ICELANDIC TOURIST BOARD DATELINE DECEMBER 2007

As this year draws to a close and another year is born, we are reminded of New Year�s resolutions. How about making a resolution to explore a new place � broaden your horizons with a trip to Iceland? In winter? Yes winter. Some of our readers have doubtless been here and promised themselves they�d return, and whether it�s your first trip or just the latest one, we have some great deals to make the decision easy for you. Read on for travel packages, shopping, and an unbelievably old clam.

Iceland: The Best Place on Earth

We are delighted to announce that Iceland is the world�s best place to live according to an annual UN report published on Nov. 27. The index takes into consideration figures on life expectancy, education levels, and real per capita income to rank 175 nations of the world. Whether it is the pollution-free air and water, organic food products, or cultural innovations, there are numerous ways for travelers to benefit from what Iceland has to offer:

Spa Central - Take a dip in one of Iceland�s hundreds of outdoor swimming pools. Research has shown that swimming outdoors in hot, thermal water, while breathing in clean, fresh air has a positive effect on the heart and respiratory system. It couldn�t hurt. No wonder Icelanders live so long!

The Capital of Clean - The capital city of Reykjavik, is probably one of the cleanest and safest cities in the world. Plentiful resources of geothermal energy ensure clean air and unpolluted water giving both citizens and visitors a unique sense of liveliness and contentment.

Food for Thought - Inexpensive geothermal energy provides the resources to grow all sorts of organic fruits and vegetables in greenhouses. Meat and dairy products are free of additives and growth hormones. Seafood is caught fresh daily from the glistening, pollution free waters surrounding our island nation.

Culture is in Our Nature - Icelanders are well educated with most schooling at little or no cost to its citizens, leaving plenty of room for artistic as well as scholarly pursuits. Travelers can enjoy a packed program of cultural delights from art museums, theaters, an opera house, a symphony orchestra and live music concerts.

Our thanks to the UN for sharing our little country with the world.

The Top Shops In Reykjavik

As the temperature drops, the shopping in Iceland only gets hotter. Shopaholics get their fix during the months of January and February when store owners clear out their merchandise and drastically reduce prices. Everything from traditional Icelandic souvenirs to designer clothing are yours with one magic word: utsala � �sales.� You�ll see it in store windows everywhere.

The Iceland shopping secret is out. It�s the latest vacation diversion in articles from The New York Times Magazine and Town & Country Travel praising downtown Reykjavik for its sophisticated and yes, radical style scene. Both articles agree on a number of must-see Reykjavik shops including Kisan with its ultra sumptuous hand-knit sweaters and unique home goods, and the fashion-forward KronKron located in a loft-like boutique filled with bold prints and patterns.

Trilogia is named as having one of the city�s strongest mixes of Icelandic and international collections, selling work by recent fashion graduates alongside big brand heavyweights. The store also displays emerging artists� work in a growing trend in Icelandic stores � retailing that is part boutique, part art gallery.

Christmas: Exclusive Offer from the Blue Lagoon

Blue Lagoon Iceland is offering a selection of skin care products based on the Blue Lagoon�s unique active elements. They cleanse, boost and nourish skin. This gift set offer includes special collections of selected Blue Lagoon skin care products such as hand and face creams, toners, and silica mud masks, and is only available to readers of Dateline (you know who you are don�t you? you�re the world�s most passionate Icelandophiles). (To order immediately: www.bluelagoon.com/dateline).

Kelfavik�s Eiriksson Air Terminal Among Europe�s Best

Where else can you get your eyeglasses made while you�re waiting for a flight? If Iceland�s international airport is one of your favorites, you�re not alone. The Leifur Eir�ksson Air Terminal placed fourth among European airports in terms of customer satisfaction, according to findings of the ASQ (Airport Service Quality) survey conducted in second quarter 2007 by the Airports Council International (ACI), in which 90 of the world�s leading airports take part.

The Terminal has been enlarged recently, and the shopping and service area has doubled in size, with over a dozen companies providing goods and services. That gives you plenty of time to shop, eat and drink before flying.

They must be doing something right. The number of passengers passing through the Leifur Eir�ksson Air Terminal rose by nearly 9% in October over the same month last year, from just over 170,000 in October 2006 to nearly 185,000 this year. What�s more, the number of passengers to and from Iceland has risen by nearly 13% from last year.

Visit New Showcase Iceland - Passengers waiting between flights at Leifur Eir�ksson Air Terminal are encouraged to extend their stay in Iceland with a stunning new visual experience at Showcase Iceland. Extraordinary and scenic aerial footage is projected onto a large format 333-inch viewing screen with striking music to emphasize the visual awe. The cinematography allows viewers to feel as if they are soaring over Iceland�s ultimate natural beauty complete with bubbling hot springs, fiery volcanoes, thundering waterfalls, glistening glaciers and wildlife. This not-to-be-missed experience is open to everyone and is free of charge.

