around the hotel to the entrance on the far side.

We were told it would not be long before our room was ready, so we sat in the chairs overlooking the private lagoon. Being out of the cold, comfortable and warm after a seven hour flight and no sleep contributed to drifting off, only to be interrupted by the sweet sounds of Magdalena (who had checked us in) calling out to us that the room was ready.

Silica Hotel Room

The room itself had great views over the moss covered lava flow and featured an extension of the Lagoon on its doorstep. It was surreal for two reasons: one being the total alien-ness of the view (to get a general feel for Iceland’s scenery, check out episode 5, season 4 of Black Mirror) and the other the lack of a proper night.

When we arrived it was heading into summer which meant that the sun set, but then hid just below the horizon for the whole night meaning that for the supposed night hours it was still light as if it was dusk. Great for photos, disconcerting for body clocks.

The bed were two singles pushed together in the fashion popular in Europe, with individual duvets. Not really to my taste, but it was very comfortable.

The room was otherwise sparsely furnished with a desk, couch, armchair and the tiniest little coffee table. A big TV was above the desk but there was also a mini tablet in a docking station in the desk also. This had internet access and an app featuring the amenities of the hotel: a better option perhaps than the paper compendium on offer at other hotels.

A tiny deck is just outside the door allowing you to get some fresh air. You’re still not allowed to smoke though: the moss is apparently flammable!

The bathroom was tastefully clad in neutral marble with underfloor heating, and the shower had both hand held and rain shower shower heads.

But realistically the room itself isn’t what you’re paying for at the Silica Hotel – it’s the proximity to the Blue Lagoon, the Private Lagoon and the view.

We got changed and headed to the Blue Lagoon to use our Premium Passes. I must admit that the same path back to the Blue Lagoon entrance without our suitcases weighing us down certainly was quicker if not warmer. The prospect of spending time in the hot water also gave a bounce to our steps!

Blue Lagoon, Iceland

A lot has been written about the Blue Lagoon, and it’s very common for bloggers to go and then post some platitudes about the experience without really illustrating why it’s so magical an experience. A lot of that is to do with waterproof cameras not being very common – I tried to get around that on my last trip by using images from those that the Blue Lagoon make available. But this time I armed myself with something which would take photos whilst in the water, so enjoy!

Our Premium Pass allowed us to skip the queues (always a good feeling) and we were briefed by staff on how the wristbands worked, each went through to the separate men’s and women’s changing rooms and showered naked before getting into our swimming costumes and heading outside. The thin robe was no match for the strong cold wind and it was a force of will to hang it up on the racks before walking down the ramp into the blissfully warm water.

The rain was coming down lightly on the strong wind, forcing the life guards to bundle up and hunch against the elements. I couldn’t figure out why they needed their hi-vis vests: nobody else was wandering around the edges of the pools, and I also couldn’t figure out why they were needed: the water wasn’t incredibly deep.

We eventually decided that the heat of the water might dehydrate people causing them to faint, in which case having someone watching over you from the decking might be a good thing.

The first thing we did was to make our way to the bar. That’s right, a bar at water level beside the pool. With the Premium Pass we got a free drink and when I swam up to the window I expected to be told that only certain drinks were included with that.

The lady behind the counter corrected me and said that they were all covered by the free offer. Given the time of day and environment, we decided against having something alcoholic and instead elected for one of the fresh juice cocktails.

Then we went over to the waterfall. This was a steady stream of water, falling far enough to act like a rough massage, pummelling head, shoulders or back. A bit much for some but pure pleasure for me!

We then headed over to the booth which was handing out silica mud for you to smear on your face. It was funny watching the different approaches to placing them on your face – one guy was using it like soap, scrubbing it as if expecting it to break into a lather. We let the mud set for the suggested 15 minutes and then headed back to the waterfall to wash it off.

Then we went for a bit of an exploration, checking out the various other areas of the Lagoon. On the way we saw what must have been a staff member up to his waist in the pool, carrying a bucket form which he was distributing gobs of the silica mud for people to put on their faces. Because of his long hair and beard, and because the customers in the pool were standing around with their hands out towards him, it looked significantly like biblical depictions of Jesus giving alms or blessings to the poor!

The other bathers came in waves as whichever bus disgorged their tour group for their visit. The visits are timed entry so the Lagoon never really gets too full, and it is enormous, but it does mean that you get large groups all moving together in unison as they decide to check out the water fall, or the bar, or they decide that they’ve had enough and head back to the changing rooms.

One group decided to do just that and we watched as they passed us, looking like a scene from the Walking Dead – all slowly walking through the mist with pale, white silica mud faces. A fellow bather independently came to the same conclusion and actually had the balls to mention it to them. One of the group snorted and suggested because of their ages they were more like the movie Cocoon.

We also tried the sauna, but I wasn’t able to last long. The large windows looking out over the Lagoon were cool though. But soon we were feeling a little Lagooned out – we’d been in the water for three hours, so we decided to see if we could get into the Lava Restaurant a little earlier than our scheduled reservation time.

Lunch at Lava

Our options were to get our robes and slippers on and head to the restaurant or else get totally changed instead. We opted to get changed but the diners in the restaurant when we arrived were 60/40 bathers in robes, so it certainly would not have raised any eyebrows had we decided to remain robed instead.

Lava overlooks the Lagoon and hasn’t changed since last time I was there 4 years ago. I definitely wanted to try the lamb again as I had remembered it being exquisite. When the waiter found out we were staying at the Silica Hotel, he brought us a complimentary glass of champagne each which was a nice touch.

