Archive for June, 2011

SUMMER FUN

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

Viking Festival (June 16–19)
The Viking Village in Hafnarfjordur town hosts a Solstice Festival with Viking clothing, instruments, jewlery, crafts, and of course plenty of food and drink. www.fjorukrain.is

Icelandic Independence Day (June 17)
Parades and events are held throughout the country, culminating in a spectacular fireworks show. www.visitreykjavik.is

Summer Solstice (June 21)
Gatherings around Reykjavik celebrate the magic of the midnight sun on the longest day of the year. www.visitreykjavik.is

Arctic Open Golf Tournament (June 23-25)
Iceland has over 50 golf courses throughout the island, many with outstanding views. Golf can be played in Iceland from May through September, with 24-hour golf available in high summer due to the midnight sun. The town of Akureyri hosts the northernmost golf tournament in the world June 23-25. www.arcticopen.is
Landsmot National Horse Show of Iceland (June 26- July 3)
The Landsmot horse show is a world-renowned celebration of the Icelandic horse. Superb Viking horses and riders demonstrate their capabilities during competitions and show events. www.landsmot.is

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ICELAND IN THE NEWS

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

TripAdvisor Ranks Reykjavik a Top Destination in Europe for 2011: “We appreciate Reykjavik’s open-minded and energetic culture that includes a hip and internationally recognized music and arts scene, great food and notoriously ‘enthusiastic’ nightlife.” Read More

National Post - Iceland Express Flights from Winnipeg: Now With a Lot More Rock & Roll by Karen Burshtein: “This year, the company is relaunching Winnipeg service with a marketing idea that could conceivably make more noise than an erupting volcano: Iceland Express has hired Bruce Dickinson, front man for heavy metal band Iron Maiden, to pilot some of the Winnipeg-Reykjavik flights on the company’s latest acquisition, a Boeing 757.” Read More

CNN International - World’s 10 Most Exotic Wellness Retreats by Anthea Gerrie: On the Blue Lagoon “This full-service indoor-outdoor spa is built atop the largest of the country’s many natural hot springs, and lies conveniently halfway between the airport and the capital, Reykjavik.” Read More

TIME Magazine - High Above the Glacier by Vaughn Wallace: “Ragnar Th. Sigurdsson has spent years photographing Iceland’s volcanoes. His images of last year’s Eyjafjallajokull eruption were featured prominently in the pages of TIME.” Read More

CBS News - The Early Show - Six New Superfoods You’ll Want to Try: “Skyr is the new Greek yogurt. It’s Icelandic yogurt, which is strained in a way that makes it even thicker and higher in protein than Greek yogurt. One six ounce serving packs 17 grams of protein, compared to about 15 in Greek yogurt and about eight in traditional yogurt.” Read More

The Wall Street Journal - Adventures, with Children - Break Out of the Theme Parks and All-Inclusives-Rut with Real World Excursions that Will Thrill the Whole Brood by Jane Margolies: “Exploding geysers, erupting volcanoes and steaming rivers give this North Atlantic country a ‘Lord of the Rings’ quality that appeals to kids.” Read More

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HOT DEALS & NEW OFFERS

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

The sun is high and the days are long…with three air carriers flying to Iceland this season, Delta, Iceland Express and Icelandair, it’s not too late to book your dream summer vacation to Iceland. Check out these hot deals and new travel offers…

NEW from Icelandic Mountain Guides: Golden Circle Tour with Glacier Walk

The Golden Circle is Iceland’s most popular tour encompassing three must-see sights: Golden Falls, Geysir Geothermal Area & Thingvellir National Park of geological wonders. Icelandic Mountain Guides have added a new twist to this old favorite with a boat ride on a glacial lagoon and a walk on Langjokull glacier. www.mountainguides.is

NEW from Husavik Whale Watching with North Sailing: Touch the Arctic Circle and Experience Magnificent Whales

Edge of the Arctic: This new tour offered out of northern Iceland includes two days on a beautiful schooner with deep sea fishing and fresh catch barbequed on board. There are plenty of opportunites for sighting rare species of whales and the boat crosses into the Arctic Circle. From USD $877 per person. Departs every Wednesday from Jun 15- Aug 17. www.whalewatchinghusavik.is

HOT Deal from Iceland Tours: Special offer on “Around Iceland in a Week” Self-Drive

Iceland Tours is offering a hot deal on their Around Iceland in a Week self-drive tour if booked by June 30th. Select 8, 10 or 14 days with pre-booked accommodations according to your wishes! This is the time to enjoy adventurous Iceland and save as much as $115 pr. person! Prices are from $1315 including 7 nights stay in comfortable accommodations with breakfast and rental car in category A. www.icelandtours.is

HOT Deal from Icelandair: Active City Break

Have fun in Iceland! The Active City Break offer from Icelandair includes round-trip airfare, two nights hotel, whale watching in Reykjavik Harbor, a bike tour, and an Icelandic hotdog! With guaranteed early check in - this offer can’t be beat. Prices start from $649 per person. www.icelandair.us

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HOTEL LOFTLEIDIR GETS A NEW LOOK AND A NEW NAMEHOTEL LOFTLEIDIR GETS A NEW LOOK AND A NEW NAME

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

Hotel Loftleidir in Reykjavik is in the process of an extensive refurbishment and will re-open on June 10th with a new look and a completely new name: Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Natura! The hotel has a new style and atmosphere with nature themed rooms where guests can choose between a stay in moss, glacier, northern-lights, volcano, geothermal and natural water rooms.

The lobby area and spa facilities have been renovated and upgraded to a high class facility. A new restaurant, SATT, will also open on with special emphasis on seasonal, local ingredients. June 10th also sees the opening of Icelandair Hotel Akureyri located in Iceland´s second largest city. For more information: www.icelandairhotels.com

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HOT NEW HAPPENINGS AT THE BLUE LAGOON

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

There are plenty of new developments bubbling up at Iceland’s famed Blue Lagoon, the least not being a top ranking by CNN International in the World’s 10 Most Exotic Wellness Retreats.

In addition to the luxurious spa facilities on offer, the Blue Lagoon has now added two new sumptuous buffets to their menu at LAVA restaurant in spectacular surroundings. From June 1st until Aug 31st the breakfast buffet runs from 7:30-10:00 and lunch 12:30-13:00, both laden with homemade breads, fresh fish, delectable cheeses and gourmet treats made from pure and natural Icelandic ingredients. This is now a wonderful stop for North American travelers whose flights arrive early in the morning.

If you’re keen on seeing the Blue Lagoon for yourself but can’t wait for your next trip – check out their new live webcam at www.bluelagoon.is .

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DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN!

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

One year after the notorious eruption of Eyjafallajokull , Iceland once again captured the world’s attention with a volcanic eruption which began on May 21st at Grimsvotn, located underneath Vatnajokull, Europe’s largest glacier. Luckily, this eruption caused little disturbance to air traffic. At its peak, the Grimsvotn volcano spewed an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 tons of ash per second into the air. Clean-up efforts are ongoing, and the surrounding area now shows very little sign of fallen ash.

It turns out last year’s media attention from Eyjafallajokull volcano has been a blessing for Iceland in terms of tourism with a 50% increase in travelers from North America already this year. For more information on the Grimsvotn eruption www.iceland.is.

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