WINTER IS COMING !
Now that winter is coming, the Games
of Thrones followers and travel enthusiasts are looking to travel to some of
the most exotic destinations. What can be more alluring to the GOT followers
than Iceland where a lot of the now iconic drama series was shot.
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| Aurora @ Iceland |
A relatively new destination and
experience to travelers who live in the tropics, is winter travel. I can vouch
for this absolutely incredible experience of snow-bound areas. One just needs
to be well-clad to experience the extreme cold but all this is negated by the
first sight of the Aurora Borealis – also known as the dancing lights / winter
lights or Northern lights This phenomena can be sighted in the Arctic circle
mostly from October till April – and what a spectacle it is. Armed with
multiple layers of warm clothes and a thick parka, we started our journey into the
fantastic land of Iceland.
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| Borgarfjorour West Iceland |
This is really a once in a lifetime
experience which is best done by visiting Iceland and Lapland (Northern
Finland). The sheer variety of sights you can get on this 10–12 day tour is
unparalleled - ranging from volcanoes,
glacier parks, cascading and yet frozen water falls, smoking geysers, spectacular
ice lagoons with floating glaciers, hot springs and lava fields. The icing on
the cake is to see the dancing lights.
The capital city of Iceland, Reykjavik
is on the southern coast of Iceland and
the largest city. This modern and beautiful city is the perfect place for you
to start your journey across this island. A rocking nightlife, quirky
buildings, and beautiful people symbolize the essence of this city. Hallgrímskirkja church building is Reykjavík's
main landmark and its tower can be seen from almost everywhere in the city.
Must visits are the art museum, National museum with its Vikings wing, the Old
Harbour area which is rocking at night, and a walking visit through the Old
town. However, the Harpa is the heart & soul of the city. This cultural
center and concert hall is iconic.
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| Winter Wonderland |
Leaving the city one heads west to the Saga valley and to the famous
Grabok volcano crater. Of course it is no longer bubbling but the walk along the
crater is very invigorating. Watch out for the wind as that can be very strong.
Next you visit the impressive Deildartunguhver hot water springs, which are the largest in Europe
producing 180 liters of water at a 100 C Degrees. Being in the wilderness it is
the perfect place to look out for the dancing lights. It is ideal for a two
night stop and don’t miss out on the languid joy of submerging in the outdoor
hot tubs at your hotel. From the small town of Borgarnes a visit to the The
Snæfellsnes Peninsula “the peninsula of the snowy mountain” is a must. It juts out from Iceland’s west coast, like a
long arm with a clenched fist at its tip, and is in many ways a microcosm of
the whole island. A rugged mountain chain runs its length. A visit to the charming
fishing town of Stykkishólmur for a cruise in the Breiðafjörður fjord should
also be on the to do list. The fishing village of Grundarfjörður and its backdrop
is a place with an impressive coastline and mountains. Jutting out into the bay
rises one of the most photographed mountain in Iceland, the Mt. Kirkjufell. In the evening you step out into the open to
chase the lights from the comfort of your hot tubs.
Next we traveled along the
Hvalfjörður fjord when we first stopped at an Icelandic wool outlet store. The local
designs on sweaters are very traditional and a fashion symbol now. Further
inland is the famous Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. We
traveled the Golden Circle route and could see steam rising from the Geysir
geothermal fields as we arrived. There is a variety of hot springs and bubbling
pools. The original geyser is now dormant but has been replaced by Strokkur
"the Churn" which erupts at 5-10 minute intervals. There is a well-known
restaurant “Restaurant Geysir” where the
chef invites you to taste freshly baked hot spring bread served with Icelandic
butter, geothermally boiled eggs and herring. It is best served with a small
glass of Geysir Schnapps, very cold – nearly freezing – highly recommended for
this unique experience. Continuing onwards you arrive at Gullfoss, a double
waterfall that tumbles 34 meters into the Hvítá river and attracts tourists and
travellers in both summer and winter alike. The night stay in the countryside
affords the best views of the winter lights – all this while you are cocooned
in outdoor hot water tubs – a thrilling experience in itself. Freezing temperatures
outside yet you are in warm water.
