Day 4 - East Iceland

- Journey To The East -

Day 4 in Iceland, we traveled another milestone to East Iceland! Up till this day, the sky is still drizzling with thick clouds. Although it means good weather for driving, but also means NO AURORA for the night! The view on road was amazing as you see glaciers and waterfalls 360 degrees around you. The sheep population also seemed larger here (maybe due to less human populations here and less being hunted as food?). The government did a good job on fencing the wild sheep, but there are still cases of sheep being hit by car. Maybe this is why their government enforce the law of 90km/hour max along all routes. 

The first thing you need to do when you hit a sheep is to locate its owner. I have read a few blogs and bloggers did mentioned that once you were caught hit and run, there will be heavy fine instilled. So it is best to pay directly to the owner than paying via law. Side note, Icelandic sheep are not social friendly, they don't come near to human beings and definitely don't respond to your "Mekkk... Bahhhhh.. MekEkEkEkkk..." Trust me, I tried.

- Eggin í Gleðivík -

First pit stop, Eggin í Gleðivík (The Eggs from Merry Bay).

It is located in a small town Djúpivogur, also known as slow moving town. This is the place famous for craft products where a guy named Sigurður Guðmundsson crafted 34 eggs in year 2009. The attraction is located near fish factory and there are huge amount of seagulls. You will also see craft products with stone around the residential area. Most houses have different designs and arrange stones around their balcony. Video shown above as it was heavily pouring and in this weather we don't bother to get soaked for a photo. 

One thing interesting in the town is they don't have toilets in their convenience store. The convenience store size is 5 times bigger than the 7-11 we normally see but I guess Icelanders don't use the toilet too much? There is one toilet available near the pier, which location is available in the convenience store. And thank god it it FOC.

- Seyðisfjörður -

Blaa Kirkjan blue church 

Second pit stop, city tour around Seyðisfjörður.
Lonely Planet calls it, “the most historically and architecturally interesting town in East Iceland.” 

stunning view of multiple waterfalls landscape on route

Weather is cloudy and raining all day long so no blue skies. This is a small town with around 700 inhabitants. One of the attraction is the blue church where Icelander host cultural parties in July called LungA Art Festival. I would recommend travelers to stop by this town for its beautiful architecture 

Nearby, there is another attraction Tvísöngur sound sculpture. It looked like 5 different dome shaped coconut husk connecting to each other. It is said to amplifier 5 different tones of Iceland traditional music instrument five tone harmony. You may try singing in this dome and it should sound better than the echo in your bathroom.

- Gufufoss - 

Third pit stop, Gufufoss.

"Gufa" in Iceland means vapor, "Foss" means waterfall. The largest and most striking waterfall in Seyðisfjörður, just outside Egilsstaðir city. Parking area is relatively small and hard to spot at the road side. The car park or I should say emergency stop area is big enough to fit 2 cars at one time. 1 minute walk from parking and you will reach the waterfall, very misty and windy on the way. We tried to set up our tripod but the strong gale blew it away and it nearly smashed our camera. So it should be best to bring along heavy tripod or those very "atas" camera gear. 

Total distance traveled: 243km

Time spent on road: >4 hours due to strong gale

Day 3 - All About Glacier (Glacier Hike and Glacier Chunk)

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- Walking On Ice - 

First pit stop, Skaftafells Glacier Walk.

We booked our 3 hour tour with company Glacier Guide which is situated beside Skaftafell visitor centre. There is also another company just beside it Icelandic Mountain Guide. They offer glacier walk and also quick tour on ice cave. There are a few categories available for hike, from 3 hours to 16 hours! We choose Glacier guide cause they offer the cheapest package of 3 hours which is good enough for beginners. Second reason is because we are on tight budget $$$ and our stamina is not up to that level.

