ICELANDIC TOURIST BOARD DATELINE APRIL 2008
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
OK, OK � we say this every month, we know, but this is really a great time to come to Iceland. Believe it or not, the U.S. dollar is actually stronger versus the Icelandic kroner, meaning better deals for North American travelers. The next few months also encompass the beginning of whale-watching season, Icelandic Independence Day celebrations, and a visit by one of the most important people in the history of music: Mr. Bob Dylan. How can it get better than that? Here�s how: two free nights stay. Read on�
|
|
|
|
|
 Americans Traveling to Iceland Enjoy Best Exchange Rate in Years
Americans traveling to Iceland are enjoying one of the best exchange rates in years. For a time one dollar netted just 60 Icelandic kroner (ISK). As of late March 2008, one dollar grew to equal 75 kroner, a 20 percent increase in buying power.
This is great news for visitors to Laugavegur and Bankastr�ti, the main shopping streets of Reykjavik with numerous shops selling designer clothes. A hot dog in downtown Reykjavik, at about 210 ISK, is now about $2.80, versus $3.50 last year. Want to take a tour of the countryside? A one-day trip with Reykjavik Excursions to Sn�fellsj�kull glacier, featured in Jules Verne�s �The Journey to the Centre of the Earth,� is a real bargain now. The 11,500 ISK cost is now only about $153, versus almost $200 a year ago.
Compared to other European destinations that make Americans feel like paupers, when you pay in dollars, Icelanders give you the royal treatment.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Blowing in the Wind
There will be lots of answers, my friend, blowing in those legendary Icelandic winds next month when Bob Dylan plays in Reykjav�k on May 26. This is the second time Dylan has appeared in Iceland; previously he performed in concert in Reykjav�k in 1990.
The Dylan concert will be held at Egilsh�ll sports hall, which accommodates 13,000 people. �sleifur B. Th�rhallsson, promoter, has worked at bringing the rock legend to Iceland for two years.
�He (Dylan) is in excellent form and performs the songs people want to hear. So he has been acclaimed both by audiences and critics,� �sleifur said. (For more information: http://www.egilsholl.is).
|
|
|
|
 Iceland�s July 4th Comes Early
What the Fourth of July is to America, June 17 is to Iceland � the day in 1944 that Iceland won complete independence from Denmark. The festivities begin early at Austurvollur square in the center of the city. During the day, the entire downtown becomes filled with colorful parades and street performers. There�s music and dancing in the streets until midnight. (For more information: www.visitreykjavik.is).
|
|
|
|
It May be Soccer to You, But it�s Football to Us
 Whatever you call it, it�s time to plan ahead. The 5th Annual Reykjav�k International Football (i.e. Soccer) Festival, comes to Reykjavik July 25-29. Last year there were around 1,000 players from 27 clubs with 73 teams in the tournament. If there�s a soccer fan in your household, come see some of Europe�s best at play. (For more information in English, click on the cute picture of the British flag at: www.reycup.is)
|
|
|
|
Long Live Icelandic Men
 Icelandic men have the longest life expectancy in the world, living an average of 79.4 years in 2007, according to a recent announcement. "This is a world record. They live even longer than Japanese men," Oloef Gardarsdottir, a spokeswoman for Statistics Iceland, told Agence France-Presse, the French news agency. "We don't have an explanation. It's really difficult to give a reason why," she said. (If you asked us at Dateline, maybe all that rotten shark meat they eat pickles their insides).
By comparison Japanese men live on average 78.6 years, and Icelandic women have a life expectancy of 82.9 years, among the highest in the world. Iceland, one of the richest countries in the world, has long lived off of the fishing industry but has undergone a vast transformation since the mid-1990s, in particular due to a booming financial sector.
|
|
|
Whale Watching Season Begins
 One of the most popular adventure activities in Iceland is whale watching. Tours begin later this month and continue into October and are ready to take you within an arm�s reach of a breaching humpback or a minke whale. Europe�s capital of whale watching is H�sav�k, North Iceland. North Sailing owns three ships there, one of which is an old-fashioned schooner. After a trip with North Sailing, you and your friends, giddy from having just seen a humpback say hello with its fin, should stop off at the H�sav�k Whale Centre, run by �sbj�rn Bj�rgvinsson, named one of Time magazine�s European Heroes of the Year for his environmental and conservation work. (www.northsailing.is/)
Another company to consider, this one out of Reykjavik, is Elding Whale Watching. Elding Tours have various whale-watching boats including the flagship, the Elding, a 130-ton cruiser for 150 passengers with 3 viewing platforms, and the Elding II, a luxurious 30-ton motor yacht, carrying up to 38 passengers.
