As you plan your next vacation spot, we hope you'll check out some memorable international destinations from the Eva & Paul team who share a passion for finding hidden gems around the world. This week, our Director of Operations, Pather Yang, shares her insight on Iceland, which is her absolute favorite travel destination.
WHAT TO SEE
Photo sourced from enviromentalgraffiti.com
Hiking is one of Pather's favorite things to do in Iceland. About 200km from the capital of Reykjavík is the Landmannalaugar region, which is known for its lava fields and multicolored rhyolite mountains. You'll see a lot of different colors, including pink, brown, green, yellow, blue, purple, black, and white.
You can see it as a day hike or you can take the popular four-day trail that ends in Þórsmörk. As you hike, you'll see sheep grazing freely. It's beautiful and serene.
Photo sourced from local-iceland-tours.com
According to Pather, the hot springs are also absolutely worth a visit. The Blue Lagoon is great for lounging and relaxing - the water contains sulfur, which has many healing benefits and is great for the skin.
WHAT TO EAT
Photo sourced from laparradereikiavik.com
Hot dogs! The Icelandic pylsur is often the first and last thing Pather eats when visiting. It is most commonly ordered as “ein með öllu” (one with everything).
Pylsur is a lamb hot dog served with raw onions and cronions (crispy fried onions) on the bottom, and topped with ketchup, mustard, and remoulade. Yummy!
WHAT TO SHOP
Photo sourced from huffingtonpost.com
Icelanders are creative. You can sense the effort and thought put into their designs. Pather particularly loves their lopapeysa, traditional wool sweaters characterized by the yoke designs (around the neck and shoulders). These sweaters are extraordinarily warm and cozy - necessary for the region's temperatures that range from 30-60 degrees depending on the time of year.
Pather also fell in love with the jewelry made by local artisans. Some of her favorites were crafted from volcanic rock.