We started with some bread and Icelandic butter topped with a little rock salt. I think the time in the Lagoon had built up quite the appetite as it tasted delicious. Then  for the main. Ange tried the fish of the day which was Ling, while I had my memories confirmed with the lamb. So tender it almost dropped off the fork!

Ange liked her Ling, and I must admit the creamy lobster sauce was a great match for the simpleness of the white fleshed fish.

Very very pricey, but a classy dining experience with a high waitstaff to patron ratio and delicious food.

Dinner at Max’s Restaurant, Northern Light Inn

We’d enjoyed our meal at Lava but were looking for something different for dinner. We toyed with walking to the local village (Grindavik) but a brief glance at the map indicated that it was over an hour’s walk away, and looking at UberEats and online delivery really wasn’t delivering many results. The feeling of isolation is definitely justified!

The only other place we could find even vaguely nearby was Max’s Restaurant at The Northern Lights Inn, a 13min walk away, so we thought we would brave the wind and hope the rain stayed away. The walk over was an experience. It was cold but beautiful, like something from a movie. The combination of lava fields and the moss sitting on top made it look like someone had tried to carpet a boulder field with bad 70’s shagpile.

We weren’t surprised that there was little evidence of humanity – the odd car or bus going to or from the Blue Lagoon was the only movement, but the Power Station and pipes going to and fro dominated landscape closest to us.

We eventually made it to the complex of buildings which formed the Inn and Restaurant and walked into the restaurant. It was almost empty, with the patrons almost matched by the waitstaff. We managed to catch the eye of the waiter and after a while he came over to seat us.

We elected to sit next to the window with the view of the Power station – a weird outlook from a restaurant and I couldn’t help but wonder whether the restaurant was here before the Power Station or they decided to make the Power Station the focal point when they were building the restaurant.

We had hoped the prices at Max’s would be a little less eye watering than at Lava, but looking at the menu it wasn’t to be. We both chose the Icelandic soup and I thought I’d combat the chill on the trip back with a cider. And then we waited…

The waiters congregated near the bar and chatted amongst themselves and eventually the soup came. But no cider. I was going to enquire about it and then decided that I didn’t need mine, soup was more than enough liquid for dinner!

As we finished our soup I marvelled again at the view out the window. I decided there were three levels of weirdness: the first was just the alien-ness of the landscape, then there was this huge power station in the middle of it. Lastly was the hotel and restaurant which seemed to be aimed squarely at the power station. Very strange.

The waiters weren’t too interested in offering dessert and were even less interested in bringing me the bill so I went up to the bar to pay. They hadn’t even added the cider to the bill, so I figure that somehow it hadn’t made it from the waiter’s order pad to their system. That, and the general disinterest of the staff meant that I wouldn’t hurry back to Max’s. The soup was fine though.

Silica Hotel Private Lagoon

We returned to our room after dinner and got changed, ready for an evening in the private lagoon of the hotel. We’d seen photos online and it looked a little small, so we weren’t expecting much. The room had robes and jandals so we got changed and then headed towards the changing rooms.

At reception, Magdalena looked me up and down and asked if I would like a better robe and slippers which actually fit. I smiled wryly and allowed that while a better robe would always be welcome, I’d be surprised if they had jandals which fit. And surprised I was when she brought over a soft, comfortable robe in my size, along with jandals which actually did fit. I was amazed!

We headed into the changing rooms and then through into the Private Lagoon area. And it turns out to be quite extensive. Not as big as the Blue Lagoon of course, but still able to provide privacy and various temperatures.

The white mud which works as an exfoliant was heaped up on the side of the pool and in some places collected on the bottom of the pool allowing you to make your own face mask.

At one end of the lagoon there was even a waterfall as the overflow water continued along a stream away towards the Blue Lagoon, looking not too dissimilar to the rides at Aquaventure in Dubai. We resisted the urge to try to swim from our lagoon to the Blue Lagoon.

We headed inside eventually, and even though we had spent three hours in the Blue Lagoon earlier in the day, I could have very easily spent a lot longer in the Private Lagoon.

Silica Hotel Breakfast

We woke eventually, brains still confused by the perpetual twilight, and headed down to breakfast. Now, I’ve been to some hotels with a good spread. Some have impressed with variety, some with quantity and some with both.

The Silica Hotel seemed to have taken the attitude that no option should be off limits. There were eggs three ways (fried, scrambled and boiled), a full selection of cold cuts to satisfy continental tastes, a variety of breads for toasting and fruit, salad and cheeses. There was even cod liver oil in a little bottle surrounded by shot glasses.

Alongside our table was a waffle station. I went over to have a look. Clear instructions stated you’d need two ladlefuls for the machine and an astonishing array of condiments and accompaniments stood on the table beside the waffle iron. Chocolate chips, fruit pieces and sauces all competed to be added to the waffles.

I poured out two ladlefuls of batter and was about to close the lid when one of the helpful staff members came over and asked if i needed any help. “I don’t think”, so I said, there was just enough batter for the two spoonfuls. Oh, she said, that’s not enough batter. Just then a fresh jug of batter made it to the station and she took over, pouring another two ladlefuls. “That’s better. Now that should take two minutes to cook,” she said before heading off. I set my timer and when it went off, I prised my prize from the griddle.

There’s something divine about freshly cooked waffles. I had mine with maple syrup and a small smearing of the local butter and it was incredible.

Checking Out

We had booked the bus from the Blue Lagoon to Reykjavik and after the failure of being dropped off at the hotel on the way in, we didn’t want to wait for a bus that wasn’t coming, so we enquired at reception at checkout whether the bus would come. Of the four people at reception, one was adamant that it would, one pulled out the bus timetable to indicate that certain buses did and some did not (and our bus would) before one of the other staff members suddenly remembered that the buses stopped coming to the hotel last week.

