My Trip to Iceland – Part 2

As anyone will tell you, the best way to see Iceland is to get behind the wheel, particularly in a camper. Your food and accommodation travels with you, allowing you the freedom to roam and stop wherever you are, admire the views, take lots of pictures, cook and make it a picnic spot.  You wouldn’t be paying extra to wake up to the scenic views every morning and be part of the natural landscape. Many campervan sites are right next to bodies of water (lakes or waterfalls) to enjoy the view from your ‘camper room’. This past September my husband and I spent nine days in Iceland with 3 more couples. This trip was epic and unforgettable in so many ways. I already wrote about my experience in the Western, Eastern and Northern part of Iceland in my previous post here. It’s time for the Southern part now. 

 

 

Day 6 – Dyrhólaey,  Skógafoss, Seljalandsfoss, Kerið

After a good night’s rest and a warm, breakfast in the camper we started our 6th day with a drive to this scenic and picturesque Dyrhólaey. It is located close to the coastal village of Vík on the South Coast. We were staying in Vik so we went there early in the morning.  Dyrhólaey can be literally translated as “the hill island with the door hole.” The door hole refers to Dyrhólaey’s famous stone arch, and there are two ways to see it, the road that goes up and the road that goes down.  We didn’t drive up to the top as it was very windy but the views from the pebble beach were simply spectacular anyways. You can watch the giant waves crash on the rocks and look at the stack of spiky rocks out on the sea.

 

 

Next, we drove to Skógafoss (Skoga waterfall). “Foss” Means “Waterfall” in Icelandic.  Skóga is a mighty and powerful waterfall and one of the largest in Iceland with a drop of almost 200 feet.  The area around this fall is very pastoral with lots of grazing sheep and beautiful rural scenery. As you get close to the waterfall, it gets a little misty, and you can feel the splattering all over as you walk closer to it. There are stairs to climb to the top of the waterfall. Although it could be challenging for some, you should be able to get up there to get a view of the top and around. However, the view from bottom is much more exciting.   It was very crowded when we visited and couldn’t get a single secluded shot.

 

 

After leaving Skógafoss we drove to Seljalandsfoss which is another famous landmark in Iceland. You can see the waterfall from the parking lot as you approach and it is as high as skogafoss but less wide. The unique thing about visiting Seljalandsfoss is that, unlike other waterfalls you can actually see this from behind. A bit of a rocky and slippery descent but once behind the falls it is worth it.  We had a fun time getting as close to the inside edges as we could. It was pretty cool. You will get wet, so make sure you have waterproof clothing and shoes for this visit.

 

 

There was another waterfall at a short distance, Kvernufoss, which I really wanted to see but we couldn’t stop and drove straight to our final destination of day 6 towards Kerið.

 

 

Kerið is a stunning old volcanic crater, situated just off of highway 35. There’s a small fee to support the upkeep of this site.  We arrived just after the rain stopped and the earth smelled so sweet. There is a path around the rim of the crater, giving an all-around view and look down into the lake inside. I was awestruck by the contrast of the steep red rock slopes against the turquoise water inside the crater. If you want to be a bit more adventurous then you can walk down to the water but beware the steps have no handrails. We just stayed on the top and the surrounding area was very scenic. I took more photos of that than I did of the crater.

 

 

We stayed that night at the Camping Selfoss. It was a very big camp ground with all the necessary amenities to stay comfortably.

 

 

Day 7 – Gullfoss, Geysir Geothermal Area

We woke up to a wet and bitterly cold day but despite that we drove to Gullfoss as planned, after a quick shower and a breakfast of cereal and fruit. Gullfoss is a majestic and powerful two-tiered waterfall, located on Hvítá river. There are steps that go down from the parking area, to walk along the falls, and eventually you can walk right up to the center of the falls area. The views are breath-taking. We stood there for about half an hour staring at the sheer size and power of the falls. The water mist was very strong at the lookout so we got a little drenched but with water-proof gear on, we stayed dry on the inside. The falls were quite busy but not crazy and everybody kept moving on after a while so we got a good view and took some amazing photos.

