Ever Wondered Why You Need To Drop Everything And Travel !!???

Hmm..... Here are 10 reasons why travel makes you feel awesome and  a happier person !!!

There's nothing more inspiring and life - changing than letting your restless soul wander where you long to be. The colours and the smells, the people and the culture, the landscapes and the architecture of crazy different corners of the world are bound to ignite the wanderlust in you.

Well , how can one ever regret following their heart ?

#1 : To Sleep Under the Open Sky far away from home

Have you ever dreamt of lying down on the grass under the open sky with the gorgeous fjords and clouds for company and slowly fall asleep feeling the gentle breeze ??? 

"" Live your life the way you want to , Not the way others want you to ""

 #2 : To Escape from the daily grind into an island paradise.

You may find countless pictures to ponder on the internet and hundreds of blogs to read about the places that lure you at your fingertips. But You will never know how magical a place can really be unless and until you have seen it with your own eyes and experienced it all by yourself.

The turquoise sea  and the powdery white sand of Maldives had us dreaming the day away.........

#3 : To disappear from the Overwhelming rush of noise and crowds of cities

Ever felt the need to escape from that mundane urban lifestyle ? Most of us living in the cities do.Then Pack your bags and head to your favourite beach destination.

Watching the glowing sun disappear below the horizon and staring wide - eyed at the endless expanse of water whilst floating carelessly in the salty waters of an island miles away from your bustling city..... Aaahh BLISS BLISS :-)

Go Beach Bumming - How can one ever get bored of just lying on the beach ??

#4 : To forget yourself in nature's lap 

Would even great photographers succeed in fully capturing the amazing beauty of Mother Nature ?? Well , that's a tough question to answer.

But there's always something special about experiencing all the elements Nature has to offer with your own eyes. For that , you need to travel !!!

Landscapes like these would leave you dreamy - Eyed 

#5 : To Travel deep into the wilderness of those offbeat forest trails

How exciting is it to discover the untamed beauty of nature meandering through the forest trails, the majestic heritage and native trees spotting large numbers of biodiversity and bird species in a new country !!?

It's strange that you are never alone when you embark on any travel adventure. You will always find that like - minded crazy group of people for company , yay!! :D

Hunting for beautiful untamed Wilderness..................

#6 : To ramble through the fields of New Zealand

Is spending a summer afternoon strolling through the majestic countryside of New Zealand on your wish - list ??

It's hard to tear oneself away from the milky - turquoise lakes and stunning Southern Alps of New Zealand.

"" When everything around you is swaying in the wind.....""

#7 : To hum along and dance to your favourite tunes in a private beach

The islands have some serious splendour where you are transported to an abode of serenity lapped by the vast expanse of Ocean - a perfect place to feel at one with nature.

Ever fantasised of lazing around these li'l havens of tranquility listening to your favourite playlists ?

Is there a better peaceful escape from the hurly - burly of daily life ??

Wish I could take this serenity along with me......................

#8 : To Get Lost In the City Of Your Dreams

All of us would have a place from our childhood dreams to talk about. We often find our minds wandering in the streets of that city we always longed to see. 

As for us, this city of love and lights had always been in our childhood dreams. How amazing would it feel to finally leave your footprints in the city you always wondered about !!?

If you have one , it's never too late to live your dreams :-)

Finally In Paris !!!!

#9 : Savouring the View of the Alpine lakes of Switzerland 

Chattering away all evening by the awe - inspiring Alpine lakes of Switzerland whilst you are the only ones around to savour the view.

The Stuff of DREAMS 

#10 : To find a perfect picnic spot on a road trip in Iceland

Road Trips are always FUN but sometimes spending too much time on the road can leave you exhausted. Guess how happy one could get stumbling across that perfect picnic spot in the middle of nowhere to munch on your muffins !!

The Greatest pleasure of a Road Trip lies in discovering such offbeat gems of nature :)

We couldn't think of a better place for a snack :-)

We get to live just one life and we have absolutely NO REASON NOT TO ENJOY IT !!! :-) There's a lot to see and many things to do , probably a lifetime would not be enough to experience all this world has to offer , but it's up to you to make it as full or as empty as you can !!!

