Recently, I traveled to Iceland – the land of fire and ice – and here is the final part of my travel story. If you missed the beginning, be sure to catch up PART 1, PART 2, and PART 3.

Day 8 – Bye Reykjavik, Hello London

The last view from my room window.

My flight was at 4:20 p.m., so I had plenty of time to repack my luggage before the 11 a.m. check-out. Around noon, a large bus picked me up from Bus Stop #5 for the final time, taking me to Keflavík Airport. It was time to end the “dream” and return to reality.

The most visited location: the Bus Stop #5.

My one-week stay.

Keflavik Airport departure hall. Many check-in & self printing bag tag machines (the AA style).

The troll, a mythical creature in Iceland, celebrated as part of the country’s rich cultural heritage and as a symbol of the magical aspects of its natural world.

Mild snowstorm when the flight was about to depart. I guess the pilot was skilful enough to handle the situation.

The Icelandair in-flight safety video features sleek cinematic visuals of Ireland nature, click here to watch.

I would be in London for about 36 hours, staying in the same hotel as I had a week earlier, located near Heathrow Terminal 4. There are four hotels so close to the terminal that you can simply walk to them from the departure hall via its covered walkway.

As nerdy as it may sound, I decided to spend my time in London visiting the British Museum. From Terminal 4, I took the Elizabeth Line train to the nearest station. After some research, I found that the train in London is not as complex as Tokyo’s train system. I had survived Tokyo, London should be fine, Inshaa Allah.

Aside from the loud and chaotic school children completing their assignments in the museum, I was surprised to see many other “nerdy” tourists visiting that day.

The museum has five levels, organized by continents and historical periods. After spending almost two and a half hours focusing on and admiring about three-quarters of the ground-floor collections, plus another hour quickly browsing the remaining ground-floor exhibits and those on level three, I decided to end my visit due to dehydration, starvation, and near “brain-hypoxia”. While heading back to the train station, I met a Muslim man in his souvenir shop, who helped me turn a few old pound notes I had kept for years into something more useful.

Many hours later… I arrived in KLIA. So, that was it!

Reflection and Summary

>>”The Land of Fire and Ice” – I’m sure you understand by now that this Iceland’s nickname reflects its extreme combination of fiery volcanic activity and icy landscapes. Iceland offers a rich variety of nature, culture, and scientific knowledge to explore. It’s a great way to boost the brain cells while you’re there. If seeing aurora is one of your wishlist, I suggest you come here!

>>All the bookings for the bus tours, airport transfers, helicopter ride, and entrance tickets were made through Klook and Agoda just a few days before the travel dates. I didn’t purchase any British Pounds or Icelandic Króna (ISK), I used my Wise account and its debit card, which allows withdrawals from any ATM. Credit cards are widely accepted too. The ISK coins feature adorable marine life designs.

>>Travel is so much more than just snapping photos for sharing or collecting selfies. It’s about experiencing, learning, and connecting – with the places, the people, and the moments. Also for the Muslims, don’t forget to recite du’a and your favourite zikr: before, during and after the journey, praying for safety, ease and His mercy. All praise and gratitude to Allah for these blessings, Mashaa Allah! Tabarakallah!

>>If rizq is on my side (time, money, and health) I would love to do this trip all over again, in a different season with better temperatures and longer daylight hours. Perhaps with more adventures and exploration, i.e. hiking a glacier, exploring volcanoes, going on a whale-watching cruise, or even hopping to Greenland, or maybe getting dry suit diving certification. (For now, dreaming is free!)

>>Adjusting with the difference in prayer times and the challenging environment, performing solah outside the hotel room was a real test. I learned the hard way, to always be solah-ready.

>>Better camera equipment is needed like a sturdier and lighter phone tripod and a ‘real’ camera for better night photos and videos. I have a mirrorless camera that had been kept dusted and unused for a few years. Well… maybe next time.

>>No light travel in winter! Layers of clothing are necessary for winter survival. Make sure to bring the right gloves and shoes. Don’t forget head covers too. (Men can wear hijab there. Sure! No judgement🤣) Body and hand warmer from Daiso didn’t help much in Iceland’s winter. They might work better in London or other countries with milder temperatures. Iceland winter typically lasts from late October to early April. Check the weather & temperature before planning the trip.

>>Bringing food from home helps to reduce the budget: rice, oats, canned tuna, instant noodles, Brahims, serundings, peanut butter, etc, and a small portable cooker if the place you stay has no kitchen. Thermos or insulated food containers are great saviour too. The currency conversion makes the food expensive. I only bought eggs, vegetables, fruits and some snacks in Iceland. The Muslim immigration officer in London asked me if I am allergic to seafood, because that was his Halal go-to meal when he visited Iceland. He said I was smart when I told him I brought my own food. Couldn’t agree more. Haha.

>>The British Museum isn’t really about Britain; it exhibits vast collections from different parts of the world. Nonetheless, my favourites were the ancients from Egypt, Rome, and Greece.

>>All in all, I had a wonderful time being away from people’s health problems for a while, to heal myself.

I hope you enjoy ‘visiting’ Iceland through my lenses. All the photos in this travelogue were taken with my phone camera, the Galaxy S23 Ultra, and snapshots from Insta360 X4 recordings. My attempts to produce a nice video compilation were a complete failure due to strong winds; numb fingers, and tremors; the Osmo Pocket stopped recording after just 10 seconds in the freezing environment; the tripod malfunctioned, and to top it all off, my bad cinematography skills.

Nowadays, most people have short attention span, but congratulations to you, for finished reading until this very last line. Comment below if you enjoy reading this travelogue.

Thank you!