They Know What�s Good

What�s the oldest living animal? According to Time Magazine, it�s a quahog clam found off the coast of Iceland. They must like it there. At the ripe old age of 405, it is the longest-lived animal on record, breaking the record previously held by a 374-year-old clam. Uh, no thanks. We like to eat something a little fresher. Yeah, like hakarl, our world-renowned fermented shark meat.

They Said It

�Question: What's the worst thing you've ever eaten?

�Answer: Fermented shark in Iceland. They celebrate their hardy Viking roots by eating shark that has essentially rotted and is then marinated in lactic acid for six months. There was also the warthog rectum in Namibia. Steer clear of that.�

� Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, Time Magazine, Nov. 12, 2007

�If you think the national parks in Iceland are cold and barren, well, think again. Or head to Skaftafell National Park in the southern part of the country. Founded in 1967, it has already been enlarged twice and is Iceland's second largest national park offering a landscape similar to the Alps, with grassy slopes framed by picturesque peaks.�

�� Jaunted.com, the Pop Culture Travel Guide

� For those willing to brave the climate, Iceland's thriving capital offers a generous helping of Nordic culture, aquatic cuisine and Viking history. Just don't forget your jacket.

�Bathe in the therapeutic waters of the Blue Lagoon, conveniently located near the airport, or one of the city's prevalent "hot pots"�outdoor tubs heated to withstand the cold.

�Eat at Seafood Cellar and sample a native dish: lundi (puffin) or hakarl, rotten shark meat buried underground for three months and served with a necessary shot of brennivin, strong Icelandic liquor (sjavark jallarinn.is).

�Ascend the tower of the Hallgrimskirkja, Iceland's largest church, which offers spectacular bird's-eye views of the city.
�Shop for hundreds of luxe Scandinavian design labels like Marimekko, Iittala and Filippa K along chic Laugavegur, the city's main stretch.�

� Kristin Luna, Newsweek, Oct. 22, 2007

Q. �What place have you gone to more than twice?�

A. �Iceland for fly fishing. I once spent 10 days there salmon fishing and caught a huge number of them, about 99.�

� Sir Rocco Forte, Travel Winter 07, New York Times Magazine

Travel Deals of the Month

An Iceland Stop Over

You can get two destinations for the price of one with the $99 Iceland stopover from Icelandair. Stop over for up to seven nights at no additional airfare with any flight or package to our European destinations beyond Iceland. Paris and puffins? London and lava? Glasgow and glaciers? Stockholm and spas? The possibilities are endless. This package includes: one night hotel stay with breakfast, round-trip airport/hotel transfers, a Reykjavik Card (includes entrance to museums, swimming pools, thermal baths and Reykjavik Zoo), and a gift package of Blue Lagoon skincare lotion. Valid now through April 30, 2008. For more information, log onto http://www.icelandair.com/home/packages/build-your-own/detail/store65/item150326/

A Two-Night Taste of Iceland

You do not have to be a food critic on a fat expense account to savor scrumptious cuisine at your choice of some of Reykjavik�s best-loved restaurants. Iceland is renowned for fresh seafood, organic lamb, rich cheeses and decadent chocolate, prepared by some of the finest chefs in all of Europe. Now there�s a travel package just for epicurious readers of Dateline where you can eat delicacies prepared by Iceland�s greatest cooks at Odinsveum, Einar Ben Restaurant, and Vox Bistro. This is a trip not to be missed by gourmets and gourmands alike. From $699 per person based on double occupancy. Departures: Jan. 6 through Oct 31, 2008. For more information, log onto http://www.icelandair.com/home/packages/lifestyle/detail/store65/item146088/

Everyone Likes A Sampler

� that�s why we created the Viking Sampler package for three nights in Iceland. Stay in South Iceland close to the country�s second largest glacier and an active geyser area. It�s the perfect base for your adventures. Depending on the weather and time of the year, you will be able to enjoy two of the following: horseback riding, snowmobiling or a SuperJeep glacier tour to discover your A.Q. (Adventure Quotient) on this multi activity tour.

Enjoy the advantages of smaller group size, more flexibility in your schedule, skilled driver guides and the chances to see landscapes rarely glimpsed from a tour bus. All necessary gear needed for activities will be provided � all you need to do is enjoy yourself, which shouldn�t be difficult at all. From $1,599* per person based on double occupancy. For more information, log onto http://www.icelandair.com/home/packages/adventure/detail/store65/item141696/

*Prices quoted are exclusive of applicable taxes and official charges by destination of approximately $100-$180, per person including the Sept. 11th Security Fee of $2.50 per U.S. enplanement.

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