As a new year tradition(and hopefully I can keep it up), I am sharing these simple travelogue postcards of beautiful cities I’ve visited this year. All shots were taken by me with my Sony. Feel free to share. =)
Category: To Iceland
Backpacking Iceland On A Cheap (Things to do,where to stay and stuff)
When visiting Iceland with a limited time only, here are some must sees and must do activities that should never be missed.
- Golden Circle Tour. This is a whole day activity that takes you around Iceland’s famous natural landscapes. I booked mine with Reykjavik Excursions for 10,400 Isk (4,500 Pesos). Yep, the package might sound pricey, but I did not have much choice, as there are no public transportation in Iceland that goes to the specified destinations. It would have been cheaper also if I tapped with fellow travellers and just share on a rented car, but I did not find any on my scheduled date. So, there. Nonetheless, the guided tour by Reykjavik Excursions was quite relaxed and we were not really rushed to complete things; which is good. Tip: Wear something waterproof jacket and pants when going around Iceland, as the weather can be quite unpredictable with recurring rain and strong wind, especially on the mountainous areas, to which is what this tour is all about.
Gullfoss Waterfall is one of Iceland’s Iconic landscapes. this is around 30-40 meters drop in total.sobrang powerful
The Geysir is mother earth’s natural fountain. This is produced when hot air is formed underground and finds its way up pockets of water. Kaya tumasabog pa vertical when there is too much pressure already. Water is HOT!
Thingvellir National Park is significate, as it is there the continents of Eurasia and North America Split up, geographically.
2)Blue Lagoon Tour. Blue Lagoon geothermal spa is one of the most visited attractions in Iceland. The spa is located in a lava rock field in southwestern Iceland, thus the naturally black ground. The somewhat milky coloured of the water is a natural thing that is a result of the Silica-mineral rich ground of the lagoon. Warm water dun at around 39 degrees Celcius. It was raining heavily when I went there, and was super cold if you are not in the water. Nonetheless, the experience was great! 10,700 Isk (4,600 Pesos)
3)Northern Light Tour. Now here’s the tricky part, kasi the Nothern Lights are a natural phenomenon that is very much dependent on weather conditions. Experiencing this can never be assured. I myself waited for 4 nights, and wasn’t lucky enough to witness it. The whole Iceland was cloudy and rainy when I went there. 6,400 Isk (2,800 Pesos) for a light chase tour. Fully refundable if weather was awful during your stay.
4)Citywalk Reykjavik. This is a free tour that you can sign up with on the internet (Citywalk.Is). It is a 2 hours walking tour around the city that fully depends on donations. Any amount will be accepted after the tour. This one is a good activity especially for backpackers. Definitely a good venue to meet fellow travellers.
Hallgrímskirkja Church is another iconic must see in Reykjavik. This contemporary-themed catholic church may be odd looking outside, but inside has very clean and crisp art and accents. It is the only church I’ve visited so far that has somewhat a minimalist feel on its interior spaces. Visiting this could easily be fitted after the Citywalk tour. Entrance is free.
5)Harpa Concert Hall and the surrounding port is another must visit icon of Reykjavik. Visitors can marvel on the amazing contemporary interiors of this post-modern glass box building. Imagine when the Northern lights are up and this glass building reflects all the activities of the sky. Surreal siguro un. No entrance fees on this as well. The surrounding port is also worth a walk and probably have dine-ins there.
Food. Given naman na food in Iceland is expensive. Almost everything is imported, if not grown in a greenhouse. Though pricey, the portions naman are relatively big. Just to give you guys an idea, the cheapest that you can find along the street are hotdog sandwiches, for 450 Isk ( 180 Php/3-4 Usd), but it’s big na, like almost a foot long. Sample in the photo is Baejarins Beztu Pylsur, the famous Hotdog stand na masarap ung sauce and may crunchy fried onion bits sa bottom ng bun.
Baejarins Beztu Pylsur is the famous hotdog stand. it’s where famous international people had their bite, like Bill Clinton
Iceland people are fond of vegetarian menus din. As I’ve observed, almost always may vegetarian option sa menus. Vegetarian sandwiches are great on breakfast for 450 Isk ( 180 Php/3-4 Usd) . Basic black coffee is also around 450 Isk ( 180 Php/3-4 Usd) 
Average-priced dine ins are at around 900 to 1,800 Isk (400 to 800 pesos). Bottomline, mahal ang dine-in sa Iceland because of labor and taxes. Here are a few snapshots.
