ICELANDIC TOURIST BOARD                                                                              DATELINE AUGUST 2008

Welcome to the latest edition of Dateline where we hasten to remind you that autumn is a great time to visit the northernmost capital city in the world.

Reykjavík has the features of a modern, forward-looking society, complemented by a close connection to beautiful nature. Visitors to Reykjavik experience easily the pure energy at the heart of Iceland's capital city - whether from the boiling thermal energy underground, the natural green energy within the city and around it, or the lively culture.

Reykjavík, with a population of around 200,000, is a great place to visit, whether for some cultural nourishment, a spot of unbridled fun or to recharge your batteries. The city, which is spread across a peninsula with a panoramic view of the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, is compact and easy to navigate. In addition, magnificent countryside awaits just minutes away from the city centre.

WHEN IS AN AIRPORT A DESTINATION?

When it’s the Leifur Eiriksson Air Terminal at Keflavik Airport. In fact, savvy travelers we know make a habit of getting to KEF extra early before departure. Others plan their entire European travel to include a stop-over in Iceland, usually without paying extra airfare when they travel on Icelandair (www.icelandair.com). Besides the great shopping, which we’ll get to in a second, changing planes through Keflavik means less congestion and less congestion means fewer possibility of delay. Next time you have European travel plans, consider doing it the Iceland way. It’s a lot less stressful and pretty good for your blood pressure too.

Speaking of your health, here’s the latest in shopping therapy: spend a few hours at the Eiriksson terminal. Consider this: Iceland is one of the few Western European countries with a duty-free departure area. Plus, the airport provides free luggage carts to departing passengers so they can shop comfortably without a heavy carry-on digging into their shoulders.

Favorite attractions include the 66 Degrees North boutique; a new seafood bar; and an Icelandic coffee house called Kaffitar. There’s a cafeteria style restaurant called Bistro Atlantic serving local favorites like kleina deep fried dough, flatbraud (flatbread) with hangikjot (smoked meat), and our personal favorite, creamy Skyr.

The popular Blue Lagoon has even created a mini-spa where weary travelers can get hand and foot massages, facials, or purchase the spa’s famous skincare products before they leave for home.

The Optical Studio (www.opticalstudio.is) where you can get an eye exam, select from an inventory of 400 frames, and walk away with a new set of specs all within 15-20 minutes – all guaranteed and at savings of up to 25 percent. They even sell sunglasses and ski goggles.

There are also ATMs that dispense Icelandic and Danish kroner, dollars, pounds and Euros without commission; wireless Internet; work stations with chargers; and a children’s play area. Downstairs, by the departure gates, is a dramatic film presentation on the sights and sounds of Iceland … a sly attempt to get you to return one day to this land of fire and ice. (For more information: www.airport.is).

 


ICELAND’S LIVING LABORATORY

The World Heritage Committee inscribed 13 new sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List after a meeting in Canada last month. The new sites include Iceland’s young volcanic island Surtsey, which has been preserved as a living laboratory since 1964.

Surtsey, the southernmost isle of the Westman Islands archipelago, located approximately 20 miles from the south coast of Iceland, was formed in a series of volcanic eruptions that took place from 1963 to 1967.

According to UNESCO, Surtsey is all the more outstanding for having been protected since its birth, providing the world with a pristine natural laboratory.

Free from human interference, Surtsey has been producing unique long-term information on the colonization process of new land by plant and animal life. Since they began studying the island in 1964, scientists have observed the arrival of seeds carried by ocean currents, the appearance of molds, bacteria and fungi, followed in 1965 by the first vascular plant, of which there were ten species by the end of the first decade.


While you can’t visit there, let us suggest the next best thing – The Culture House in Reykjavik has a fascinating exhibition on the island, tracing its emergence and evolution to the present day. The exhibition continues through Spring 2009 and costs just ISK 300 or a surprisingly inexpensive $3.75 at today’s exchange rate (Ha! who said Iceland was expensive? See how far $3.75 gets you in a London museum). (For more information: www.thjodmenning.is

 

TAKE TO THE AIR (WAVES)

Iceland Airwaves, the four-day music festival held every year in Reykjavik, is back – and the line-up keeps growing. The festival, which will take place at venues all over the city from Oct. 15-19, will showcase upcoming artists from all across the musical spectrum and the globe. Acts include Final Fantasy, Crystal Castles, and Simian Mobile Disco, These New Puritans, Gus Gus, Sprengjuhöllin, Dr. Spock, Seabear, and Reykjavík! The festival is a huge hit with music fans every time. See below for special air and hotel packages to the festival.

HERE FISHY, FISHY

American anglers are rediscovering Iceland thanks, in part, to a better exchange rate. The leading fishing service in the country is Lax-A (pronounced lax-ow), based in Reykjavik. This 21-year-old service offers five full-service lodges and self-catering summer houses. Fishing in Iceland is unique in that you’ll rarely see another angler – only a limited number of rods are allowed on each river at any given time.

While their six-day trips can get pricey, less expensive day trips are available as well. A trip to the Galtalaekur river, for instance, is $1,100 for two people including a guide, equipment, license and local transportation. This tributary of the West Ranga is 60 miles from Reykjavik and features fat browns that range from one to 15 pounds.

Or, to save even more, you can just buy a license for approximately $100-$200 per person per day for one of 30 local rivers. You’ll get a map on where to go with some suggestions on which is the magic fly for the day.

