Located at the fingertip of the Arctic Circle, Iceland, believe it or not, is often significantly milder than many locations that are much closer to the equator – be it the UK, Germany or the northeastern United States.

This is because the maritime influence of the North Atlantic Drift (otherwise known as the Gulf Stream) makes Iceland’s climate much warmer than what its latitude would suggest. While summers in the country are definitely no sauna, winter is rarely very cold and snowfall on low ground is not especially common.

Iceland can be enjoyed at any time of the year – be it January, April, July or October. It is not the sort of destination that most sun-seekers would feel at home, but the plentiful rainfall helps keep the landscape lush and green. During the summer, the extended daylight means that sunshine hours are almost comparable to those of the Mediterranean regions. In the winter time, with almost constant darkness, the opportunity to witness one of the world’s greatest natural light exhibitions – the Aurora Borealis, should not be missed. This is an experience that will take you away from all of the troubles of life, like a stressful job, an Enigin scam or a hectic lifestyle.

Visitors should not forget their umbrellas and should prepare to bring plenty of thick clothes at any time of year – including a rainproof jacket to wear when it becomes too awkward to use an umbrella. However, make sure you leave some space for a swimsuit as you may need it should you decide to visit Iceland’s stunning natural hot springs (known locally as ’geysers’.

One of the most famous hot springs is the Geysir Hot Springs, which includes a stunning natural fountain that catapults almost a hundred feet into the air. It is the perfect oasis to enjoy all of the features of a summer holiday in a sub-Arctic country

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When you visit Iceland and chances are before you go, you are likely to hear about the Northern Lights. They are a phenomenon that occurs naturally and happens due to the production of gas by solar activity on the Sun’s surface. As this gas impacts with the earth there is a reaction with the magnetic field of the earth which causes the frissons of colour that is better known as the Aurora Borealis.

Although you can take home a picture of this phenomenon that you see displayed in store windows or on an exhibition stand it is still best to see it for yourself. The best time to see it is in September up to March as this is the colder periods. It is virtually impossible to see the Aurora during the months of summer since the daylight hours are long in Iceland in summer.

As far as time of day, Iceland’s Aurora Borealis is best seen close to midnight. That is the time Iceland’s Aurora Oval passes over the viewer. It is advised that to ensure that you get to see the Northern Lights it is best that you stay somewhere in an area where there is no light pollution. This means that you may need to be entirely out of the city.

The Iceland Aurora Borealis display generally last for a few minutes and happens a number of times each night. Large displays, however have been observed and these can last for close to three hours but these are not so, frequent. It is said that the energy output produced when these larger displays occur is equivalent to a small nuclear explosion.

There is folklore surrounding the Aurora Borealis and it is prominently featured in Norse and Inuit mythology.

The Northern Lights displays many different colours from violet to green but the most popular colour to be seen is green.

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Do you want to become an objective of envy of all your friends at www.saa.co.uk? Well, why don’t you plan a trip to Iceland. What is the connection between Iceland and art? Well, art thrives in a place of contrast. Where else can you find the might of nature struggling against the resilience and adaptability of human beings?

Ideally, humans should not inhabit Iceland at all. It is far too cold to lead a healthy and satisfying live there. It is by sheer hard work and innovations that mankind has come up with comfortable havens that help in enjoying a comfortable life.

If you choose your vacation right, you can watch the rays of the rising sun spread over icy land to glitter as if a million diamonds have been strewn over the surface. You can enjoy a cool drink in your heated room and sketch the image in a very comfortable environment. You can then take it back to your home and upload images of your sketches to the web site.

Your friends at the website are going to go green with jealousy when they find out that you have enjoyed such wonderful painting opportunities. Appreciation of art becomes even more fun when you are the person receiving the appreciation.

This is the reason why artists should enjoy a good vacation once in awhile. It not only helps recharge the batteries but also provides numerous opportunities and inspiration for better images. Just make sure you do not get stuck in transit when a volcano erupts.

