I have worked almost 20 years as a guide in Iceland and from what I have seen, this is the best "informational" video about, Iceland I have seen. My utmost respect is deserved. Thank you! Pronunciations do not matter, if any lack of information is found,I would say it was about the highlands, Roughly 80% of Iceland's land-cap.
IF YOU PLAN ON GOING TO ICELAND, DO NOT WATCH THIS VIDEO ONCE... watch it at least twice. This single video was by far the most informative. We had 2 wonderful weeks there. Almost everything Cameron discussed, we checked off one by one. I could watch this again to re-live it all.
Thank you so much Cameron this video on Iceland was profoundly detailed and impressive. Truly fantastic all around. I will have to see more of your videos now. Take care.
As an Icelander, I think this is a very informative video. Very well done. I think one spectacular place should have been mentioned near the end of the clockwise circle. This place is Skaftafell.
A great talk! As an Icelander, I notice a few minor factual errors, but also some more major - which matter especially for such a burgeoning destination as ours. As a tourism worker, however, I'd like to point out that it is now a myth that "you don't tip" in Iceland. The reason for this myth is that you don't have to go farther back than about 10 years - the beginning of the tourist boom - to a time when you couldn't walk down the street, as a foreigner, without being yanked into someones home for complementary coffee and pancakes. Back then, not only wasn't tip expected, nor accepted, you almost weren't allowed to pay for anything as a VISITOR. Like most other tourist destinations, this has since changed. Not only have tourists become commonplace, but it is currently our single largest source of foreign earnings; in other words an ´industry´ and a driver of the economy. One result of this is that you, as a tourist, are now not only allowed to pay for things, but even tip! It's important to stress that it is not required or necessarily expected - but it is certainly appreciated! Therefore, it is an unfortunate misunderstanding, perpetuated in this - otherwise great talk on Iceland - that tipping is not the custom in Iceland. More accurately, it now is.
Tipping is and should be generous. We should consider ourselves ambassadors of our own country. In Mexico, I have seen a tourist who had had two heavy bags carried from the hotel tn Merida to the airport limo NOT tip the doorman at an expensive hotel. My husband gave him $5, and that middle-aged man's beautiful smile stays with me yet. In Paris, five years after we liberated them, the taxi driver pretended he did not understand my French when I asked for change. So it works both ways.
....further, as an Icelander and a resident of Reykjavík, I can not condone this promotion of Air BnB usage! The "Air BnB effect" has resulted in the displacement of many of the locals from the city center, much like what's happened in cities like Barcelona, Amsterdam, Dubrovnik, etc., turning them into something more akin to a theme park than a thriving city center, where tourists end up seeing only other tourists and souvenir shops, in stead of locals and local culture. Just keep that in mind! AND, no camping outside designated camp sites!! That has now been banned as is severely frowned upon by the locals!
Great commentary, however there was some incorrect information about being able to camp anywhere in a campervan. From what I've been reading, it is now required that campervans camp at campsites. You could be fined for camping in parking lots.
That is not really true; you can park anywhere (provided you do not endanger other traffic or park in someone's driveway). Find a secure place to park your campervan and you will NOT be fined. If you want to have electric power and other services (water/toilet/shopping) available, finding a proper camping place is a breeze - at reasonable prices. After all, the electrical power in Iceland is as clean and renewable as you can get!
"Kristen Lavransdottor"by Sigrid Undsett was a popular book in my mother's generation. This is a fascinating tour--as it covers the culture to an astounding degree.
i am glad you finally decided there IS something in iceland worthwhile. i remember a video of yours a few years ago where you said it was just not worth visiting as there was really nothing there to see. hmmmmmmm.....this was right before i made my first trip there. now planning my second trip in a few months.
One correction - You mentioned you don't need four wheel drive for the roads. That is not in fact true - You need to have 4 wheel drive on any of the F roads. You will invalidate your rental car insurance if you use a 2WD on an F Road.
