Adventures in iceland;The Blue Lagoon: Golden circle.

How to make the most of 3 days in Iceland!

Iceland, the name literally speaks for itself, It is a land of Ice (so wrap up warm) and a stunning one at that! A world of white in what looks like heaven and fluffy clouds, which is why you MUST visit in the winter.I must admit the reason for the trip was specifically to visit the Blue lagoon but there is a lot more beauty to be discovered and endless fun to be had.

First and foremost you MUST get a car (I went with no intention of hiring a car so trust me on this one).  Apart from the fact that it is the most expensive country I have ever visited (Norway been the second) you could probably book another holiday with the amount of money you would have to pay in taxi fares, and the buses are few and far between. So before you get there go online to Enterprise: goo.gl/DU4ax1 (ask for Matt he is a Brummy living in Iceland and was very helpful on advice and tips). You will need to get a 4×4 to avoid having to be rescued, or even better, one of these Monsters!

We arrived at the airport & for some reason I thought our hotel was 25 minutes away! Well try 2 hours away! We got a quote for £200 in a taxi ride to Selfoss and pre warned that a snow blizzard was on it’s way – Happy days! But actually it was a blessing in disguise, this was the push we both needed to get a car. Neither of us had much experience in driving on the opposite side of the road, and what better way to learn than straight in the deep end with snow that reached almost a metre high!

We made it to our destination, heart racing, terrified and anxiety in overdrive but we were in one piece and feeling very proud to have beat a blizzard. Anyway the Hotel Grimsborgir in Selfoss was our temporary home, a delightful little estate in a rural area South of Iceland, I instantly fell in love with the breathtaking settings. Of course the only issue is getting there but it was definitely worth it and the best place I could find.

The cute little houses with shabby chic decor complimented the backdrop to a T. You feel like you are a million miles away from humanity (in a good way)so make sure you enjoy the persons company that you are going with, otherwise you are stuffed! They have a restaurant, bar and lounge for those cosy nights AND the best bit – a hot tub that is bubbling and toasty from 6pm onwards, allowing you to chill outside in the snow without freezing to death. Glass of bubbly, snow falling, star watching – magical.

 

THE BLUE LAGOON EXPERIENCE!

Pre booking is required because as you can imagine people travel all over the world, and can you blame them??! There are cheaper options available starting from about £40 but as this was a gift to my other half I booked the luxury package (which is over triple per person) due to the heaviest snowfall Iceland had experience in 60 years (typical), and all of the roads were closed off we missed the slot for the private premium lounge that you get in the luxury package, this was booked in for 9am, we arrived at 3pm! I was just relieved to have made it and they kindly refunded me and offered us the premium package. The reason I would recommend going for a more expensive package is because you get to que in a smaller line and you can also reserve a table at their Lava restaurant, which can I add was the best meal of the whole trip, so 100% worth it!

PACK: SWIMWEAR, FLIP FLOPS AND A DEEP CONDITIONER FOR YOUR HAIR!

If you don’t lather your hair with conditioner it will become dry and very difficult to manage I would put it on before you enter and maybe even leave it until you get back to your hotel.

The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal made up of Silica, Algae and minerals. You will get a silica mud mask and I can honestly say my skin felt like a baby’s bottom. Included is a Sauna & Steam room, Relaxation lounge with a view of the lagoon and a bar in the water – so cool! Apart from that there are literally no words for this place which is why I will shut my mouth and just show you the photos, because I think they speak for themselves.

 

WRITE THIS PLACE ON YOUR BUCKET LIST RIGHT NOW!!

 

GOLDEN CIRCLE TOUR

Day 3 – the last day to explore the Golden Circle. You can book this tour via your hotel and other tourist centres but if you have your own wheels I would 100% say do it alone! We researched the Golden Circle the night before, made a list of the spots we wanted to go to and off we went. Because we had a flight back that day we had to miss of a couple of the Secret Lagoons. The first stop was the Gulfoss Waterfalls. Imagine the coldest place you have ever been? Then times that by 100, seriously this place was FREEZING, I struggled to take any photos because my hands turned to icicles!

The next attraction, The Geysir! Only 10 minutes from the waterfall. This was phenomenol! A hot spring in the ground, evaporating hot steam that explodes on average every 6 minutes!

After a fun filled few days it was soon time to head back to the airport. Satisfied with the fun filled 3 days exploring all that Iceland has to offer, there was just one thing missing! The Northern Lights of course, we had ventured out on a midnight stroll the nights previous with no luck. Apparently this was the night that the clouds were no where to be seen and a prime time for the beautiful Aurora to be in full swing. We even debated staying an extra night, but I had another flight to catch. So as we are on the plane reminiscing on the weekend the sky turns green and begins to dance,  there they were wishing us farewell and finishing the trip off with a bang! The pilot turned off the lights and everyone shared the moment! If you would like any more information or if I have missed anything please let me know. If I had to say one negative about Iceland it would be the food is nothing to write home about, and it is expensive but apart from that it is a MUST visit!

WHAT TO PACK

• GLOVES! Stupidly I didn’t take any and on the first outing I had to buy some to save my fingers.
• Hiking or snow boots, I had some walking boots from Go Outdoors and teamed with thick socks they kept me warm and dry. I took 3 other pairs of shoes but I promise that is the only footwear you will need, even for your evening meal.
• Layers! The most important thing is that you are warm so layer it up!
• A very warm coat! I bought a new coat from the trip from the SNO collection at Topshop! It was PERFECT and waterproof. they have so many nice options.
• A Lifeproof case for your phone, this is about £70 from Amazon but water, snow, drop and dirt proof! Which means you can take pictures in the Blue Lagoon without having to worry.
• Lip balm. Your lips will get very dry in the cold weather.

So if you are looking for somewhere to escape reality and the usual daily routines. This is the place. 

Peace & Love Melissa @missmelissawalton