After registration, a bus will pick you up to hike location situated 10 minutes away. Here, they will suit you up with hiking gears: teethclaw crampons, helmet and axe. You will start to think "What the hell? Why do we need an axe for glacier walk." and yes, we end up leaving our axes before reaching the glacier cause the guide will do all the chopping of ice

Hiking trail before going uphill which is quite flat compared to what we will encounter as there is an idiom saying "it is calm before the storm". After hiking for about 15 minutes, they will put you in this spot for photography. You can see glacier just behind and that's the place we are going! This place is used to be glacier but due to climate change, the ice melts and therefore forms the lake. 

Ice gears provided by agency to prepare you for the hike. Recommended to wear your own hiking boots up to ankle level and also waterproof pants. Other options are gloves, hat, sunglass. Thou we are going for GLACIER walk, which is basically ice right? Image below shows our guide in his long sleeve t shirt. 

After another 10 minutes hike, our guide will get us to gear up with all hiking equipments. We were taught on how to wear and walk with crampons. Key thing to walk on ice is to always keep your feet facing forward in order to optimize the grip on ice. And you will have to lift your legs up high and walk like a cowboy who rides for hours. 

Look at the sky blue colour of Ice Cave

Next thing we know, we are literally walking on ice! It was pretty scary at first as there are no proper paved routes, but we must walk in a straight line guided by the professionals. The view is spectacular on the top of the glacier and you will get excited to snap more photos but be careful of cliff as there is no rope or safety net to hold you. 

During the hike, we heard a loud BOOM of glacier calve. Our guide even joked "RUN, its avalanche" According to him, it is very common to hear it but not see it as it.

Watch out where you are hiking as there are multiple crevice on the surface. As you know glacier is a huge chunk of ice melting day by day. A crevice is a crack formed by the different movement of ice stretching and slide past each other. 

I highly recommended to all travelers to Iceland! This will be the best activity I had in Iceland, bet you will never regret doing this. Little stamina required for the hike to the top of the mountain as you will need to hike on really steep mountain before you reach the glacier. There is this one middle age big size lady together in our team coping up very well and this shouldn't be a problem for anyone. 

Waterproof jacket, pants, hiking boots available for rent at 1000 ISK each.

Total duration: 3.5 hours
Fee: 10,900 ISK / RM436

source: http://www.europeanwaterfalls.com/waterfalls/svartifoss/

*Additional attraction within the area is Svartifoss waterfall aka black fall as it is surrounded by black lava column. Kinda look likes the organ in church with large pipes on top. The natural creation of this waterfall actually inspires the design of the famous church in Reykjavik, Hallgrimskirkja.

This walking path is in the same location as Skaftafell visitor centre. Unfortunately we skipped this attraction due to time constrain. To reach the waterfall, you will have to hike 1.5km on slope hill for around 1 hour and our glacier walk is tiring enough so sorry peeps we decided to SKIP this! round trip will take around 2 hours plus so in order to drive under daylight condition we will have to save this for probably next trip. YES!! This is a good excuse to go back to Iceland.

- Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon -

Glacier lake flowing to the Atlantic ocean

Another must visit in Iceland! Place is located 45 minutes drive from Skaftafell. Beach is covered with icebergs chunks from the surrounding Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier, also it is the largest glacier lake around Iceland. As the climate changes, more ice melts which makes the glacier lake doubled it size from 15 years back.

There are few stops for viewing on the left and right of the paved road just in front of the bridge with no specific signage about the viewing point. First photo is taken on left (Glacier lake) and second photo is where most tourist will go as it has bigger parking area for buses (Seaside). On the left, you can see glacier chunk riding on the tide which is pretty A.W.E.S.O.M.E.!!! Although it show signs of global warming where iceberg melts but still it is pretty awesome to see it on your own eyes. 

For more adventurous travelers, there are tour agencies with boat service to get your close up to the iceberg and glacier wall. Trip is around 40 minutes for a cost of 10,000 ISK.

Summary of Day 3 route

Total driving distance: 184km
Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes on road

Day 2 in Iceland - Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss, Plane Wreck

- Day 2: Hella → Nupar -

First stop, Seljalandsfoss waterfall.

