The Land of Ice and Fire! Doesn’t this name sound unique to you? Well,it does to me. Many would associate this kind of name with fairy tales and magical world. But this unique place itself exists in this world with the name Iceland also popularly known as The Land Of Ice And Fire.
Imagine a country that itself looks like heaven existing in our world. Well, Iceland’s natural beauty is so majestic that it actually looks like a heaven. The kind of amazing mountains it is dotted with and the wonderful beautiful skies blazing with the Northern Lights add to it’s majestic beauty. Most people don’t tend to visit Iceland thinking it to be too isolated and a boring country.
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Well ,that’s where you are completely wrong. Iceland is completely a magical wonderland. Imagine a country that has mountains as cold as snow and geysers as hot as fire. Iceland is the place. Dotted with mountains, volcanoes and geysers this country is absolutely amazing. This country is wonderful in all seasons be it the white winters or the pleasant summers with the midnight sun spreading its brightness over the landscape.
There are hundreds of hot springs and lagoons in Iceland for spring lovers while for adventure lovers there are various expeditions and activities like snowmobiling, snow rafting, glacier walk and Ice Caves Tours not forgetting the absolute divine experience of travelling in a Glacier Lagoon. Iceland is truly amazing for all sorts of people because it has got everything to offer.
And if you plan a visit in October you can enjoy both the warm summer days and the wonderful night with the colourful sky full of Northern Lights.
It also has plenty of delicious restaurants and ice cream parlours. It’s especially known in the world for its famous fish and chips. The Icelandic people are very friendly and kind.
Added to that imagine a place that has beaches as white as diamond and as black as coal. This land is also associated with the name Country of Diamonds and Coal because on one hand it is well known for its famous Black Beach while on the other its Diamond beach is also extremely popular with its diamond like objects as white as crystals.
In winter time its absolutely like a winter wonderland when the whole country is dotted with a white blanket of snow.
The Great Geyser in Iceland is a beautiful phenomenon of nature to see and witness the divinity of God’s creation. Located in southwestern Iceland the area around the geyser has many hot springs which run on geothermal energy. It’s a wonder to know that the water in the geysers is boiling 100 degrees Celsius while the outside temperatures can be as cold as minus thirty degrees Celsius.
The main one erupts every 2-4 minutes and you have to be very alert to witness it because it lasts only a few seconds.
Then there is the wonderful Blue Lagoon which has been called the largest natural jacuzzi in the world running on geothermal energy. It’s waters are endowed with deep minerals for the skin and the body and it is highly recommended to go there once in a lifetime.
People typically tend to spend the whole day there relaxing in the warm waters with a white face pack and can also get a full body massage while watching the wonderful scenery of snow- capped mountains and glaciers. This is quite a wonderful contrast to experience once in a lifetime. It is located just thirty minutes away from the capital city of Reykjavik.
After a relaxing day a visit to the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is highly recommended. It is a sightseeing lagoon made up of glaciers and icebergs. It is located in the south of Iceland and it is a wonderful scenic drive of 4-5 hours from Reykjavik.There is a 30 minutes boat cruise there which gives you a round of the lagoon taking you right beside the icebergs.
It is also recommended to spend at least a night there because the glaciers sometimes get illuminated by the Northern Lights and the whole lagoon gets lights up. These are certainly priceless colours of nature which should not be missed.
Last but not the least Iceland is home to many volcanoes and there is one volcano Eyjafjallajökull which is the only living volcano of the world where guided tours are conducted. It is the only volcano of the world in which people are allowed to go inside. A man-made lift takes visitors to the very bottom. The bottom of the volcano is a spectacular sight to visit especially for archaeologists as it is filled with ancient rocks and stones of different colours which played an important role in the formation of the volcano.
There is an interesting legend regarding the volcanoes of Iceland – in the past when a volcano erupted in Iceland the population of France suffered a lot because of its impact and that was one of the reasons for the cause of the French Revolution.
Iceland is a year-round destination which has lots of activities for every season. In the summers there’s midnight sun and the days are very pleasant. It is considered as the best season for hiking and camping in the wilderness. While summer is a popular time to take in the colours of the sun, in winters the sky is ablaze with northern lights.
While Iceland is actually expensive to travel there are cheap deals available on flights and hotels with fares starting from Rs 23,963 from Delhi and good packages are available on Finnish Air and British Airways Airlines.