That finally made sense: during our research all of the websites had indicated that other guests had been dropped off and the hotel’s website had indicated this as well, which didn’t match with our experience the day before. The recent change would explain the discrepancy.

One of the staff members grabbed some car keys and said that they would take us in the van to the bus stop, and we headed off. I was thinking we maybe should have rung the hotel from the luggage storage place beside the bus stop at the Blue Lagoon to have someone come pick us up. Maybe next time.

Would I Return?

I’m not sure. The setting is fantastic, the amenities including the Premium Pass to the Blue Lagoon and the Private Lagoon are fantastic, and breakfast is something else again. The service from the staff can’t be topped. The only shortcomings are that its the middle of nowhere, so you’re restricted to the hotel restaurant or else Max’s. And it’s so expensive. But then again, so is Iceland in general. I guess on balance I would go back – the other worldly nature is hard to go past.

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Saturday Night

We were picked up by a van on time and driven across town to a central bus station. There we joined an enormous crowd of tourists from all over Reykjavik who were divvied up and apportioned across a dozen 60-seater buses. To tell the truth it was quite chaotic. We had to queue to show our ticket and then there was a mad rush to get on to a bus.

Eventually we headed out and drove away from the city. Beyond the light pollution the sky was overcast and the commentary from the guide was that we were looking unlikely to see the lights tonight. We parked up with a bunch of the other buses in what seemed like the car park for a public conveniences and stared forlornly at the sky. Most people ended up getting back on the bus and dozing off – the blustery wind didn’t seem to be strong enough to get rid of the cloud cover and all it did do was make it uncomfortable to be outside. Eventually after an hour or so the drivers decided to try a different spot and we headed off.

The new spot was darker but no less overcast and we waited there for a while longer and still no lights. so we drove desultorily back to Reykjavik. The only consolation being that if we had any other time available we could go back out for free. I was very glad we had booked this tour so early in our trip – although Sunday night was taken up with dinner at the Blue Lagoon, we’d still have Monday night to try again.

Monday Night

So having been through the disappointment of an exhausting night, we were prepared for the same on the last night in Iceland. Overall we’d had a good experience which meant that should we not see the Northern Lights with the last throw of the dice then it wouldn’t be the end of the world. Nice to say that we’d seen them, but not the critical event of the trip.

It was slightly less overcast, with less wind and a little colder than the Saturday night and so we were hopeful that if there was activity that we would be able to see it. The first stop was to the north of the city and some people mistook the white lights on the horizon with the Northern Lights. After the guide had explained that they were taking photos of Reykjavik and not the Aurora Borealis, they stopped but occasionally I would see a flash go off as someone decided it was worth a shot.

We got word over the radio that there was activity at a different spot so we all leaped aboard the bus and joined a small convoy of buses heading along the back roads. Anticipation built as we reached an elevation sufficient for snow to be on the ground, and I assumed that meant we’d have better views – less atmosphere in the way.

My travelling companion isn’t the most organised of people. I like to be ready for opportunities which may only present themselves momentarily, so in this case I figure if we only see the Lights for a short period of time which ends as we’re getting off the bus, it would be best to be one of the first off so that you take the opportunity when it arises.

So I’m not in the blocks like an Olympic sprinter, but I am revelling in my seat choice directly opposite the bus’ back door. Once the bus stops I’m maybe third off – I take a few steps to the left to let the others past and then turn my face upwards.

I’ve seen photos of rippling greens across the crystal clear sky – I’ve seen video of the same. Vibrant greens contrasting crisply with the darkness of space. The fact that what we saw that night was a less vivid display doesn’t detract from the magic of the display. I’m standing there watching them for ten minutes before sticking my head back in the bus and asking if my travelling companion is going to come out and join me.

I spend another fifteen minutes trying to get a decent shot of them and fail – the shot below is the closest I come to capturing the Lights. My companion joins me for maybe ten of those minutes. And then the cloud rolls back in. We wait there for maybe another 90 minutes but Mother Nature has shown us all she’s going to show us and head back.

Was It Worth It?

Oh that is the million dollar question! It’s a weather based attraction – you pay your money and take your chances. I’ve read mixed reviews on TripAdvisor – the only legitimate shortcoming I can see is the notification when they cancel the trips due to bad weather. I would suggest that you try the trip as early in your visit as possible, to allow for nights when they cancel or can’t see the lights. I would also suggest having backup plans in case they need to cancel. If I go to any countries in the “Northern Lights zone”, I will definitely try to see them again. If for no other reasons than to try and take some better photos!

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It should be noted here that you have to select a time and prebook – I don’t know what happens if you just rock up: I guess its possible for you to be turned away! This obviously means that if you are planning on staying for dinner, that you have to pre-choose how long is available in the water. We chose two hours but I could have probably easily stayed twice as long.

I didn’t take any photos because you surrender your belongings in lockers prior to accessing the pool area – which did mean that I concentrated on enjoying the experience, as opposed to trying to document it, but does mean I’m relying on illustrating the trip with official photos from the Blue Lagoon. The tickets start from ISK5,400 (£39) and go all the way up to ISK26,500 (£188) depending on how much privacy and pampering you want.

Where is it?

It’s practically at the Keflavik airport – so close in fact that a lot of people make it the first or last thing they do in Iceland and make it a detour on the way to or from the airport.

Do the locals go there?

Nope: geothermal hotpools are huge in Iceland – we heard it described like a pub in England: a centre of meeting and socialising for local communities. Because of that, the Blue Lagoon is seen as an out of the way tourist trap, an over priced and industrialised bastardisation of what is an integral part of Icelandic lifestyle. I didn’t get to see the flipside of this, but next time I go back to Iceland I will make it a point of seeing one of the local hot pools and to see how it compares

What’s it like?

