You know how much I enjoyed my stay in Iceland, and you saw the photos. Whoever visits Iceland will be impressed by the landscape, the incredible nature, and the Northern Lights if he’s lucky.

But for me, there were other maybe small things, or not relevant to someone else, that really made me feel extra comfortable and love the place even more. I wrote a list, and came up with 15 extra reasons why Iceland is so great for me.

1. It’s gay friendly.
   If you know me, you know that I am a huge advocate for gay rights, and that I get very mad whenever I witness episodes of homophobia (yes I often have a hard time in Egypt). No, I’m not gay (rolls eyes) but does it even matter?
   Iceland is an openly gay friendly place. Being gay in Iceland is not even something that people notice. It’s just what it’s supposed to be. And I was so happy to see this!
   Iceland had the first openly lesbian prime minister, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, and gay marriage was legalized in 2010. So yeah, this country is thatcool!
   

   Laugavegur, the main street of Reykjavik, with the rainbow flags

2. Icelandic wool.
   I told you these were random reasons!
   In Iceland, one of the typical things you can buy is the über warm woolen clothes with their typical colors and decorations. I was almost buying some, but I reminded myself I live in Egypt, where I will never need them. But I had to give myself a souvenir, so I bought the coolest gloves you will ever find! I hate wearing gloves but these ones are great for photography and basically anything, as fingers remain free to move. And warm.
   All the knitwear I saw in Iceland made me feel like start knitting again.
   

   My super cool, camera friendly Icelandic gloves

3. The Icelandic accent, with hidden letters.
   Man, I love the Icelandic accent. I can’t say I learned a lot of the language, but I listened enough to realize there are “hidden sounds” when you don’t expect them. Example: remember the volcano that erupted in 2010 and flights were stopped all over the world? Its name is Eyjafjallajökull. Now you don’t have to try and read it, but let’s just take the “fjalla” part. Well, as if the word was not long enough, the double “l” has to be pronounced as something like “tl”. So it will be “fjatla”.
   Now apply this concept to the Icelandic people’s pronunciation, and you will have some very cute and funny effects. I remember the guy who hosted me once said he’s “a lu(kh)cky guy”. Aw!
   

   Me and the Icelandic language (photo Ronni Hauksson)

4. The weather.
   No, seriously. There’s a saying in Iceland that goes like “If you don’t like the weather, just wait 5 minutes”. I remember the first day I woke up in Reykjavik, I looked outside of the window and it was snowing so much. I was disappointed! I went to the car hire to get my car and had to drive in the snow… that was not a good start. Then I went home, took a shower and by the time I got dressed a beautiful sun was shining in the blue sky. And I was ready to start my exploration!
   

   The weather in Reykjavik: stormy and sunny at the same time!

5. No need for cash.
   I honestly have no idea what the Icelandic money looks like. I never had to take money from an ATM, and I kept paying everything with my credit card. For coffee, supermarkets, souvenirs or gas, I never needed anything else than my credit card, and for transportation etc I booked everything online. I love this! It makes traveling so much easier.
   

   I never needed cash to put gas, and the northern lights show was for free :)

6. The relationship between humans and nature.
   In Iceland, the relationship between humans and nature goes beyond simple respect. Here, nature comes first. If you are so stupid to challenge nature, nobody will be sorry for you if you hurt yourself. As simple as that!
   In Icelandic nature, you feel so small and humble. You wonder if humans are supposed to live in such wild conditions… or maybe this is exactly what we are supposed to do.
   

   Iceland: big nature, small men

7. The typical colorful houses.
   I love colorful houses! I guess it’s because of my background. In Iceland and in Reykjavik especially, I was so fascinated by the modern, simple houses that come in so many different colors. To me, they all looked very new, but I found out that some of these houses are more than 50 years old. I wish houses were so colorful all around the world.
   

   Reykjavik from above. I especially like the green house!

8. A comfortable kind of cultural shock.
   In Iceland, the language is obscure, the currency is different, some (many) areas are inaccessible during the winter, the people have a totally unique mood, they eat some really weird stuff (rotten shark anyone?), etc. But even with all these differences, it’s a very comfortable cultural shock. Everything works, the place is clean, transportation is on time, there are no safety issues. You will still feel like you’re visiting a very differentplace, but with all comforts!
   

   You will always have a cozy and clean room waiting for you

9. It’s safe.
   It’s incredible how safe Iceland is. I remember one night I was on the way to Reykjavik with a group of photographers, and we stopped on the way to have dinner. They all left their very expensive camera equipment in the car, without even bothering to hide it in the trunk or below the seats. This is something I normally do whenever I have to leave something in the car here in Italy! I didn’t feel comfortable doing that, and took my heavy backpack with me to the restaurant. I was the only one.
   It’s great to travel and feel safe. I think I had this same feeling only in Japan. You can walk around with your bag open and your wallet will still be there at the end of the day. What a great feeling!
   

   Our car on the way to Reykjavik

10. Efficient, eco-friendly heating.
    In Iceland, heating comes from geothermal energy, and is therefore eco-friendly and renewable. Which is really cool! But practically speaking what I enjoyed was the incredibly nicely heated houses and the constant, unlimited hot water. It felt so good. Oh and tap water is so good! No need for bottled water.
    

    The entrance of the Hellisheidavirkjun Geothermal Power Plant

11. The frankness of people.
    I was very surprised at how people are frank and direct when talking about some subjects. In the Mediterranean culture (I am Italian and spend most of my time in the Middle East) there are some subjects you don’t openly talk about, at least if you don’t know the other person well enough: death, illness, problems in general, sex and sexual orientation, etc.
    In Iceland I found people had no problems telling me they were not feeling okay (while I will always say I’m fine if someone I don’t really know asks, unless something really bad happened).
    Another thing that almost puzzled me was how the guide on my excursions was warning us “be careful if you want to walk behind the waterfall, last week a person died attempting”, but I am pretty sure somewhere else she would have said “be careful (…), it’s dangerous”, or “don’t do it because it’s dangerous”. Got what I mean? It felt a bit uncomfortable, but it’s good to know a person is being 100% honest.
    

    The Gullfoss waterfalls. Want to walk down that path in the winter? At your own risk!

12. Iceland has no army.
    Standing ovation to this! Iceland is the only NATO country without an army. They only have a Coast Guard.
    

    The Icelandic Coast Guard, the closest thing to an army you will find in Iceland

13. The “hidden people”.
    Huldufólk are elves in the Icelandic folklore. Most people in Iceland believe in elves, and respect them to the point that houses won’t be built if the area is believed to be inhabited by elves, one should never throw rocks in order not to hit them, and so on. Some people claim they can talk to the so called “hidden people” and give advice according to their conversations. I don’t know what I feel about this, but when in doubt, I would do what the elf says! I find this extremely fascinating.
    