 

 

After visiting the mighty Gullfoss, we headed further south-west, to visit Geysir, a famous hot spring in the geothermal area of Haukadalur Valley. It is one of the few attractions in Iceland that doesn’t charge. The geothermal field is quite impressive. A short walk up a paved path with no barriers takes you to where there is an erupting Geyser. You can see other smaller springs with the water bubbling and steaming on the way. The original “Geyser” has unfortunately not been active in the past years. On the other hand, Strokkur, the only active geyser in the area, erupts every 5-10 minutes. The eruptions are usually around 20m – 40 m high. They happen so quickly that it was hard for me to time it for a good camera shot. On top of that it was raining. I waited with the camera poised under my jacket to capture the spring when it went off. It only lasts about 3 seconds though, so I didn’t get any great shots even though we stood there for three eruptions. But it was worth watching and was my very first time seeing an erupting hot spring.

 

 

When we left haukardalur it was pouring steadily and we got the urge for chai. Someone in our group sighed, had they been in India they would have stopped at a roadside shop for chai and pakora (tea and fritters). When it’s raining, we Indians get those strange cravings and look for something that satisfies our souls and it has to be something extra special.  Hearing her sigh, I said, I have besan, so we can still satisfy that feeling by pulling over somewhere safe and make pakoras. (I had brought besan with me in case I don’t find gluten free bread then I can use it to make cheelas for wraps). The thought of hot pakoras with a cup of chai sounded very alluring to everyone. We went in search of the closest grocery store to get spinach, onion and potatoes for the pakoras. To everyone’s amazement my husband found a bag of chickpea flour in the ethnic section of that store. I don’t recall the name of the grocery store but we were happy that now we had more than enough besan for pakoras and to eat to our heart’s content.

We then started looking for a place where we could park and cook. While we were driving the rain slowed and finally stopped after sometime, but it was still very cold. We saw an open area near a lake and a concrete bench on a concrete slab next to a line of trees. That seemed like a perfect spot for a picnic. One couple among us volunteered to take care of making the pakoras. We helped in setting up the cooking station and cutting the veggies, and in no time, there were hot crisp pakoras for everyone.  Eating them, I was flooded with memories of living and traveling with my parents in northeastern India. This area has the most rainfall and most times I hated going out but the smell of wet soil, the clean leaves, and a plate of crunchy pakoras with steaming ginger chai made it all tolerable. There is something comforting about having a hot cup of chai along with fresh hot pakoras on a cold and rainy day.

 

 

Once we had all filled our tummies to their satisfaction, we were ready to hit the road again.  We wanted to end our trip at the very famous Blue lagoon spa for which we had booked our tickets online about a day in advance. But as we still had time, we thought to go to the campsite first.

That night we had decided to camp at Camping Grindavik. After we parked our campers, the first thing I noticed was flowers, which I had not seen in Iceland so far. We took a quick walk around to check out the facility. There was a playground for children, nice clean showers, bathrooms and a laundry facility. It has an outdoor barbecue grill, fully equipped kitchen with all the standard cooking appliances, plenty of dishes and an adjoining sitting area to eat. There was a huge pantry of free food from previous campers and lots of leftover fuel canisters to take for free.  If you’re just starting your trip, I recommend to stay here for one night and save yourself a few bucks before going to the grocery store.

 

 

After we’d checked everything out, we headed to the Blue Lagoon. Blue Lagoon is probably one of Iceland’s most iconic hot springs.  Prior to coming to Iceland, I kept reading that Blue Lagoon was a tourist trap and overpriced. Well, when you compare it with other thermal pools then yes, it’s not cheap but it’s definitely worth it for the experience. The walk from the parking lot to the entrance, like the rest of Iceland, is uniquely scenic. I found the facility very well organized. There were spacious lockers for all your clothes and a bag. Everything is done by a coded wrist band and the bill is settled at the end upon checkout. The shower set up was great and there were some private showers and changing rooms. Walking into the lagoon itself was amazing. The cold wind and warm water were a brilliant combination. When you are at the entrance or in the locker room it feels very crowded and busy, but the lagoon is massive and once you enter the water, everyone spreads out and the chaos comes to a halt. There is a waterfall, sauna, grottos, a swim up bar with smoothies, beer, and juices, and a station to apply a mineral mask.  There are also drinking water taps all around the lagoon. We took our time and tried the different masks, had a drink at the float up bar. We got there around 5 pm and spent almost 4 hours (they close at 10) exploring all of it, and it was a perfect end to our Iceland adventure.

