TRAVEL ICELAND: REVIEW

For UK adventure hunters, Iceland is one of the most unique and accessible destinations for a short getaway. With direct flights from London, Manchester, and other UK airports, reaching Reykjavik is quicker than traveling to many European cities. As stunning as, if not more than, UK landscapes like the Scottish Highlands or the Lake District, Iceland’s scenery is otherworldly, with bubbling geysers, vast glaciers, and the magical real Northern Lights.

Whether you’re planning a weekend trip from Manchester or London, or looking for an alternative to a classic countryside retreat, Iceland offers an adventure like no other.

Our writer Joannah, explains that ‘real life’ Iceland is even better than ‘social media’ Iceland.

By Joannah Jia Yi Su.

To Iceland from York

To me, these school trips are the equivalent of a girl’s holiday, except minus all the planning. You just pay and show up. You may think it’s not worth flying for a weekend, but let’s say you’re going from York to London, that’s about two hours on a train. In the same time, you could be in Iceland. So why go to London when you can go to Iceland?

The Journey Begins

We took a bus from school to Manchester airport at 2:00 a.m. and other than the fact that we met at a ridiculous hour, the journey was peaceful and exciting. Knowing that in less than five hours I’d be in a whole other country while everyone else was just starting their day felt surreal.

Once we got to the airport, we went straight to our gate, and before I knew it, we were on the plane en route. Instead of watching the sun come up from the ground, I watched it rise from the clouds.

As soon as we landed at Reykjavik airport, we went through security. Compared to Manchester and Heathrow, it was tiny, but the speed we got through was way faster.

Food For Thought

Whenever I go to a new country, I like to try something special to that place so my roommate Kateryna and I got some salmon sushi rolls since Iceland is known for its fresh seafood. I’d definitely recommend sushi, there it was so good.

Throughout the trip, we tried to experience Iceland as locally as we could on a school trip. We went to this supermarket called Krónan and got a load of fresh fruits. The strawberries stood out the most; imagine the ones from Morrisons or ASDA but triple the size, and ten times sweeter.

Hearty Icelandic lamb stew with tender meat, carrots, and potatoes, garnished with fresh herbs.

At our hostel, we had a buffet for breakfast and dinner. It ranged from American pancakes and frankfurters to Thai curry, schnitzel, and hot soups. Nothing too special, but the meals were good, and I always left full.

One of the best things I ate was Icelandic lamb stew at the geyser. There was a café, and people were lining up for it, so I thought, why not? The lamb was so tender, and the warmth from the stew was just what I needed after a cold day. It felt like a spoonful of home and nostalgia. I still think about it now and will keep searching for something similar everywhere I go. If you ever find yourself at the geysers, or anywhere in Iceland that has it, make sure you try it.

The Blue Lagoon Experience

The Blue Lagoon, captured in moody black and white film by Joannah JYS.

The first thing we did after we left the airport was head straight to the Blue Lagoon. To my surprise, it was only half an hour away. As we arrived, the bus filled with the smell of boiled eggs… not ideal after a morning of traveling! But the second I saw the lagoons, I forgot all about how bad it smelled.

Walking alongside the lagoon to the spa, I could see the water- this creamy, clean, light blue color, with steam rising from the circular pools. It felt unreal.

We were quickly greeted and escorted to the changing rooms. My favorite part? The showers before entering. Such a simple yet meaningful rule, everyone had to rinse-off before getting in.

Mystical view of Iceland's Blue Lagoon, where geothermal steam rises against a backdrop of rugged lava fields and a moody sky.

Before going, I’d watched videos where people recommended conditioning your hair with the spa’s conditioner. I did, and after three hours of swimming, water fights, and fully submerging my head, my hair was silkier than before. I loved it so much I even bought a bottle to take home.

While in the lagoon, we got a free drink of our choice and complimentary face masks. I tried the silica mud one, and to be honest, I didn’t feel a difference in my skin, but it was an experience I wouldn’t want to miss out on if I went again.

Before visiting, I thought the Blue Lagoon was one of those “social media vs. reality” places. But I was so wrong. I’d read about it and seen pictures online, but experiencing it in person made me realize the internet doesn’t do it justice.

Chasing the Northern Lights

Brilliant green hues of the northern lights dance across the night sky above a silhouette of towering pines and a starry backdrop.

That same evening, our travel guides told us it was the best night to see the Aurora Borealis. I’d recently seen it in the UK, but only faintly through a camera lens, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. We drove an hour into the center of Iceland before stopping. As I stepped off the bus, I looked up and saw trails of light above me. Though it wasn’t the bright green, red, and pink I’d seen in pictures, there was this white light with a shadow of red beneath it. It felt unreal. We took some photos, and somehow, the colors looked so much brighter and more magical on the camera than in real life.

We drove even deeper into Iceland, and soon, we could see the auroras from the bus window. At our next stop, they were even clearer. Standing underneath the Northern Lights in the middle of nowhere, just looking up, was such a magical moment.

The Land of Waterfalls

I also loved the waterfalls. There were so many, it felt like something straight out of a fairytale or a Microsoft screensaver. The more we saw, the grander they got. Before this trip, I had never stood under or so close to such a huge waterfall. The way the water endlessly cascaded down, shaped by gravity, was unreal. Alongside the waterfalls, there were towering mountains and glaciers.

Glacier Hiking: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience

Adventurers embark on a glacier hike, following a snow-covered path winding up the mountain. Black and white film by Joannah JYS.

And obviously, what’s an Iceland trip without glacier hiking? Glacier hiking was probably my favorite part of the trip. I felt like I was in Frozen! That scene where they’re all carving and transporting ice. It was nothing like I expected. It was so much bigger and better than I could’ve imagined. Trying something as exclusive as glacier hiking felt surreal.

When we arrived at the glacier, a snowstorm hit, making it even more dramatic. We put on crampons, helmets, and harnesses and started hiking. We saw a lot of moulin- deep holes in the ice formed over summer.

Glacier hiking is one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences. If you don’t do it now, who knows if they’ll even be here in fifty years?

Heading Home

After three eventful days, I was en route back to school. And just like that, I was back in England, and it was all just a memory. It’s something I won’t forget and something I’m so grateful to have experienced.

Joannah and a friend capture a memorable moment during their glacier hike with a black and white film camera.

If you ever get the chance to travel Iceland- just go. Don’t even think about it. It will 100% be worth it.

By Joannah Jia Yi Su.