The Land of Fire and Ice
The Planning
Why Iceland?
Iceland was our dream destination. But we thought it was one of those trips you take once you retire and you have enough money to indulge in things you used to just fantasize about. But then a seat sale came along and we started learning more options. We realized it was possible to turn this dream into a reality much sooner than we expected.
Our road trip around Iceland felt like we were driving around the world. In the span of 10 days, we experienced different seasons just by following the Ring Road. One day, we drove into autumn and then experienced winter a day after. That’s how Iceland is, ever-changing, unpredictable but spectacular. We left Iceland with a vow to return and we hope that with this guide, we could help you create your own life-changing adventure.
The Ring Road
There’s no better way to explore the Land of Fire and Ice than renting your own vehicle and going around the Ring Road. Unfortunately, it is also the most expensive mode of transport. There are more affordable options such as joining a bus tour but we prefer setting our own pace. The Ring Road wraps around the island in a circular fashion and is often the recommended route for travelers who are getting to know Iceland for the first time.
According to Lonely Planet, if you were to drive the Ring Road without stopping, it will take you around 16 hours during the warmer months. A week-long trip would mean an average of 2 1/2 hours of driving per day. It may seem like a stretch but the route is scenic. And when you have your own car, you don’t have to go to every landmark. You can take your time, take detours on secondary roads, and allow yourself to get to know the place much deeper. (You can do the same when you’re in a bus, it’s just a matter of perspective really.)
Experts say you should choose at least 5 mini-bases to break up your journey. You can choose one stop in each of the regions in which the Ring Road passes through: west, north, east, southeast, and southwest. Having at least 8-10 days will help you cover enough ground. We’re all for surprises but it’s important to plan each day before you leave and then revise it each night depending on the weather conditions, the time you have left and the overall energy of your travel companions.
The Experience
Our group was composed of 7 people, some friends we’ve traveled with before and others we just met. Having more companions meant being able to distribute costs to more people. If you decide to rent your own set of wheels, 5-7 people would be an ideal number.
Each person had a role to play. Our friend Vee was our main navigator. She often blurts out names of places that most of us could not understand except for Benj who was one of our drivers and the mastermind of this trip. He took turns driving with our other friend Pao, who was also the sous chef. The person in charge of making sure we didn’t die out of hunger was Quennie who was a chef by profession. Raniel was our sneaky photographer. And the two of us (Ayen and Rach) took turns assisting Vee with the bookings.
Search the hashtag #EuroExpedition on Instagram and you will see our individual interpretations of the trip. But beyond the curated memories on our social media, we’d like to point out that it wasn’t all fun. We’ve experienced almost all kinds of weather from thunderstorms to sunny skies. Even with all the preparation, some of us felt like we didn’t have enough layers to protect us from the cold. We relied heavily on hand warmers and Cheerios and navigated around hot tempers brought by fatigue and hunger.
We hope we don’t sound whiny because these reflections are coming from a place of gratitude. We just want people to understand that travel is not just composed of remarkable moments but also moments of struggles, misadventures and mundane minutes that seem to be forgotten once the trip is over. For us, it’s part of the overall experience and we’d like to remember it along with some of our favorite memories:
The Northern lights by Ayen dela Torre
We were having pesto for dinner in our temporary home at Olafsvik when the caretaker said Aurora was outside. And suddenly everyone started running. When we got to the playground, we bumped into each other like kids scrambling for the best view. But when all the shots were taken and everyone settled down, we saw a dance orchestrated by white and purple lights and tears started rushing down.
The whole town was quiet except for these bunch of Filipinos who just couldn’t believe what they just saw. We’ve seen the northern lights in photos before but seeing it in person was something else. Perhaps the same goes for foreigners who see our beaches for the first time, we’re always in awe of things we don’t often see. Peak sighting of the northern lights happen in the depths of winter. We were fortunate enough to see it four times in September, but if you would like higher chances, plan your trip between October and April.