The Blue Lagoon is the biggest tourist trap in Iceland. There are better places to spend your money. The public pool in Reykyavik called Laugardalslaug is $9 US for an adult. The blue lagoon is 8 times that.
fly into the airport early....my flight arrived at 3am.....i rented a car and drove to the blue lagoon and NO ONE was there....i bathed in the giant blue lagoon alone for free of course and proceeded to spend 2 days in Iceland for free sleeping in my rental car ;)
Want more :) great video! I will visit Iceland at begining of May, first day will be in Reykjavik, tnen 2,3,4,5 I will explore Nature with a car. 6. day flayung home. Will you recomend me those 4 days out of Reykjavik with some great spots? In 4 short centenses. Thanks!
D S is correct. Most of the popular spots have "No Drones" signs now which was very frustrating as this trip was my main incentive for buying one. That being said, I still managed to get several epic shots in unmarked areas and will begin editing this weekend. (I did have one tour guide tell me that I could just ignore the signs, but I would imagine the fines if caught could be quite steep)
Regarding the history of Iceland. Yes, they have a connection to Ireland. Many people in Iceland have Irish DNA. If you read the history of Ireland, you will learn that Irish women were taken to Iceland without their consent.
Pretty much anytime! You can always do city and outdoor stuff there, glacial tours are f.ex. operated all year long, so is snorkeling in the Silfra fissure. There are slightly fewer things to see in the NE over winter, and more difficult to travel over winter, and days somewhat shorter, albeit providing opportunities of northern lights and stars. Birds nest in summer and many chicks leave nest in mid august latest.
The best advice I, an Icelander, can give you is to NOT waste time on booking a slot at the Blue Lagoon! Just show up at any of the swimming pools/facilities EVERY little community has! Very affordable and enjoyable, wherever you go! Immersion in pleasantly warm water is what it is all about! This lecture is OLD! We actually KNOW that the Reykjanes peninsula is an active volcano with an approx. 800 year cycle - which seems to be about to start again, and expected to do a major "fart" every now and then (every decade or two, or three) for at least 2-3 centuries! The geological time frame is inscrutable for us humans... Curiously, that seems to make Iceland even MORE tourist-worthy, at least while the eruptions are small and adorable. Just wait until Mother Nature let's it really RIP, gloves off, natural disaster mode!
Nooo. It's not $150.00!! It's MUCH higher now. Our main base in Reykjavik was 225 per night, which was quite nice for a 2 bedroom very centrally located. We stayed at 2 others that were $300+ per night.
We are going the first week of June and are staying in an Air BnB that is $85/night. One double bed, one sofa bed, kitchen, washer/dryer, parking out front. It's about twenty minutes from downtown Reykjavik.
Is Iceland off the budget traveler´s list? Thankfully, yes, just like the Galapagos, Bhutan, Antarctica, etc. All it means though is that you just have to save up for a few more months :-)
I have worked almost 20 years as a guide in Iceland and from what I have seen, this is the best "informational" video about, Iceland I have seen. My utmost respect is deserved. Thank you! Pronunciations do not matter, if any lack of information is found,I would say it was about the highlands, Roughly 80% of Iceland's land-cap.
IF YOU PLAN ON GOING TO ICELAND, DO NOT WATCH THIS VIDEO ONCE... watch it at least twice. This single video was by far the most informative. We had 2 wonderful weeks there. Almost everything Cameron discussed, we checked off one by one. I could watch this again to re-live it all.
I agree Cameron's video on Iceland was an actual guide for a travel location. So, so, awesome and well done. Wow.
Well done. Very true to Rick’s priorities.
Thank you so much Cameron this video on Iceland was profoundly detailed and impressive. Truly fantastic all around. I will have to see more of your videos now. Take care.
As an Icelander, I think this is a very informative video. Very well done. I think one spectacular place should have been mentioned near the end of the clockwise circle. This place is Skaftafell.