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Are you of your opinion that the internet is suitable only to purchase stuff like designer jewellery? Well, internet is something more than e-shopping. The web became popular because it was one of the most democratic forms of dissemination of information. It remains so even today. Rather than landing in Iceland to discover that you have chosen the wrong time to finalize your visit, it makes sense to use the internet to clarify this point. Of course, there is no point traveling to Iceland if you are allergic to cold.

As the name suggests, it is going to be a very cold place. Of course, this does not mean you have to stand exposed to icy winds all the time. Iceland has all the facilities and amenities that an international traveler expects. From luxury hotels to rural and rustic homes-there are numerous accommodation options in the country.

Use the internet to check out the most popular natural and commercial locations in the country. You can contact travel agents who would be more than willing to plan your trip in such a manner that you cover all the major spots in Iceland at the lowest cost. If you like to plan your trip on your own, you can use the web to get detailed information about individual locations that you intend to visit.

From booking the hotel room to making arrangements for a travel guide-you can complete all these tasks on the internet. When you land in Iceland, you just have to relax and have fun because all other issues would have been taken care of.

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Did you know that Iceland was named by Lonely Planet as one of the Top 10 value destinations for 2010? The recent widening fiscal deficit of Iceland which caused such turmoil in international markets is a boon in disguise for visitors to the country, for it means that now the Icelander currency, krona, is cheaper than ever.

Did you also know that Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, was named by CNN in their Top 10 Places to Spend Christmas list? USA Today Travel named Iceland as a top travel destination for 2011 and Lonely Planet named Iceland’s Westfjords region as one of the Top 10 Regions in its Best of Travel 2011 guide.

With all these accolades, need I say more about Iceland’s numerous attractions? Apart from the incredible natural phenomena (everyone should see the Aurora Borealis reflected in the cool still waters of one of Iceland’s many fjords at least once in their life times), Iceland offers plenty of attractions for those who are into adventure sports like white water rafting and riding down icy mountain slopes on snow scooters. When it comes to nightlife, the capital city of Reykjavik is legendary for its energy and trendy venues. Do not forget to be pampered at one of the city’s natural spas when you visit.

You do not need to worry about overspending while visiting Iceland, thanks to the favourable exchange rate. So, this is the right time to enjoy a holiday in this beautiful country, and whether you are employed in secondary teaching jobs or the real estate sector, you can well afford the vacation. Just try to avoid the designer boutiques in Reykjavik and you will not have to economize at all.

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The country is also renowned for the quality of its whale meat, being one of the few locations on the globe where people can eat Minke whale. The history of whaling has a strong presence in Icelandic culture, however in more recent years it has developed into a rather more controversial subject with the rise of the Internet and email marketing for environmental activists. Despite this, most restaurants sell whale meat, particularly establishments that cater for the tourism industry.

Meanwhile, Þorri season, which takes place from the end of January to the beginning of February, is a time when much of the Icelandic population eats traditional national cusine containing shark cubes, head cheese, sheep fat and even pickled ram testicles. Many people who are invited to a Þorrablót will be able to refuse certain dishes, requesting a more ‘normal'dish if preferred! Tourists to the country should not be afraid to do this, particularly as a significant percentage of the population tends to avoid the slightly more ‘unpalatable'dishes.

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The Food

Now chances are you can get just about any kind of food here, and as far as I am concerned the food is more than great. From their Whale steak to the typical roasted puffin with blueberry sauce your pallet will be happy. You should keep in mind that traditionally Icelander has a waste not, want not kind of culture, so food is hardly ever wasted. So when an animal is slaughtered the whole animal is consumed. You may be surprised to find out the one of the more popular dish here is Rams testicles. Expect to spend close to 15 Euros for a meal.

Money

Now Iceland has its own currency, called the Krona although you can also use the Euro there. Banking hours are between 9:15 am to 4pm Monday – Friday.