Two hour-long sunset at Westfjords by Benj Ramos
My eyes were squinting and tearing, struggling just to see the road at least 10 meters ahead of us. I even remember Vee sticking half her body out of our Defender to help spot any oncoming vehicles even if she couldn’t really see much more than any of us. So many cusses were thrown at the sun. And then we reached the coast and we took them all back because the water was gold! and so was everything else! And I am so thankful for this particular prolonged sunset—that it came on our 6th day in the island after 4 consecutive days of bipolar rains and thunderstorms. Just at the right moment. Just at the right spot.
Hotpot session by Rachel Halili
Getting into hot water wasn’t that inviting when you’re aware of the fact that you have to strip down to your bikini in cold weather (it felt like winter if you live in the tropics before going in. But most of the locals said it was a must experience. Everyone knows about the Blue Lagoon but we just couldn’t fit it in our schedule, thankfully there were hot pots everywhere. We found this isolated geothermal pool by the sea. And the best thing about it is that it was absolutely free! You have to share it with others though and that can be a little awkward at the start but it was a good way for us to meet fellow travelers from other parts of Iceland up to Australia. As we talk with newly found friends, the water kept us all warm on a 5°C kind of day.
Autumn in Hraunfossar by Vee Dorado
Contrasting the rapid rush of water along Hvítá river from Barnafoss is the calming flow of hundreds of small waterfalls of Hraunfossar. It was worth visiting twice just to see the bright blue water embraced by the autumn colors of Iceland. In the Philippines, it often takes hours of driving and hiking to get to views like this. But this one was close to the main road. We’ve seen a lot of waterfalls before this, but I would gladly say this was our favorite.
Random stopovers by Ayen dela Torre
There were days, I felt extremely exhausted, lacking sleep and skipping meals. Every time I wake up, my whole body aches as if I just came from a climb. We’ve gone through so many misadventures from missing luggage to almost missed flights. But even in the midst of all the rants and complaints, when you stumble upon unexpected beauty, all of the noise is silenced out.
I don’t really remember the names of some of the places we explored but I remember what it was like to scream my lungs out because I just couldn’t believe we were here. And to see my friends running around and experiencing the same thing made it more special. Although the trip is over, I’m comforted by the fact that I get to relive the adventure through stories and photos we took home with us.
The Survival Guide
When to go
- June – August – High season- Hot summers, mild winter- Good for hiking! Bad for your wallet! (Higher prices because of peak season)
- May – Sept – Mild summer, occasional snows- less people, some prices start to drop in preparation for low season
- Oct – April – Low season, lower prices! – Peak time for northern lights!- Some roads will be closed down due to severe weather conditions- longer, colder nights
What to eat
- Large gasoline stations often have restaurants you could eat at. They offer meals such as meat soup, fish of the day or plates of lamb. But for Filipino standards, they’re really expensive! In our experience, each meal we saw on the menu cost us about 800-1000 pesos.
- It’s much cheaper to cook your own food. Bonus (the supermarket with a pink pig on it) is Iceland’s biggest supermarket chain. Opening hours in small towns are much shorter than the capital. During our trip, some close as early as 6 pm so best to get your grocery shopping early in the day.
- Most private cabins have their own kitchen. And hostels have communal kitchens. Just remember to clean as you go. Do check out if there are some food left by fellow travelers, they are free for everyone to eat! And anything you can boil is guaranteed clean!
Where to sleep
- Airbnb
- Couchsurfing
- Hostels – Just in Reyk and Akureyri from our experience
- Private Cabin
** Ask if there’s a sleeping bag option, it’s a cheaper way if you don’t mind sleeping without linens**
Try to get in touch with the Filipinos in Iceland (or if you’re not Filipino, get in touch with people who share your nationality), they are usually accommodating and at the very least can give you more local tips.