They also have whale dishes, but I never dreamed of eating such. Haha. sorry.
Kung gusto makamura, grocery! And particularly sa Bonus Supermarket near the port or the BSI Bus terminal. Ito yung baon ko when I went to the Golden Circle Tour. hehe
Accommodation. There’s not much choices on hostels in Reykjavik. The best na nahanap ko is Oddsson Hotel/Hostel, which is it at 10-15 minutes walk from the Port, and a little more from the city center. Waterfront ang Oddsson, so maganda ang view, and sobrang lamig talaga. May “Vida Express”Grocery at the front, and a little further, there’s “Bonus Supermarket”where the locals go. The hostel has a big kitchen and a balcony, with a heated jacuzzi pa. One night is around 1,500.00 Pesos, towel use excluded. 
Airport Transfer. There is no train facility in Iceland, so the next best and secure option is by bus. Though minimal ang difference with others, the cheapest option is with Grayline Airport Express, and get the roundtrip (Airport-Reykjavik-Airport) package of around 4,000.00 Isk (Php 1,760.00, pwedeng sa website nila, or at the airport na by cash or credit card). For some reason, di ko naisip kunin ang round trip kaya napamahal ako.
Iceland was part of the 10 days Backpacking trip in Scandinavia. For the overall budgeting part, refer to this article : https://iamjosemanuel.com/2016/11/05/backpacking-scandinavia-10-days-in-swedennorway-and-iceland-magkano-ba/
12 Things To Expect in Iceland (Kung Alam Ko Lang!)
Iceland. Wala na akong masabi kasi probably madami na kayong alam na facts and figures about this dream destination. Anyways, here are some things that I’ve learned from my visit, and some personal realizations that could have made my short trip better. Sa mga nagbabalak pumunta, sana may mapulot kyo dito.
- TRIVIA: 10% nalang ng Iceland is covered with Glacier/Ice due to climate change. Lumalawak din naman to pag winter pero topical lang and is expected to be washed out by change of season. When I went there,only few snow-capped mountains can be seen from afar.
- THE SAD PART: Iceland is majorly a cold-barren land, with large portion of it covered by volcanic rocks, making farming and vegetation close to impossible (which justifies why mahal ang pagkain dun. I swear, naka greenhouse sila even for tomatoes). There are minimal trees left, naubos na ng occupants during the early days, and later did they realise na they cannot regrow trees easily.
- MAN AGAINST ELEMENT: Sobrang unpredictable ng Iceland’s wind and weather all year round. It was autumn when I went. Though the temperature is manageable at around 6-10 degrees C, it is the strong,piercing wind that challenges all living things. chot! Seriously, super strong wind expecially sa mountainous parts, some can actually tilt up to 70 degrees and not fall.
- UNEXPECTED ACTIVITY: Iceland is a volcanic island. Don’t be surprised with recurring mini earthquakes almost everyday. Thus, madaming hot springs and thermal pools dun that local people enjoy, kahit within the city lang. Point is, bring your SWIMMING Outfit dahil mapapasabak ka talaga sa dipping. I swear naka boxer brief lang ako when I went to Blue Lagoon. Nilaban ko lang with Davao City-level of confidence. Sabi nga ng Indonesian friend ko, “That is very Filipino”.
- OUTFIT: Given the weather unpredictability of this country, WATERPROOF COAT AND PANTS are a MUST! Yun ang kulang ko. I did not research good enough before I left. High cut shoes is also recommended, and preferably leather. Gloves and Ear muffs are recommended. Gloves, ideally the leather one with removable tips for easy camera use.
- SKIN CARE: the cold can at times be more harsh than the heat. Bring moisturiser and lip balm. Don’t neglect your lips. Una yan dudugo.
- UPON ARRIVAL: Walang train ang Iceland. Either you go by bus or pasundo ka sa daddy mo. And when you go by bus, whatever the company is, BUY ROUND TRIP pag early morning ang flight mo out of Iceland. Wag matigas ulo.
- FOOD: Syempre kailangan nyo din ma experience dining in at Reykjavik. There’s Sjavarbarinn and Messin, among other mid priced restaurants in the city. But if trip nyo mag grocery para maka mura, go to the port, and malapit dun, there’s Bonus Supermarket. Don’t buy from convenient stores. Mahal.
