Full Description
This new, thoroughly updated fifth edition of Bradt's award-winning Iceland guide remains the most in-depth guide available to one of the few countries in the world that has no mosquitoes, no ants, no Starbucks and no MacDonalds. Featuring honest, practical information from an author who has repeatedly visited the country over twenty years and is familiar with its language, history and culture, Bradt's Iceland has won the Lowell Thomas Award (the highest travel writing award available in the United States) and provides more context for individual places than any other guidebook, plus frank, investigative hotel and restaurant reviews that hide nothing.
This latest edition covers everything you would expect, from the Northern Lights to snow mobiling, dog sledding, visiting West Fjords, Iceland's remotest corner, and the Laugavegur trail, Iceland's most famous 5-day trek. New developments covered include the merging together of different Nature Reserves and National Parks under the 'Vatnajökull National Park' banner, better infrastructure throughout the entire country, new hotels, restaurants, bars and geothermal spas, and more tour companies offering a wider variety of activities. For Reykjavik, there has been a complete update of the city's nightlife, restaurants, hotels, swimming pools and festivals, while other new features include fuller coverage of East Iceland, visiting hot springs and spas, 4X4 adventures in the Icelandic Highlands, plus more details of how and where to experience Iceland's amazing wildlife. Bradt's Iceland also offers the most detailed maps of any guidebook.
Based on 20 years of personal and business travel, exploration and adventure all around the country, the guide is exhaustive, well-researched and comprehensive, featuring a year-round approach to travelling in Iceland in line with the development of the local tourist industry to offer attractions beyond the normal summer season. As a contributor to National Geographic, and a frequent host for tours to Iceland, Andrew Evans explores some of the remotest corners of the country regularly. He continues to lecture about the country to high-end tour groups, as well as the National Geographic Society and Smithsonian Institution. His guide is exhaustive, allowing travellers to make informed decisions, to go anywhere and explore anything.
Contents
Introduction
PART ONE GENERAL INFORMATION
Chapter 1 Background Information
Geography, Climate, Population, Administration, Government, Politics, International relations, Economy
Chapter 2 The Icelanders
History, People, Language, Beliefs, Culture
Chapter 3 Natural History
Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Flora, Fauna
Chapter 4 Practical Information
When to visit, Highlights, Suggested itineraries, Tourist information, Tour operators, Red tape, Getting there and away, Health, Safety, What to take, Money and budgeting, Getting around,
Accommodation, Eating and drinking, Public holidays, Shopping, Activities, Arts and entertainment, Photography, Media and communications, Business, Cultural etiquette, Velkomin!
PART TWO THE GUIDE
Chapter 5 Reykjavík
History, Getting there and away, Getting around, Tourist information, Tour operators, Where to stay, Where to eat and drink, Entertainment and nightlife, Shopping, Other practicalities, What to see and do, Natural Reykjavík, Greater Reykjavík
Chapter 6 Reykjanes
Getting there and around, Reykjanesbær and around, Garður, Blue Lagoon, Grindavík, Reykjanestá, Reykjanesfólkvangur Reserve, Trekking in Reykjanes, Fagradalsfjall Volcano
Chapter 7 Sudurland (South Iceland)
Getting around, Thingvellir National Park, Laugarvatn, Geysir, Gullfoss, Flúðir, Skálholt, Hveragerði, Selfoss, Thjórsárdalur, Landmannalaugar, Mt Hekla, Hvolsvöllur, Vestmannaeyjar (The Westman
Islands), Thórsmörk, Skógar, Vík, Kirkjubæjarklaustur, Lakagígar
Chapter 8 Vesturland (West Iceland)
Getting there and around, Hvalfjörður, Akranes, Borgarfjörður and around, Húsafell and around, Snæfellsnes, Ólafsvík, Grundarfjörður, Stykkishólmur, Búðardalur
Chapter 9 Vestfirdir (The West Fjords)
Getting there and away, Getting around, Ísafjörður, Isafjarðarjúp, Bolungarvík, Suðureyri, Flateyri, Thingeyri, Arnarfjörður, Tálknafjörður, Patreksfjörður, Látrabjarg and around, Vatnsfjörður,
Breiðafjörður, Flatey, Reykhólar, Strandir
Chapter 10 Nordurland vestra (The Northwest)
Getting there and around, Vatsnes, Húnafjörður, Skagafjörður, Tröllaskagi, Hrísey
Chapter 11 Nordurland eystra (The Northeast)
Getting around, Akureyri and around, Grímsey, Thingeyjarsveit, Mývatn, Húsavík, Tjörnes, Kelduhverfi, Jökulsárgljúfur, Melrakkaslétta, Thórshöfn and around, Langanes
Chapter 12 Austurland (East Iceland)
Möðrudalur, Vopnafjörður, Vesturöræfi, The East Fjords, Vatnajökull National Park and around
Chapter 13 Hálendi. (The Highlands)
Getting around, Kjölur, Kerlingarfjöll, Sprengisandur, Mt Askja, Mt Herðubreið, Kverkfjöll
Appendix 1 Language
Appendix 2 Further Information
Index