Just Googled it. Beautiful
What a splendid presentation! Full of great tips and useful information
A great talk! As an Icelander, I notice a few minor factual errors, but also some more major - which matter especially for such a burgeoning destination as ours. As a tourism worker, however, I'd like to point out that it is now a myth that "you don't tip" in Iceland. The reason for this myth is that you don't have to go farther back than about 10 years - the beginning of the tourist boom - to a time when you couldn't walk down the street, as a foreigner, without being yanked into someones home for complementary coffee and pancakes. Back then, not only wasn't tip expected, nor accepted, you almost weren't allowed to pay for anything as a VISITOR.
Like most other tourist destinations, this has since changed. Not only have tourists become commonplace, but it is currently our single largest source of foreign earnings; in other words an ´industry´ and a driver of the economy.
One result of this is that you, as a tourist, are now not only allowed to pay for things, but even tip!
It's important to stress that it is not required or necessarily expected - but it is certainly appreciated!
Therefore, it is an unfortunate misunderstanding, perpetuated in this - otherwise great talk on Iceland - that tipping is not the custom in Iceland. More accurately, it now is.
Tipping is and should be generous.
We should consider ourselves ambassadors of our own country. In Mexico, I have seen a tourist who had had two heavy bags carried from the hotel tn Merida to the airport limo NOT tip the doorman at an expensive hotel. My husband gave him $5, and that middle-aged man's beautiful smile stays with me yet.
In Paris, five years after we liberated them, the taxi driver pretended he did not understand my French when I asked for change. So it works both ways.
So glad I just read your "tip" :-) Heading there this year and we are good tippers so certainly do not want to assume we aren't supposed to!
....further, as an Icelander and a resident of Reykjavík, I can not condone this promotion of Air BnB usage! The "Air BnB effect" has resulted in the displacement of many of the locals from the city center, much like what's happened in cities like Barcelona, Amsterdam, Dubrovnik, etc., turning them into something more akin to a theme park than a thriving city center, where tourists end up seeing only other tourists and souvenir shops, in stead of locals and local culture. Just keep that in mind!
AND, no camping outside designated camp sites!! That has now been banned as is severely frowned upon by the locals!
@1
Great talk I have been to Iceland twice and my wife and I are going back again this summer.
Eth (Ð, ð) and thorn (Þ, þ) were once used in Old/Middle English too. We dropped them in the 14th Century.
Can we agree that Icelanders are the ultimate conservatives, at least regarding the language?
@@Halli50 No because it's normal to get naked with strangers at the hot springs.
Icelanders are cool that way.
Great commentary, however there was some incorrect information about being able to camp anywhere in a campervan. From what I've been reading, it is now required that campervans camp at campsites. You could be fined for camping in parking lots.
That is not really true; you can park anywhere (provided you do not endanger other traffic or park in someone's driveway). Find a secure place to park your campervan and you will NOT be fined. If you want to have electric power and other services (water/toilet/shopping) available, finding a proper camping place is a breeze - at reasonable prices. After all, the electrical power in Iceland is as clean and renewable as you can get!
"Kristen Lavransdottor"by Sigrid Undsett was a popular book in my mother's generation. This is a fascinating tour--as it covers the culture to an astounding degree.
Thank for this amazing detailed well researched information
i am glad you finally decided there IS something in iceland worthwhile. i remember a video of yours a few years ago where you said it was just not worth visiting as there was really nothing there to see. hmmmmmmm.....this was right before i made my first trip there. now planning my second trip in a few months.
Brilliant… so informative. Thank you❤
One correction - You mentioned you don't need four wheel drive for the roads. That is not in fact true - You need to have 4 wheel drive on any of the F roads. You will invalidate your rental car insurance if you use a 2WD on an F Road.
Outstanding !!!
Excellent, very informative presentation. Thanks!
Beautiful country! Looks forward to visit it soon! Thanks for all great information :-)
Very helpful information. Thank you !