    If I were an elf, I would totally live here

14. Icelandic pride.
    I didn’t meet anyone in Iceland that was not proud of his country and its beauties.
    Micheal, my host for the first two nights, studied abroad and sometimes still travels for work, but he told me he will always go back to Iceland because there’s no place like it.
    I found it beautiful that people who live there are still fascinated and humbled by the Icelandic nature. For instance, you may think people are used to the Northern Lights, but many of them still go out at night to look at them.
    Geothermal energy is another main reason for pride – some people even get married at the Hellisheidavirkjun Power Plant!
    

    Even Balto the dog looks proud of his country.

15. It’s internet friendly.
    Ok, let’s talk about Reykjavik here because I am not sure about the other cities. But I absolutely loved the fact that everywhere I was I could easily find a wifi network, and most of the times without a password too (and free of charge, of course). For a digital nomad and/or a blogger this definitely makes all the difference!
    I also bought an Icelandic simcard (the carrier is called Síminn) and activated a data plan. I didn’t expect it, but I had a very good 3g coverage everywhere I went.
    

    The Kerið Volcano. I remember I sent a Tweet from here!

So these are some of the reasons why I really, really liked Iceland, besides the “obvious” Northern Lights and natural beauties. Would you add something?

The post 15 random reasons why I loved Iceland appeared first on blog.travelreportage.com.

 It may sound very obvious, but for me it’s very true. I never appreciated the beauty of the place I come from, until I started traveling, and then I came back.

I was born in Santa Margherita Ligure, in the Italian Riviera. For me, the colors of the houses, the blue/green-ish sea just in front, the hills all around as a frame to the landscape, were always normal. I grew up in a colorful, pretty, clean place, and always took it for granted.

The typical colorful facades of the area

When my friends came from “the city” – Genova – they were in awe, and I was told why, but I didn’t see why.

As a kid, I would wake up in my beautiful villa with typical Italian architecture, and a breathtaking view on the little gulf, and the hills in front of me, walk through my entrance’s columns  and I would go to school in the center of the colorful village, passing by a fruit stand with a big guy with a mustache, and a bakery, smelling the freshly baked, hot bread and focaccia.

All this was normal for me.

I grew up and as every other teenager I started to dream about the UK, the USA, the big cities. Why? Because  that was where my favorite singers and bands were from – the Take That first, then the Oasis, the Aerosmith, and so on… And I kept complaining about the region I came from, for a million reasons, but most of all because “it’s boring”. Well this is still quite true, but you never know what you’re talking about until you can compare it to something else!

I won a scholarship in 2004 and left to the UK. Finally I was going to have some real life! Or at least I thought so. I spent 9 months in St Andrews, Scotland. What a beautiful place! Scotland is amazing. But when you live there, and it rains every day, and the shops close at 7pm maximum, and you have nothing to do (but drink in pubs, and I don’t drink), you start thinking about your hometown again… which was not that bad after all!

And there’s something else I realized after years of traveling, and feeling there was always something missing, but I couldn’t tell what it was… and then suddenly I understood – of course: colors! How could I not think of that.

And then came Cairo, and I fell in love with this big, crowded, polluted, dirty, dusty, humid, hectic, grey, concrete jungle style city. It was not about the beauty of the place, but rather the atmosphere – friendly people, a new culture, the oriental feeling, an experience that was all mine. And that became home.

I came back from Cairo a week ago, to a shy Italian spring, with beautiful sunny days and sudden thunderstorms, and a blue sky that always comes back from beyond the clouds, at some point.

And, poetically speaking, I was like: WOW.

Here’s what I saw in the past few days, while working (!) or just walking around the area with my friend Jason. Enjoy.

Portofino as seen from Castle Brown

The day after I came back to Italy, I had to shoot some photos in a very unique venue: Castle Brown in Portofino. I can’t believe I worked in Portofino for 3 years (!) and never walked all the way up there. See? I was taking it for granted. And my jaw dropped when I saw the views from up there… Portofino, I hate it and I love it, but I can’t say it’s not beautiful! It looks like a planet of its own.

A view of Portofino from above

Another view of the beautiful Portofino. As I said, I used to work there… my first “real” job was in Portofino, as a hotel receptionist. I rolled my eyes when I heard the guests saying they wanted to get married in Portofino, in the Church of Saint George that you can see on the left. I didn’t get it. Now I do!

Portofino and the lush vegetation

It’s been raining for months now, and if there’s a positive thing in this, it’s that our mountains are greener than ever. In this photo, the colorful village of Portofino looks like it’s surrounded by a Caribbean vegetation. Beautiful!

One more view of Portofino

Do you have enough of Portofino yet? It doesn’t matter from where you look at it – this village is always beautiful. Here, I was walking back from the Castle, and loved the views through the trees. A little interesting information: that last little house on the right is the Coast Guard building. Yes, they always get the best spots…

Villa Mondadori, Portofino

I’ve seen photos of these houses right above the sea all around the internet. And every time, I comment “I know this place!” – because I used to drive past them every single day for 3 years… can you imagine? Beautiful location, too bad they are rarely inhabited. As you can see, in this photo all the windows were closed, and there was nobody around (I wouldn’t mind house sitting there if possible).

A beautiful villa on the way to Portofino

Here’s one of the beautiful villas that you can find on the way to Portofino. Not bad…  So exclusive and unique. I can’t even imagine how much one of those may cost. But I know that Italy’s former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi rents a nearby one for about 1,5 million Euros per year.

The beach of Paraggi

Ok, enough Portofino! This beautiful water belongs to the bay of Paraggi, technically part of Santa Margherita Ligure, but closer to Portofino. This is the only sand beach of the area. It’s a very small one, with beautiful clear water, but incredibly expensive: prices for a sunbed can go up to 40 Euros per day per person. No wonder I never went…

The picturesque town of Camogli

This postcard-like, super colorful town is called Camogli and I would say it’s my favorite in the area. All villages here feature these narrow, tall, colorful houses (without elevators). But Camogli is my favorite, for some reason. When I was 18 I found my first summer job here, as a waitress in a bar. And so every day I would drive all the way to here, with my first car (a green Opel Corsa), and served drinks to the many tourists… a job I was never good at.

Camogli just before the rain

The weather was not the best, but it made good pictures. I took this photo just before running away from the thunderstorm. It came and left quickly. The water has a special color in this area. Being born and raised next to the sea will always make me miss it even if I am not a fan of swimming, but I need to have the sea close to me. It makes me feel comfortable.

The village of San Rocco on the hills of Camogli

Just looking up you can see tiny little villages on the hills… just try and imagine what a beautiful view they have from there. This small village is called San Rocco and it’s just above Camogli. It looked very vulnerable with the storm coming.

The lighthouse of Camogli

Just a small lighthouse, but there’s always something special and poetic about lighthouses… Right? Another reason why I wanted you to see this photo is that it shows the way my region looks like: mountains that go directly into the sea. This is what surrounds me at the moment.

A wicked photo of Camogli

My last photo for today is something slightly unusual. I am not sure what was going on here: people were building this giant Lego man just in front of the church in Camogli. I don’t know what that is for, but I found it funny and very cool! It made a wicked picture. Even if I am not sure what is that thing he’s holding in his hand… a binocular or a joint? Either way, it’s fun!