Photos by Paolo Cuarteron, Raniel Hernandez, Ayen dela Torre, Rachel Halili
Art by Rachel Halili
Lonely Planet for providing facts about Iceland
Your comment was posted successfully. We will publish it in a little while, as our blog is moderated.
of the e-cigarettes and that FDA efforts to get companies to voluntarily eliminate candy-flavored products and aggressive marketing have http://cafarts.org/en/forums/topic/kopa-billig-ovinum-onlineapotek-bestalla-clomiphene-citrate-gener/ had little effect, NBC News reported. I’ll tell you this. If the youth use continues to rise, and we see significant increases in use in 2019, on top of the dramatic rise in 2018, the entire category will face an existential threat," he said https://www.klucze.co.uk/forum1/Upload/showthread.php?tid=320037
Friday. It will be game over for these products until they can successfully traverse the regulatory process," Gottlieb warned. The FDA has the authority to block e-cigarette sales and force makers to go through the formal FDA approval process, but has not done http://www.periactin4mg-allergic-rhinitis.site/ no prescription Periactin 4mg
arkham knight dlc octoberamd radeon hd 7310 graphics driverbrother mfc 665cw drivercanon imagerunner 400if driverscanon ipf750 drivers downloadlenovo yoga camera driver windows 10msi 970a g43 biosskype mass message toolalexis sanchez fifa 16dragon age inquisition wicked grace scene
[url=https://bit.ly/2Tm2PRh]epson perfection v330 driver
[/url]
[url=https://bit.ly/3fDpstc]quick save fallout 4
[/url]
[url=http://newintheworld1234.blogspot.com/2021/05/gimp-210-user-manual-download.html]hp envy usb 3.0
[/url]
[url=http://besttops2n.blogspot.com/2021/05/android-for-pc-free-download-windows.html]assassin’s creed syndicate crafting
[/url]
[url=http://newintheworld123.blogspot.com/2021/05/garrys-mod-download-windows-10gmod-game.html]pet rescue saga 853
[/url]
[url=http://besttops2n.blogspot.com/2021/05/garena-free-download-for-windows.html]intel ultimate n 6300 drivers
[/url]
[url=http://besttops2n.blogspot.com/2021/05/freegate-vpn-free-download-for-windows.html]mega man 2 download
[/url]
[url=https://bit.ly/3p6ieBf]hp envy touchsmart 17 drivers
[/url]
[url=https://bit.ly/3fRXzfW]asus p6x58d-e bios
[/url]
[url=https://bit.ly/3vDBM2e]hp 2000 bf69wm drivers
[/url]
ga x99 ud7 wifi
click to necromance free
call of duty world at war trainer
alienware aurora r4 bios
fried cookie ringtone maker
https://bit.ly/3i7evlb
https://bit.ly/3fZcBR1
http://seominds.ru/tag/счастье и успех/
http://harakirinews2.blogspot.com/2021/05/global-vpn-client-download-windows.html
https://bit.ly/3uGf7Rz
https://bit.ly/3uy4mkg
https://bit.ly/3vR8cGo
https://bit.ly/34y5dXx
https://bit.ly/3i7JFco
http://secondtops.blogspot.com/2021/05/android-device-manager-download-for.html
mionix naos 3200 driver
ati mobility radeon hd 3650 driver windows 7 64-bit
age of wonders 3 shadowborn
the witch’s house screenshots
asus m4a87td/usb3
msi z97 gaming 5 audio drivers
asmt 2115 usb device driver download
msi a78m-e35 drivers
gigabyte ga-f2a55m-ds2
block n load download
nvidia geforce gt 630 update
skyrim update esm download
lenovo yoga 3 pro touchpad driver
innovative technology film and slide converter
subway surfers world tour transylvania
Большая Мошонка [url=https://mashonka.icu/]скачать порно стоны[/url] – секс фильмы. Дрочим https://mashonka.icu/categories/HD/ бескорыстно здесь! Горка редких xxx фильмов добавляется ежедневный!
