Posted by: wakewan | May 8, 2012

My Iceland Spa Discovery – Laugarvatn Fontana

Laugarvatn Fontana spa in IcelandIn the village of Laugarvatn, which is about a 50 minute drive from Reykjavik ( smack dab in the middle of the well-known Golden Circle tour), there’s a new Iceland spa & wellness center called Fontana.  This new facility offers steam baths, Finnish-style saunas, and geothermal-heated soaking pools and a hot tub.  While this may not sound like anything out of the ordinary if you know anything about Iceland – Iceland is awash in geothermal hot springs – what makes Fontana particularly unique is that it was built right on top of a natural hot spring, called Laugarvatn.  The steam rooms don’t have steam pumped in from some other source; they are built on top of an active, simmering hot spring from which steam from the earth seeps up through grates in the floors.  This provides a truly unique and intimate experience – I for one have never heard of a spa that works like this.  If you are a steam bath aficionado, this is Mecca.

Besides the steam baths, Fontana also has a couple Finnish-style saunas which are hotter and less humid than the steam baths.  A couple of these saunas have oversized windows that overlook the small lake which is called Laugarvatn.  In fact the whole facility is set against this lake, so you can look out on the water while soaking or enjoying a steam bath.

Fontana also has several geothermal-heated soaking pools and a very nice, over-sized hot tub.  Put it all together, the steam baths, saunas, pools and hot tub and you have a smorgasbord of water wellness – and all from natural sources.

Steam bath at Fontana

One of the steam rooms at Fontana

The facility itself is no slouch either. The building is modern and well-designed, with all kinds of thoughtful details.  It uses local volcanic stones for the façade and altogether has a bright and open feel.  The changing rooms and showers are clean and modern.  The showers are amazing with giant water heads that dump copious amounts of clean, warm Icelandic water on you – like a warm waterfall.

After this pleasurable h2o experience (showering beforehand is mandatory), you step outside to the facility itself and from there you can choose which form of geothermal heat you want to enjoy first.

If there’s an Iceland vacation in your future, this is one experience you want to try.  For more information, check out Fontana’s website. – David Brooks

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Posted by: wakewan | April 24, 2012

Introducing Reykjavik’s Newest Hotel

Front facade, with ocean in background

Front facade of the Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina, with ocean in background.

I submit to you, for your consideration, the Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina, which officially opened on April 18th, 2012.  Ok, so what?  Well let me tell you…  This hotel is not just another cookie-cutter, bland property.  It’s not even physically located in a glamorous location.  Icelandair Hotels took a risk in choosing this building and this location.  And for this, I applaud them on both counts.  Many tourists come to Iceland, and Reykjavik specifically, and never experience what the capital city is really about.  They come to Iceland with their assumptions; some true and some false.  The truth is Reykjavik is not a glamorous city.  It’s often brooding and grey.  Parts of the city, especially the old parts, are a little run-down.

But that doesn’t mean they don’t have their charms.  This is exotic, picturesque and historical Iceland after all and no matter where you are, one can’t help but be carried away by the gravitas of this tiny island nation.  And, there’s a youthful, edgy and artsy buzz in this city. This is especially true in the area where the Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina is located.

The hotel itself really embraces this aesthetic. The property is a renovated old landmark; a four-story building right next to the fishing marina, with views of the city, the ocean and the beautiful mountains that partially surround Reykjavik.  The hotel itself is colorful and quirky, but warm and inviting.  Its drab grey exterior is punctuated by bright colors on the outside and the inside.  This is what Reykjavik looks like.  Why do you think all the houses have brightly-colored roofs?  These colors help to provide a source of color and vibrancy during the many long, cold, colorless months. The hotel has all the modern amenities you’d expect, but it is also full of thoughtful details, like antiques sourced from all around Iceland, mismatched chairs, colorful wall paper, and much more.

Hotel Room at the Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina

And, as the name would suggest, this hotel is located in the so-called Marina district, right next to a fully-functioning dry dock called Slippur.  This section of Reykjavik is about as old as it gets, and it’s where the locals hang out – that should tell you a lot.  Step outside the hotel and you’ll find numerous authentic cafes, bistros, bars and art galleries.  And, it is only steps away from the city center.

So if you are looking for a more authentic “Reykjavik experience,” this is the hotel for you.  Once you are there, you’ll be right in the thick of things. No car needed, just a good jacket, some comfortable shoes and a sense of exploration.   – David Brooks

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Posted by: Svava | March 12, 2012

My First NYC Broadway Show – Silence! The Musical

Last month I had the opportunity to travel to New York City to meet with some of my Icelandic friends.  During our visit, we went to go see an NYC off-broadway musical called Silence! The Musical.  Now I am not really the theater-type, and going to see this show was not my idea.  But man, I was glad I did.