I hope you enjoyed the tour of some of the places where I grew up. Would you like me to share more photos of this area? Who’s been here, and how did you like it? I’m all ears!

The post Italian Riviera: it’s on your travel wishlist, but for me it’s home appeared first on blog.travelreportage.com.

 I’ve been in Egypt for more than a month now, and many people asked me to update them with first hand news about the situation here, especially concerning travel safety and political (in)stability.

I left Egypt around 7 months ago, and came back on April, to find some differences, both good and bad.
Honestly I don’t even know where to start, but I will try and give you an idea of the state of things, and how this can possibly affect your travels.

Cairo Citadel – always beautiful

1- Cairo and the political situation

We all know what’s going on in Egypt. After the 2011 Revolution, there has been a period of total uncertainty without a government, and then ‘finally’ last year President Morsi was elected. So in a way, there is more stability, but not really. Protests still take place very often, there is a huge and very active opposition (which is good) and I have seen some really weird demonstrations going on on each side, such as a group of policemen asking to be able to grow a long beard, generally not allowed to military people all over the world.

Policemen protesting since months, camping in front of the Ministry of Interiors, asking to be able to grow a beard (conservative Muslim aspect for men)

Unfortunately, after the election of President Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood is now more powerful than ever, and religious freaks are coming up with the weirdest ideas. In a way, the MB is both very powerful and very weak at the moment, because they are showing their real crazy nature and many people are now taking a distance from them. Which is good.

That said, either way this doesn’t really affect the traveler, as it didn’t affect me at all – just stay away from Downtown or the Presidential Palace in the weekends and you will be fine. Yesterday night I forgot it was Friday (holiday, and usually the protests day) and rode a cab to Downtown, and had to take a diversion to avoid a protest, but honestly I didn’t even see it.
And basically everywhere else in Egypt the touristic life continues normally.

Me living normally… actually having a great time in Egypt! Saqqara, April 2013.

2- Tours

I would say tours are super safe. The paragraph above was about living in Cairo, which is not something that the first time visitor usually does.
So if you are planning a Nile cruise or a stay on the Red Sea, no worries, just book your trip and enjoy!

Concerning the desert, make sure you are with a tour operator and don’t just go on your own. Going to the desert on your own is never a good idea, plus now I would feel safe only going with an authorized tour and to authorized camp sites, that have some kind of surveillance, even just the Bedouins that take care of it and will watch the camp while you sleep.

This has little to do with the current situation: would you go to the desert on your own anyway?

Yes, you should go to the desert. It’s beautiful and safe! This was 6 months ago.

3- The Sinai

This is the most controversial part.

Traveling across the Sinai is not recommended at the moment. Basically each and every embassy issued warnings about this area of Egypt, advising the travelers not to go unless in case of real necessity.

If you are flying to places like Sharm el Sheikh or going to Dahab from there, then no problem.

Crossing the Sinai peninsula, as in going from Cairo to Sharm el Sheikh, is not the smartest thing you can do at the moment: there have been quite a few kidnappings lately, and they keep happening.

BUT this doesn’t mean that the area is totally unsafe – we have a public holiday these days in Egypt and most of my friends traveled to the Sinai, and absolutely nothing happened to them.

To sum up:

•  I would still cross the Sinai, but I would feel more comfortable on a public bus than on a touristic bus. Public buses are not fancy though, just so that you know!
• If I had to go on my own or with friends, I would probably take the risk, but not if I had kids with me. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for other people.
• There are other, very nice alternatives to the Sinai if you want to go to the sea from Cairo: Ein Sokhna (not even 2 hours from Cairo), the North Coast aka “Sahel” (about 2 hours from Cairo, depending where on the North Coast you are going), Hurgada (6 hours drive from Cairo), Marsa Alam (12 hours drive or a short flight from Cairo), and many, many more places that won’t make you miss Sharm el Sheikh at all. As for Dahab, well this is another story… Dahab is Dahab!
• The safest way to reach the Sinai at the moment is flying. Domestic flights from Cairo/Luxor etc to Sharm el Sheikh are usually very affordable. Of course you can also fly to Marsa Alam, nothing to do with the Sinai, but far enough to consider flying there!

Me, living a dangerous life in Ein Sokhna a couple of weeks ago

4- Sexual Harassment (women only)

This is another big, sensitive topic that is all around the news in Egypt and abroad these days. Unfortunately sexual harassment, aka SH, is there and is very annoying.But there are some things you have to know about it:

• You won’t find this outside of the main cities (Cairo, Alexandria, etc) so if you are going to the desert or on a Nile cruise, you may not even notice the phenomena.
• If you are visiting Egypt with a tour operator, most probably you won’t come across anything like this, because basically you won’t even step foot on a real street.
• Appropriate clothing is better if you walk on the city streets (try not to wear short skirts or shorts, and don’t show your cleavage or belly. Also, try and avoid tight and/or transparent clothes). When you are in clubs, western restaurants and cafes, you can wear pretty much whatever you want including short dresses and such. But you won’t feel comfortable doing so on the streets, plus you will get so many comments, that you will regret it!
• I have to admit that walking with a man on your side does make a difference.
• Blondes and redheads, I am sorry but you’re going to get a lot more comments and harassment than the other women… Sorry about that. That said, even women with niqabs are harassed, so it depends on clothes only to a certain extent.
• Avoid demonstrations and big, chaotic crowds such as in Tahrir Square on Fridays. I heard too many horror stories about mass rapes, and I even if I did go to the square before, nowadays I wouldn’t risk it. So don’t be silly. You can take cool pics of yourself somewhere else without risks… Right?
• Last time I came to Cairo (Jul to Oct 2012) I experienced some really bad harassment, including men following me (creepy) and others touching me in private areas. You don’t want to have the same experience. This time, it hasn’t happened to me at all, but I wouldn’t say the problem is solved… I have to admit I changed my lifestyle a lot in order to avoid this kind of situation: I don’t ride the metro anymore, I don’t walk on the street alone except in very few selected areas, I am very careful in whatever I do, and I just don’t hang out in areas where I used to live before, and where I had the worst experiences: it breaks my heart, but Downtown is not the best place for a girl so I am now living in a more “upscale” area even if I never thought I would end up doing so.
  Of course, all this affected my budget in a dramatic way. To give you an example, yesterday I spent 70 Egyptian Pounds (approx. 10 USD) on taxis, when I would have spent 2 Egyptian Pounds (approx. 0,15 USD) if I rode the metro like I used to do last year.
  I know that if I decide to move here I won’t be able to keep up with such an expensive lifestyle, so I will have to find a way in between. But for now, since I wanted to stay away from any possible problem, I am playing the rich kid, and I succeeded, because I never had any episode of harassment so far.

The white taxis in Cairo are the ones with meters.

