Séverines honeymoon in Iceland

We got married, less than two months ago. And as mostly newlyweds, we decided to go to an Island for our honeymoon! But, as we don’t like beaches and mojitos much we did not hesitate to go to Iceland. Our swimming wears were in our luggage of course but also woolly hat, raining coat and several pull over… And because we do not like doing the same as most people, we decided to have a trip off the beaten tracks and to discover this unknown Island in a special wedding car: a camper van to have more freedom. Camping in Iceland was also an option but I was less enthusiastic to sleep in a tent under the rain!

We landed on the 17th of June at 2 am. First surprise, it was not dark, but it was not very sunny neither due to the small showers and the cloudy weather! We did not know yet but after fifteen days spent here, we could say “we landed by a typically weather in Iceland”.

Just installed in our camper van for two weeks, we were ready to start an unforgettable adventure in the very wild, wild North! Our first objective was to spot a sunrise on the East side. That is why we started our trip on the circular road or road number one in the opposite direction as the clock! East fjord, we are coming!

Just after leaving the airport, our first lava field was just here. We were extremely impressed. We never saw such kind of area previously. Only few kilometers later, we tried to push continents to disconnect them. Fortunately, we didn’t manage to do it, so no earthquake!

We walked around solfataras (editor’s note: Sulfur pit) and mud spots. Amazing experience and a little scarred thinking of what was happening under our feet to have such phenomena above the ground! It is very hot in two senses of the term (French idiom!).

We spend our first night near a lake; we were alone in the middle of nowhere. Fantastic feeling of freedom! But our guide indicated to be vigilant; a legend said there is an aquatic monster in this lake!!! Fortunately we did not encounter it.

After a short break in Reykjavik, we pursued our goal. Piling up the miles on the clock, we were increasingly excited by the wonderful landscapes before our eyes: gigantesque cascade, incredible rivers, volcanos, lava fields, ice mountains, hills, and without forgetting the famous sheep on the side or sometimes on the road. The weather was as changing as the landscapes.

For maximum enjoyment, we also went trekking near the biggest ice mountain in Iceland. But our first trek was near a hot river. It was not so easy to change our warm Gore-Tex jacket for swimming wear to bath in the river when it was raining. It was however a pleasurable reward to bath in 34 degree water… Maybe we were fan and spend the remaining trip to searching for similar places!!!

Days after days, many surprises came. It is not very common for us, who live in South of France, to see iceberg, nearly in the Atlantic ocean with seals and eider in the frozen water. And even if, many time there was not sunshine, bad weather contributed to appreciate landscape differently, it gave an huge dimension to the wild landscape.

5 days later we arrived for the rising sun but only fog and heavy rains, nothing else… So we continued our road trip to see the sunset at the North West! And we won this time… After a short walk around basalt area at Dettifoss, we stopped the camper van in the middle of nowhere. The sun was up and we enjoyed so much this time, we woke up every two hours during the night. And we caught both: sunset and then the sunrise. Wonderful!

As our wedding car was not high enough to cross rivers or drive on F-roads, we left it for two days to escape to Askja and Landmannalaugar. One more time, magic is enough to summarize what we experienced even if we could not have a bath in Viti crater.

Instead, we enjoyed our bath at Mývatn in 41 degree water with the same color as milk and we took a hot shower in a very strange place… Let see and check it!!!

We continued our trip to west coast and we checked seals and natural hot spot!!! And we found it. We thought we found lobsters but in fact it was our feet after a 46 degrees bat ! Too hot !!!

Of course, I forgot to say, we crossed lava fields, areas similar as desert but where only artic flowers grow, drove near volcanos, we even walked on one… We saw again solfataras, mud points, ice mountain… And even if we thought South and North are similar due to their landscapes, in fact, it feels different and always wonderful moments.

Now, it is time to say good bye to Iceland and to go home.

This trip was very unforgettable: landscapes, culture, colors, weather, everything is surprising!

I forgot to mention the flies, if one adjective could qualify it: annoying!!!! It was silly not having bought protection even if Icelandic think only tourists wear that!

Finally we did not meet any trolls, puffins, whales… Maybe they were all in France to support Football Iceland team for its first participation to the European cup.

Thanks for this experience in our camper van, why not, we could expect to equip our own car in France to continue the camper van experience. What a pity there are no hot river near home, it was a very relaxing time.

If you want to live an unforgettable experience, go to Iceland and enjoy your trip in a camper van! You will have freedom and many things to say at the end of your trip. Next time, we will choose the same way to travel and we will just spend more time with local guys to be able to appreciate how they live in Iceland.

Read more: Craig’s Camper Van trip in Iceland

Happy Camping!  #WohoCamper