Water plunges from 65 meters height. Famous for its breathtaking view behind the waterfall. Trails behind are slippery and quite dim when it is cloudy. Rocky trail walking out from the waterfall but definitely worth the hike!

There is another waterfall just 600 meters away, Gljúfrabúi is also worth visiting which is located inside a cave. Too bad we skipped this due to the windy weather and run into the car. Kind of regretted it now as the photos online turned out to be amazing.

*FOC toilet! This is what I though they should have everywhere around Iceland but unfortunately no. Reminder to go to any FOC toilet you see or else you will have to hold your bladder for a few hours!

Second pit stop, Skógafoss.

One of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland with 60 meters drop and 25 meters width. You will be drenched standing near to it. There’s also a stairway path to the observation deck from the top of the fall. You will need some stamina to hike up the stairs and on your right there are dozens of sheep grazing on the grass field. 

Time estimated here 1 hour.

*There is toilet with 200 ISK per entrance where you have to drop coins into coin box. But I don’t see tourist doing so.. and so do I. 😂

Third pit stop, plane wreck.

10 minutes drive away from Skogafoss waterfall. Total 8km walk from parking area to plane wreck location. On treadmill you might take 40 minutes or below to walk 4km but the road is rocky and the sand are uneven so you may take a longer time.

Estimated time 2.5 hours.

*NO toilet near plane wreck or car park area. 

Forth pit stop, Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach.

Another 10 minutes away from plane wreck location. Sand is black as its lava beach risen from the ashes. Behind are not rocks but basalt columns (Gardar) that looks like stairway to heaven. Looks like hotspot for wedding couples to come for photoshoot. They do make themselves comfortable wearing sleeveless under 5℃ with strong gale.

Do not get too close to the beach as there have been reports of tourist being caught by sneaker waves. Warning signs can be seen at the parking area before entering the beach. 

Estimated time here: 30 minutes

*Yes. They have toilets here with cost. 

Fifth pit stop, Vik i Myrdal Church.

Little red church on the top of the mountain. Nothing much about the church but the view overlooking at Vik town is stunning. You will see many church of this kind around small towns in Iceland, blue, red, white. But this is one of the landmark around Vik town. If you wonder, the church is closed and not open for tourist at any time of the day.

One thing to take note here is the speed limit is exceptionally slow at 35km/hr. there will be one speed trap immediately after you enter the residential area. 

Total driving distance: 205km

Duration: 3 hours on road

Iceland Things to Bring / Buy

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jewel.ong

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!

Day 1 in Iceland - Golden Ring Tour

Iceland is a country of size 103,000km² with population of only 334,252. Compared to Malaysia of size 330,803km² with population of 31 million. The largest city is Reykjavik and also the home for 2 third of the population, you can probably imagine how empty the roads are out of town.

- Day 1: Reykjavik → Hella -

First stop at Þingvellir National Park, 

the only UNESCO World Heritage site in Iceland. It takes 45 minutes drive from Reykjavik so you can probably depart at 8am.

Parking cost 500 ISK = RM20
Parking is free before 9am

For parking payment, look for vending machine to make payment. Or you may get help from security on patrol.

Second pit stop, Kerið.

400 ISK per admission = RM20Volcanic crater lake formed by erupted volcano in Grímsnes, south Iceland. The Kerið caldera is composed of red volcanic rock and is around 55 m deep, 170 m wide and 270 m across. Time estimated here 45 minutes if you were to hike around the crater. Or take alternative route directly to the lake.

Lunch at Friðheimar for their famous homemade tomato soup. Bottomless tomato soup and free flow bread with salsa cucumber and sour cream.
Highly recommend cheese cake with homemade green tomato jam! 😋

Total damage:
Tomato soup 2,290 ISK
Tortillas 1,950 ISK
Ostakka cheese cake 1,390 ISK
Bloody Mary 1,700 ISK

7330 ISK = RM293

Third pit stop, Strokkur Geysir.