- CULTURED PEOPLE: Guys, walang Mcdonald’s sa Iceland. FYI Norman.
- GENERAL TIP: Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate! and for free!!! Potable water in Iceland is clean enough to drink; The whole of Scandinavia actually.
- PASALUBONG: When buying foodie pasalubongs, buy at the airport na before departing. Particularly the local chocolates in Duty Free are like almost 50% cheaper than in Reykjavik’s. Mataas kasi taxes ng city. And I swear, Icelandic chocolates are to die for. In the airport, you can actually buy Salmon meat and other meat products and even Icelandic breads pastries with proper travel packaging. Bsta, iba ang Airport dun in terms of items to buy. Bili din kayo nung Smoked Cod Liver na delata. Masarap pang appetizer. Cheaper din sa airport.
- EMOTIONAL PREPARATION: Lastly, prepare yourself sa feeling na seeing the Northern Light is just a bonus in life and a blessing from the Lord Almighty. As it is a natural phenomenon dependent on the weather, not everyone gets to experience them. Personally, I did not see it even though I waited for 4 nights. What hurts is that I was just late by a weekend, kasi days before daw, the light was super strong that you can see them even from the city. Ohw, well, I can just revisit for that someday. And tours for the Northern Light are usually fully refundable when you don’t get to see them. September to March daw ang strong sightings of this elusive show. So book your tickets between those months and magpa-Novena kayo sa mga taga Dona Pilar Village of Davao for good weather.
Interested sa budget? read here, https://iamjosemanuel.com/2016/11/05/backpacking-scandinavia-10-days-in-swedennorway-and-iceland-magkano-ba/
Guy in yellow coat is Martin of Citywalk Reykjavik Free Tour, where me and 2 Indonesian friends joined. Check out their website sa google. Anyways, here are some more snapshots I took around Reykjavik.
And here’s me biting an apple. Share for good luck.
Backpacking Scandinavia (10 Days in Sweden,Norway & Iceland. Magkano ba?)
It’s no secret that the Scandinavian countries of Europe are among the most expensive countries in the world to visit; especially when you are coming from the Philippines. Sobrang layo na nun,beh. You can already breathe in the cold air from the north pole, at di mo na ramdam yung equator from there. Chot! Intimidating puntahan? Medyo siguro at first. Posibleng nakakatakot yung gasto? Pag demanding ka,definitely. Pag mababa naman standards mo sa pagbabakasyon, carry na yun. Para sa mga pusang gala tulad ko, lahat naman pwedeng gawan ng paraan para makamura.
Scandinavia as a backpacking destination? kayang kaya!
Sa mga nagtatanong lang, Scandinavian peninsula covers the Northern region of Europe. Sali dito ang Kingdoms of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. May ibang articles din na sinasali ung Greenland. Kung meron man akong na miss-out, then sumbong nyo lang sa barangay.
Sa article na to, I will be discussing how to budget a 10-days backpacking trip across Stockholm(Sweden), Oslo(Norway), and lastly, Iceland, which was really the purpose of my trip. Lalatag ko na secret formulas ko sa planning ha? Wag kayong ano jan.
How I booked my flights. To be honest, wala sa plano ko magbackpacking ng Europe this year. Gasto beh. Nag iipon sana ako pambili ng pag-ibig. Chot. Pero seriously, all these only started when I encountered a super-sale ticket with Norwegian Airline last Feb 2016. It only costs around Php 18,000.00 roundtrip Bangkok to Stockholm, then Oslo back to Bangkok. This Round trip ticket is already too good to miss. (Hello Europe yan, nasa 40k to 50k ang regular nyan.) Pero ang catch kung bakit sobrang mura? 1) No check-in baggage, and 2) No food included. If I added food, + Php 5,000.00. Pero sa totoo lang, hindi yun issue sa akin. Sanay ako magbaon, at di naman yun bawal sa plane (basta wag lang masabaw o beyond 100ml ang sarsa ng afritada mo). Sandwiches,Pizza slices, apple, pears, etc.. ok na un for an 11 hours ride, and usually may pabenta tlga nito sa mga airports abroad. Tsaka, matutulog ka lang din naman mostly. Aside sa binili kong mineral water dun sa departure hall, may dala ako water bottle. Refill ko lang before departure. And also in flight, pwede naman humingi ng tubig.
