ONLY IN ICELAND

The favorite word of most tourist boards seems to be �unique.� You�ll read about places that are �most unique,� �very unique,� and of course, our favorite, �truly unique.� But you�ll have to forgive our use of this over-used term when we describe four Icelandic experiences that are well, one of a kind.

�Raft Under the Midnight Sun � HestaSport in North Iceland, near the town of Varmahlid, offers a midnight rafting expedition down the West Glacier river. Experienced river guides imported from Nepal for the summer help you dress in full drysuits, booties, gloves and helmet, then provide instruction in English before a rip-roaring trip through the rapids. Not unique enough for you? Well, midway into the trip, the rafts stop along the shore where you can enjoy traditional sweet Icelandic pancakes and hot chocolate and rum made from piping hot fresh water that bubbles up from a thermal spring next to the river. (For more information: www.riding.is).

� Go on a Puffin Cruise - in a Hydrogen-Powered Boat � Just a short walk from some of the hottest nightclubs in Europe is the harborside ticket stand for Elding where you can take a guided one-hour puffin tour now through mid-August. Warm overalls or raincoats are provided free of charge in case you experience a dose of Iceland�s famous quirky weather (which if you don�t like, just wait five minutes). The tour guide will lead you to a small island teeming with the funny-beaked creatures. As an added bonus, the trip is on one of the world�s first hydrogen-powered passenger boats. Containing a clean, safe hydrogen fuel cell, it allows the captain to run silent during whale watches. (For more information: www.elding.is).

� Visit a Water Library � You won�t find many of these places around the world: a two-hour drive from Reykjavik will take you to the Vatnasafn Library of Water in Stykkisholmur. The American artist Roni Horn, in collaboration with the London-based arts organization Artangel, has created a permanent sculpture installation and community center that includes glass columns containing glacial water gathered from around Iceland. Natural light shining through water columns is refracted and reflected onto Icelandic and English words on the floor, absorbing the visitor into a world of weather, water and light. The room doubles as a space for solitary reflection and a place for community activity from writers� readings to women�s chess clubs, yoga classes and town meetings. (For more information: www.libraryofwater.is).

� Tour a Secret Cave � When you stay at the nine-room Hotel Reykjahlid (pronounced �Reyka-cleve�) in North Iceland�s Lake Myvatn region, general manager Petur Gislason, 40, will size you up. Not everyone can fit into the cave he offers as a sidetrip to his guests. For about $138, the package includes a 4WD Jeep trip to the spot of the secret Lofthellir Cave, lights, helmets gloves and boots, and an expert guide. The five-hour tour is not for the weight-challenged and requires some crawling. As far as his hotel with the drop-dead gorgeous view of Lake Myvatn is concerned, he says, �We�re small, personal and friendly. We�re not looking to attract the Jet Set. Don�t come if you plan to watch sports all day on a flat panel TV in your room.� (For more information: www.reykjahlid.is)

DOWNLOAD FREE SIGUR ROS SONG

The avant-garde Icelandic band Sigur Ros has posted a free MP3 of its new song, �Gobbledigook� at Sigurros.com. The band�s latest album has a long Icelandic title that translated into the Queen�s English means, �With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly.� While experimental Icelandic rock isn�t for everyone, the genre gets a lot more attractive when the music is being given away.

THREE CHANCES TO WIN A TRIP TO ICELAND

Brendan Fraser stars in Journey 3-D, in theatres July 11, an update of Jules Verne's masterpiece. Fraser portrays a geologist who, with his teenage nephew, discovers a message hidden in an ancient artifact, leading them on an adventure mirroring Verne�s novel. Journey 3-D is shot in live action with the otherworldly landscapes and creatures supplied by high-definition, photo-real 3-D technology. Now you can go on a Verne-like �journey� of your own. Better yet, send this link to all your friends and you both may be eating Pylsur hotdogs in Reykjavik sometime soon.

