Icelandic sense of humor on the Reykjavik grapevine

I quickly fell in love with this place. Piling on our thermals, wool socks and fleece lined coats, we strolled the streets of Reykjavik.

After a few days in the capital, we set off on a 12 day, 2500km road trip around the country. We took our rental car/mobile home through the highways, tunnels, and gravel roads of Iceland, where sheep and horses hung out by the roadside and where every turn gave us a stunning sight.

The weather was moody, it could change dramatically every 15 minutes. We drove through pretty harbour towns, lava fields, about 500 different species of moss, geysers, geothermal pools, glaciers, fjords, mist covered mountains, black sand beaches and probably thousands of waterfalls (or fosses, in Icelandic). Most of the time I had to remove my sunnies or open my car window just to see them without anything between my eyes and stare at the magnificence before me.

But the highlight of our trip would definitely witnessing the Northern Lights on three different nights. They looked like green and pink ribbons of light dancing in the sky.

Apart from the majestic landscapes we saw, it was the people of Iceland that made our experience special. Despite the freezing temperature, they gave our trip warmth and soul. Everyone that we met was truly genuinely kind and happy. And the other travelers we saw along the way shared the same awe that we felt in this incredibly beautiful country. A couple we met invited us to stay over their beautiful home and all of their friends welcomed us with open arms and happy hearts. Before we left, they showed us their collection of mineral stones that they get from the sides of the cliffs, and gave me one. 

When the road trip was almost over, after the long drives, parking at campsites, curling up in our sleeping bags, and enduring the cold, my travel bud (and personal paparazzi) asked as we were driving back to Reykjavik, “So Niks, last stretch. Any thoughts?” 

How to Make this Trip Happen: 

-Filipinos need a Schengen visa to get into Iceland.

-You can easily fly to Iceland from many European cities including Paris and Zurich. The cheapest flight we could find was via EasyJet from London Luton to Reykjavik.

-Iceland is VERY expensive. It's even pricier than Switzerland. If you are not a luxury traveler, you can happily survive on hotdog sandwiches (made from lamb) which you can get from food trucks and petrol stations.

-Sept. 1 in Iceland signals the beginning of the low season, which runs until May 31. The price difference from high to low season can be huge so you should consider your travel dates carefully.