In New Zealand, we have hot pools. But I haven’t seen any on this scale. By controlling the numbers of people there with timed tickets, they can try to avoid overcrowding. There were a goodly number of people there when we went, but the pool is large enough that despite the changing areas feeling a little crowded at times, once you’re in the water you can always find space.

What if it rains? Or snows?

Some areas of the pool are shallower than others, and if you have snow or a strong wind then its nice to be as submerged as possible. The heat rising from the water is usually enough to make your face warm enough despite adverse weather. Personally the more terrible the weather outside the water, the more I feel toasty and cosy inside. Hoping for snow next time!

Whats there to do?

There’s a poolside bar, though with the heat there is a strong chance of dehydration should you get too carried away with the alcohol. You can scoop up mud and apply your own mineral face-mask (take care when washing it off!).

There are man made waterfalls which give the most amazing shoulder and head massages. At night I would imagine the stars would be amazing. You can also upgrade your ticket to include an in-water massage, algae mask or other treatments. We went with the minimal ticket price and took our own towels, so weren’t in the market for the beauty treatments. We could have used the sauna and steam rooms as well but spent most of our time out in the water instead.

If other people annoy you, you can also get access to the Exclusive Lounge which gives you private amenities and changing rooms for three hours and you can order from the a la carte menu or get drinks in comfort.

Tips

As I mentioned, we brought our own towels which I packed in my bag. We got out of the water and went into the changing rooms to prepare for dinner in the Lava Restaurant when I realised that I had my travel companion’s towel. “What’s she going to use to dry herself?” I think.

I wandered out, still dripping wet and explained the situation to the first attendant I saw. I don’t know if it was my accent or his English but he stood there looking blankly from me to the towel I was holding and back again before he realised that someone (neither he nor I) would have to go into the changing rooms calling out her name.

He just picked up his walkie talkie to get a female attendant to help when a fellow (female) tourist just happened to be passing by and helpfully suggested that she could do it. I told her my companion’s name and a brief physical description, and went back to my changing room, hoping that the transfer would be successful.

Lava

Sure enough, we both find ourselves dry, clothed and hungry outside Lava at the appointed time. We’re seated – and peruse the menu. the first thing that leaps out at me is that all the mains cost the same. And all the desserts. No differentiation by price. Haven’t seen that before.

We have a bit of friendly chit chat with the waiter (actually quite a lot – he’s charming and talkative) and ask what he recommends. He recognises me as a Kiwi and says with a glint in his eye that their lamb is the best. I raise an eyebrow and say that New Zealand is somewhat known for the quality of its lamb. He smiles and says that their’s is better. OK, I say – challenge accepted. Let’s try the lamb!

O. M. G. It’s better than any other lamb I’ve ever had. It melts off the fork, and the flavours are delightful. He swings by after a while and asks how everything is. I purse my lips and tell him that maybe, just maybe it might be on par with the best we have in NZ. He nods in recognition of my capitulation and leaves us to it.

Is it worth it?

It is pricey – we went budget on the entrance fee and in retrospect I would have had more time in the pools and other facilities like the sauna. The next time I go to Iceland I will be sure to revisit, but will make it an entire afternoon to really get my money’s worth. I’ll also go back to Lava to see if that lamb was just a fluke…

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£177 (ISK19,900+5,000 pickup)

So after a rocky start (not being picked up for our trip), I wanted to give the tour a chance. My travelling companion was a keen climber so the opportunity to climb on a glacier was her number one thing she wanted to do.

We managed to get picked up this time and headed out towards the glacier. The guides were personable enough and began telling us stories on the way. The stories were interrupted early on in the trip when one of the guides had to answer their cell phone. Apparently they had left someone else at a hotel! Some sort of arrangement was made to get the climber to the meeting point and we continued on our way. I just hoped that the climbing safety was better than the pick up logistics!

We took a comfort stop around dawn and people grabbed some lunch for later.

As we continued on our way one of the guides told the story of the farm pictured below. He said that one day the farmer rang the Geological Centre and asked if there was any reported activity recently. The person in charge checked their records and said that no, there hadn’t been anything sizeable recently. “Thanks,” said the farmer and hung up.

Ten minutes he rang back and said “Are you sure there’s nothing going on?”

The person double checked and said no – why? The farmer responded – “I’m pretty sure there’s an eruption going on.”

“Well thank you sir, I think that if there was an eruption, then we would know. Our equipment is very accurate and we have stations all across the island. What makes you so sure that there’s an eruption?”

“Oh, I can see the lava in my back paddock….”

One of the things Iceland is known for is waterfalls, apparently Skógafoss (not pictured here) is near the glacier which we will be climbing on, so we’ll stop off on the way back to check it out.

So we arrive at the carpark and get fitted for crampons. Now it should be said that the instructions for the trip mention:

Included: Glacier hiking tour on Sólheimajökull glacier with a certified glacier guide, an optional introduction to ice climbing and all specialised glacier gear; climbing harness, glacier crampons, helmet and other climbing safety equipment. Lunch is NOT included. We recommend you bringing a packed lunch for the day.
Remember to bring: Warm outdoor clothing, waterproof jacket & pants, headwear and gloves. Good hiking shoes are recommended.Sturdy hiking shoes, waterproof jacket and pants can be rented when you make your booking or on location.

A young Canadian-Chinese couple are wearing sneakers, while everyone else is wearing “sturdy” hiking boots. The guide doesn’t raise an eyebrow so I don’t think anything more of it – if their footwear would cause an issue, surely he would mention something?

