How to Plan a Proposal in Iceland
By Chris Ayliffe There are easier places in the world to propose than Iceland (I assume). Places where the wind is a bit more chill, the rain respects your plans, and nobody needs to check the weather forecast every other hour before putting on their shoes. But easy is rarely the point (be sure to […]
What the Midnight Sun Actually Feels Like When You Sleep Under a Glass Roof
By Chris Ayliffe The midnight sun is one of those Iceland experiences that sounds pretty routine until you are actually living under it, and you realise it’s not just a cosmic lightbulb left on. You know in advance that summer nights stay bright, but knowing that and lying in bed at midnight beneath a glass […]
The Hidden Meaning of Icelandic Place Names: A Traveller’s Guide
By Chris Ayliffe, Arctic Meta Icelandic place names can look like someone scattered consonants (and some random made up letters) across a map and declared the work complete. Once you understand a few common words, however, the apparent chaos begins to make sense. Names such as Reykjavík, Jökulsárlón and Snæfellsnes describe smoke, glaciers, lagoons, mountains […]
Iceland vs Norway vs Faroe Islands: Where Should You Go for a Remote Stay?
By Chris Ayliffe, Arctic Meta Choosing between Iceland, Norway, and the Faroe Islands is a fine problem to have. It is like choosing whether to disappear into volcanic tundras, fjords, or sea cliffs watched over by swarms of sheep (if that’s how you say it?). All three offer remote landscapes, big skies, wild weather, and […]
Returning to Iceland Without a Plan: Why That’s the Ultimate Luxury
By Chris Ayliffe, Arctic Meta There is a moment, usually on a second or third visit, when Iceland stops feeling like a destination you need to manage endless times and stop optimising. It’s when the trip anxiety (or Instagram FOMO, these days) and pressure completely lifts. You arrive with less of a plan and yet […]
You’ve Seen Iceland Once. Now See It Slowly
By Chris Ayliffe, Arctic Meta Before you arrive in Iceland for the second time, something shifts. It is not dramatic. There is no cinematic moment or sudden realisation accompanied by orchestral music (unless you have a much more entertaining mind than mine). It is quieter than that. You are no longer chasing the obvious. You […]
Before You Visit Iceland, Understand This: Nature Is in Control Here
By Chris Ayliffe, Arctic Meta Before you arrive in Iceland, before you collect your rental car, before you save thirty reels titled things you must do, there is one thing worth understanding. This country does not operate on what you would consider human schedules. It never has (and most likely never will). The land moves […]
Why Moss Is Protected in Iceland (And Why That Matters)
By Chris Ayliffe, Arctic Meta If you have travelled in Iceland before, you have seen it everywhere. No, not the parking fines, the moss. Thick green blankets draped across lava fields. Soft looking cushions climbing over rocks. Landscapes that seem almost padded, as if the land itself has been gently wrapped for protection. That moss […]
Why Iceland Is Considered the Safest Country in the World
By Chris Ayliffe, Arctic Meta Iceland has a curious talent for making people relax. It does this while surrounding them with the classic cocktail (or mocktail) of volcanoes, glaciers, and cliffs that force people like me with vertigo to spend many hours lying down. It is a lot less Viking standing under the Northern Lights […]
How Iceland’s Midnight Sun and Long Nights Affect the Locals
by Chris Ayliffe, Arctic Meta Iceland lives on a rhythm that confuses clocks, to put it bluntly. In summer, the sun refuses to sleep. In winter, the night pulls the duvet back over the island and whispers “not yet” (with endless darkness and a fair amount of snow). Locals live with it. They adapt. They […]