5- The atmosphere and general mood

So far, I hope you realized there is no real threat in traveling to Egypt. If you are coming for the first time, and you are with a tour and such, you won’t notice what I am about to say, but if like me you’ve spent some time living here, then this could be the most disappointing aspect.

Sitting with my ‘Revolutionary’ friends in the cafes of Downtown, I can’t help but notice a complete disillusionment. The will to continue the Revolution, and to respect the memory of the 1000+ martyrs that were killed in the last 2 years, are still there. But people are tired and disappointed.

The saddest thing is that those who did the Revolution are now ‘bullied’ by the ones who miss the old regime, and this is horrible.

The area where I used to live, Mounira, is where all the ministries and governmental buildings are located. Now, they built concrete walls to block the main streets from protesters, and there is a heavy presence of police. Would I live there again? Probably not. Why? Because when I saw the situation, I felt like they took away the spirit of this neighborhood and made it a very sad place.

One of the many ‘security walls’ of Cairo: this is in Korba

The same goes with Korba, a beautiful area in the neighborhood of Heliopolis – being the Presidential Palace located here, you can also find a concrete wall close by, and demonstrations taking place on weekends. Last Friday I visited a friend in Heliopolis, and while we were chilling on his rooftop, we could hear gunshots, screams and ambulances not far from us. Again: super safe if you are not in THAT street at THAT time, but atmosphere-wise: not nice.

The Presidential Palace in Cairo

Last but not least, it has to be said that before the Revolution it was very safe to do basically anything, from walking in the streets at night, to traveling anywhere, etc. Now, unfortunately the first cases of robbing and other kinds of criminality are arising. This is something we are used to in the Western world, but not here. So it’s a bit sad for the locals to be worried about their belongings, when they never needed to do so until a short time ago.

How does this affect you? Well, keep an eye on your belongings. But this goes with any place in the world. The only real problem is if you want to travel long distances by car, you should avoid doing so after sunset, and avoid stopping on the way as much as possible. Unfortunately apart from the kidnappings, there are many cases of robbing and car theft, even pretty violent sometimes. So take care.

The day the Revolution started: January 25th, 2011. Missing the old good days of excitement and activism.

6- Hustle, bustle and the usual hassle

This has nothing to do with the Revolution’s offspring, but I think it’s worth mentioning that if you have never been to the Middle East, Egypt is not the easiest place to come as an independent traveler. Why? Because transportation is chaotic, tourists get ripped off all the time, and the vendors at touristic areas (read: Pyramids) can be really, really annoying. I know Egyptian people who swear they will never go to the Pyramids again because of this.

The typical scenario is this: you want to go to the Pyramids on your own, so you decide to ride the metro until the “Giza” metro station. Then when you get off, you will still have a long way to the Pyramids! Instantly, you will be surrounded by people offering taxi rides “for free” (yeah right) so you will have to walk and say “la2a shukran” (no thanks) until you are far enough to get a regular cab on a street.
Once in the surroundings of the Pyramids, people will start literally slamming on your cab’s doors and windows telling you “it’s forbidden to drive all the way to the entrance” (not true, they just want you to “follow them”) but the taxi driver shall keep going.
Once by the ticket offices, you will be offered “cheaper tickets” and all sorts of scams. Just keep ignoring everyone.
Once inside the Pyramids area, you will be offered multiple camel/horseback rides, but I wouldn’t dare. Have you ever heard of the “50 pounds camel ride that turned into 200 to get off the camel or be left in the desert”? Yeah.

Other than that, you always have to pay attention that the meter on taxis is on, otherwise you don’t know how much money you will be asked for that ride. And when you are offered things in the streets of Downtown, like perfumes, papyrus or simply “help”, stay on the safe side and say no. If you need anything you can always ask the staff at the hostel/hotel and they will be able to suggest where to go and find what you need.

I know this sounds pretty obvious to the experienced traveler, but since I get many questions about what I suggest for first time visitors, and especially female travelers, I feel like I need to be clear that it’s not that easy to move around Cairo on your own. So I suggest you to either find contacts here (you can ask me for this, no problem) so that someone will take care of you, or go with a tour operator if it’s your first time (and you can ask me about this too. Will be happy to help!).

The Giza Pyramids: probably easier to watch from a distance, hassle free. :)

I hope this was clear! Please if you have more specific questions, leave me a comment and I will find you the answer. Or if you want to add something, you’re welcome to do so! :)

The post Is it safe to travel to Egypt? May 2013 update appeared first on blog.travelreportage.com.

We are going through a period of very intense solar activity, which means beautiful Northern Lights displays. And since I know seeing them is on many people’s bucket lists, I want to encourage you to go by the end of this year!

The peak of solar activity will be on next autumn, but there’s also time until April or so if you’re up for a last minute trip. Otherwise, wait until September at least to go hunting them. The “Northern Lights Season” is roughly from September to April, even if I’ve heard about beautiful displays in August too, but this is more like an exception.

The Northern Lights dancing above my head

If you’re planning to go to Iceland and your main purpose is to see the Northern Lights, first of all do it! And then keep in mind that if you are on a tight budget or you don’t have much time to travel around the country, it’s still ok because you can see amazing auroras in Reykjavik too.

The first night of my stay I drove for about one hour, destination unknown, just to be far enough from the city lights, and found myself freezing and scared in the middle of nowhere waiting for something I wasn’t sure how it looked like and where it would have come from. In the end I didn’t see anything and had to drive back for another hour.

Don’t do that (unless you know where you’re going).

There are a couple of places in and around Reykjavik that will offer you amazing views of the Northern Lights so no excuse for the lazy bums. Go book your flight to Iceland. It’s that easy!

1. Grótta Lighthouse

I am sure you’ve seen photos of the Northern Lights with amazing reflections in the water. We all look for this kind of scenic setting especially when it comes to take photos! Well, the good news is that not only this is the perfect place, but it also has a lighthouse (very photogenic!) and it’s just 5 minutes away from the center of Reykjavik. Here:

Grótta Lighthouse, Reykjavik

Here you can just come by car, and then wait for the show. You can either stay in the little parking, comfortably seated in your car with heating on (as I did most of the times), or walk to the beach for the best photos. In any case, if you go on the right night, you won’t be disappointed.

Northern Lights at Grotta Lighthouse – at the parking

Northern Lights at Grotta Lighthouse, Reykjavik – at the beach

Even if they say that the Northern Lights show up after midnight, this is not really true… If the sky is clear you can go as soon as at 9pm or even at sunset, and find a show that will last for hours. Or maybe it will stop and come back again later. You never know! So if you want to see an aurora, you really just need one thing: sleepless nights. I met too many people that said “there were no Northern Lights last night” and I was like “uhm yes instead!” – they just didn’t wait enough time.

 2. The Golf Course aka Björk Park

This is very close to the Grotta Lighthouse, just behind it really, and it still offers a view on the lighthouse but with a more frontal view on the sea. Unfortunately I don’t have photos of Northern Lights from this location but I did see a beautiful sky full of green curls from there. I just didn’t have my camera on me!

