Unlike many travel destinations where visiting once is enough, Penang gives me all the reasons to return again and again. A large proportion of population in Penang are made up of Penangite Chinese and this makes it even easier to communicate with the locals and travel around.
Our one and only accommodation in Iceland has been our campervan. Yup, no hotel accommodation booked. We did, however, tried to book a hotel before coming to Iceland. Iceland’s “Bubble Hotel” – The 5 Million Star Hotel, is an unique lodging concept that has taken travel to another level.
Opened early this year, the Bubble Hotel is so popular that it is fully booked and many travelers who wanted to catch this experience have to be put on waiting list. Needless to say, we were not able to book it and experience sleeping in the nature. It was only by chance, at the eleventh hour, that a booking was opened that we managed to book it!
The Dream Bubble
An interesting part of booking The Bubble Hotel is that the exact location will only be given upon booking confirmation. A clue is that is located at The Golden Circle route, and of course, in a forest. The Bubble is a dome-like structure made from transparent plastic into which warm air is pumped at a steady rate, keeping it inflated, and warm.
For the adventurous travelers, you can get to experience sleeping under the stars or watching the aurora borealis dance when it appears to fulfill one of your lifelong dreams. There is no guarantee of seeing the lights but rest assured, you will have a magical night when they appear.
As there are not a lot of trees in Iceland, creating a “bubble” lodging in the forest, sheltered by the trees, is probably the best answer to satisfy a desire to sleep and relax safely in the woods.
Inside the Bubble
The bubble has a heating system with thermostat so the bubble stays warm all winter. It offers a no-frills lodging for us who just want to experience the most of the nature. We stayed in Bubble Asta which has double bed. There are four of us. After including the kids, we paid about ISK $44,350 and it was shown as SGD $587 in the credit card statement for one day stay.
After checking in, Big and Small M fell asleep almost immediately.
Just earlier on, we had a misadventure when our campervan fell onto a slope. All thanks to the kind samaritans, they managed to pull our campervan back to safety.
Rescue in operation. Thank you so much!
Views of our Bubble from the outside. The Bubble stays inflated with a noiseless ventilation system that continuously refreshes the air to prevent humidity and adjust the temperature based on thermostat settings.
On Site Facilities
Just a stone’s throw from our Bubble is a shared service house with two toilets and showers and a self-service kitchen. Free coffee is given 🙂
Live Your Childhood Dream
Coming to one of the most beautiful countries on earth, Iceland, is already a dream experience. To top it up with a stay at The Bubble Hotel makes the whole trip even more sweet. Come and experience a magical stay at The Bubble Hotel and hey, book early!
Click here to know more about The Bubble Hotel in the Facebook
Click here to book The Bubble Hotel in the website.
Click here to read blog post on Lost in Iceland Travelogue – (Part 4): Svinafellsjokull, Icelandic Horses and Strokkur Geysir
Click here to read blog post on Lost in Iceland Travelogue – (Part 3): Svartifoss, Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss Waterfalls
Click here to read blog post on Lost in Iceland Travelogue – (Part 2): Hvannadalshnukur, Skeioararsandur Bridge Monument and Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon
Click here to read blog post on Lost in Iceland Travelogue – (Part 1): Renting a Campervan and 8 Tips on Self Driving in Iceland
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Disclosure: All photos, information and opinions, unless otherwise stated, in this post belong to Katong Kids Inc. Reproducing or copying them for use on third party sites without our written permission are strictly prohibited. All rights reserved.
A visit to Iceland is not completed without appreciating its water elements. Iceland is full of beautiful waterfalls and they can be found everywhere. Each waterfall is different in its own way and has its own story to tell.
Svartifoss (Black Falls)
As we departed from Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, we made our way to visit Svartifoss waterfall. Svartifoss is a waterfall in Skaftafell in Vatnajökull National Park in Iceland, and is one of the most popular sights in the park. It is surrounded by dark lava columns, which gave rise to its name.
There are plenty of parking lots when you reached the Vatnajokulspjodgardur national park visitor centre.
You can book glacier walks here.
The visitor centre is open all year round. Over here, you can also buy souvenirs, hot beverages and use its toilet facilities. There are also some interesting exhibits of rock over here.
To reach Svartifoss waterfall, you need to take a walk along the trail. The distance is 1.8km long with slight gradual elevation which will take about 40 min to reach.