After some instructions and the distribution of safety equipment, we start walking. And walking. And walking. Later I get onto Google and find out just how far it is from the carpark to the edge of the glacier. It’s less than 1.5km (1 mile), but it sure felt longer at the time! Being a New Zealander, the terrain reminds me a lot of home – volcanic scree and moss covered boulders and crystal clear streams.

It’s not too long before the glacier appears in the distance – the white of the ice stark against the dark volcanic rock we’ve been traversing. As we get closer we can see that the white ice is not uniform and it is streaked through with darker colours. When we reach the edge of the the land we notice too that it is not flat or smooth: it has undulations, rifts and cracks.

We stop on the high ground overlooking the glacier and could see another group already venturing out onto the ice. We fitted our crampons and had another briefing on what we were doing and how to walk with the crampons. It feels weird already with the tramping boots with their limited ankle movement, but with the crampons on as well it feels even more alien.

I soon learn you just have to take a little more care when walking – and that there’s no need for my initial exaggerated careful steps! After a final safety check on everyone’s crampons, we head down the hill and up onto the ice.

Wow! Walking with crampons is bizarre. I think a lot of it is to do with my mindset. In retrospect if I just thought of them as “anti-skid spikes”, I might have adjusted quicker. But the bulkiness of them and the fact that they are literally made to stick into things means I walk with way too much care for way too long. Eventually I find the rhythm and get used to them.

The Climb

After a long trek across the ice we come to the face that we will be climbing. The guides set up the safety ropes then give us a last minute discussion of what not to do (ice axes are dangerous!). Then two at a time we go up the ice face. My travelling companion swarms up the cliff face like a mountain goat.

Then its my turn. I’m not the best with heights but I’m certainly not going to quit before reaching the top. The problem with me is that I don’t trust the crampons. Basically you have two spiky bits sticking out the front of your boot. You kick these into the ice, and then reach up and dig the ice axes into the ice. Then straighten up so all of your weight is on the crampons, and lift one of your feet up and kick it into the ice.

The reason you want to have hiking boots is because the sole of the boot has to remain rigid to allow you to kick the crampons into the ice. Any give in the shoe would mean the pressure from kicking would just make the shoe flex instead of driving the spikes into the ice.

Anyway, I managed to reach the top through sheer bloody mindedness and then put both ice axes in one hand and signalled the guide that I was ready to walk down. He belayed me (lowered using the rope) and I made my descent, pausing briefly for a cheesy and well deserved photo.

There’s nothing to do but wait for each of the other tourists to have their turn, and I’m watching one of the Canadian-Chinese couple having difficulties. If I thought that my pace up the ice was slow, hers is even worse – she hasn’t climbed very high at all and has taken 20 minutes to get there.

I’m too far away to hear what is said, but I can see from the body language that the guide is angry. He says something to the couple (by this time the guy has joined his partner) and I can tell that this is very upsetting to the climber and she is very quickly disconnected from the safety rope and sent away from the climbing surface. She passes us to find some space and seems on the verge of tears. Her partner follows closely behind. The guide gruffly calls for the next climber.

Eventually everyone has had a go and we continue further onto the glacier. The guides stop every now and again to talk about some aspect of the glacier or another and to answer questions.

There are deep chasms which go deep into the glacier and we’re told to try not to fall in – or to drop our equipment into!

The lake at the mouth of the glacier is full of melt-water and serves as a way of judging whether the glacier is advancing or retreating. In the winter with the additional snow and rain the glacier gets bigger and covers more of the lake – in summer more of it melts making the lake bigger and the glacier retreats.

The guides come here almost every day so they can see that with global warming the retreating goes further and the winter doesn’t add to the size of the glacier as much.

We stop at a large chasm and one of the guides illustrates how deep it is by throwing some ice down inside it. His trust in his crampons is absolute as he stands very close to the lip of the chasm. It makes me nervous just watching him. I guess he knows whether the lip would fall away just by looking at it…

The sun is starting to go down so we turn and head back towards the starting point.

It’s freaky how the ice forms waves and I wonder whether its the wind carving away the ice to look like that or if its water that was frozen like that from liquid form. Neither really make sense to me and I forget to ask the guides.

Close to the starting point we’re introduced to a mid-glacier lake where melting water disappears down a sinkhole. Apparently one trip a tourist lost their footing and rolled into the lake, and disappeared down the sinkhole! He survived – popping out in the lake at the mouth of the glacier, and was extremely lucky it was summer so didn’t freeze to death. Even in summer though, the water is extremely cold!

Skógafoss

It’s dark by the time we de-crampon our boots and make our way back to the vans. Our guides ask if we still want to see the waterfall and surprisingly there are enough yes’ to make it worth our while. We’re given about 20 minutes to get from the carpark to the waterfall and despite the darkness I still take my camera. I play with the settings and manage to get some shots despite the gloom.

So what did I think?

I think it was well worth the price it was a great experience but remember one thing – this is a tour run by ice climbers, it’s not a tour run by tour guides. What I mean by that is that you run the risk of not being picked up, of people being cross with you for having the wrong shoes – you’re not going to be babied. But because they’re proper ice climbers, you know you’re going to have as safe an experience as it’s possible to get.

The post Review: Blue Ice Glacier Tour appeared first on etrip.tips.

We had somehow managed to get on a noon departure tour, which I have subsequently not been able to find reference to on their website, due to events relating to a different tour (see: Ice Ice Baby), and I suspect the itinerary needed to be a little shorter as it didn’t follow that which is listed on the website.