A little about the show:

Silence! The Musical is a parody of the movie, “The Silence of the Lambs.”  You, most likely, know the movie.  I was thinking on my way to the theater, how could you make a musical parody of a horror film?  Doesn’t sound too funny to me.  I was quite wrong.  Silence! The Musical is funny, it’s also raunchy and naughty (not for kids).  Take for example, one of the title songs, which is song by Hanibal Lector, “If I could smell her c*#t.”  It’s a wistful song, during a “dream sequence” in the show.  The funniest part is that this dream sequence features two dancers, one man and one woman, dancing in ballet-style, with lots of “spread eagle” moments.  I think you get what I mean.

The show has numerous songs, all of which are hilarious.  My favorite song, and the highlight of the show in my opinion, is the sequence where “Buffalo Bill,” sings a song titled “I’d F*#k Me.”  Dressed in full drag, and wearing a kimono, the song ends with him flashing the audience with “his manhood” tucked between his legs.  Sounds too raunchy for you?  Don’t prejudge.  You have to see all of this in context.  You can’t help but get drawn into the vibe, especially when the audience is laughing their butts off.

Here’s a commercial for the show:



Silence is an off-broadway production showing at NYC’s (th Space Theater at Performance Space 122, located at 150 First Ave.  The Theater is nothing much to look at, but it kind of all works together.  The show itself is about 90 minutes, with no intermission.  It moves along very quickly, with no dead spots. In short, you won’t be wondering about an intermission.  The show also sells beer and wine, which can be brought right into the show.

This is not normally the kind of travel subject I would write about, but I had such a good time at this show and in NYC in general that I felt it deserved a shout-out.  If your travel plans include NYC in the future, I highly recommend seeing this show, here’s a link to purchase Silence! The Musical Tickets. – David Brooks

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Posted by: wakewan | March 2, 2012

Icelandair Hotels Fludir Hotel

This last February 2012, I was given the opportunity to travel to the small, quaint and picturesque town of Fludir to meet the managers at Icelandair Hotel’s Fludir Hotel and to view the property and its surroundings. The town and the hotel are about 100 km south of the capital city, Reykjavik (about a one hour drive). Very accessible, yet just far enough away to be away from it all – something I highly recommend if you are planning a trip to Iceland.

I have been to Iceland many times but have never been to Fludir (pronounced: flooth-eer). Situated inland and bordered on all side by mountains, Fludir is protected from the often extreme weather in Iceland and therefore boasts of some of the best weather in Iceland. Fludir is also home to many greenhouses, and grows some 90% of all Iceland vegetables and fruit –if you buy an Icelandic tomato in the store, it was grown in Fludir.

Once I arrived in Fludir, I was immediately enchanted by this little burg, with tree-lined streets (trees are rare in Iceland), colorful homes and awe-inspiring sweeping mountain landscapes, covered in fresh white snow. The town, besides being famous for its greenhouses, is a very popular destination for Icelanders, especially in summer. And, it’s no wonder why. Fludir offers the best of Iceland, all in one place: fishing, horseback riding, golfing, hiking, geothermal bathing, easy access to the Golden Circle highlights (Gullfoss, Geysir and Thingvellir), glaciers and more. Combine all this with good weather, nice town folks, and you’ve got paradise.

The Hotel Fludir itself is a perfect complement to this town. Clean and modern, I can whole-heartedly endorse this hotel if you are considering a stay here. The property is run by Magga and Gummi, a couple of many years and much experience in the hotel world. They received me like family and showed me around the hotel, fed me lunch and then gave me a tour of the town, including one of its greenhouses and a local mini geyser. Beside its clean and comfortable accommodations, the hotel is unique in that it sources almost everything it needs from this small town, from the geothermal heat, to the organic vegetables and beef served in its cozy restaurant and more. That’s right, this hotel is uber-green, eco-friendly and almost completely self-sufficient.

The hotel offers spacious, comfortable rooms with high ceilings, nice natural light and all the modern conveniences a traveler could wish for. Just because you are in a small town in the midst of beautiful unspoiled nature, doesn’t mean you have to settle. All the rooms surround a nice courtyard featuring basalt columns that frame in a nice sitting area, two hot tubs, a large outdoor grill and outdoor bar. This is the kind of place where you could have a truly singular Iceland moment: relaxing in an outdoor geothermal-heated hot tub, drink in hand, staring up at the Northern lights and soaking up the silence and peace that Iceland’s countryside provides – in spades. This, in summary, is a very nice place and worth the effort for once you are here it’s no effort at all. –

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