Quote: (07-24-2015 11:02 AM)BlurredSevens Wrote:
Bumping this thread to keep the Iceland info flowing.
I'm here for a few weeks...but I didn't really come to party and chase girls. I've been burned out for a few months with work and life back home, and decided to come to Iceland to escape reality for a bit.
I've been spending most of my time in the mountains and wilderness, far away from cities and people, doing lots of rad outdoor shit. I'd be happy to PM about this side of Iceland if anyone is interested about learning more. There is a lot to be had here by any stretch of the imagination.
That said, I'm also quite aware of the history Iceland has here on the forum, and have read Bang Iceland, etc., so I won't let the opportunity to meet Icelandic girls escape me. I've got 2 Friday's and 1 Saturday night scheduled in Reykjavik during my stay, so I'll have a few chances to get out and experience some of the night life.
This is defintely a pretty weird place. I have to say I'm disappointed by how toursity the country is. Even the remote mountain campgrounds, many hours from the nearest road, are packed with people. Iceland always seemed like a remote, far off place coming from the States. But I never considered how accesible it is from the UK and Europe, and I disregarded the effect summer travel would play. I thought it would feel more like Alaska (i.e. small city surrounded by desolate wilderness) than it would a tourist hot spot.
It is however one of the most stunningly beautiful places I've visited, so it's no surprise that the tourism industry here is booming. Certainly worth visiting to experience the nature if that is your thing. For me it is, so it has been a great experience thus far.
Reykjavik itself is utterly boring. You can see it in the eyes of the locals. They seem to be on the verge of screaming out of desperate bordedom. I am sure the nightlife will live up to its reputation, and I can't wait to experience it, but during the day this place is a drag. Reminds me of a sleepy New England town overrun with elderly tourists that came to see the foliage.
Anyway, I'm excited to go out the next few nights to see what there is to get into. Unfortunately my blazer got wrecked in the flight over, so I will be dressing a bit more casual than I would have preferred. Going for a black leather jacket, v-neck, big watch, shiny leather dress boots look. We'll see what happens. I'll be sure to post again here if I've got some stories to share.
Cheers!
I recently had a one-week stint in iceland late May this year (2 months ago). I didn't find it touristy at all, perhaps I came at the perfect time as university was still in session. As you probably already discovered, Icelandic nightlife is surprisingly dead on the weekdays but insane on the weekends. I absolutely loved it, probably the most unique and chaotic nightlife I've seen anywhere. But to update this thread and regurgitate some points others have already made..
Nightlife
-B5 is still the number one place to go. Very high quality. Get in early as the lines starts getting insane around 12:30.
-Austur was my second favorite. Much larger and darker than B5. Has some nice bottleneck points close to the bar that you can post up at.
-The majority of other bars are across the street from Austur in one large row, which includes American Bar, English Pub, and Thornvalsden (directly across the street from Austur). I really enjoyed Thornvaldsen and was there till 6am several nights. It has a dance floor near the entrance that plays EDM music and a long angular bar that feeds into an outdoor smoking area, which was always crowded and the best area to post up at.
-Danski barrin, one block up Bankstraeti from B5, was a decent alternative bar. Older crowd but still some cuties. Seemed like an after hours spot.
-10/11, the convenience store near Austur, is great for late night street approaches. Everyone seems to pour out of the bars at some point and loiter outside there while getting a snack
-Went to Cafe Laundromat during the daytime and it was packed with talent. The venue itself it worthwhile to go. Has a unique quasi-library vibe.
-Rooftop of Loft Hostel. Good view of the city. Had 5+ beers on tap. Has an outdoor patio, open during the summer. Some cute solo female travelers in there. Worthwhile to grab a brew and post up in the daytime or as a pregame.
-Never went to Dolly or Lebowski Bar but my local Icelandic friends said they weren't anything special.
Food
-Sushi Samba 7 course-meal was amazing. For only ~$60 you get a shot of brennevin (national drink-strong star anise flavoring) then apppetizer sized plates of the following: puffin, lobster, whale, some icelandic fish, reindeer burger, lamb, and dessert. The reindeer burger was so good my friend and I came back the next two days and got it by itself. But beware almost all the food is barely cooked and served near raw. I enjoy that more but one of my friends couldn't handle it.
-Tokyo Sushi. Above average sushi spot but out in the suburbs.
-Kaffinbarren, cafe across from Loft Hostel on Bankstraeti. Very good cappuccinos and breakfast pastries.
-Everything else was honestly a let down. We tried a pizza place, chinese food, and another cheap sushi stop. For the scandinavian prices, nothing was above mediocre.
Random observations:
-The constant sunlight makes everything feel surreal, perhaps that contributed to why I loved the nightlife so much. The sun set at 11 and rose at 4 and even between those times it never got dark
-Blue Lagoon was much smaller than I thought and somewhat of a tourist trap, but I'd still recommend it. Try to go in the morning as it gets crowded in the afternoon. Also, they have these incredibly comfy reclinable chairs that are indoors overlooking the lagoon. Good for a quick nap/people watching.
-Rented a car and drove the Golden Circle. It was fantastic, particularly Gulfoss. If you have a chance I'd highly recommend it. Used Europcar and had no issues.
-There's several stops along the Golden circle where you can ride Icelandic Horses. You only get 30 minutes for around $25 but it was worthwhile.
-I've heard good things about glacier hiking/climbing tours. I attempted to sign-up but they were booked for the week I was there.
-Every night I went out, I was shocked at the number of guys that were blazered up. I routinely saw groups of 3+ guys who were all wearing blazers. Many of them looked to be locals as well. I would venture to say as much as half the guys at night will be blazered up.
-I stayed in Loft Hostel and overall I'd recommend it. It's a stones throw away from B5, extremely clean, and some of the native Icelandic girls working there were cute and receptive. Furthermore, we encountered several solo female travelers there that were game for a good time. However, I don't think they offer solo rooms and I was in a room of 8, which made it logistically difficult to pull back.
-This seems to go against the grain of what others have said but I really liked Icelandic girls. They were receptive to approaches and very playful. Every night we atleast had a group of girls open us on the street along the lines of "run with us to this bar".
-My best time in Iceland was running into a group of students from fjölbrautaskólinn breiðholti, a local college. They showed us around to a few local spots and took us back to their suburban apartment where we drank till 10AM the next day. If you can encounter students, Icelandic hospitality was through the roof.
Iceland is a majestic place. It left a significant impression on me and I'm planning on going back for new years either this year or next. If I can figure it out, I'll try to post some pictures from my trip. Enjoy your time there BlurredSevens and feel free to PM me if you have any questions.