Famous Reykjavik fountain Geysir beside the Hvítá River in Iceland in the southwest part of the country, east of Reykjavík. Here you can see Geysir steaming water shoot upwards.

Approximately 10 minutes wait for each eruption. If you are lucky you might see 2 eruption at once!

Fourth pit stop, Gullfoss falls.

Largest waterfall in Iceland namely the Golden Waterfall. Formed by jökulhlaup shaping 2 separate waterfalls of 11 meters drop and another at 21 meters. Waterfall is fed by second largest glacier, Langjökull. There are 2 sighting area, from top but far away from the waterfall and also right at the first drop (You will definitely get WET!). It is difficult to get a good shot as water sprinkles easily on your camera lens. 

*Drone is not allowed in this area

Day 1 in total we traveled 183km, 2 hours 39 minutes on road. There is no toilet in Kerio and Gullfoss falls and toilet entrance in most attraction site cost 200 ISK. Women, you may consider buying this from Lazada for every pee you made saves you RM8 😂 

What you need to know about Driving in Iceland

It has been soooo long, like 4 years since my last update on blog. So, why am I here today? This is because people have been asking me about my recent trip to Iceland. I've decided to put it up on a blog to benefit everyone! And... Thank YOU for visiting my blog today!

- About Iceland -

First thing about Iceland, you are going to think that it is going to be covered in ice. Temperature is negative 10 with scenery like what's shown in Games of Thrones. Then you are very wrong! Yes Iceland is a Nordic island country of Europe, situated in between Greenland and Scandinavia. But it is full of greens all around the country and there's only 11% of Iceland land covered with glacier. Those areas are located near South East where the mountains are with high precipitation level.

photo source: https://dykewriter.wordpress.com/2016/11/29/names-greenland-vs-iceland/

Iceland peak period would be from June to August as there is ample sunlight with sunrise at 3am, setting at 12am. Accommodation and car rental price skyrocket and is the most expensive period to travel. As sun is up most of the time, it means good visibility too. It would be great for sight seeing trips for waterfalls and you don't have to rush through all attraction site to get a good photo. BUT for travelers who are here to hunt aurora, this is a bad news. The sky is not entirely dark and it is harder to spot aurora.  

- Driving in Iceland -

Precipitation peaks from September to February making it rainy season in Iceland. Most of the roads were closed and it is advisable for all travelers to check Road Condition from website link. To be save, it is best to plan your itinerary reachable by Route 1/ Ring Route. It runs around the whole island and is the main route connecting all the sub routes to the attraction sites. 

Here's a snapshot of road.is view on road condition. Photo is taken on early November where only outer ring road is shown in green. Red means road are closed and better not risk it for the shortcut during winter season as the road may be slippery. My advice is to navigate your journey with car GPS rather than google maps as google maps are not updated with road closure. 

White line means snow, better be extra cautious driving in Iceland with snow and gale. The wind is no joke when you are driving with a lorry at the opposite lane. Beside the car logo, it shows 1/10. 1 means there is 1 car passing by this route in the last 10 minutes, 10 shows total car passing since 12am. In case of emergency, the number to call is 112.

It is also recommended that you drive during daylight hours as weather is unpredictable. "When you think the weather is good, wait 5 minutes. When you think the weather is bad, wait 5 minutes."

- Car Rental in Iceland - 

Dear travelers, please book in ADVANCE! like 6 months before you travel to ensure you get one. The earlier you do it, the cheaper it gets. In Keflavík airport, you will need to take about 3 minutes walk out of the airport to the free bus shuttle station which will bring you to all these car rental locations. 

Depending on the season you are going. For summer season or simply travelling around Reykjavik area, 2WD will be sufficient. If you are travelling on F-road, winter season, 4WD is recommended. 

