Iceland Newsletter – July 2022

Iceland plays to irony, simply by being notorious for its molten lava. Eyjafjallajökull (Warning: best pronounced when an Icelandic person is on watch), is a snow covered volcano that spewed ash plumes, huge enough to disrupt air traffic in Europe for weeks. A land of contrasts, Iceland also boasts of the Blue Lagoon, a geothermal seawater spa. A peculiarly desolate yet stunning landscape perched on higher altitudes, in Iceland, it’s still bright in the middle of the night.

Irrespective of its name, only 10% of Iceland is glaciers, with a surprisingly mild climate and countless geothermal hot springs. The flag of Iceland retells its story where the red symbolizes the lava and the fire of the country’s thermal geography, the white is for the snow and the blue, for the Atlantic Ocean. Eye-popping waterfalls, snow-capped volcanoes, geysers, hot water springs, glaciers, whales thriving in their natural habitat, a rustic place like Iceland appeals very strongly to travellers seeking mother nature.

Soul Trip : Our journey around the Sun

From the perspective of interstellar space, we are constantly travelling and at a towering speed too. But how often do we stop to marvel at planet Earth, whizzing round the sun?

In Iceland, the sun sets only for a brief period each night in June and July and it’s never fully dark. The sun goes down very late at night and almost immediately rises back up again. The March and September equinoxes witness days and nights of regular length with November and December, eclipsed in 20 hours of darkness.

Like Norway, Iceland too, is the land of the midnight Sun. The peak in the daylight period is called Sumarsólstöður or Summer Solstice and falls between the 20th and the 22nd of June. This makes the Sun stay visible for more than 21 hours in Reykjavík in the middle of summer.

The Sun not only sustains life on Earth but also creates spectacular natural phenomena such as the Northern Lights, the Midnight Sun and the Mother-Of-Pearl clouds – and you’ll find all of that in Iceland.

So let’s make it a point to acknowledge the Sun for its magnificence and be grateful for its nurturing rays.

Discover Your World

Iceland

To get a sample itinerary for Iceland, Click here

Iceland is a north Atlantic island, located midway between North America and mainland Europe just below the Arctic Circle, between 64 and 66 degrees north. Generally included in Europe for geographical, historical, political, cultural, linguistic and practical purposes, geologically, Iceland stretches across parts of both continental plates. You can actually keep one foot in North America while the other foot in Europe, where two continental plates meet in the Reykjanes peninsula. Iceland is a part of the Schengen Visa scheme but isn’t a part of EU and the currency used is Icelandic Kroner, not Euros. The capital is Reykjavik (pronounced ray-gyah-veek).

The country is landscaped with dramatic volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, lava fields, the massive glaciers of Vatnajökull and the Snæfellsjökull national park, among other spectacles. Most of the population lives in the capital Reykjavik, run on geothermal power and is home to the National and Saga museums that trace Iceland’s Viking history. 

Owing to its unique and rugged landscape, several major sci-fi/magical fantasy/other-worldly movies have been shot in Iceland. Some of the most notable ones are James Bond (the car chase scene on a frozen lake in Die Another Day), Star Wars Saga, Game of Thrones, Interstellar, Fast and The Furious, Oblivion, Batman Begins, Prometheus, Thor and the likes. And not just thrillers, Bollywood films buffs would remember Shahrukh Khan and Kajol in the Gerua song – shot entirely in southern Iceland.

The Þingvellir National Park and UNESCO world heritage site is located in Southern Iceland at a 45 minutes’ drive from Reykjavík city. At Þingvellir, the continental rift zone between the North-American and the Eurasian tectonic plates manifests in large lava-gorges and a 10 km wide rift valley holding Iceland’s largest natural lake, Þingvallavatn. The Icelandic Parliament was founded here in 930 AD, making it the oldest operating parliament globally.

The Snæfellsjökull National Park is at the edge of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in the country’s west. It is named after its crowning glaciers and volcanoes and is famous for being the entrance to the center of the Earth in Jules Verne’s story. It is the only park that reaches the shoreline and holds the maritime treasures of Iceland, since the Medieval times.

The Vatnajökull National Park and UNESCO world heritage site covers over 12,000 square kilometers or 13% of Iceland, making it one of the largest national parks in Europe. It envelopes Europe’s largest glacier Vatnajökull, where the interplay of volcanoes and glaciers has created otherworldly landscapes with black beaches, outlet glaciers and iceberg-filled glacier lagoons.

Go to Blue Lagoon, half expecting to find Brooke Shields there, and immerse yourself in the blue, mineral-laden, smoky warm waters of the lagoon. The Husavik tour promises a high probability of viewing minke whales, humpback whales, orcas, porpoises, dolphins and even Blue Whales. A trek up a volcano – there are many such treks available, are hard to resist and perfectly safe.

COVID UPDATE : At the time of writing, all Covid-related restrictions have been lifted in Iceland. There will be no disease prevention measures at the borders for passengers traveling to Iceland and no vaccination requirement. There are no restrictions on social gatherings, nor any quarantine requirements for those infected by COVID-19. For any latest update, please check covid.is or schengenvisainfo.com

Travel Smart

Best apps to travel smart

The task of choosing the right app, can confuse you, particularly when you’re travelling. We bring to you a multi-part series of some of the most useful travel apps available on iOS, Android or both :

Tripwhistle : An app dedicated to keeping you safe, TripWhistle maps your location and allows you to share your GPS coordinates. Tripwhistle provides emergency numbers for firefighters, medical personnel and police in nearly 200 countries

TripIt : TripIt consolidates your travel plans into a simple, convenient itinerary. Just link your e-mail ID to TripIt, and the service will automatically dig through your inbox for reservation confirmations and other forms. Using that data, TripIt builds an organized itinerary of your flight boarding times, hotel check-ins and more

Roadtripper : For self-drive holidays, Roadtrippers is a handy travel companion. A trip planning and itinerary app, it lets you plot your next road trip and helps discover destinations, attractions, and useful stops along the way. With Roadtrippers, you can share your route and schedule with your group. The app helps users find everything from diners and dives to hotels, restaurants, national parks, roadside attractions and other scenic points of interest

Google Maps : Most people can’t imagine life without Google Maps now. More so, when you are travelling. But very few are aware of all its helpful features. It can alert you when it’s time to leave for your destination, you can create your own personalised maps, it can recommend restaurants, find your local convenience stores etc.

Flio : An official partner of 300 airports, Flio also has information on thousands more. That lets the app feature terminal maps, a boarding pass scanner, a flight tracker, directions to shuttle buses and booking options for everything from parking to lounge access.

For your next vacation, try one of these apps depending on what features you are looking for and watch your vacation come together beautifully. For more super-useful apps, don’t forget to read our upcoming issues.

News You can Use

Events and Festivals in Iceland in July 2022

Please check all events for any cancellations or changes.

‘Vacations’ is powered by OneShoe Trust for Responsible and Mindful Travels – a social enterprise that promotes travelling as a means to raise awareness about climate change and environmental issues. Incubated at IIM Bangalore, OneShoe is the source of the most authentic travel experiences around the world.

Link to : oneshoetravels.com