Iceland did not disappoint and Kimkim as well...

Iceland | Oct 16 - Oct 23, 2022

This was not my 1st experience of natural thermal baths, but the 1st in Iceland, and it was awesome. My sister and I became friendly with a few other visitors on the bus to Sky Lagoon and that added to the social aspect. We were fortunate to see the northern lights come up while we were luxuriating in the warm infinity pool, overlooking the sea - believe me, nothing tops that experience! The rest of the Pure spa experience- the cold bath, the body scrub, all were fabulous, to top off a totally memorable experience.

A really Thrilling experience, even if one does not handle the sea well. The tour company Elding, was very thorough about the safety considerations and on checking in they offered motion sickness pill to any who felt they would need it. The crew gave information on the population of mammals that they observe and study, and we were fortunate to see two groups of white billed dolphins, 3 humpback and a minke whale during the hour trip. The weather was fine so no rain coats were needed and there were life jackets on board for any emergency. It was exciting and the ride was smooth. My only reservation is that the initial booking was cancelled due to bad weather(understandably) but this was communicated to me after I arrived, which derailed my day plan and cost me extra taxi fare.

A very enjoyable and informative tour all round. The vistas in the rift area and the geothermal area were spectacular. The waterfalls, hot spring baths and horse ranch visits were also lovely. The guide Siggi Anton was really helpful and knowledgeable (5 Star). The only inconveniences were that drop off and pick up were some distance from the hotel in Reykjavik, which in cold weather was a bother, and that participants who smoked during stops, trailed the cigarette smoke scent into the small bus, making it uncomfortable for others.

The two day trip was wonderful and many unique sites were visited - Jukulsarlon and the Vatnajokul glacier being just 2 of them. Overall I would say that this tour was my favourite of three that i participated in. The guide was phenomenally knowledgeable and gave us just a tidbit about each site and about Icelandic history and life in general - he left us wanting more info on the folklore and growth of the nation. The overnight hotel was spartan but adequate and the meals were typically expensive, tasty and filling. I had not anticipated a 2km trek over uneven ground to and from the ice cave and it was not mentioned in the tour description - it should be - I would still have gone but people need to know. It seems that Iceland expects all its visitors to be at least a contender for the olympic games, if not the world games, to fully participate in the tour activities. Overall, a great experience. Being picked up and dropped off at a remote site in the cold was difficult, because, although the distance was not great, getting around in the dark, finding an open dinner spot that didn't require a reservation somewhere nearby and not getting lost in the maze of streets in the town centre was challenging.

We got off on the wrong foot because the bus didnt arrive until 9:20 and I was already flustered as to whether I'd missed it in the half hour that i was waiting. Since i did not have an international sim, i contacted the tour operator using a borrowed phone- ugh. Anyway, Tomas (Thomas?) the guide was lovely and conducted the tour well. We visited some interesting sites - waterfalls, larva cave, seal coast, the glacier used as the Wall in Game of Thrones, and some less than amazing ones, among them a random lighthouse and a church. I felt that better information on why these were important or of interest could have allowed us to appreciate them more but as it was, some stops just seemed random and just a drive around with no purpose. We also spent an inordinate amount of time at Oddi - once the home of Snorri Sturluson, whose significance was not known to us and really the adulation of him was lost on us visitors without a prior backstory. It seemed like a waste of time, especially after finally being admitted to the church gift shop and finding that the exhibit on him was closed. Bummer. Tomas was engaging and as a point to improve, he could say why things or places or people are important to the Icelandic story. The accommodations in Borgarnes was fine- food was delicious. The prediction for northern lights was way low and we didnt see any. That should not be in the tour title.