The cheapest 4x4 is probably Suzuki Jimny which comes in automatic transmission and 1.3cc. Although it is 4 seated car, but if you are travelling in winter period with large baggage it is not recommended. This is probably the most common car you will see in the whole Iceland due to its economical price in rental and fuel. Another option for economical car would be Duster but only manual transmission available.

For my case, we booked Kia Sportage from Blue Car Rental which cost around USD1000 for 10 days. Jimny will cost around USD750 for the same duration. Kia also includes build in GPS and cruise control to ease travelling. Reason behind choosing Sportage:

1. It runs on Diesel (which is cheaper than petrol)
2. Ample space to fit 2 big baggage with space for hand carry at the back seat
3. Heated Seating and Steering

Upon return, do remember to get it washed for free at any gas station. Some company do impose certain amount of "cleaning fee" if covered with dirt.

- Car Fuel -

The most common petrol station Iceland will be N1, Olís Skeljungur. Their subsidaries are Dælan (low-cost company owned by N1), ÓB (low-cost company owned by Olís), Orkan (low-cost company owned by Skeljungur).

In Malaysia normally petrol station will come with proper convenient store with restroom. BUT in Iceland, the petrol station is all self service so it is not common to pay for petrol with cash. Green handle is for Petrol and Black is for Diesel. It is best to fuel up when you are below half a tank as the next station might be 100km away.

Below is map of Iceland gas stations with price from TripCreator.
Map of Gas Stations in Iceland by TripCreator

I will recommend N1 as they have most stations around the island and you can see petrol stations are more saturated in city area and around ring road. Price between each petrol station is the same so you can skip the hassle to get cheaper fuel. And for self service petrol station, it means no restrooms. It is quite tough to find toilet around even in attraction sites out of Reykjavik area. So it is best to go to one when you sees it.

price for diesel

During fueling, there are few options: 3,000 ISK, 5,000 ISK, 10,000 ISK or "fill up". For fill up option, the company will hold your credit of 25,000 ISK as deposit regardless of how much fuel you have pump. The amount will be hold for 2-3 days which is a burden for most travelers with limited credit card limit. You may also opt for prepaid cards with your choice of gas station (but make sure you get the one with more branches.

- Speed Camera -

This will be the pain in the ass when driving in Iceland. In residential area, speed limit is 45-50km/h and 90km/h maximum for paved road outside town. Do not speed in Iceland as it is FULL of speed camera especially when you are about to enter residential area. There are speed sign board all around or you may refer to GPS on speed limit. Car GPS is actually very accurate and waze does not work well in Iceland. Never rely on it to notify you on speed camera location.

watch out for speed trap signboard

For fine tickets, it will be issued to you a few weeks after by your car rental agency. Remember you gave them your credit card as deposit upon getting your car? That's how they will charge you! For speed ticket price, it depends on what speed you are caught at that time.

≥ 5km/hr : 5,000 ISK
≥10km/hr : 10,000 ISK

Highest fine can go up to 150,000 ISK.

- Toll Road - 

source: http://autobuzz.my/2016/08/19/utopian-road-trip-eight-days-around-majestic-roads-iceland/iceland-toll/

There is only one toll in the whole Iceland which is before Hvalfjudor Tunnel. Fee is 1,000 ISK. 

- Parking Rates in Reykjavik -

 There are 4 parking zones in Reykjavik, P1, P2, P3, P4 with different rates. The nearer to attraction site, the more expensive. Parking is free on Sundays.

Zone 1: 275 ISK/hour
Zone 2: 150 ISK/hour
Zone 3: 125 ISK for first 2 hour. Subsequent hour 30 ISK
Zone 4: 150 ISK/hour

For Zone 1,2,3 it operates from Monday to Friday 0900 to 1800. Saturday 1000-1600.
Zone 4, Monday to Friday 0800 to 1600 while Saturday and Sunday is Free.

**IMPORTANT** headlights should be always on in Iceland regardless day or night.