Bjork Park, Reykjavik

Just before the actual golf course, there’s also a small lake called Bakkatjőrn, which I guess can be good for reflections again, or creative photos of Northern Lights and… ducks. Why not?

Bakkatjőrn, Reykjavik

In case you are wondering, Bjork the singer lives just a few minutes away from this place, in a black house (look for it!).

3. Þingvellir National Park

If you’re up for a short drive, the Þingvellir National Park is where you want to be during a spectacular aurora display. Unfortunately this was not my case, I’ve been there during the day only, but I head great stories (and saw beautiful photos) of Northern Lights there.

The sky will definitely be darker in Þingvellir then in Reykjavik, so the show must be literally breathtaking. Next time I am in town, I won’t miss it and you shouldn’t either.

The country’s biggest lake is there, and this is good for reflections. It’s worth going to the national park in the day too because it’s really scenic. This is usually included in the Golden Circle tours.

The Thingvellir National Park

If you just want to see the Northern Lights, then you can do this in Reykjavik. But if you are also looking for a photographic experience, then here you have a few easy options that I hope will be helpful for you!

Just remember:

1. The Northern Lights can show up anytime after sunset. You really never know, so be patient, keep checking the sky, and have your camera on you at all times. I remember having the aurora on my side all the way from the Blue Lagoon to Reykjavik, and it was only around 7-8pm.
2. Any place with a dark sky is good to see the Northern Lights. So if you have time you can always experiment a bit. Just try and stay away from the city lights (unfortunately in Reykjavik the streets are very heavily illuminated).
3. Be patient and wait. One night I waited for 4 hours in the cold, and there was absolutely nothing in the sky. Then just when I decided to give up, I saw the most spectacular aurora I’ve seen! So be prepared for sleepless nights. It’s ok, you’re on holiday and anyway it will be so worth it!
4. The Northern Lights will usually show up from the North side, so that’s where you have to look for them. This is not always true, and when they are really strong the whole sky will be dancing above you!

Massive Northern Lights at Grotta Lighthouse… no excuses!

Ok so now no excuses. If you want to take the Northern Lights off your bucket list, you know what you have to do. It’s that easy!

 If you’ve been to Reykjavik and you have more suggestions on the perfect spot to watch the Northern Lights, then please share your tips in the comments below. Thank you! :)

The post Where to see the Northern Lights in and around Reykjavik appeared first on blog.travelreportage.com.

So you’re planning your trip to Iceland, but you’re not sure how to move around the island? Here are the answers you are looking for, with all the info you need on transportation in Iceland, according to seasons.

Transportation in Iceland

First of all, it’s not entirely true that winter will be snowy and summer will be sunny. In fact, I went to Iceland on February and found beautiful sunny days, while I know about some people who were surprised by snow blizzards in August. Weather in Iceland is extremely unpredictable! So be prepared.

1- Car

Renting a car in Iceland is a very common thing. The majority of independent travelers buy a flight to Iceland and rent a car, planning to drive all around the island on Route 1, aka “Ring Road” (the only road that goes all the way around the island).

Iceland Route 1

If you are considering this option, here are the pros and cons according to the season and other factors:

Pros – Independence, you design your own itinerary, without time constraints. It is especially good if you are a photographer and wish to take breaks on the road to take some photos. If you are 2 or more people, then renting a car is pretty convenient (compare the price with the other means of transportation and you’ll find “cheap” is not an option anyway). The cheapest car rental in Iceland is SADcars. You may want to check out their website and offers!

My 4×4 car from SADcars and the Northern Lights in Reykjavik!

Cons – Remember that fuel in Iceland is not cheap (about €1,20/liter) so again, make sure you are 2 or more people to share costs. In the winter, you will definitely need a 4×4 so this will suck a lot of gas. If you plan to spend endless nights waiting for the Northern Lights as I did, and you don’t want to freeze, you will also need to keep your engine and heating on = consume gas. I did so and I don’t regret it! I would’ve probably frozen to death otherwise!

Also, if you’re traveling during winter, you may face some very hard road conditions: ice, snow blizzards, snow on the road (ready to shovel to make your way through the island?), etc. Make sure you always check the road conditions before driving, on the Vegagerdin website.

Road conditions are updated in real time. How does this look?

It’s not as easy as you may think to drive in Iceland, especially during the winter. Ask any Icelander and he/she will tell you horror stories about the so called “black ice” – the ice that you can’t see, but is actually there, and is the cause of many crashes.
I’ve been told a bunch of tourists die every year in Iceland on the road. So if you are not 100% confident about your driving skills, just use the car to move around Reykjavik and hunt the auroras, but you have other great ways to explore the country without risking. Go on reading and you will find more options!

I have to add that sometimes driving is also a bit stressful when you can’t read the signs in the mysterious Icelandic language, but this is only valid in the towns/cities as otherwise you will just have to follow the main road (Route 1).

Another very important thing to remember is that the off-road driving is forbidden for rented cars! So if you want to do that, you should look for an organized tour with super jeeps, that can take you virtually anywhere (on glaciers too!) weather permitting.

2 – Touristic Buses

This is a really cool option to see as much as possible, without the stress of driving and finding directions, and also good for lazy bums like me. You can hop on the bus in Reykjavik, and hop off virtually anywhere, and the bus stops countless times on the way to show you all the touristic highlights (waterfalls, glaciers, cliffs etc). The available routes are seriously cool, check them out on the “Iceland on your own” page.

Iceland on your own: bus routes in Iceland

Pros – Prices are totally reasonable if you think about how much you would spend in fuel to drive the same distances.

Cons – Unfortunately these buses are not available on winter, but only from June to September.

3 – Regular Buses

Regular buses are also an option. These won’t stop at the main landmarks so it’s not a way to explore really, but just to move around from A to B.

Timetables are available here. But to be honest figuring out the times was a bit of a hassle. If you have a contact in Iceland, ask him to help you with this.

Pros – You don’t need to book the ticket. You just buy it on board or at the bus station. Cheapest option so far, but not really cheap anyway (I remember Reykjavik to Höfn was around €50). These buses work all year round, no matter the season.

Cons – It’s a slow way of moving. Also, buses are not available every day of the week so you may want to check the schedules beforehand.

4- Internal Flights

Okay, this is definitely the most expensive option. BUT it has some pros too. When I visited Iceland it was winter, so touristic buses were not available.
I had to reach Höfn (in the east of Iceland: 5 hours in a good road condition), I was alone and didn’t feel like risking icy road conditions etc. So I considered riding the regular bus, but then found I would have spent a whole day with transportation, seen almost nothing, and spent around €50 when I could fly to Höfn, spend €75 and land in 1 hour time having the whole day ahead to do stuff once arrived. It was an easy choice! I flew with Eagle Air, that offers many internal flights across Iceland per day, leaving from the Reykjavik city airport (The little airport in the city center! NOT the international airport in Keflavik, which is about 1 hour away from the city).

