Hey everyone!
Iceland was never a country I really ever thought about visiting, up until two years ago. I had seen pictures of these amazing landscapes, with mountains everywhere you look. I decided to do some more research into this amazing country, and said to myself 'I need to go there'.
I was lucky enough to spend a week with my family, in Iceland, for my birthday. It was like no other place I had ever been to.
We boarded an early morning flight from London, and landed just before lunch time. We had decided to rent a car, to give us a bit more freedom when exploring. I recommend doing just this, as it allows you to have a lot more freedom in your itinerary.
Our first stop was the blue lagoon. We didn't bother to go into the lagoon itself, but instead walked around the outside area before needing to pay anything.
After finishing up at the blue lagoon, we made our way to Icelands capital, Reykjavik. This place is like no other capital city you will find in the world. Everyone is friendly, everyone appreciates the country they are in. The streets are clean, and people have respect for each other.
We rented a little apartment, and could see the striking Hallgrimskirkja from our window. We didn't rush out straight away, as we had been up since 3am and it was beginning to effect us.
One thing I noticed in Reykjavik, is that every building is different to the next and they are colourful and beautiful to look at.
Reykjavik has an amazing mountain view, that lights up an incredible red colour with the sunset.
The following day we woke up early and drove the Golden Circle route, which is very much the main tourist route in Iceland. Taking in some of the countries most famous sights.
There are a lot of waterfalls in Iceland, but all of them are unique in their own ways.
The lava fields could easily be missed, as they are covered in moss and look like grass from a distance. But up close they are just as magical as anything else.
After the Golden Circle we headed back to our apartment in the capital, where we only had one more night booked. As the following day we were going to the little village of Vik, at the base of the Myrdalsjokull glacier with contains the Katla volcano. You can really feel the presence of this dangerous volcano looming over the village.
This village itself is a great place to base yourself, if you want to head a little further east on the ring road. We only went as far as the Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon, probably my favourite place we visited on our week in Iceland. You can stand around the edge, and just be in awe of your surroundings. If you do visit this spectacular place, you should also walk over to the beach for an out of this world view. Trust me, you won't regret it.
Once place that I was a little disappointed with, but also quite excited to see was the derelict place on the beach. From the road, you cannot see the plane. After walking for what felt like an eternity, with nothing but black sand to look at, we arrived at the plane. It is a wonderful place to photograph, but it is also full of tourists. We may have just been unlucky as their was a group of people walking over the plane, and having a mini photoshoot. Which meant we had to wait for them to clear, so that we could get a photo. It was quite interesting to see, but not a place I would rush back to you. Iceland is full of amazing places, so skip this and fit somewhere else in!
I want to finish this diary of Iceland, talking about the famous Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights. We couldn't have had more luck with them, as we saw them every single night we were there. The best ones though, were the ones we saw whilst staying in Vik.
Now, one of my dreams has always been to see them in person, and the night before my 21st birthday I captured the image below. They were the strongest ones we saw during our time in Iceland, and they were dancing incredibly in the sky. It was a breath taking, emotional experience. And nothing quite prepares you for seeing them in the flesh.
One day I would love to go back to Iceland, but to cover the whole country rather then just a small portion of it. The beauty of it is that it is almost untouched, and everyone who lives there, and majority of the tourists, appreciate the nature of it. It isn't a largely populated country, and although it is becoming more and more of a popular travel destination, it still retains its natural beauty.
I just ask that anyone who does visit, respects the signs and respects the people. Take your litter with you and don't leave it for someone else to get rid of. When there's a danger sign, respect it and don't put yourself and those who would have to rescue you in danger.
I'm sorry this is such a long post, but I could write a whole book on my love for this country, and all the places I visited. Would you believe me if I said I had to leave a lot out, to make this post a reasonable length? I have hundreds of photos I would to share with you as well. It really is one of my favourite destinations I have visited.
Thanks for reading, xo
*As with all pictures featured on my blog, they are all taken by me unless otherwise noted. I use a Canon 700d, Canon S120 and iPhone 6S.