What are your chances of seeing whales? Pretty good. Consider the company�s blog for Apr. 1, 2008:
"
Great sightings of Minke Whales - 3 Minke whales were spotted at the same time, surfacing often close to the boat. Really great to observe, 2 together and one further away - we guess there were at least 5 individuals in the area as we had more sightings further in a distance. Harbour porpoises were also encountered in a huge group, all around the boat, wherever you looked out. A great tour in perfect weather - flat sea and sunshine." :o))
www.elding.is
|
|
|
Everyone is Talking About It
 The weather, that is. A new English Web site has been launched by the Icelandic Meteorological Office providing easy access to detailed weather forecasts and observations. This newly available information will help to increase the safety and comfort of visitors to the country. It�s a great site to check before your next trip.
Recently, the Icelandic version of the site received an award from the Society for Icelandic Web Industry, SVEF, for the best Web-site in public service during 2007. Is your Icelandic a bit rusty? No matter, we�ve got you covered in English. Just visit http://en.vedur.is.
|
|
|
Take a Break: Downtown Web Cam Provides a Live Look
 Downtown Reykjavik is ready for prime time now that a live Web cam shows people and traffic in real time. The Web cam changes views every 60 seconds. It�s a great way to daydream at your desk what it would be like to be in Iceland right now. If it�s rainy, sunny, windy, you�ll see it all. (http://eyjan.is/webcam)
|
|
|
They Said It
�Iceland is an anomalous place. First, thanks to the Gulf Stream, it isn't all that icy. That would be Greenland, named by Erik the Red, the inventor of travel marketing. That's not to say Iceland doesn't have weather -- I experienced four seasons in 30 minutes on a visit to the Gullfoss waterfall. There is an elemental war going on here: The clouds blot out every bit of light, then the sun stabs through in displays of horrible beauty; the postcard-perfect mountains look impermeable, but up close, it's clear they've been raked by watery claws of snow and rain; the ubiquitous lava fields wrestle with hummocks of grass and moss.�
� Michael Fitzgerald, Fast Company Magazine, April 2008
�Iceland�s population is a mere 302,000, spread out over a landscape a little bigger than Indiana. We were more or less alone on the narrow highway, which carried us through the desolate magnificence of the coast. To the south, undulant fields of hardened lava, flocked in mosses of a tender, watery green, sloped down to the sea.
�A dark palisade of mountains towered to the north, brightened here and there by silver bursts of glacial melt cascading from the peaks. Pale boulders of sheep browsed the lowlands.�
- Wells Tower, Outside Magazine, April 2008
�There�s so much more to do (in Iceland) � hiking in Iceland�s Thorsmork nature preserve, whale-watching at Iceland�s Husavik with its assortment of different whales � Iceland, in addition, has its fabulous geothermal pools. Among the myriad, the Blue Lagoon, with its state-of-the-art facilities, is the most eminent. Soaking in the soothing, steaming, aquamarine waters, pondering the abundance of nature that you saw during the day, you�ll ask yourself: Why would you be anywhere else?�
� Barbara Noe, Wall Street Journal travel supplement, Mar. 22-23, 2008
�What Happened to Glamorous Flight Attendants?� asks the April 2008 issue of Outside Magazine. Says Brian Finke, a photographer who spent two years working on his book, Flight Attendants, Icelandair wins points because �the flight attendants still wear hats.�
|
|
|
 Travel Deals of the Month
Two Nights Free In Iceland
In this space you�ll always find low fares to Iceland, but for a limited time only we'll also give you two nights free. Use the money you'll save on awesome day tours like the Golden Circle or South Shore Adventure. Departures and availability are limited, so act fast. Two nights in a double room at a hotel in Reykjavik with Scandinavian buffet breakfast and round-trip airport/hotel transfers start from $559* per person based on double occupancy. Click here for more information. http://www.icelandair.com/home/packages/lifestyle/detail/store65/item110236/
 Hilton: Free Spa + Internet
There are some great savings to be had this spring with an awesome offer from the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica Hotel. Stay with them in April or early May and receive free admission to the famed Nordica Spa - and on top of that, you'll also receive free Internet use during your hotel stay. The package also includes round-trip air transportation, two nights in a double room at the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica, and Scandinavian buffet breakfast. From $897* per person based on double occupancy. Click here for more information. http://www.icelandair.com/home/packages/lifestyle/detail/store65/item190406/
Iceland's Warm Welcome
Europe just got a bit closer with Icelandair's new flights from the U.S. and Canada. If you are curious about visiting Iceland, this is a great introductory package that will give you a taste of what the country is about... in more ways than one. Get three nights at the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica, Scandinavian buffet breakfast, one lunch at the hotel�s famous Vox Bistro, guided late morning Gullfoss-Geysir Direct tour, Blue Lagoon visit and a drop-off at Keflavik airport. From $989* per person based on double occupancy. Save up to $300 with this package's special offers. Click here for more information. http://www.icelandair.ca/home/packages/product/store65/item194582/
*Prices quoted are exclusive of applicable taxes and official charges by destination of approximately $100-$270, per person including the Sept. 11th Security Fee. Click here to view approximate taxes by destination.
|
|
|
| |
|
For information on other exciting activities in Iceland, be sure to visit:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