My little EagleAir plane after landing

Pros – Super quick, and sometimes the price is competitive if compared to buses. Email them to get the actual price, as I have the feeling the website is not very up to date. Planes are little, quick, new and comfortable. Another cool thing is that you can cancel your flight until the last second, with just €15 penalty.

They also fly to Greenland! Just saying!

Cons – Sometimes the prices are really high, not worth paying for such short flights.

5 – Carpooling/Hitchhiking

This is a really cool thing about Iceland. They have a website for carpooling, which is a very common thing Icelanders do: they share their car with other people going the same way. If you’re looking for a ride, you can post your requirement (for free!) and see if someone offers you one. If so, you’re the luckiest traveler on Earth! You will get a ride, and maybe you will only have to share the price of gas. Plus you’ll make new friends!

Hitchhiking is also very common in Iceland, and yes it’s safe. It’s normal in Iceland to offer and receive car rides, so before you spend money on flights and buses, you can ask around in the hostel if there’s anyone going that way and see if you can join someone. I did get a ride all the way back to Reykjavik from Höfn, and it was an amazingly beautiful day!

Driving on the Southern Coast of Iceland

6 – Day Trips from Reykjavik

If you are not spending many days in the country, but still want to make the most out of your time, you can have some really beautiful tours from Reykjavik as I did twice: you can read all about The Golden Circle and The South Coast and Volcano Show day tours! This is a great way to see all the most famous landmarks in a range of a few hours from the capital city, and again if you think about the cost of gas and car rental, then it’s a good deal.

How else can I help? I hope I answered to all your doubts, but feel free to ask for more details by leaving a comment.

Who’s been to Iceland? Would you add more tips for safe travels?

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Every time I’m asked “how was your trip to Iceland?” I always reply “Perfect!” – and one of the main reasons I say so is the kind of accommodation I opted for.

The first building where I slept in Reykjavik. Cuddly dog Rosa waiting for me

As a budget, solo traveler I had just a couple of options for cheap accommodation in Iceland, and since I am not a dorm person (even if I am sure Icelandic hostels are great) I started looking around for other cheap solutions. Then I found something absolutely perfect: Wimdu. On this website, you can book a room/bed/apartment/villa/you name it, nearly anywhere in the world.

What’s so special about it?

You may ask.
Well, what I really liked about this booking system is that not only you can filter the search by price range, area etc, but also every host has a profile where you can read some info about them and even start a chat. This allowed me to find the right match in terms of people, that gave me that little extra comfort, made me feel welcomed, and made my stay just perfect. I seriously couldn’t have asked for more.

I had the chance of sleeping at two different apartments in Reykjavik and if I had to go back I would have a hard time choosing between them. I just loved both stays. Here’s why!

1. Michael’s place: Nýlendugata, Reykjavík

€37/night

The location of Nylendugata Street in Reykjavik

I chose to stay at Michael’s place when I read his profile. I noticed he is a photographer, so I thought it could be interesting to meet him. And I was right.

We didn’t have much time to spend together – he had to work and I was always out exploring Reykjavik and then hunting the Northern Lights – but we did have really interesting conversations about photography. He even showed me many of his photos, mostly of Iceland and local events, which was great!

Also, my room was decorated with vintage cameras, beautiful photos, and super interesting photography books. Did I say “perfect” before?

Vintage cameras in my bedroom

Photography related books in my bedroom

The house itself had a great location: just in front of the little harbor, full of great seafood restaurants, and also a really short (and colorful) walk away from the center of Reykjavik. I barely used my car… that remained parked in the free parking just behind the house. Perfec… uhm, ok, you got it!

My room next to the Reykjavik harbor. Can you spot the ship behind the fence?

Cons: the room was a bit too little. But oh well. Rooms are for sleeping! It was cozy and warm, with a view on the ships…

2. Ásgrímur’s place: Mávahlíð, Reykjavík

€35/night

The location of Mávahlíð Street in Reykjavik

I spent my last 4 nights at Ásgrímur’s place (aka Ási). I chose to stay there because of the central location, and also because Ási was so helpful in our chats, that I had the clear feeling I couldn’t go wrong.

Just to give you an idea:

1. he emailed me the upcoming events in Reykjavik (before my arrival).
2. when I asked him if he had a hairdryer I could use, he said no, but bought one to accommodate me (before my arrival).
3. during my stay, one day he came home with some special sweets because it was “Bun Day” in Iceland, so he offered me one!
4. on my last night in Iceland, he took me out with some friends, so that I could enjoy my last Northern Lights.

You will agree with me, there are some things that you can’t find even in the best luxury hotel of the world.

Ási’s house is decorated with modern, stylish pieces of design, and my room was cozy and lovely. I found a Saga book on my “night table” and chocolate as a welcome gift.

My room in Reykjavik

My bedroom in Reykjavik (notice the Saga book!)

I found myself living in a multicultural environment – during my stay, we were 4 people in total in the apartment: me, Ási, his Spanish boyfriend, and a Danish girl. It was great to go home and find someone to talk with, while sitting on a comfy sofa, watching the news together, or just sit there using our laptops in silence, but not feeling lonely!

Last, but not least: my room’s window was facing north, so I could see the Northern Lights from my bedroom every night. Pri-ce-less.

The Northern Lights as seen from my bedroom window

Cons: if I really have to find one, I liked the harbor area more, because it was a shorter walk to the city center. But this was close anyway, and a very quiet area. So there are no cons, really.

3. Runólfur’s place: Höfn

If you are looking for an affordable place to stay in Höfn, you can stay at Ronni’s (aka the Aurora Photo Guide) place. Read all about it here!

The room for rent in Hofn, Iceland

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I have to add that since my stay in Iceland was very short, spending time with locals definitely helped me soaking up the Icelandic mood and culture as much as possible, if you know what I mean. I will definitely do this again next time.

Did you ever have a similar experience? If not, would you try this? Believe me it’s a great way to enjoy a holiday.

Thanks to Wimdu for providing my accommodation in Reykjavik!

The post Cheap accommodation in Iceland: staying with the locals appeared first on blog.travelreportage.com.

Here’s another day trip from Reykjavik I had during my recent stay in Iceland. The “South Coast and Volcano Show” route takes you to the south of Iceland, all the way to Vik, where those beautiful rock formations rise from the turbulent ocean. And on the way, there’s so much to see, do and… learn!

The beautiful Southern Coast of Iceland – black sand, cliffs, rock formations

This is a pretty long trip, that takes about 12 hours. I met Jona, the travel agency representative, at 8 am after a night out hunting the Northern Lights (and it was successful! So no matter how tired I was) and I remember being back to my flat at about the same time in the evening. Yes, because Sterna‘s trips are so awesome they even pick you up at your home/hotel, and bring you back at the end of the day!

As stated on the website, the south shore is an instant classic that offers a visit to two waterfalls, the black sand beach of Reynisfjara, Sólheimajökull glacier (you can touch the ice), Visit to cape Dyrhólaey as well travel about 150 years back in time in the Folk museum of Skógar. We end the day by visiting “Eyjafjallajökull erupts” visitors center where we learn about the volcanic eruption of 2010 from the people that live right under the volcano.

