Iceland Things to Bring / Buy

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Hi there! Are you ready for your adventure in Iceland? Iceland is probably the best country I have been to, and the most EXPENSIVE too. After the economic crash in year 2008, the country have became more affordable for tourist. But, it is still the most expensive country in the world.

The currency is Icelandic Króna (ISK).
1000 ISK ≈  8.10 Euro, 9.40 USD, or 40 MYR.

Despite the high cost of living, Icelandic people average earning is not too high as we assume. An average person earns around 310,000 ISK / USD 2900 a month. The rate of income tax in Iceland is calculated in two levels:
36.94% for income between ISK 0 - 834,707 / month
46.24% for income between ISK 834,708 / month

So for those staying in Malaysia, why are you whining?

- Road Trip What To Bring -

There are a few things you will definitely need in Iceland!

🌟 Waterproof Jacket - It also keeps you warm from the cold air. It gets quite windy around the highlands. Umbrella is no use here as the gale easily blows you away.

🌟 Waterproof pants - For those who are hiking Glacier it is also recommended.

🌟 Winter hat/ Long John - Iceland weather is relatively mild due to the geothermal activities on its island. In the winter, temperature will go around 0 °C. In October during my travelling period, the weather fluctuates from 1°C to 7°C. It is best to stay warm during your hunt for Aurora.

🌟 Ponchos - You will need get up close to the waterfalls for a good photo shoot, most of the times the waterfall are so powerful you will get wet.

🌟 Hiking shoes - definitely a must if you are going for glacier walk. Best to get one with protection up to your ankle. Climb to the waterfalls are slippery and rocky so it is advisable to wear one.

🌟 Credit Card - For Malaysian, Krona are not available here. In order to change to Krona, you will have to change from MYR > EURO > Krona. Krona is available in Keflavik airport, or you may pay in Euro and cashier will return you in Krona. The rate will be better if you just pay with credit card. You will also need it for petrol as most of the petrol stations are self service (without operator). All restaurants, cafe, souvenir store accepts Visa and Master Card so it is not an issue.

🌟 Sunglass - When the sky is up with sun dew on road, it will be very difficult to drive with all the glare. A cloudy sky would probably be the best weather for driving in Iceland.

🌟 GPS - or better get a car with GPS installed. POI cannot be found in GPS, coordinate will be more accurate. Plot all your destinations in google maps before you start!

🌟 Swim suit/ Bikini and flip flop - Blue lagoon is a must go for all tourist even though it is not natural hotspring. Some hotels/Guesthouse do provide pools and Jacuzzi.

🌟 Tripod - To catch aurora or silk effect on waterfalls, you will need a tripod. But make sure you get one which is heavy so the wind wont blow it away. My tripod fell twice and nearly damaged my camera. So.. please beware!

🌟 Water bottle / Thermos - Out for the cold and it will be comforting to have warm water back in the car. Good thing water is FREE in Iceland. They probably have the best drinking water

🌟 Adapter - same for all Europe countries it is the 2 round prongs running on 220 volts.

🌟 Kettle - some of the guest house we stayed in does not provide kettle. Just in case you need warm water for your morning coffee/tea, you may bring it.

Optional for travelers in Summer:
🌟 Eye mask - as the sun sets at 12am and rises at 3am. You will need a very thick curtain or eye mask to dim out the lights. From the places I stay, the curtain looks kind of thin and doesn't look sun-proof for sure.

- Navigating in Iceland -

 

Data plan is essential during your travel. We got ourselves Síminn Prepaid from Keflavik airport convenient store 10-11 at 2900 ISK or you may get one from Eymundsson Leifsstöð. Iphone users do remember to bring sim card pin as there is no operator at your service.

One thing good is they includes 50 minutes talk time just in case you need to call for restaurant booking or check on road situation with your car rental agency. Data will be needed to check road condition and weather. There is also emergency app 112 which will send your location to help center. You may also save your location with a press on the green button and your last 5 locations will be saved. 

Other than the serious matter, data is also good for posting your photos on instagram/Facebook and make your friends jealous of your whereabouts 😂

- Flight to Iceland -

For our trip, we booked our air tickets through BudgetAir with total cost: RM3400.

 

Penang ⟾ Singapore Changi  ⟾ Frankfurt ⟾ Keflavik

It will be 1 hour flight to Singapore (Silk Airline), 12 hours 40 minutes to Frankfurt (Lufthansa Airline) and 3 hours 30 minutes to Iceland (Lufthansa Airline). Total of 17 hours flight and 11 hours transit.

We took Singapore to Frankfurt flight on a Wednesday night so the flight is pretty empty we can make ourselves comfortable and lay down to get a good night sleep.

For TAX refund, it is only eligible for purchase of 6,000 ISK in a single receipt. You will need to produce your article with you with receipts and documentation. The counter is on the right before departure gate so you can keep your goods in check in luggage before depart. With everything so expensive in Iceland, it is not difficult to hit 6,000 ISK worth of goods. Happy shopping!