The next day we left for a visit to the
Eyjafjallajökull Information Center where you learn about living next to a
glacier and an active volcano. Nearby is Skógafoss waterfall which is 60 meters
high and one of the most impressive waterfalls in the country. In the afternoon
we take a stroll on the black lava beach and along bird cliffs at Reynisfjara
in South Iceland. We spent 2 nights near Kirkjubæjarklaustur in the Vatnajökull
National Park region, located in darkness, and ideal for looking for the
Northern Lights.
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| Eyjafjallajökull |
The highlight of our tour was the
visit to the Skaftafell National park and the Vatnajokull Glacier. We
traveled to Jökulsárlón, to explore this extra ordinary site of a glacial
lagoon filled with floating icebergs. The walk on the black sandy beach was
very different from our own Goan beaches. In the afternoon we visited the tiny
turf church at Hof and spend time at Europe’s largest national park, which has
Iceland’s highest mountains, an alpine environment, and Europe's largest
glacier. Remember enjoy a film presentation at Northern Lights Academy in the
evening and learn more about this unique but mesmerizing phenomena. It is
highly recommended not to go to bed too early in this remote and quiet location
or you may just miss out one more chance of seeing the Northern Lights
shimmering and dancing across the night sky. The next day we had the unique experience
of visiting a spectacular crystal ice cave in Europe‘s largest glacier,
Vatnajökull. It is like standing under a frozen blue ocean or in a frozen
cathedral surrounded by millions of shades of blue. Deep under Iceland’s
massive Vatnajökull glacier, beautiful caves of ice are formed by rivers of
melted water during the summer time. Too dangerous to visit in the spring and
summer due to a threat of collapse, cold winter temperatures strengthen the ice
and make exploration possible and safe to visit from December to February. The total
tour takes about 2,5 hours with an hour inside the cave. For this extraordinary
experience one needs good hiking water proof boots, warm clothing that keeps
you dry from the dripping water in the ice cave. This was an optional tour and
not part of the main tour to be paid for separately – but totally worth it.
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| Gullfoss Waterfall |
On the last day we headed back to the
Eldhraun lava field to the village of Vík for a photo stop. The black lava beach with high bird cliffs and
pounding waves was very impressive. Before arriving into the capital city
visited the high but narrow Seljalandsfoss waterfall which plunges from the
mountain.
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| Countryside Church |
Iceland was actually a revelation and
is very highly recommended to those who seek adventure, an extra ordinary trip
of the outdoor yet with all material comforts. The romance of being in a hot
water tub with freezing temperatures outside, gazing at the natural Northern
lights phenomena is surely a thrill of lifetime. A visit to Iceland with a pre-booked
tour is highly recommended as on your own it is not easy – especially in winter
months. With tours starting from about Euro 1100 per person it is value for
money. If you are not looking to take the longer tour a 4-nights economical
tour of Euro 555 per person is also highly recommended.
Lapland, the second part of the
journey though is also in the arctic circle, it is quite different as the
experience and landscapes was very different. While Iceland was quite stark and
barren, Lapland is very “ green” with
thick conifer forests. Flying into Helsinki from Reykjavik, we connected onwards
to the capital of Lapland – Rovaniemi. The official hometown of Santa Claus. Famous
for the Christmas experience in the home of Santa Claus we visited the
Christmas house Santa. Another must do was a Husky safari.
These very ferocious looking dogs are very gentle and the sledging experience
they give is really nice – though I must not very easy. Balancing is an art
which has to be mastered or else having snow in your face often is no really a
nice experience.
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| Glass Igloos @ Kakslauttanen |
However the real experience for which I had made this trip was
to stay at an glass domed igloo at a very nice artctic resort about 3 hours
from Rovaniemi – Kakslauttanen. The experience of sleeping in a glass igloo can
only be matched by the views you get of the sky ( if it is clear). The Northern
lights dancing away made sure that any chance of sleep coming through that
night would evaporate. The spectacle is so incredible that no words can
describe it. This is something which you have see and experience. I am sure
that this will remain etched in our mind for the rest of my life. So people out
there you have to go for this once in a lifetime experience!!!!
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| The Northern lights @ Kakslauttanen |
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| Inside your warm bed in the Igloo @ Kakslauttanen |
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