Travelogue: To the Land of Fire and Ice (Part 2)

Recently, I traveled to Iceland – the land of fire and ice – and here is the second part of my travel story. If you missed the beginning, be sure to catch up on the first part here.

Day 4: Golden Circle at daytime and The Northern Lights at nighttime

The tour that day started at 8:30 a.m. It was still dark, and Subuh prayer time wouldn’t end until 10:20 a.m. After waiting about 20 minutes in the cold, breezy early morning, a bus picked me up at Bus Stop #5. We began the journey before daylight had broken.

The large bus was almost full of tourists from all over the world. Some were traveling in groups, while others were on their own. The kindly white lady seated beside me appeared to be in her late sixties, and she was also traveling alone. We didn’t talk much, sharing only smiles, “excuse me”, “thank you”, and the occasional remark about those who were late returning to the bus. A young, pretty black woman sitting in front of us was also traveling solo.

The introvert in me was relieved; I didn’t have to introduce myself to anyone. We were all simply enjoying the experience in our own way, without feeling obliged to socialize. The tour guide (whose name I forgot, so let’s call him John) spoke for about half of the tour. He shared local myths, Viking history, and even a few Icelandic dad jokes.

We visited a few places. The Golden Circle is popular tourist route in southwestern Iceland, recognized for its major natural and cultural attractions.

The bus arrived at our first stop, Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park, around 9:00 a.m., and it was still dark with temperatures around -5°C to -6°C. We could barely see anything, just vague silhouettes in the cold.

John, the guide explaining the tectonic plates.

Þingvellir (Thingvellir)  National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, place of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates pulling apart, creating dramatic rift valleys and crystal-clear waters (which I could not see during that particular time!!), and the historic meeting grounds of the world’s first parliament.

I had clearly underestimated the harsh, biting wind and freezing conditions. By this time, my lower limbs were having rigors. My supposedly warm Ultrawarm HeatTech base, paired with standard-thickness jeans and two layers of thick socks, simply weren’t enough.

My feet began to go numb unpleasantly, and I instantly regretted not wearing the boots I’d worn the previous day. The newly bought trail running shoes I was so proud of now seemed ill-suited and pitiful in this weather. I think even peripheral diabetic neuropathy would not feel as bad as this!

I tried to move around as much as possible to generate heat. When it came time to board the bus, I was surprised to find that more than half of the passengers were already back inside, seeking shelter from the unforgiving cold.

Next stop was Geysir Geothermal area; home to the famous Strokkur geyser, which erupts every few minutes and can shoot boiling water up to 30 meters into the air.

The sun has shown its light with snowy mountain as its background. Masyaa Allah, it was a beautiful sight.

Erupting geyser

After walking back and forth in a quick pace and some photos and videos, I was done. The area was just about to be filled up with tourists. There were a nice café and a cozy souvenir shop that I could stroll around while killing the time in warmth and saving my nerve endings from the severe temperature.

The third stop of the day, Gullfoss Waterfall (the “Golden Falls”), just 10km away from Geysir. One of Iceland’s most iconic waterfalls, that cascades in two stages into a deep canyon.

My jacket and the Insta360 lens were covered with waterfall mist, which later froze into tiny, snow-like crystals. Although it was almost 2 p.m. and the sun was shining brightly, it did nothing to raise the temperature.

I seemed to have a short gastric emptying time that day – despite having eaten some chocolate biscuits 30 minutes earlier (which had crumbled into pieces in their packet) – I was still hungry and on the verge of a hypoglycemic episode. I imagined I was burning body fat faster to generate heat and losing weight because of it, though that was likely just my delusional thinking.

I found a cozy, hidden spot at the Gullfoss café. Packing nasi goreng in an insulated cup (a Shopee find) turned out to be a brilliant idea that my mum would have approved. Instead of struggling with frozen fried rice, I had a meal at a comfortable “Malaysian” temperature: not exactly warm, but thankfully not frozen either.

We finished the tour after the last stop and started our journey back to Reykjavík, dropping off some passengers at their respective stops along the way.

As we headed back, the view was breathtaking, almost sunset. The bright yellow and orange hues of the sun reflected off the mountains, frozen rivers, and lava fields.

View from my room at 4.30 p.m. that evening. Already Maghrib.

I had rescheduled the Northern Lights tour at that night, at 8.30 p.m. Many people had already been waiting at Bus Stop #5 since 8 p.m. It was dark, cold, and windy. Around 8:40 p.m., a large tour bus arrived. The guide, a young lady named Vic, spoke loudly and cheerfully without pause as she called out our names to board. Later in the bus, she mentioned that she had been diagnosed with Tourette syndrome, which explained her energetic babble.