I'm so excited for the new guidebook! I can't wait it to go! :)
The Blue Lagoon is the biggest tourist trap in Iceland. There are better places to spend your money. The public pool in Reykyavik called Laugardalslaug is $9 US for an adult. The blue lagoon is 8 times that.
fly into the airport early....my flight arrived at 3am.....i rented a car and drove to the blue lagoon and NO ONE was there....i bathed in the giant blue lagoon alone for free of course and proceeded to spend 2 days in Iceland for free sleeping in my rental car ;)
I like it !
Iceland is crazy expensive. Perks of being an island nation and in the North Atlantic I guess
Want more :) great video! I will visit Iceland at begining of May, first day will be in Reykjavik, tnen 2,3,4,5 I will explore Nature with a car. 6. day flayung home. Will you recomend me those 4 days out of Reykjavik with some great spots? In 4 short centenses. Thanks!
Seltjarnarnes!
ll doesn't have a tl sound it has more of a straight up ll or dl with a semi-silent d sound.
Thanks
How is the Drone regulations in iceland? Thank you
They recently became quite strict on it
D S is correct. Most of the popular spots have "No Drones" signs now which was very frustrating as this trip was my main incentive for buying one. That being said, I still managed to get several epic shots in unmarked areas and will begin editing this weekend. (I did have one tour guide tell me that I could just ignore the signs, but I would imagine the fines if caught could be quite steep)
Regarding the history of Iceland. Yes, they have a connection to Ireland. Many people in Iceland have Irish DNA. If you read the history of Ireland, you will learn that Irish women were taken to Iceland without their consent.
We got our independence in 1944, not 1943 ;)
I've been to Iceland. Too many waterfalls! I went on a tour from the UK. We done the ring road in August.2015
Come review statics report in Jackson MS and Richland Ms 330 leggit drive
Please do Ethiopia
When is the best time to visit
Before the guidebook comes out.
🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️👇
Pretty much anytime! You can always do city and outdoor stuff there, glacial tours are f.ex. operated all year long, so is snorkeling in the Silfra fissure. There are slightly fewer things to see in the NE over winter, and more difficult to travel over winter, and days somewhat shorter, albeit providing opportunities of northern lights and stars. Birds nest in summer and many chicks leave nest in mid august latest.
CIBC visa....... they canadian CIBC bank in Iceland
The van contract
The best advice I, an Icelander, can give you is to NOT waste time on booking a slot at the Blue Lagoon! Just show up at any of the swimming pools/facilities EVERY little community has! Very affordable and enjoyable, wherever you go! Immersion in pleasantly warm water is what it is all about!
This lecture is OLD! We actually KNOW that the Reykjanes peninsula is an active volcano with an approx. 800 year cycle - which seems to be about to start again, and expected to do a major "fart" every now and then (every decade or two, or three) for at least 2-3 centuries! The geological time frame is inscrutable for us humans...
Curiously, that seems to make Iceland even MORE tourist-worthy, at least while the eruptions are small and adorable. Just wait until Mother Nature let's it really RIP, gloves off, natural disaster mode!
$150 a night for an airbnb? Iceland is off this budget traveler's list.
Nooo. It's not $150.00!! It's MUCH higher now. Our main base in Reykjavik was 225 per night, which was quite nice for a 2 bedroom very centrally located. We stayed at 2 others that were $300+ per night.
We are going the first week of June and are staying in an Air BnB that is $85/night. One double bed, one sofa bed, kitchen, washer/dryer, parking out front. It's about twenty minutes from downtown Reykjavik.
Is Iceland off the budget traveler´s list? Thankfully, yes, just like the Galapagos, Bhutan, Antarctica, etc. All it means though is that you just have to save up for a few more months :-)
The clammy produce cytopathologically warm because handball definitely strip after a scared halibut. knowing, stereotyped rail
I don't need to see a talking head video.