The journey from Reykjavik to Vik and the stops in between

The Seljalandsfoss Waterfall

This waterfall, that I was so lucky to see by night as well on my Southern Iceland road trip, is a very famous one where you can walk behind the waterfall itself in a natural tunnel. I didn’t try this as the path gets icy and slippery during the winter, but I know other people did. I bet it’s amazing. But I had my share of walking behind waterfalls in Mígandafoss.

The Seljalandsfoss waterfall

Reynisfjara Beach

This was one of the things I was looking forward the most: the Reynisfjara Beach, with its black volcanic beach, and the beautiful basalt columns and caves.

Basically every stone on this beach is one of the so called “lava bombs”: they exploded out of volcanoes and now lay here. Not that I didn’t know, and not that Iceland didn’t do the job already, but this is one of those places where you are reminded that nature is awesome. Seriously.

Reynisfjara beach: the black stones, basalt columns, caves and cliffs

Me + awe + Reynisfjara

Cape Dyrhólaey

These cliffs are so majestic, with their black color and the loud noise of the ocean’s huge waves all around!

Did you know that Kötlutangi is the southernmost point of Iceland? And that there’s nothing between it and Antarctica? You could literally swim or sail down there, to the other side of the planet (!!!) without encountering anything on the way.

This is one of the cool anecdotes I learned on this trip.

On the cliffs

The Skógafoss Waterfall

Another must see natural landmark in Iceland. This waterfall is where the former coastline was, so the water comes down from what once was a cliff in the ocean. Such a cool fact!

If you’re lucky, on sunny days you can even see a rainbow across the waterfall. I didn’t, but oh well!

Skógafoss

Touching a glacier

I am sure you’ve seen many glaciers at least in photos, but did you ever touch or walk on one?

We left our minivan as close to the Sólheimajökull glacier front as possible, and then walked all the way to its edge. On this short hike, the sign that the ice left moving backwards is very clear: the soil is irregular, broken and crossed by little streams of water. I particularly liked the ice caves inside the glacier, where the guide advised not to go, but as far as I know some people go explore them and even camp inside. I didn’t dare, and only observed them from the outside.

Just for the records, when you are close to the glacier, the temperature drops. I know it’s pretty obvious, but it was funny feeling like an olive in a cocktail for once!

An ice cave in the Sólheimajökull glacier

The Skógar Folk Museum

If you want to know everything about the Icelandic history, then this is the right place.

Not only the Skógar Folk Museum has a vast collection of objects belonging to Iceland’s historical heritage on display in a three-storey building, but there is also an outdoors display consisting in real historical Icelandic houses that you can visit to have an idea of how people used to live.

Inside the Skogar Folk Museum

Ancient traditional Icelandic houses

Þórður Tómasson, aka “the genius behind the museum”, playing organ in the village’s church

The Eyjafjallajökull Volcano

Last but not least, the star of the tour: the Eyjafjallajökull Volcano! First of all – can you pronounce it? If not, you can just call it “E-15″, as some people do. E-15 stands for E + 15 letters!

You can’t really see the volcano itself, because it’s below the glacier, but you pass by it on the way and even grab some of the black ash it erupted on 2010… remember when all flights were canceled because of it?

Eyjafjallajökull at sunrise

Eyjafjallajökull – today and during the 2010 eruption

At the “Eyjafjallajökull Erupts” Visitor Center we were shown a 20 minutes video about the consequences of the 2010 eruption on the local population. See that farm just below the volcano? It was covered in ash, flooded and nearly destroyed.

This was a fantastic tour and I would recommend it to anyone visiting Iceland. What are you waiting for? Go to Iceland, and book day trips with Sterna Travel. :)

The post Day trips from Reykjavik, part 2: Iceland South Coast and Volcano Show appeared first on blog.travelreportage.com.

I found that being based in Reykjavik and taking day trips from there was a good strategy, so I didn’t have to keep moving, packing and unpacking, and I could always go back to my cozy flat at the end of the day (then literally through my stuff on my bed and go out again to see the Northern Lights, but this is another story!).

If you don’t have a car rented on your stay in Iceland, or if you don’t feel comfortable driving too much (especially in winter) then day trips are the thing for you.

Day tours from Reykjavik: the Golden Circle

Also, for solo travelers, taking day trips is a good way to meet people.

When in Reykjavik, you will find there are many tourist information offices offering a wide range of day trips and excursions, so it may be hard to pick a tour operator over another when they offer a similar itinerary. For me, Sterna Travel was the perfect choice because I don’t like to be on big buses especially when it comes to visiting natural landmarks.

The first day trip I took, on my day #5 in Iceland, was the “classic” Golden Circle. Why classic? Because this is the part of Iceland that every traveler will visit, on any season. In other words, this is a route you can’t miss!

The Golden Circle route, Iceland (image credit bikingviking.is)

300 km among volcanoes, geysers, waterfalls, continental drifts… this is the Golden Circle!

The Hellisheidavirkjun Geothermal Power Plant

One of Iceland’s many beauties is the fact that basically all energy is sustainable, and comes from the underground volcanic hot waters. The steam is used to produce energy, and the water is pumped back into the ground so that it heats up again and the perpetual circle can go on. This is the most powerful power plant in the world, and Icelandic people are fittingly proud of it.

Jona the guide showing us how the plant works

I admit I didn’t grasp every single technical aspect of the power plant processes (hey it was early in the morning and I didn’t even have a coffee!), but for sure I was impressed with its architecture: it represents the two tectonic plates where the geo-power is harnessed from directly beneath your feet.

The entrance to the power plant

The Kerið Volcano

When you visit this, you can say you climbed a volcano! Well it’s not tall at all, almost on the street level, but once you reach the top it’s a great surprise! The 55m deep crater has a lake in it… which was frozen when I visited it. So beautiful!

Jona, our guide, told me that Björk the singer once had a concert inside this crater, with a stage mounted over the little lake, and people sitting on the sides as in a Roman Theater. How cool is that?

The crater of Kerið

The Faxi Waterfalls

When in Iceland, expect to visit countless waterfalls. For me, this was something I wasn’t used to, because well, the Middle East doesn’t have many waterfalls! It was exciting to see the Faxi Waterfalls, which is defined as a “small one” but didn’t seem small at all to me. The sun was rising and in backlight, so the light conditions were not the best for photography, but definitely a beautiful sight.

The Faxi waterfalls

The Gullfoss Waterfalls

This place is incredible. The Gullfoss Waterfalls originate from the Hvítá river, made of glacier water. What makes Gullfoss so unique is that the water falls into a deep gorge.

It looks like the water is just falling into the Earth because you can’t see the bottom of the canyon. The scenery is surreal, misty, majestic.

