5 reasons to visit Iceland
A few weeks ago I spent a week in Iceland on vacation. In the weeks leading up to the trip and weeks following my return (nearly the exact amount of time since I last wrote on here as a matter of fact), I was asked countless times “Why Iceland?” most of the time with a hint of consternation. With all the trips I’ve taken, I’ve never been asked that question so many times, even when I went to the United Arab Emirates.
So for all the future inquisitions here’s my answer. If you’re so inclined, or are actually contemplating a trip, you might also check out this very short but stellar Iceland tips video and some of these highlight photos.
- It’s one of the cheapest flights from the U.S. compared to the other European and Middle Eastern destinations on the short list. In this stage of life, that’s pretty much the largest decision criteria (my last two trips were to India and Thailand). Despite the fact that trip itself wasn’t as cheap as expected for a country that was recently bankrupt, the flight made it worth it. If you act fast, you can fly round trip from Boston to Reykjavik in March for less than $500.
- The flight is one of the shortest flights from the U.S. (also compared to others on the short list). I’ve found long plane rides can eat days off the front or back end of a trip. So if you only have a week off of work, this short 5 hour flight from Boston will give you the maximum time on the ground and only a 4 hour time difference to adjust to.
- Iceland is an outdoors-person’s paradise. I’m not especially outdoorsy, but I appreciate fresh air, natural landscapes and a healthy dose of exercise while vacationing. I wanted to take a trip where I could unplug in the truest sense by enjoying nature and Iceland is a great place for that. We climbed a volcano, golfed next to the ocean, walked behind a waterfall, hiked on a glacier and swam in a thermal pool.
- Because who knows how much longer there will be glaciers. People can debate global warming all they want but the reality is that glaciers are melting fast. I think our guide said it retreats 200 meters every year. I wanted to see up close what I might not be able to see for much longer. I’d like to have gotten to see icebergs as well but have that on the list for next time.
- Take a break from DC’s famous summer heat. When booking the trip in February, going someplace cooler in August sounded like an awesome idea. This is probably the only reason I’d modify slightly from my original reason. Go sooner than late August because when they say “summer” they mean it’s in the 40-50s, windy, overcast and rainy. Granted, we had a few amazing days, it was still pretty chilly - quite a bit cooler than I thought I signed up for.
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