[url=https://mashonka.icu/categories/%D0%9C%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%82/]порно конкурс минета[/url]
Вещество чтобы каркаса теплицы бывает: деревянный, металлический (труба квадратного сечения, оцинкованный профиль), пластиковый (ПВХ). Сэкономив 2-3 тыс.Ростки, которые вы удалили, не выбрасывайте.На приусадебном участке такую технику установить нереально, только дозволительно сделать автоматическое вентиляционное организация, задействовав в нём несложные механизмы.— способствование переходу к экологически чистому растениеводству (вам больше не придется прибегать к использованию химических веществ);
укрывной материал агротекстиль
[url=https://astrahan.agrohoztorg.ru/product-category/senazhnaya-setka/]сенажная сетка астрахань[/url]
https://astrahan.agrohoztorg.ru/product-category/stroitelnye-membrany-izolteks/ – пенетрон гидроизоляция
На грядках бросать можно, если осадок растает.Затем поочередно расправляют, натягивают и закрепляют всегда края.Укрывной толстый материя черного цвета также не подходит чтобы этой цели, поскольку он довольно создавать худой температурный режим.Сотовый поликарбонат без УФ-защиты, с «защитой сообразно массе» – выброшенные деньги.
Притенение материалом АгроспанЭто непроходимо кипа! Вот к свету и начинают продолжаться растения.Технология производства этих материалов основана для образовании тонких полимерных нитей, из которых затем и создается прочная и легкая ткань.Это поможет сохранить надвигающийся урожай в плодовом саду.
пленка полиэтиленовая
[url=https://krasnodar.agrohoztorg.ru/product-category/ocinkovannaya-posuda/]оцинкованная посуда купить краснодар[/url]
https://krasnodar.agrohoztorg.ru/product-category/geotekstil/ – геотекстиль купить в краснодаре
В парнике создается особенный микроклимат, немного повышенная влажность, от которой парник и получил свое название.Должно, паки же, если каркас вашей конструкции не рассчитан для снеговые нагрузки региона.Достоинства агроспана уже некоторый оценили по достоинству.Садоводам довольно полезно ознакомиться с наиболее популярными марками.
кс go кейсы бесплатно бонус код игры слова из слова 2015 world of tanks бонус код на е25 easydrop открытие кейсов 1 на онлайн деньги игры на настольные играть кс го выбивание кейсов сайт как прописать деньги в игре симс чит на деньги игра для андроид гонки кто выйгрывал джекпот ставки на команды кс гоу игры с выводом реальных деньги i бонус код премиум аккаунт wot сайты с открытием кейсов в кс го симулятор скачать варфейс с официального сайта и игровой центр игра орион с читами на деньги и на уровень бесплатно
течет антифриз в салон на чери амулет http://l-avt.ru/support/dialog/?PAGE_NAME=profile_view&UID=23737 заработок в интернете другая история https://mygomel.com/space-uid-47910.html юридическая консультация в днр по телефону http://www.edufinancierafcpc.com/index.php/forum/welcome-to-varsita/152209 игры гонки танки онлайн 5 http://zondr.ru/forum/user/151333-iwajyl.html дистрибутив панели хостинга http://alliance-techno.ru/index.php?subaction=userinfo&user=iludesit
как получить ключ от кейса в кс го скрипт открытие кейсов кейсы за бесплатно с деньгами пароль и логин скачать заработок в интернете на автомате сайты ставки кс го на скины игра на андроид real racing 3 мод много денег бездепозитный бонус казино который можно вывести бонус коды для warcraft виртуальный мир игра на деньги cs go симулятор открытия кейсов
заработок в интернете без вложений проверенные сайты http://ksrff.com.ua/forum/user/15598-oxopig банкротству физических лиц в липецке отзывы http://crystal-angel.com.ua/index.php?subaction=userinfo&user=ywyro прогноз на спорт ставки дня http://seneka-vl.ru/index.php?subaction=userinfo&user=ovunaxyz шкипер несамоходного судна http://vdnt.ru/forum/dmitrov-zabor-iz-profnastila букмекерские ставки на футбол http://ekonomika-student.com/profile.php?lookup=18116
Leave a comment