"Kathryn's Iceland Pages" Iceland by bkathryn

Iceland Travel Guide: 5,388 reviews and 15,672 photos

Observers watching Strokkur, Iceland - Iceland

We went to Iceland on our way to Scotland on a family visit and sightseeing tour in August-Setember 1997.

Overall impressions of Iceland? Very interesting. Lots of neat things to see and do. I regret not getting the opportunity to ride an Icelandic horse (I've never seen so many horses!). I also expected there to be more chances to dip in hot pools. We saw lots of bits of hot water but it has not been developed for bathing. They do use the geothermal power for factories and the like but it hasn't been developed for "swimming" to any degree. That we noticed, anyway. Although it is true that pretty much every little town has great swimming facilities. I'm just not sure if they have hot tubs! I would love to go back and see/do some of the areas we didn't get too. Our other major impression was the price - things were expensive. We mostly stayed in guest houses with self-catering facilities. That was pretty good for making breakfast. But, I would definitely go back.

Literary references:

The Vinland Sagas: The Norse Discovery of America (Penguin Books, copyright Magnus Magnusson and Herman Pálsson, 1965)
Letters from High Latitudes, by Lord Dufferin (Printed by Whitstable Litho, Millstrood Rd, Whitstable, Kent)

Pros and Cons

Pros:It's a fascinating country.
Cons:At the time, it was rather expensive.
In a nutshell:Very interesting.

Last visit to Iceland: Aug 1997
Intro Updated Mar 9, 2010
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Reviews (26)

Stick your toes into the Arctic ocean! - Iceland

Stick your toes into the Arctic ocean! Off The Beaten Path (10)

Along the north coast in August 1997, we took the opportunity to see black sand beaches at the Öxarfjörður, an old sod... more travel advice

Drive along the Jokulsá á fjöllum - Iceland

Drive along the Jokulsá á fjöllum Off The Beaten Path (10)

In August 1997, we drove north along the river, Jokulsá á fjöllum (river that flows from the glacier to the fjord). We... more travel advice

Drive towards the Arctic Ocean - Iceland

Drive towards the Arctic Ocean Off The Beaten Path (10)

The day after our Askja tour in August 1997, we left behind our hotel in Reykjahlíð and drove north towards the Arctic... more travel advice

See the Askja caldera Off The Beaten Path (10)

In August 1997, at the Askja caldera itself, we walked in a ways to see the large lake (Öskjuvatn) with a smaller cone... more travel advice

Things to Do (7)
See All Gulfoss
Hotels (5)
See All Nice accommodation before bus trip

Favorites (2)
See All Go to Bláa Lónið
Restaurants (2)
See All Try for a traditional Icelandic dinner

Travelogues (1)

Written Mar 9, 2010

8 photos

Reykyavik, Golden Circle, Askja + "rellies"

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Comments (23)

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agapotravel Apr 28, 2007 at 6:31 AM

I enjoyed your pictures and tips. We are headed to Iceland in July....can't wait!! :-)
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dsantosh Jul 8, 2004 at 1:31 AM

Great page and phtographs.
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tvdm May 6, 2004 at 7:29 AM

I thought Iceland was absolutely gorgeous! Those pages are great!
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mim95 Dec 2, 2003 at 7:15 PM

I really want to visit Iceland some day...it's so fascinating!
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XenoHumph Jun 3, 2003 at 11:25 AM

I can't wait to go back to iceland, it is such a great place! Great page!
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Simonneeddy Feb 18, 2003 at 6:16 PM

A very interesting page. great pictures and good information.
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Kristina1701 Oct 18, 2002 at 12:28 PM

seems to be a really interesting country, hope to visit iceland one day
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diamonddog Sep 23, 2002 at 1:31 PM

Great page an marvellous Pics !! Very helpful
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tini58de Aug 19, 2002 at 8:18 AM

Looks like a wonderful destination!!
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Mandy23 Aug 8, 2002 at 1:30 PM

great info and travelgue! sure well worth a visit