The hiking trail to Svartifoss waterfall.
Look at Big and Small M’s flying hair 🙂
It was extremely windy and chilly! Remember to bring along waterproof clothing on your way up to Svartifoss waterfall.
The name of the falls translated into something like “Black Falls” which might be attributable to the darkness of the underlying basalt columns. The 12m waterfall is breathtaking, with black columnar basalt formations which beautifully frame the waterfall and attribute to its name, Black fall.
Lovely Svartifoss waterfall.
Image Credit: Guide to Iceland
The way back to the visitor centre is a descending path. A lot of walking is required. If you are traveling as adults, it should be fine. However, with kids around remember to ensure they are dressed properly and watch out for loose rocks on your trek up the slopes.
During the road trip, waterfalls are commonly found in tourist attractions and villages. As we delve further, we saw Icelandic people building their houses beside waterfalls. Can you imagine how beautiful it is to wake up every morning with the sight and sound of waterfall in their backyard? So natural, relaxing and enchanting. A perfect retirement place?
Skogafoss Waterfall
The Skógafoss is one of the biggest waterfalls in the country with a width of 25 metres (82 feet) and a drop of 60 m (200 ft). Due to the amount of spray the waterfall consistently produces, a single or double rainbow is normally visible on sunny days. Legend has it that a Viking named Thrasi hid his hoarded gold under the falls.
On the right side of the picture shows the 370 steps that you can climb to the top of Skogafoss waterfall to get a panoramic view of the water flow and out over southern Iceland’s coastline. It would be challenging for Big and Small M to walk up the steps so it was a no-go for us.
The beautiful scenery of Skogafoss makes a perfect ground for Icelandic people to reside nearby.
Black gravels are a common sight in Iceland.
Waterproof clothing is essential when you take a walk towards Skogafoss waterfall. The water mist promises to drench you in matter of few minutes when you dwell there.
Bringing a good camera during a trip to Iceland is important. Capturing precious moments of the kids against the backdrop of the awe-inspiring Skogafoss…
Aside from the millions of gallons of glacial melt-water cascading over this huge cliff, Skogafoss offers camping and hiking for the adventurous visitor. The unique thing about Skogafoss is that the waterfall comes directly from two glaciers.
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
20km from Skogafoss is the Seljalandsfoss waterfall. This “do not miss” waterfall is one of the most attractive waterfalls in Iceland. Visitors travel to explore this waterfall all year round.
During the night, lightings are put up around the waterfall. We parked our campervan at Seljalandsfoss waterfall and this is the view from the inside of our “abode”. It was freezing cold and dark at night. The likelihood of slippery ground is important for one to bring a bright touchlight when walking towards the waterfall.
Morning beckons and Seljalandsfoss comes alive. Beside the car park, there are gift shop and cafe for visitors to dine and appreciate the nature. Toilet facilities are available as well.
The waterfall drops 60 m (197 ft) and is part of the Seljalands River that has its origin in the volcano glacier Eyjafjallajökull. One of the interesting things about this waterfall is that visitors can walk behind it into a small cave.
Falling 65m over an old sea cliff, Seljalandsfoss is waterfall that you can walk behind. As you circle the falls, you can see it from all angles. Rainbows appear when the sun shines, giving it a magical appearance while the thundering sound of the waterfall plays in the background. On the right of the picture is the trek that leads to the small cave. The splashing of Seljalandsfoss waterfall makes it so wet that it is akin to taking a spa bath!
Seljalandsfoss depicts a picture of a romantic story. Relax at Seljalandsfoss waterfall by reading a book, sipping over a cup of hot coffee in the freezing weather or even more romantic, proposing to your partner 🙂
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Disclosure: All photos, information and opinions, unless otherwise stated, in this post belong to Katong Kids Inc. Reproducing or copying them for use on third party sites without our written permission are strictly prohibited. All rights reserved.
We kick off a long weekend with a short getaway trip to Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon. We have heard so much about the local delicacies and attractions that we need to see it for ourselves. And what an unforgettable experience it was. Before delving into our travelogue series, there are 8 tips to share when planning your trip to Ho Chi Minh City. Continue reading “3D2N Ho Chi Minh City Travelogue – (Part 1): 8 Tips Before Visiting Ho Chi Minh City”→
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