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Huu Trang (Da Nang) embarked on a road trip to Iceland in mid-November. For her, the Iceland road trip was truly an experience of the wonders of nature: gazing at volcanic fields, towering cliffs, majestic waterfalls, roads that you could only see in movies, and remote snow-covered regions…
"Everything seemed so surreal in Iceland; I felt like I was living on another planet again, after my trip to Namibia the month before," Huu Trang said.
Huu Trang recently took a road trip to explore Iceland last November.
Iceland is known as the land of "fire and ice." This name comes from its unique geological features. The country's geology includes plateaus characterized by sand and lava fields, alongside mountains and numerous glaciers that flow into the sea through lowlands.
"There certainly won't be one single outstanding feature in Iceland, but what matters is how we face and experience each destination, given the extremely harsh weather conditions in November. For me, the Iceland road trip was a spectacular and worthwhile experience because nowhere else in the world offers so many exciting things," Huu Trang said.
Iceland is known as the land of "fire and ice" because of its unique geological features.
Road trip is a popular concept in the US referring to a new type of travel. For a long time, road trips were understood as journeys by road, most commonly undertaken using automobiles.
Huu Trang's road trip to Iceland took place from November 9th to 20th. The places she visited and experienced in Iceland included: exploring Reykjavik – the capital of Iceland – experiencing Sky Lagoon, the legendary Golden Circle, Thingvellir Park, the Haukadalur geothermal area, Strokkur hot springs, Gullfoss waterfall, the southeastern Iceland route, whale watching in Haugannes Bay, Fjadrargljufur Canyon, Crystal Iceland, and western Iceland...
Iceland is considered to have a spectacular collection of waterfalls.
Gullfoss waterfall – one of the most majestic and beautiful of Iceland's more than 10,000 waterfalls – was a truly breathtaking sight for her. Or the southeastern Iceland route, heading towards the southern coast, towards the magnificent Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls, and the famous black sand beach Reynisfjara, surrounded by black basalt columns and one of Iceland's most famous landmarks.
As for Fjadrargljufur Canyon, it gave Huu Trang the most overwhelming feeling amidst the Icelandic natural landscape, making her exclaim that she wished she could return in the summer again. This is also where the music video "I'll Show You," with over 444 million views by the famous star Justin Bieber, was filmed. Because of this, exploring Fjadrargljufur Canyon is currently restricted because previously, the large number of tourists led the Icelandic authorities to worry about nature conservation.
Fjadrargljufur, located in southeastern Iceland, is a canyon approximately 100 meters deep and stretching about 2 kilometers along the Fjadra River. It was formed at the end of the Ice Age by glacial erosion, creating the trenches. This is also where Justin Bieber filmed his music video for "I'll Show You."
Next was the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon, where she first saw large icebergs drifting peacefully toward the ocean, making their way to Diamond Beach, looking like crystals on the black satin beach.
Furthermore, head to West Iceland to explore the magnificent Snæfellsnes Peninsula, a world of cliffs, headlands, unique wildlife, and ancient fishing settlements. Your first stop is Gerðuberg – a cluster of hexagonal basalt columns. To reach Djúpalónssandur beach, you must hike through a labyrinth of lava columns formed thousands of years ago. You can't leave the Snæfellsnes Peninsula without seeing the iconic Kirkjufell mountain, one of Iceland's most popular tourist destinations, and featured in Game of Thrones as the "arrowhead mountain" beyond the Wall. Alternatively, conquer the northern Iceland road to the small town of Hauganes and go whale watching in Haugannes Bay.
Djúpalónssandur – the beach that inspired the movie Frozen 2. This beach has a mysterious black sand shoreline covered with black pebbles and oddly shaped rock formations that resemble hidden monsters guarding what belongs to them.
Huu Trang said: "The most challenging part of the journey for me was conquering the trekking to Crystal Iceland and then visiting the reconstructed Viking village in Iceland."
When mentioning Iceland, it's impossible not to mention the Vikings, known as outstanding traders, fierce warriors, and skilled navigators. They had their own civilization (religion, society, politics) and dominated Europe from the 8th to the 11th centuries during what is known as the "Viking Age." You can't bring a weak spirit or a frail body to Iceland, especially given the harsh weather; a bit of a "viking" spirit will motivate you to overcome your own limitations.
The weather here is so harsh that it caused Huu Trang more mental shock than heat shock.
"In the cold, rainy weather and gloomy surroundings, checking in at the Ice Cave was freezing, suffocating, and I couldn't take a single decent photo after a long journey through rain and mud. Exhausted from the rain, I still persevered and visited the reconstructed Viking village to immerse myself in a story, a film where I was both the director and the actor," she said.
Diamond Beach captivates with its colossal, glittering icebergs standing out against the black sand, creating a magical, otherworldly space, which Huu Trang has transformed into her own personal stage.
Another amazing experience for Huu Trang during her exploration of Iceland was the snowmobiling tour. This activity, costing around 5 million VND, allows you to spend an hour running across endless stretches of white snow. It gives you the feeling of truly existing in a frozen world, where nothing exists but snow and more snow. This challenging experience made her feel like she had fallen off another planet.
On a snowmobiling tour, you'll be immersed in a pristine white landscape of snow.
Every trip has its own challenges, which we can all overcome, but Iceland gave her a slightly "scary" experience.
Huu Trang added: "I still vividly remember when the weather warning was at the yellow level. The car, while on the road, felt like all four wheels were about to fly off the ground and then fall back down because of the wind. That's when I realized that the wind in Iceland can blow a car away at any time and can reach its highest level. What was bound to happen did happen. When we reached the black rock beach to battle the wind and take a couple of pictures, I returned to the car only to find that the car's doors had been blown off by the wind and we couldn't move any further. So the whole team had to sit at the only small cafe nearby and wait for a tow truck to take us back to the nearest hotel to stay."
Every day, our Iceland exploration itinerary had to be modified and some locations omitted due to unfavorable weather conditions and potential dangers.
According to Huu Trang, almost every day the itinerary had to be changed and some locations omitted due to unfavorable weather conditions and warnings of danger. Another experience was trekking through an ice cave in the rain amidst fluctuating temperatures of 1-4 degrees Celsius, accompanied by wind and rain, which left her almost completely exhausted.
Speaking about the weather in Iceland, she recalled emotionally: "I want to use the word terrifying. And honestly, I was more shocked mentally than by the heat, because heatstroke can be prevented with thermal shirts and life jackets."
Iceland has always been a popular destination for tourists to explore.
"There were times on the trip when I wanted to give up and buy a plane ticket to go home, but because I was still excited about the experiences ahead, I tried to overcome my own fears and see it through. If you go to Iceland in winter, bring courage, daring, and a positive spirit. When in Iceland, always remember to appreciate nature, whether it's a branch or a leaf, or just a pebble on the beach," Huu Trang shared.