 

 

Day 8 – Heading to Reykjavik, Camper Return

We woke up to a ferociously windy and rainy day. We checked the weather forecast for assurance that it won’t be this bad the whole day. What we saw was encouraging. The rain was going to stop around noon and the sun will come out. I made tea, packed egg sandwiches for the road and unloaded the remaining stuff in the food pantry because we were leaving for Reykjavik to return our campers. On our way out to return depot we stopped at a gas station to fill up and grab coffee.  We made it to Reykjavik without problems in spite of the awful weather, returned the camper and came to the same hotel we stayed the first night. We went in the room, took shower, and changed into clean clothes. The incessant rain and wind had eased by now and we thought to use the rest of the day for exploring the streets of Reykjavik and check out the flea market. There were a ton of different vendors in the flea market, but unfortunately there were no bargains.

 

 

Since it was our last night in Iceland, we went out to a nice restaurant, situated by the harbor – Kopar Restaurant. Although its mainly a seafood restaurant, meat, vegetarian and vegan options are also found here. We tried different things and all left satisfied.

Fly Back to Home

9 days and it was time to fly back home in the afternoon. I had gluten free crepes for breakfast and spent the morning looking at little shops for souvenirs. Later I grabbed a lunch bowl from ‘Glo’ to eat at the airport.

There is so much to see in Iceland that one visit is not enough. We are already looking forward to come in the summer after two years.

 

 

Before I end this Iceland, travel post I want to offer up some valuable tips that you should take into consideration in case you want to travel to Iceland.

• If you want your trip in Iceland to be comfortable go for a larger option of the camper (with a capacity of 4-5 people) with the kitchen area inside so that you can cook comfortably if the weather gets bad.

 

• If you plan on renting a camper van any time other than the summer, you should try to get one that comes with a self-charging battery system that allows the heater to run all night without turning on the engine.

 

• Remember to take a mix of light layers and warm layers (depending on the season you’re going). Bring not just water-resistant but waterproof outerwear (including shoes) so that you can adjust your outfit for comfort as the weather changes. It’s handy to look up the weather before you go and pack accordingly. Although, long term weather forecasts don’t mean much in Iceland. Things can change in an instant. A half hour on the road can sometimes get you from driving rain to sunshine. We’ve had very rainy days and very sunny days with lots of wind in the mix and all were wonderful. Also, take into consideration what kinds of activities you might be doing during your travels so that you’re prepared with the right gear – whether you’ll be hiking, snorkeling, skiing or just sightseeing.  Be flexible in your plans as weather and road conditions can impact your time.

 

• Get a local SIM card from the duty-free stores when you arrive at the airport. When we were planning our trip, we did our research and found this great blog (Iceland with a view) which helped us in making a decision to choose our WIFI internet option. For us the local SIM card worked fine on my husband’s unlocked phone. It came with reasonable data which was more than enough to use in 9 days for navigation, text and calls. Just be sure to bring your car charger cable as Google maps still uses a lot of power even if the data is turned off.

 

• If you want to drink alcohol during your visit, get some at the duty free shop when you arrive, since it is very expensive in Iceland, both at restaurants and at the state-run liquor stores.

 

• It’s tough to know when you’ll come across another gas station, so when it gets to a half tank, start thinking about filling up, especially in the East Fjords.

 

• You can use credit card for almost everything but do keep some cash. You most certainly need coins to use at laundromats and campsite showers.

 

• It may surprise you but the most important tip I can give you (ladies) from my experience is to use the washroom at N1 gas stations wherever you see them. Because there are long stretches of road where there really isn’t any toilet facility for hours. You can also pack a couple of outdoor peeing aids like Peebol, Shewee or Go girl. It will make your travel easier if you’re driving around off the beaten track.

 

• Make sure you hydrate yourself when soaking in geo thermal baths. There is a reason there are water fountains there. Heat makes your blood pressure drop if you stay for long periods of time. One person in our group felt dizzy and light headed when she came out of hot water.

 

I hope you enjoyed reading my travel account and the above tips. If you have any questions please feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer 🙂

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