Lax-A can help you find a service that will smoke your own wild salmon, or better yet, swap your fish for one already smoked and send you on your way. Surprisingly, they don’t offer ice fishing because, guess what? Iceland isn’t cold enough. Nothing to do with global warming, it’s always been that way. (For more information: www.lax-a.is)

THEY SAID IT

“Why Iceland? Every travel writer, every avid traveler in fact, has a mental list of the places they must visit and Iceland was high on my list,
especially since it is only a 4-1/2 hour flight from the East Coast.

“I have the privilege to visit Italy two or three times a year and I know
many are envious of me, but even a travel writer needs a ‘vacation’ and I wanted to go somewhere very different from Italy but I love Europe - in fact, I was a European Studies major. Iceland just seemed the perfect choice - close, European, but totally unique.”

– Kathy McCabe, travel writer and publisher of
the travel newsletter Dream of Italy (http://www.dreamofitaly.com)

"The mystical, magical place of Iceland, which is what it really is, is normal for me," says Briem, 26, in lightly accented English. "I drive by myself across the country, across the highlands and the fields of lava and go bathing in natural hot pools, and it is spectacular, as is our history and the contrast of elements in the environment."

– Anita Briem, co-star of Journey to the Center of the Earth, speaking to Michael Ordona in the July 10 Los Angeles Times.

"With its many volcanoes, glaciers, geysers and wondrous waterfalls, Iceland almost appears otherworldly. And now is the perfect time to visit, since the sun shines 24 hours a day in the summer months. Iceland has been a hot destination in recent years since its capital, Reykjavik, emerged as a party spot because of its nightlife. While there are plenty of boat tours that leave from Reykjavik, it's worth renting a car to explore the rest of Iceland."

– Gina Salamone, "It's an unearthly paradise in Iceland," New York Daily News, July 20, 2008

"The place has the general feel of the frontier – an enthusiastic attitude toward the environment that one finds in places like Alaska, Wyoming, and Northern Canada."

– Nathan Myhrvold, former chief technology officer of Microsoft. Currently, he runs an invention company and spends his free time digging up dinosaur bones, experimenting with old and new cooking methods, and taking photographs of nature. (Quote taken from the July 14 www.NYTimes.com Freakonomics blog).

“Volcanoes, geysers, and Björk: Who couldn’t love Iceland? Twenty-four hour winter darkness makes it less than appealing as a year-round destination, but as gonzo weekend venues go it’s hard to beat. Stay in a luxury furnished apartment in downtown Reykjavik with A Room With a View, soak in the mineral-rich waters of The Blue Lagoon, and go on a driving tour of the geothermal zone of Geysir (where the word originated) and the Great Atlantic Rift with Iceland excursions. Icelandair’s Lucky Fares are legendary, plus there’s a fall fare sale under way.”
– ForbesTraveler.com

“Air passing through Canada and Greenland is scrubbed free of particles by rain and clouds before it reaches Iceland,” says the NOAA’s Russell Schnell, explaining that, unfortunately, what gaseous pollution was there to start with is sure to remain. What makes Iceland unique (and worthy of inclusion) is the fact that the pristine air extends well beyond the measuring station. Iceland’s power and heat are generated almost entirely from clean, renewable hydroelectric and geothermal sources.
– Travel & Leisure.com

“He said he couldn't promise, but that if we came back next year, he might have a volcanic eruption for us.”

– Writer Dean Johnson, reporting in the Chicago Tribune what he was told by the mayor/police chief of Selfoss after experiencing a 6.1 earthquake while traveling in Iceland earlier this year. Obviously, Johnson lived to write about it.


Travel Deals of the Month

Iceland Airwaves 2008

Get your sleep in now, 'cause no other party comes close. Icelandair is offering a special Airwaves package deal. Book by July 31 and save $50 per person. Rates will go up after Aug 31, 2008. The package is priced based on two nights' stay and start from $877* per person based on double occupancy. Expand your Iceland Airwaves experience and add in extra nights from as little as $49 per person per night. Also, add a Blue Lagoon visit to your Iceland Airwaves Package from just $54 per person.
Click here for more information.

Saga Sites Fly & Drive

This six-day Fly & Drive package along the serene southern coast of Iceland presents a relaxing tour of spectacular proportions, with majestic sea cliffs, cascading waterfalls, caves, black lava beaches - and ocean views that stretch beyond forever. Departures run through Sept. 30, and cars start from a Toyota Yaris and move upscale. From $1,317* per person based on double occupancy.
Click here for more information.

Five Waters Ride

This six-night guided tour combines horseback riding along with sightseeing and is recommended for experienced riders. Stay overnight in farmhouses and countryside hotels, and spend your days fording rivers and lakes, and following the seashore. You’ll also visit a beautiful waterfall, have the chance to bathe in a natural hot spring, and try your hand at being an Icelandic cowboy. You'll switch horses several times during the day, so the "spares" will run free ahead of your group, and you can help herd them along if you wish.

During the tour, you will stay at Hvammur, a cozy family holiday farm. Recommended for strong intermediate riders. From $2,957* per person based on double occupancy.
Click here for more information.

*Prices quoted are exclusive of applicable taxes and official charges by destination of approximately $100-$270, per person including the Sept. 11th Security Fee.

For information on other exciting activities in Iceland, be sure to visit:

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