Þingvellir National Park

First stop: the place where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. Only if you want to be able to have a foot on each you better have long legs cos they’re 5km (3miles) apart here. The carpark for this attraction is on top of the North American side and there’s a walkway which leads you to the rift valley floor from where you can walk across to the Eurasian side if you have time.

This is also the location of the first Parliament for Iceland.

Gullfoss

I like me a good waterfall! Loved the falls at Niagara and liked Gullfoss too. We’re a bit short on time, otherwise I would have liked to get right up close to the waterline and though the path is frosty and slippery, a lot of tourists have skirted the sign saying not to and done exactly that.

Geysir

The original, the one that every other geothermally powered natural fountain is named after. And its little brother “Litli Geysir”.

I took a video of the fountain erupting which a family member watched and then dismissiveley muttered “well there’s 90 seconds of my life I won’t get back”, so I’ll avoid posting it here.

Was it worth it?

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Iceland shares the magic of New Zealand but is closer to Europe and North America. Cheap trans-Atlantic flights with attractive stop-overs make Iceland a convenient exposure to alien natural beauty.

A third of a million people live on an island about 40% the size of the UK (the size of the state of Kentucky) giving it a population density of 3 people per km². Being just south of the Arctic circle, the climate is chilly, but does mean you can see the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights).

How Long Should I Go?

The consensus amongst the travel guides on Skyscanner, Expedia and TripAdvisor boil down to:

• Hot springs
• Golden Circle
• Nightlife
• Beer
• Whale watching
• Northern Lights

While Nightlife and Beer can be done in the city, all the others require some travel which reduces the number of things you can do per day. In addition to that, my travel companion is a huge climbing aficionado, and ice climbing on a glacier is another activity which will take some time to get to.

If you’re interested in ticking off the consensus things to do, you might be able to cram them all into a very hectic three day trip, but a week would be better.

The local currency is the ISK (Icelandic Kroner) and the exchange rate in November 2014 was 193.220494 and it’s now 139.968203 (ISK per GBP).

How Do I Get There?

You are spoilt for choice – EasyJet, IcelandAir and WOW all fly London to Reykjavik’s (the capital – pronunciation) Keflavik airport, I’ve seen flights as low as £125 return from London.

The national carrier, IcelandAir also has a deal where for £679 you can go London to New York return with a three night stay in Reykjavik (Iceland stopover only available on the outbound leg, but you do get to choose from three hotel choices).

Being an island nation in the Arctic Ocean means that other options are a little lacking – though there is a once a week ferry from Denmark.

How Do I Get Around?

There are no trains on Iceland, but there are buses. Most of the tours I investigated featured a hotel pickup from Reykjavik hotels. If you’re going to rent a car on the island, pay attention to the weather and get snow tyres!

How Much Is It To Stay?

Skyscanner has most hotels in the £120-180 price range, and AirBnB has most between £80 and £190, making Reykjavik quite an expensive place to stay (similar to other Scandinavian cities).

We stayed at the Radisson Blu Saga, which is a little way from the centre of town. We booked on GetaRoom.com and it cost USD395.28 (£253 at the time – now closer to £317) .

What Shall I See?

Day Zero

The plan was to take a half day of leave from work, fly over on the Friday night (arriving late), and have a full three days of Iceland and then head back on Tuesday morning – unfortunately leaving very early in the morning. We tried to maximise the time we had actually doing activities by booking tours with hotel pickups so there was minimal stress and fuss in getting around.

*Sigh*

So we’d found a really good deal: a bus transfer to/from the airport, travel to/from the Blue Lagoon plus a Grand Circle tour for two, all for ISK 22,400 (£115) with Bustravel Iceland. The deal has since gone up a bit since then (ISK 33,000) and the Pound has dropped in value, making it a bit more expensive in today’s money (£170). But still we thought, convenient!

We arrived at 10.50pm on a bitterly windy evening. If Iceland’s geothermal activity ever dries up they can solve their energy needs with a couple of wind farms! We look around the arrivals hall and find two bus companies, but neither have Bustravel Iceland signs. I head outside in the cold to see if I can find a likely looking bus. There are some buses there, but again, nothing Bustravel Iceland related. I venture a little further and pretty soon exhaust the possibilities – no more buses. I go back inside and relay this to my travelling companion.

Hmm… this doesn’t feel right: maybe they outsource the bus trips to someone else? I walk up to the counter of one of the bus companies in the arrivals hall. Excuse me, do you handle the Bustravel Iceland buses? She smiles and takes my printed paper from me. Ah! she says, eyes recognising the logo – these people don’t come up to the terminal, they will be waiting in the carpark. My face says it all. WTF?

Yes, she reassures me – go out the doors and walk along the path to the carpark. There will be a covered area – that’s where the bus will be waiting. OK, she seems sure, so I collect luggage and travelling companion and head out the doors. We pass most of the other passengers from our flight getting onto the their buses, the buses closest to the doors of the warm and calm arrivals hall and head out into the cold wind.

It’s not too far from the terminal, but late at night and exposed as it is we make it to the middle of the car park and lo, there is a covered section of the path – if memory serves it’s got a carpark pay machine in it and we look around. Nothing. A few lights at the end of poles try desperately to counter the darkness, but that’s it. “Waiting my ass,” I mutter as we head back towards the terminal. Maybe we should wait here if this is where they’ll come, says my companion (who had found and booked the deal) hopefully. Tell you what, I respond, let’s stick together – if we can’t get answers we’ll grab a cab.

The other buses have gone and the lady that had pointed me in the direction is starting to close up her counter. I frown slightly at her and let her know that there was no bus out there. She looks puzzled and repeats her directions – out the door turn left, middle of the carpark, covered stand. I nod and say, yes that where we went. Realisation dawns on her and she asks how far away the covered bit was and I say I don’t know – ten minutes walk something like that.