Transportation

Interestingly enough you won’t find a railway in this country, probably one of the few in Europe not to have one. The buses however travel frequently enough for you to get around quickly. You can get a bus between 7am to midnight and the bus fare is about 2.50 Euros and is a flat fare.

Water

Clean and safe for drinking is the kind of water you will get. Keep in mind however that much of the water is geothermic in nature so there may be an awful smell when using the shower and the hot water. Many hotels will use filters to eliminate the odour.

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The main attraction that brings tourists to the amazing country of Iceland is our wonderful wide open spaces. You can head off the beaten track and stumble across waterfalls, geysers, mountains, glaciers and volcanic springs pumping sulphuric water into bubbling pools. Show me somewhere else in Europe, or even the world, where you get all that on one small island?
There are plenty of guided tours that will take you to the main tourist sites in one day, also known as the Golden Circle trip; this takes in the ancient parliament site of Pingvellir, the town of Geyser, which gave its name to the natural phenomenon and the spectacular Gulfoss waterfall. Just don’t expect to find any mobile roaming solution that will get you a phone signal way up in the mountains!
However, you won’t really feel that you are way out in the wilderness when you are surrounded by tourists and tourist coaches. The best way to experience the true Iceland is to hire your own car (make sure it’s four wheel drive) and take a drive across the inner mountains and glaciers, or maybe even a week-long trip on the coast road that runs round the island to see the black sand beaches and waterfalls that are around every corner on the south shore.
There is nothing to compare the sensation of standing on a glacier on a clear, sunny day; no sounds except the layers of ice cracking beneath your feet. It’s an experience that makes even the chattiest of tourists fall silent – and is sure to be the best memory you take away from Iceland.

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Forget Paris, Milan or Berlin; the coolest city in the world is definitely Reykjavik! And I’m not just talking about the temperature either, as Icelanders really know how to party. Whether you’re visiting during the long midsummer festival or during the infamous Airwaves music festival in October, the city’s bars and clubs are the place to be.
I first went to Iceland a few years ago for that Airwaves festival. My friends and I decided late in the year we wanted to go to a music festival abroad, and all the summer ones were sold out. I spent hours searching online for alternatives, hours when I should have been searching for new HR payroll software , and came up with the idea of Reykjavik. I won’t pretend that everyone was keen straight away, but once the doubters realised that we could stay in an apartment rather than camping in a muddy field, that the venues were all bars that had their own real toilets and that a trip to the wonderful Blue Lagoon was included in our ticket, they were more keen to give it a try…
The Icelandic people are part of the attraction at the Airwaves festival. These guys know how to have a good time, and they can really put away the drink! Yet it never gets loud or violent or even unpleasant. All they want to do is dance and sing along to their favourite bands! Most of the acts at Airwaves are Icelandic and Scandinavian, with a few edgy UK and US artistes thrown in, so don;t expect to see superstars like the Black Eyed Peas or Rihanna on the line-up. But discovering what cool Icelanders are listening to is all part of the Airwaves experience.

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Parenthood and all it entails has changed massively over the last few decades. Thanks to women’s liberation, there is much more balance and gender equality and has given females the chance to live a career-orientated life rather than be resigned to the fact that they’ll be the ones pushing the pram and probably taking out at least 20 years from their own lives in order to look after offspring.

However, it could be argued that we have gone the other way - have we become too career focussed? Do we need to let go of the reins a bit? Is there any solution to addressing the work/life balance?

Those in Iceland seem to have it right, despite it being amongst the worst countries hit by the economic crisis (at the height of the recession, it seemed that there was a new finance disaster in the country nearly every day judging by the tabloids). But Icelanders still retain that family spirit in spite of all other worries - including stress, work and money - and live their lives with the attitude of “the day job is a mid-day pause before getting back to the things I love”. This is in stark contrast to other countries in Europe, whose residents live to work and barely even see peace in the retirement years (when they finally arrive).

A cue can be taken here, as spending quality time with family (no matter which parent stays at home, if any) is the key to a stress-reduced life even when the rest of the world is crashing around our ears.

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