Yung flight from Manila to Bangkok and back,I did not worry so much kasi madalas naman un sale with Cebu Pacific.
As proof,here are my tickets.
From Stockholm, relatively affordable na lang ang plane tickets to Iceland. Salamat sa skyscanner.com to help travellers book a good deal. Ito ang pasample kung pano ako mag hanap ng cheap. Though the screenshots below are not the exact flights that I got into last month, the concept of finding tickets is the same. For the purpose of costing, I will be using the values given below as reference.
Stockholm to Reykjavik Ticket comparison in Month mode. This is among skyscanner.com’s most convenient feature.
How I applied for Tourist Visa and other requirements. Here’s a reference to check. https://iamjosemanuel.com/2015/06/16/applying-schengen-visa-through-the-netherlands-embassy-in-the-philippines/
Airport Transfers when you get there. Mahalagang factor din ang pagcocommute from the airport to the city, because unlike NAIA, malalayo tlga airports nila dun; Say around 1 hour travel pa. As I’ve read, mas logical pa din if you choose public bus over train. Though the public(regional) trains are some pesos cheaper, it might require transfers pa, which would be a hassle. Maliban sa Reykjavik, All my airport transfers were settled at the airport na upon arrival. May wifi naman so you can connect and purchase online. Cheaper that way. Will discuss more of his as soon as I blog for the individual cities nah.
THE ESTIMATED COST. 10 DAYS, 3 SCANDINAVIAN CITIES. Ito po yung inabot ng gasto ko.
Ito naman ung Itinerary that I followed when I was in Stockholm,Oslo and Reykjavik. Maliban sa Northern Light tour ng Reykjavik (see https://iamjosemanuel.com/2016/11/06/backpacking-iceland-on-a-cheap-things-to-dowhere-to-stay-and-stuff/ ), everything on the list is based on my personal experience and budgeting.
Overall Summary of Cost
ASSESSMENT.
- Yes po, Scandinavia definitely isn’t the cheapest backpacking destination. Pero beh, Iceland pinunta ko dun, at lahat ng pinaghandaan kong budget was worth all the feels. Sobrang ganda. Incomparable. Kaya nga sinadya kong maging relax ang pace ko when I was there, kasi di tayo basta bastang makaka balik dun.
- Kung gusto nyo makarami ng European countries na pupuntahan with relatively the same cost as above, then choose the cluster of countries near France.
- My spending could have been cheaper by say 20%, if I tapped with couchsurfing. Kaso with the limited time, at malalayo from the city yun hosts, mas pinili ko nalang mag hostel/dorm within, o that is walkable from the city center, nang makarami. The 1200-1500 Pesos per night is not bad na actually for a dorm bed. May standard naman na sinusunod ang Europe to provide accommodations. Sa magtatanong, Couchsurfing is like an organization ng backpackers,na pwede kang makitira o mai-host sa destination mo. Google nyo lang.
- On going around Iceland, some backpackers tend to just rent a car and share the fee and gas. Mas makaka mura kyo sa ganun if ever. However, I opt to join na a group tour, particularly with Reykjavik Excursions for my Golden Circle Tour, kasi nakaka tuwa din naman ung ma brief ka with the country’s history (and intrigues). =)
- All my hostels/Dorms have been prebooked with Agoda.com and Hostelworld.com
- Sa pagkain naman, nagtipid ako, pero definitely di ko ginutom sarili ko noh. Masaya naman ako kumain sa mga street food at average diners lang. OK na ako dun. Cguro sa bawat destination, I only allow myself 1-3 above average priced meals. Lalo na sa Iceland, nag grocery ako dun sa “Bonus” supermarket.
- Di ako masyado nag museum during the trip. Mas ok ako sa city tour tlga than museums. Sa Oslo lang ako pumasok at Astrup Fearnley.
- No shopping policy applied. Di ako pumasok sa H&M kahit alam kong may sale. haha. Kapagod din mag dala pauwi. Wala pa nmn ako check in baggage.
Sana naman ay may maicontribute ang post ko sa mga nagbabalak mag backpacking ng Scandinavia. Though there were cheaper options, my ways and means for this trip had been rather practical, than just going for the cheapest. Feel free to pattern your preparations with mine. Better yet, improve it. =) Will share a more detailed for each city, on a separate blog posts to follow.
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