Yes, she says, you want the covered bit of the next carpark. I thank her very much for her help and we head out to the cold and wind again. As we head back out my travel companion says conversationally “I hope they’re there”. I agree distractedly, wondering what she’s getting at. “Because I don’t see any taxis,” she continues. I look around and she’s right.

So we head past the first carpark and to the second and there in the shadow of the covered stand is a van. I walk up and, a little brusquely, it must be said, inquire as to whether they are Bustravel Iceland. We are assured that they are indeed and we pile in out of the cold and wind and sit with another couple in the back.

After about five minutes of not moving, I ask the obvious question – are we waiting for anybody else? Apparently there is another couple out there booked for the transfer who haven’t managed to figure out where the pickup point is. Yeah, I say (maybe a little archly), we had to ask someone in the end.

Eventually the darkness coalesces into a pair of shadowy figures who make a beeline for the van. All present and accounted for, we finally hit the road.

Radisson Blu Saga is away from the centre of town on top of a slight hill. It’s getting close to 1am by the time we get to the check in counter and I plaster my polite smile and enquire as to whether we can check in please. Ah yes Mr Lambert, I’m afraid we’ve given your room to someone else but we’ve got you a better room in our sister hotel in town.

My smile becomes a mask as my brain disengages and starts a little chant. All I want to do is go to sleep. Sleep! Sleep! Sleep! I realise that I have been staring at the receptionist without hearing what’s she’s been saying. Uh… how are we going to get there? I finally manage. Ah, we will call you a taxi. She says. And in the morning? We have a hotel pickup for our tour, I tell her, at this hotel.

Oh, just ask their front desk to arrange a taxi back here in the morning and that will be fine, she says. I can’t think of anything now except sleep. Right! Where is this taxi I ask – the only thing I think of is that this extra taxi time now and in the morning are both coming straight out of my sleep time.

So we take the five minute taxi trip to the Reykjavik 1919 Hotel and check in there. We’re right in the middle of town and the room is lovely but all I can care about is sleep. It takes a little while to figure out how to kill all the lights in the room, but eventually I manage to drift off.

Day One

All to soon we’re up and grabbing a taxi back to the original hotel. They graciously agree to allow us to store our luggage with them and we settle into the lobby to await our pickup for a day on the glacier doing some ice climbing.

They say on their website that you should be ready at 8:30 and that it may take them 30 minutes to get to your hotel. It took every ounce of cajoling my companion to be ready on time – despite being the climber and being her idea, she was surprisingly reluctant to be on time. So it was with some great pride that I got us both in the lobby, ready to go at 8:30. And we waited. And waited.

A large enough group of fellow tourists also waited, and every few minutes a bus would pull up, the driver or guide would come into the lobby and call out the name of the company and tour and then leave with a few people in tow. 9:00 came around and the waiting tourists were fewer and fewer. I started to get a little concerned at ten past and went to the receptionist and asked if she could call the tour company for us.

She was happy to do so and politely spoke in English so that we could hear what she was saying. So we were just as astonished as her when we found out that the bus had come to the hotel. But that nobody had come into the hotel – instead they had waited a few minutes and then driven off.

The receptionist also found this hard to understand and switched to Icelandic to continue the conversation. She kept her voice level but I could tell she explaining how this was perhaps not the most helpful approach to take! She said that they were full the next day but if we could make Monday then they could fit us in on that tour.

I smiled through gritted teeth and thanked her but said that we had a Golden Circle tour booked for that day. She asked who that tour was with and after I told her she said that she could get us on their afternoon Golden Circle Tour today instead. I frowned and asked what time that would get back, as we had a Northern Lights tour booked for this evening.

That won’t be a problem she said – the Golden Circles gets back before 8pm and the Northern Lights tour doesn’t leave until 9pm. OK let’s do that then I said, so she made both sets of arrangements. I made sure to thank her afterwards and turned to my companion and asked what we should do now – we had more than two hours to kill. Oh, the receptionist said – you should check out the city – it’s not far and you’ll make it back in plenty of time.

So we headed into town. There’s something to be said for wandering around a city centre at 9:30 on a Saturday morning – Reykjavik has a reputation as a party town, so it’s no surprise than the streets are deserted, and the Arctic circle morning light is very weak so it feels much earlier.

We arrived back at the hotel in plenty of time and waited in the lobby – this time keeping a paranoid eye on the drive in front of the hotel. This time our driver came into the lobby and collected us and we went left for our Golden Circle Tour.

Golden Circle Tour

We were back with maybe half an hour to spare before being collected by a van which took us to the central bus station.

Northern Lights Tour

Exhausted, we finally made it back to the hotel and put ourselves to sleep.

Day Two

We had a more leisurely day planned for Sunday – a stroll through the city followed by a visit to the Blue Lagoon and then dinner at Lava the restaurant on site at the Blue Lagoon. We started off at the Museum.

Various posed mannequins illustrate historic events and amusingly the people on the committee were used as the models for the mannequins. It’s a nice touch.

Suitably educated, we head through the city towards the highest point around – the church. On the way we cross a big park with an imposing warrior statue. Something catches my eye so I come closer and zoom in on the statue. Some cheeky bugger has climbed up and given the warrior a pair of glasses and put lipstick on him. Heh.

Being a Sunday morning, there aren’t too many people out and about – a few tourists and the odd local going about their business, and the businesses look to be 90% focussed around tourism and partying.

A local pub has an inclusive statement on the door: If you are racist, sexist, homophobic or an asshole, don’t come in.

