Iceland suggestions?

Anyone here been to Iceland? I'm looking mostly at the UK contingent - I assume some of you have visited. The wife and I are thinking of going there in May and I was curious if anyone had any suggestions of things to do. We have a fairly limited amount of time (and money) so we're probably going to stay along the southern coast, based mostly at Reykjavik. What did you find fun? We're mostly looking for beautiful scenery, wildlife, hiking, and whatever culture Reykjavik has to offer.

I can share the current itinerary if anyone really knows the sites well, but otherwise it'll just be a bunch of unpronounceable names.

Whatever you do, don't have a child there! You won't be allowed to name it anything remotely Jewish. :p

Funny, I was just about to ask for Chicago tips...in another thread.

I've heard that Reykjavik is nice but never been personally sorry. Have fun :)

Make sure you check out all the ice. That's pretty big over there.

Oh, well, I guess it was a long shot. Here's hoping it will be fun!

Don't go during volcano season! ;)

I have a friend who went there primarily for sexing. I didn't get a lot of info from him, but apparently he did a road trip to one of their remote areas and it was pretty stunning. That said, his main complaint was that the place was almost comically expensive and the whole trip would have been unaffordable had he not been with a local.

There's a British supermarket called "Iceland". Can't say I'm a fan.

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Originally Posted by Dreadnaught

I have a friend who went there primarily for sexing. I didn't get a lot of info from him, but apparently he did a road trip to one of their remote areas and it was pretty stunning. That said, his main complaint was that the place was almost comically expensive and the whole trip would have been unaffordable had he not been with a local.

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Food in particular is pricey, because so much of it is imported. The krona fell a lot in recent years, though, making accommodation and tours much cheaper. It's not what I'd call 3rd world cheap, but it's not that bad either. It's a bit cheaper if you go slightly off-season as well - we're going in late May, and things don't really get underway there until June.

We're planning on taking a couple day trips out east along the southern coast - some glacier hikes, a few absolutely stunning vistas we're told not to miss. I'm a bit bummed we don't have the time to drive around the entire island - there are some things in the north that look really great - but it's time consuming, expensive, and a bit scary on the driving. Apparently you need a 4X4 to get to a lot of the best places, and even the ring road isn't paved all the way around. Also wish we could be there in the winter to see the Northern Lights, but I figure not freezing our butts off and having 20 hours of daylight a day is kinda worth it.

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Originally Posted by Loki

There's a British supermarket called "Iceland". Can't say I'm a fan.

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That's what I thought of when I saw this thread. Whiny Kerry Katona's voice going "Fish Fingers £1" "That's why mums go to Iceland".

Not a fan of the store or Kerry Katona.

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Originally Posted by wiggin

Also wish we could be there in the winter to see the Northern Lights, but I figure not freezing our butts off and having 20 hours of daylight a day is kinda worth it.

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http://www.kakslauttanen.fi/en/accommodation/

http://www.kakslauttanen.fi/images/98.jpg

Okay, 20 hours of daylight that might not have, but at least you're not freezing ;)

We are planning on going outside... you know, to hike and see things?

Also, Finland?

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Originally Posted by wiggin

We are planning on going outside... you know, to hike and see things?

Also, Finland?

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Never been, don't know anyone who has been to Iceland, but from what I hear and pictures, it seems really nice to hike. Plus, volcanoes!

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Originally Posted by wiggin

We are planning on going outside... you know, to hike and see things?

Also, Finland?

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You certainly can go outside in Finland! And hiking is perfectly possible as well!

You just should use a dog sled for that in winter and not mind the mosquitoes in the summer :p

Since this has deteriorated into a travel thread; our general plan is to take a 4 week vacation in Indonesia. Fly Amsterdam-Bali, stay there for like 4-5 days, then hop over to Java, where we will visit 4 destinations, then back to Bali for the last week and fly back to Amsterdam from there. Accomodations will be pre-booked, travel probably not so much (besides the long haul trips)

I suppose Jakarta and Borubudur are musts, there. Any other ideas or tips.

Hong Konggggg. Or Ostralia.

Long weekend booked in Berlin end of Feb here.

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Sorry wigs, not been to Iceland myself. My ex-fiancée had. Said it was striking, I seem to remember.

Isn't it Iceland that has dramatic Ice Hotels? Basically high-tech igloos built out of ice bricks, but with fireplaces and ambient heat that doesn't melt the structure. Lots of fur, feather, leather, and down to insulate against ice sofas and beds. I'd look for those, as a tourist.

Otherwise, I'd visit their shipping harbors and wharf district, and find restaurants with fresh fish. Then I'd take a tour of their "financial district". :haha:

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Originally Posted by Dreadnaught

Hong Konggggg. Or Ostralia.

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Seoul, but only for a 6 hr lay-over. Otherwise Bali and Java will be the extent of our Indonesia trip. I hate traveling (yes I know how that sounds) and want to prevent becoming overly cranky by doing too much of it.

Oh I totally agree -- people too often try to overextend themselves to see as much as possible. Travel isn't necessarily "easy" and certainly not pleasant, especially at the distances you're talking about.

Tickets are booked! I'll let you guys know if it's totally awesome or just awesome.

$40 omelets may sap the enthusiasm. :o Is this trip in the distant future or soon?

May, we're using Memorial Day to stretch our vacation days. Slightly before the beginning of the big tourist season so that things are slightly cheaper, but the weather/sun is still relatively accommodating.

Not worried too much about food prices - because of some dietary needs and cheapness, we're bringing most of the non-perishable food ourselves, and we're staying in an apartment-style 'hotel' with its own kitchenette. We'll buy some perishable raw ingredients and mostly do our own cooking. So, expensive, but not ludicrous.

Iceland suggestions? How about a default? Credit rating agencies gave Iceland banks AAA rating...:p

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Originally Posted by GGT

Isn't it Iceland that has dramatic Ice Hotels? Basically high-tech igloos built out of ice bricks, but with fireplaces and ambient heat that doesn't melt the structure. Lots of fur, feather, leather, and down to insulate against ice sofas and beds. I'd look for those, as a tourist.

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I believe that's Finland. At least, it's the only place I knew of with the ice hotels.