Travelling Cheap

When I first went to Iceland, I thought it was in the opposite direction, somewhere near Sweden or Denmark. I was very surprised to find that it was to the north-west of the UK and so near. I have been back to Reykjavik for a combination of business and pleasure three times so far, and intend on returning again, possibly this November.

I found three things to be exciting about Iceland. The club and bar scene, the nature and the museums and sites. To begin with, Iceland may be a northern country but as soon as you arrive in the city you can feel something of the attitude Mediterranean cultures have. Perhaps it has to do with living on what is essentially a volcano that causes the inhabitants to be so relaxed, and this is reflected in their nightlife. There are dozens of bars and clubs along the main strip of Reykjavik, which are open all week, but stay open till 7am on the weekends. There, you will find queues of extremely well dressed and well groomed customers ranging from early 20s to late 40s. There is an incredible atmosphere in all of the bars and clubs and when the weekend arrives the whole city goes into party mode. After the drinks you might want to stop at one of the many takeaway sandwich shops on the strip.

Then there is nature. Although the city does not have much to offer in the way of trees or bushes, in the winter you do get frozen lakes and crisp white snow. Regardless of that, you can still take advantage of the countryside, and go hiking in the highland lava fields, take a look at the geysers springing violently out of the ground, and maybe even visit one of the glaciers in the summertime, which have views of untold beauty.

Finally, if you are not in the mood to walk through shiny black rocks, perhaps you might want to take in the impressive Contemporary Art Museum, visit impressive cathedrals and statues or take a dip in the Blue Lagoon, and they do mean it when they say blue.

Getting to Iceland is easy from London and the flight is short. Every single person I met spoke fluent English and every single shop accepted credit or debit cards. That includes the cabs.

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