I recently spent four days in Iceland, and although November would not have been my first choice for a visit to this island country at the 66º parallel, the weather was acceptable. Iceland is a fabulous destination to visit for luxury adventure travel.
The name of the island was apparently a marketing ploy to discourage too many settlers from coming and taking away a good thing from those already there. Greenland is actually icy while Iceland is actually quite green!
Iceland offers wonderful natural beauty — waterfalls, glaciers, geysers, wildlife, and even a black sand beach. Although it's possible to do all the research yourself, rent a car or 4x4, and explore the island on your own, luxury adventure travelers will appreciate having an experienced tour company put together a personalized tour of the island. Our group of 15 was shuttled all over the south of Iceland in a caravan of three Lincoln Navigator SUVs. We saw the sights, learned about the history and culture of Iceland, and enjoyed it all in a perfectly relaxed and comfortable way. If you can afford it, this is the way to travel!
A few must-see highlights for your trip to Iceland:
- The Golden Circle Tour
This 190-mile circular route encompasses Thingvellir, site of the oldest parliament in the world; Geysir, the geyser which gave its name to all other erupting hot springs; and Gullfoss, Europe's largest waterfall.
- Hellisheidarvirkiun Geothermal Power Plant
Iceland has developed a green technology of exploiting the earth's own heat to produce electricity and hot water and is exporting this technology around the world.
- Seljalandsfoss waterfall
You can walk behind this waterfall, quite an interesting experience.
- Thorsmork
This nature reserve is accessible only by 4x4 mountain vehicles.
- Blue Lagoon Spa
I spent my last few hours in Iceland luxuriating in the naturally heated sea water of this outdoor spa. If you want to get a massage, you'll want to make reservations in advance.
Where to eat? The Seafood Cellar in Reykjavík has an incredibly imaginative chef. An asian-fusion style restaurant, just order the Chef's Selection menu ... and be prepared for a great surprise with dessert!
Where to stay? In Reykjavík, consider either 101 Hotel with a very contemporary design — rooms are smallish, so book a Junior Suite — or the Hotel Borg with an art-deco style. In a more rural setting in Southern Iceland, consider Hotel Ranga, a rustic property with wood paneled rooms on the south side of Iceland. This property is a good base for visiting the natural beauty of the country — and well situated (in the winter) to see the Northern Lights.
luxury adventure travel (search here on Google)
copyright (c) 2008 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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