� Iceland Naturally Sweepstakes

Depending upon how lucky you are, you can win a four-day trip, a cool 66 Degrees North Tindur jacket, or a case of Iceland Spring, the water Jules Verne would have consumed had he actually visited us. Iceland Naturally is a collection of Icelandic products that have pooled their marketing to encourage people to visit the country. They get to be listed first because, well, they help pay the bills around here. Visit http://icelandnaturally.com/journey/win1.html

� We All Scream for Ice Cream

We love ice cream up here as much as anyone, perhaps even more so since it�s part of our name. Thus, you can imagine our delight when Dippin� Dots, those tiny, cryogenically frozen beads of ice cream, yogurt, sherbet and flavored ice invented in 1988, announced a sweepstakes to Iceland in conjunction with the July 11 opening of Journey to the Center of the Earth. To enter, log onto www.dippindots.com/journey. Deadline is July 25, 2008.

� Official Journey Movie Sweepstakes

Finally, your third opportunity to visit our little rock in the North Atlantic is to log onto the official movie Web site and play along with the characters in the film. Visit www.journeymovie.com.

TAKE A SEAT

Icelandair is now installing new seats and a new in-flight entertainment system in all of the company's Boeing 757 aircraft. The installation is to be completed in 2008. The new Italian seats are upholstered with leather, and made of new materials. The seats are lighter, stronger and take up less space, giving passengers more room and more comfort. The good news, it�s not just for those up front. Among the standards features of Economy class seating are:

Leather upholstery

4-way adjustable headrest

Literature pocket

In-flight entertainment system including a channel with sounds of Icelandic birdlife

Ergonomic design of back support, leading to more space for passengers

Wider seats for maximum comfort

Each plane will have one less row of seats onboard, giving all travelers an extra bit of legroom.

THEY SAID IT

�I guess I wasn�t quite prepared for the weekend debauchery. But I was surprised by how creative the culture is. I was aware of Bjork and vaguely aware of Halldor Laxness, but beyond that I didn�t know that every other Icelandic 18-year-old has a garage band or that practically every Icelander writes poetry.�

� Eric Bliss, long-time correspondent for National Public Radio, and author of the New York Times best seller, The Geography of Bliss: One Grump�s Search for the Happiest Place in the World.

Travel Deals of the Month

Take a �Journey� To A Mystical Site

Jules Verne imagined a trip to the center of the earth that started from Sn�fellsj�kull, an old volcano that has a glacier on its top. It is situated on the most western part of the Sn�fellsnes peninsula and can be seen from Reykjav�k on a clear day. Sn�fellsj�kull is truly a beautiful mountain. Some people even believe that it emanates supernatural energy.

Icelandair offers two new tours centrally focused on the real-life places depicted in this classic story:

Exclusive West Iceland Bus Adventure

Take a two-night tour around the peninsula national park and a guided walk in the vicinity of Snaefellsjokull. Visitors will see the area's amazing volcanic geology and history, including the stone structure honoring Bardar Snaefellsas, the Viking shaman who sensed the innate energy and power said to radiate from the glacier.

Departures through Sep. 12, 2008. Two nights in Iceland from $955* pp dbl. For more information, please click here.

Exclusive West Iceland Jeep Adventure

Travelers with a more adventurous spirit may take a three-night "Super Jeep" tour of Western Iceland, starting with a relaxing dip in the geothermal waters of the Blue Lagoon and some time to enjoy the unusual setting of the Reykjanes Peninsula. Other stops include Skalholt, an ancient bishopric site where many of Iceland's Viking Sagas were transcribed; Gullfoss, a double ledge waterfall that many believe is the nation's most beautiful; Geysir, the namesake of all geysers; and Thingvellir, the site of theoriginal Icelandic parliament from more than 1,000 years ago.

Wake up to tour the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, a landscape that displays so many of the geological features that make Iceland famous. You can also explore Arnarstapi at the foot of Snaefellsjokull Glacier, the fabled entrance to the "center" of the Earth.

With Friday departures, now through Sept 12, 2008 from $2,755* pp dbl. For more information, please click here.

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

Glaciers, Geysers and Waterfalls

Like Olafur Eliasson's artistic depiction of Icelandic waterfalls now on public display in New York City? Then you�re ready for the real thing. This package samples Iceland's best-known wonders. Tours are conducted via motorcoach now through September, and in Land Rovers from October through April.

All the specially equipped Land Rovers have large tires, are equipped with a GPS satellite navigation system, VHF Radios, NMT telephones and other necessary equipment for comfortable all-season travel in Iceland�s rugged and scenic landscape. Each one comfortably accommodates up to 7 passengers for road and track touring.

Seven-day excursions start from $1,869* per person based on double occupancy.
For more information, click here.

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