We were taken to remote, dark areas about 40 minutes from Reykjavík to escape light pollution and improve our chances of seeing the aurora. We stopped at several locations, hoping to catch sight of the Northern Lights.

It wasn’t until our third stop that we finally saw them. They appeared distant and faint. To be honest, to my naked eye, they looked more like streaks of greyish clouds against the dark sky, not the vivid greens and reds that the camera lenses captured. I wouldn’t have even recognized them as the aurora if no one had told me (or looking at them). Perhaps they just weren’t very strong that night. Still, I was grateful, though it wasn’t what I had hoped for. Thank you Allah, for the blessing.

On the way back to the city, we were informed that we could email the tour company to book another Northern Lights tour with them at no additional cost, as that evening’s excursion was considered unsuccessful in terms of seeing truly spectacular lights.

Day 5: Perlan Exhibition and Volcano Helicopter Ride

After much thought and careful consideration just a few days earlier, I planned to visit Perlan that day and then go on a helicopter tour afterward!

Once again, I debated whether to walk or take the public bus to get there. The bus system didn’t seem too complicated or expensive, and I’d learned it would be easier if I downloaded the bus app (Klapp) to plan my ride. But, since my Reykjavík running plan had been left in KLIA, and I wanted to keep my step count up, so I decided to walk.

At 10 a.m., I stepped outside my hotel. It was -8°C, but the wind wasn’t as strong as it had been the day before. The walk to Perlan took about 40 minutes (2.8km). I paused a few times to ensure I was on the right track using Google Maps, but I managed to find a shorter route than what the Maps suggested.

I had booked my Perlan slot for 11 a.m. and the helicopter ride at 1 p.m. I thought I’d have plenty of time at Perlan, oh boy, I was wrong!

Perlan building.

Perlan is a museum or exhibition centre that highlights Iceland’s natural wonders, including glacier displays, a recreated ice cave, local wildlife exhibits, and immersive shows about the Northern Lights and volcanic eruptions.

The Northen Lights show introduction, before we were not allowed to record them.

The 15-minute aurora show was impressive, featuring beautiful, vibrant lights accompanied by both scientific and mythical explanations.

Finally, we met.

Arctic Fox.

Recreated (real) Ice Cave.

Some volcanologist info.

After the aurora show, I became so engrossed in other various nature exhibits that I lost track of time and ended up missing the volcano & lava show. By 12:30 p.m., I had to start heading toward the nearby domestic airport.

From Perlan, I walked through the bushes again, descending the hill to the west toward Reykjavik FBO, located in the domestic airport area. Inside the room marked “Reykjavik FBO”, a few people were waiting for their helicopter ride. After signing my name, I sat down.

About 10 minutes later, a man – our pilot, whose Icelandic name I’ve forgotten (let’s call him Mat) – entered the room and called out our names. Following a quick safety briefing, he guided us outside toward the helicopter parking area.

We initially spotted two sleek black helicopters right outside the room, but they weren’t ours. We walked another 80 meters to find two red helicopters parked behind another building – our rides for the day. Two groups were formed, each assigned to a separate helicopter.

Excitement bubbled within me, and the disappointment over missing the earlier lava show in Perlan disappeared. My adrenaline spiked when I was asked to sit in the front seat, while the other four passengers sat in the back. Our jackets and bags were kept at a compartment behind. We were given headsets for communication during the flight.

Although this wasn’t my first helicopter ride, it felt different – more thrilling, almost like being in an Airwolf episode.

As we took off, my excitement dropped slightly; the departure was slower and shakier than I’d imagined. But once the helicopter left the airport runway, my attention shifted to the spectacular scenery unfolding below. Rugged, untouched landscapes stretched out in all directions.

Moments later, we approached the erupting volcano at Reykjanes, which spewed bright orange and red lava onto the ground. Rivers of glowing red lava snaked down its slopes, while ash and steam swirled into the air, clearly visible even from a distance. The dramatic scene was framed by the serene, sprawling fields of old lava and cratered terrain.

Mat expertly brought us close to the volcano, circling it so everyone on both sides had a perfect view of this breathtaking natural spectacle. He was not only our pilot that day, but also our tour guide (explaining about the volcano systems and all) and our cameraman! The erupting volcano was the seventh volcano eruption since this year.

An old volcano crater.

The flight time was about 45 minutes. Although the price was steep and stretched my travel budget, the experience was absolutely worth every RM. An unforgettable highlight of my trip.

After the adventure, I walked about 2.8 km in the chilly air back to my hotel, passing through serene field walkways, cozy shops, and quiet housing areas.

To be continued in Part 3: More aurora and other breathtaking sceneries.