Introducing Iceland
Iceland is literally a country in the making, a vast volcanic laboratory where mighty forces shape the land and shrink you to an awestruck speck. The country’s natural features eruptions of lava; gushing geysers such as Geysir in The Golden Circle (the original after which all were named); hot springs; tearing fissures and slow, grinding glaciers are so cinematic that at times they seem unreal. Bathe in turquoise pools, stand behind a toppling cascade or walk across a glaring-white icecap to experience the full weirdness of Icelandic nature.
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The landscape is infectious: hidden energy and a desire to shape the world are Icelandic traits. Head to the bohemian village of Seyðisfjörður in The East, and don't miss vibrant Reykjavík. That clean, green little capital, must contain the world’s highest concentration of dreamers, authors, poets and musicians; you'll meet them on the high-spirited runtur, the city’s wheeling weekend pub crawl. Iceland’s creatures are larger-than-life too: there’s no better place on earth to come eye-to-eye with sleek, spouting whales than in Húsavík. Fearless little puffins flutter and bill in their millions along the tops of towering sea-cliffs.
Last updated: Mar 2, 2009
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Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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ferry shetland to faroe islands
by inezje 0 replies, last post 31 July 2010
Hi there, I was thinking of taking a trip up north from mainland Scotland to Orkney to Shetland and perhaps on to the Faroe Islands and…
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Landmannalaugar
by ramonake 2 replies, last post 29 July 2010
Hello We're leaving next Monday to Iceland. We've rented a car (no 4x4) and were thinking of camping out at Landmannalaugar. We know…
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Travelling with a computer
by stefanjod 1 reply, last post 31 July 2010
A month from now i will begin my trip around Asia. I am planning on taking my Macbook with me and I am a bit concerned with the physical…
Iceland
Our Top Picks For Iceland
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1 Jökulsá-Austari
Discover whitewater rafting on glacial rivers and some of Iceland's best horse riding
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2 Ísafjörður
Take in Iceland's most isolated town among a spectacular setting in the rugged Westfjords
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3 Geysir & Gullfoss
Don't miss Iceland's 'big two', a regularly exploding geyser and the majestic waterfall of Gullfoss
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4 Vestmannaeyjar
Watch thousands of puffin chicks take flight from these spectacular islands every August
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5 Landmannalaugar
Relax among hot springs, lavas and colourful rhyolite hills
Fast Facts about Iceland
- Telephone Codes
country code 354; international access code 00; reverse-charge operator 533 5309; telephone area codes don’t apply
- Official Language
Icelandic
- Visa
unnecessary for visitors from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Scandinavia, EU countries, the UK and the USA staying for under three months
- Area
103, 000 sq km
- Population
300, 000
- Famous for
fishing, sagas, Björk, the Blue Lagoon, rotten shark meat!
- Capital
- Phrases
halló (hello), gjörðu svo vel (please), takk fyrir (thanks), skál! (cheers!)
- Currency
króna (Ikr) : €1 = Ikr180.11; US$1 = Ikr127.52; UK£1 = Ikr138.31; A$1 = Ikr103.43; CA$1 = Ikr110.36; NZ$1 = Ikr83.38; ¥100 = Ikr133.03
Our favourite Iceland Blogs (beta)
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From north to east
Blog: Orn's travel blog - South-East Asia and China - 18 July 2010
I never got around to finish that round trip of Iceland so here it goes. We left Húsavík on the north coast, the town I grew up in, and headed towards Egilsstaðir in the east where my mother lives. The drive from Húsavík to Egilsstaðir is about three and a half hours so we weren’t [...]
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Húsavík – the Lodano of Iceland
Blog: Orn's travel blog - South-East Asia and China - 14 June 2010
Here is the second post from my friend Deepak from our trip around Iceland. All opinions are his and not mine :) The title of the post comes from the fact that when in Switzerland I advertized Húsavík – my home town – a lot as the best place on earth. Natasha, my friend from [...]
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What Is The Future of Traveling?
Blog: As We Travel - 8 June 2010
The volcanic eruption and the ash cloud over Europe sure put us all to the test last month, and has had many of us wondering what the world would be like without planes. Think about that for a second: - what would the world be like without the ability to fly? My sister was one [...] Related posts:7 Reasons Why I Hate Traveling