Then we come to the church. It truly does dominate the city and the views are quite spectacular.

The bit which looks like an airport on the right hand side of the next photo is in fact an airport. I would imagine there would be complaints about the noise if all the commercial flights started to land there, but dang it would make the transfers easy!

With my cool zoom on my camera I’m able to capture the Radisson Blu where we stayed most nights.

And so after wandering around the church we stopped off at a nearby ice cream shop. The girl behind the counter seemed friendly enough so we asked her about living in Reykjavik and what she wanted out of life. Pleasant enough way of spending the afternoon – and then it was time to head back to the hotel in time for the pickup to the Blue Lagoon.

Blue Lagoon and Lava Restaurant

Day Three

Blue Ice Glacier Tour

Northern Lights Mystery Tour

Day Four

Finally after some late nights and early starts it was time to head to the airport and head back home.

How Much Did It Cost?

Let’s assume you wanted to do the same trip as we did (4 nights for two, flying from London)

Would I Go Back?

I’m really glad I went, but in terms of Destination travel, I don’t think I will go back to Iceland. I hear really great stories of people who have spent a lot longer on Iceland than I was able to and after watching The Secret Life of Walter Mitty I can see why some people think Iceland was the real star of the movie.

Here’s the thing though: with cheap UK to US flights, it doesn’t take much to get a taste of Iceland en route to the USA – a few three day stopovers would allow you to add to your knowledge of Iceland incrementally!

The post Ice Ice Baby appeared first on etrip.tips.

Alfred Wainwright is famously quoted as saying: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.”

Never has there been somewhere that’s fitted the old adage more perfectly than Iceland.

Which is why, when I found myself in front of Seljalandsfoss in the thinnest of satin wedding gowns as an early April shower threatened, I muttered a silent prayer of thanks for the thick thermal leggings I’d chosen as bridal undergarments.

I suspected my new husband wasn’t going to be as impressed when we returned to our hotel, but right at that moment, I didn’t care. In any case, I had other things to contend with, such as a persistent wind hell bent on lifting my skirt and spoiling the magic of our wedding photos. I drew the line at trashing the dress, though this would have been the perfect place to do so.

In a land full of dramatic waterfalls, Seljalandsfoss holds the distinction of being the only one which you can walk behind, but you first have to run through its powerful curtain of water. The light was fading and it was time to head back to thaw out.  The waterfall would still be there tomorrow.

Hotel Ranga

Our base, as we were pushing the boat out, was the delightful Hotel Ranga. Located beside the river whose name it shared, its simple wood-clad design belied the attention to detail that made this a luxury choice. The stuffed polar bear in the lobby was a quirky touch – and made for some particularly unusual photos for the wedding album – and the food was sensational.

Outside, in one of several hot tubs, we gazed at the Northern Lights as they made a spectacularly well-timed appearance, and had a taste of the nation’s characteristic friendliness when another guest hopped in beside us for company. It’s not everyone that can say they spent a good proportion of their wedding night with a total stranger.

The following morning, spotting patches of blue in between extensive cloud, we decided to get an earlier start than is customary on a honeymoon. Icelanders were very proud of their “four seasons in one day” weather, so we weren’t going to waste summer on a lie in.

Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss & Sólheimasandur

The south coast of Iceland promised many natural wonders; first on the list was Seljalandsfoss, where, more suitably attired than before, we ducked behind the waterfall to experience the view through its cascade. Next stop was Skógafoss, where water had eroded the sea cliffs so far that they were no longer part of the coastal scenery.

But we had more miles to cover, and on we pressed, in search of “a hole where a gate should be”, the intriguingly cryptic directions I’d been given to help us find our next pitstop.

The gap led to a gravel track that wasn’t really a track and predictably we ended up a little lost. My husband, more than used to my pitiful attempts at navigation, was pragmatic and surprisingly patient.  Before long, an internet search had thrown up GPS co-ordinates and we were back on track.

Skirting a ravine, we drove slowly across a plain of black sand until our target came into view: a crashed DC-3. Once the property of the US Navy, it had crashed in bad weather in 1973. Sliding to a halt on its belly, the soft sand cushioned the crew from disaster and all that remains today is a stripped out wreck.

Wires trail like the entrails of a slain beast and windblown sand collects in dimly lit corners. Clambering around inside as if starring in a science fiction movie, my poor sense of direction was forgotten, just as flaws should be if a marriage is to be a success.

Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon

Back on the Ring Road, Iceland’s main highway, we passed few cars on our way beyond Vik to the fairytale Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon. Its sheer cliffs were topped with a thickening crop of moss and grass which spilt over the edge like the icing on a cake. Later in the season, the scene would be more verdant and the water might be warm enough to wade in. But on that day, the sun had popped off for a lunch break and a chill had settled on the air.  We ate our picnic in the car.

Jökulsárlón

Our final destination that day was much anticipated and somewhere we’d visited before: Jökulsárlón.  This glacial lagoon is perhaps my favourite place in the whole world. Last time, we’d flown up from Reykjavik, snowmobiled on the Vatnajökull glacier before driving into the lagoon on-board an amphibious vehicle.

Now, we were back for a second helping, though it was still too early in the season for the boats to be out on the water, confining us to its shores. Ice calved from Breiðamerkurjökull, an outlet of Vatnajökull, into the warmer salt water of the ocean. It was still cold, you understand, but these things are relative.  The icebergs floated like glistening boats that have broken free of their moorings, ending up as playthings for the Atlantic breakers.

We drew a heart in the black volcanic sand and sat hand in hand watching lumps of ice sink into the beach.  Marriage, I decided, suited us and I’m sure my husband would agree.

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