Gullfoss

The Geysir Area

I was so excited to finally see the geysers! I would say that the Northern Lights and the geysers were the things I was looking forward to see most. And I wasn’t disappointed, in both cases!

The Geysir Area is a valley full of geyser activity. The name “geyser” comes from one of these hot water springs in particular, which is not the one that erupts though! Or better, it used to but it doesn’t anymore. Geysers are not predictable and they can start and stop erupting whenever they want to. I like them, because it’s as if each geyser has its own personality…

Litli Geysir, a small but active geyser in the Geysir area

The geyser that does erupt is called Strokkur and the water can reach more than 20 meters, sometimes even up to 40 meters. Impressive! Every few minutes there’s a new eruption, it’s both fascinating and scary at the same time.

The Strokkur Geyser erupting

The Þingvellir National Park

The Þingvellir National Park, just outside of Reykjavik, is the oldest national park in Iceland. It’s also a beautiful and special one. Why special? Because it lays over the two tectonic plates (Eurasian and North American), and the drift between them is visible in the canyons it formed.

Þingvellir is also where the first Icelandic Parliament was established and remained there until late 1700′s.

The Þingvellir National Park, with the canyons formed by continental drift

The beautiful Golden Circle tour gives you a taste of Iceland’s nature. No matter how short your stay in the country is, go for it!

What I liked about doing it on a tour instead of on my own was that:

1. As a solo traveler, I could meet some people and especially solo travelers like myself, and eventually plan something together for the upcoming days.
2. For the same amount of money I would have spent on gas, I had a full tour without having to drive and check maps (=no stress).
3. The motto at Sterna Travel is “Avoid the Rush Hour“, and I like their concept because they try and avoid the busy times of the day to make your tour more enjoyable.
4. The driver and guide took care of the (small) group and gave information about the sites we visited, answered the group’s questions, and told us interesting and funny stories about the Icelandic folklore on the way.

Did you know Iceland has 13 different characters for Santa Claus?

Thanks Sterna Travel for having me on your Golden Circle Tour!

Info: tickets are available online with a discount, or you can buy them at the Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik.

The post Day trips from Reykjavik, part 1: The Golden Circle and Green Energy appeared first on blog.travelreportage.com.

On my “day 4″ in Iceland, I was so lucky to get a ride back from Höfn (or Höfn í Hornafirði) to Reykjavik, kindly offered by a group of 3 local photographers. Not only I found a way to go back (buses didn’t seem to run on Sundays) but I even had the right company: there’s no need to say we stopped a million times on the way to take photos of the many beauties we encountered.

Our journey: A to B (Höfn to Reykjavik)

Normally it’s a 5 hours long journey (weather permitting), but in our case of course it took longer. We were not in a hurry, and the weather was sunny: the perfect conditions for photography!

Before I met the three photographers, a beautiful sunrise in Stokksnes, near Höfn, gave me the perfect start for the day.

Sunrise in Stokksnes

Our meeting point was Jökulsárlón, the lagoon where icebergs detached from the Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier float. Well, in winter the sun never gets very high on the horizon, so there is always a very nice “sunrise effect” in terms of light. One hour after sunrise, I took this striking photo of the washed out icebergs, lying on the Breiðamerkursandur Beach, close to Jökulsárlón.

The sun rays over Breiðamerkursandur and its icebergs

Brave photographers

Driving on Road 1 (the only road that goes around Iceland) in this area of Iceland, you can see many glaciers on your side. In fact, there’s one main glacier (Vatnajökull, covering the 8% of Iceland) but every time a part of it stretches out from the main glacier, it takes a new name. Breiðamerkurjökull is an example! There are more than 30 “outlet glaciers”.

Not far from here, there is one of the most special landscapes I’ve ever seen: Fjallsárlón. Here, the glacier melts forming a lagoon and a river, but on winter the surface of the lagoon is frozen. The other photographers ventured themselves on the ice, while I didn’t dare trying, but this gave me a great vantage point to take photos while waiting for them.

Fjallsárlón… Ronni and Balto walking on ice

Fjallsárlón… Kavo walking on ice

Me in Fjallsárlón

Balto the dog posing in Fjallsárlón

After 2 days of rain, the ice was incredibly clean and blue, with beautiful reflections of the mountains above.

We continued our journey to Reykjavik. The landscape in Iceland is ever-changing, never monotonous, always surprising. On one side we had the ocean, and on the other one high, oddly shaped volcanic mountains overlooked the road.

Driving in Iceland

Every time we saw some landscape that we liked, we stopped and took our time to take photos.

The glaciers of Iceland generate innumerable streams of water and waterfalls, that can carry more or less water according to the rain. As I said, that was the first sunny day after 2 days of heavy rains, therefore thanks to the big amount of water the rivers and the reflections were beautiful in a special way!

Mountain Lómagnúpur – reflections

A farm, a waterfall and a little river, on the way to Reykjavik

There are almost no villages on the South Coast of Iceland, mostly only farms. On our way though, we encountered a church with a small cemetery on the side. Here is how it looked like:

Hofskirkja, and those “bumps” are the graves

I’m sure you’ve heard of Eyjafjallajökull. This Glacier Volcano erupted in 2010 with great consequences all over the world. Remember when no plane could fly because of volcano ash in the atmosphere? Here it is, as innocent as it may look. And this is on the South Coast of Iceland too. Its ash is still around…

Eyjafjallajökull Glacier Volcano

Another famous place we drove through that day is Vík, with its Reynisdrangar rock formations. In the meantime, the long Icelandic winter sunset had started, but the light was still enough to take some photos.

Reynisdrangar rock formations in Vík

That was not all. Two of the most famous waterfalls of Iceland were on our way too: Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss. The light was almost gone, but I am happy that I got there when tourists were not around. I knew I was going to be back to these waterfalls in the following days on tours, but not after sunset. The waterfalls are lit up during the night, so it’s possible to visit them, and it’s definitely a beautiful sight.

Skógafoss after sunset

Seljalandsfoss after sunset

The sunset was beautiful. On our left side we could see the Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands) perfectly reflected on the ocean. I really want to go there one day.

Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands) as seen from Road 1

We stopped on the way to have dinner. We were not far from Reykjavik at all. I thought my day was over. But one last surprise was waiting for me… my first Northern Lights!

As soon as we got out of the restaurant, we went back to the car and headed west. At some point I heard Arnar, one of the guys on the car, saying “here’s the Aurora!” and I was all like “where? WHERE?”. He showed me. We took a side road looking for the dark, and stopped to take some photos.

My first Northern Lights… I will never forget that moment!

This may not be the greatest aurora in the world, but for me it was the first “real one”, and I felt tears in my eyes! What a surprise. It was 9pm. From what I heard, the Northern Lights were visible from midnight to 2am, but I started to realize that there’s no rule.

This was a happy day and the Aurora was just the perfect ending.

Please note: this trip took place on February, on a sunny day. Just 3 days before the same road was not accessible due to heavy snow and icy road. Always check the road conditions and weather forecasts before driving in Iceland during the winter!

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