Get Packing for your dream destination if this post has managed to inspire you. Near or Far, Doesn't matter. Most of the time, beauty lies in the simplest of things. 

Happy Travels !!!  

Also read out post on Maldives Paradise :

http://nomadicbunnies.blogspot.sg/2015/05/bandos-maldives-perfect-paradise.html

The Ultimate Road Trip Itinerary in ICELAND

Are you a road trip junkie too ? Well, if you think it's time to hit the open road and planning a road trip to Iceland, here we have some suggestions to help you plan your dream trip to Iceland.

This journey through the ring road of Iceland features rugged mountains, surreal landscapes, spectacular and fairytale-esque sceneries, countless waterfalls, geysers, glacier lagoons, volcanoes and craters. That's just a few the country has to offer travelers, you wouldn't have the slightest clue of what lies in store unless you experience it all by yourself. And that just said Iceland is an amazing place for a road trip. Read On for the itinerary........ :D

There is no shortage of ice and snow in Iceland ;)

Do you find it hard to decide when to plan a trip to Iceland ? Iceland is an year round travel destination , so it largely depends on what you want to see or do. We visited Iceland during the first two weeks of April (we blame it on the tropical climate of Singapore that we love winter holidays). Iceland has notoriously unpredictable weather - we had snowy, cloudy, sunny, rainy and extremely windy days. 

The other benefits of visiting the country during the shoulder season are - reasonable prices, it's less touristy, and April has a generous daylight hours ideal for a road trip. 

Day 1 - Car Rental and Stocking up Groceries for the road trip

We landed at Keflavik Airport post noon and took the flybus that dropped us at our hotel. We stayed at Reykjavik Residence Suites for the night.
We suggest you book flybus along with the Air ticket in order to avoid wasting time queuing up for the shuttle bus. You can book your flybus along with the Air ticket here.

The rest of the day was spent renting a car and stocking up on groceries (note you may find supermarkets only in small towns and cities , so it's necessary to stock up some snacks for the road trip). As for the car, we hired a sturdy 4WD Skoda Superb from Europcar which served us really well.

Day 2 - Driving the Golden Circle Route

We spent Day 2 driving through the famed Golden Circle Route. Consider devoting a day to drive this route as you might want to take countless pitstops every now and then - well, that's the charm of Iceland.

Yay , We spotted some handsome Icelandic horses around Thingvellir !!

A walk through the fascinating Thingvellir National Park (where the tectonic plates of North America and Europe meet), the Geyser hot spring (we stopped to see the highest geyser Strokkur erupting a few times , we couldn't get enough of it though;-) ), petting handsome Icelandic horses , and getting carried away by the gorgeous Gulfoss Waterfalls were the order of events.

Great Company can make that tumbling walk on the snow a lot of fun :-)

You can also Jazz up the drive stopping at Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss - there's no shortage of waterfalls in Iceland. We loved Skogafoss :-)

** Stay at Country Hotel Anna 

Day 3 - The Black sand beaches of VIK and Iceberg Lagoons

If you are a true grit and enjoy adventures, go glacier hiking with Icelandic Mountain Guides.

We rather chose to venture out to discover the li'l known gems of nature, explore the black sand beaches of the little town of VIK and wait for the sun to set in the glacier lagoons. 

We spent hours on the beach walking around  humming melodies and dreaming.....aaahh BLISS :-)

It felt just perfect to be away from the bustling city life of Singapore and we gradually found ourselves immersed in a world of our own.

How can one not marvel at these gorgeous towering mountains ??

I would want to reiterate one of the quotes by Mahatma Gandhi " When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the creator ". Wonder can someone ever get bored of watching a sunset....!!?? NEVER EVER !!!

DO NOT MISS A SUNSET AT JOKULSARLON !!

** Stay at GuestHouse HALI which is the nearest guesthouse to Jokulsarlon.

Day 4 - Scenic Drive by the North Atlantic Ocean and Eastern Fjords

We started the day driving back to the Jokulsarlon Glacier lagoon again ( we couldn't get enough of the floating icebergs ). We then set off to drive by the North Atlantic Coast, the incredible Vatnajokull National Park, rugged mountains and the Eastern fjords. 

Spectacular ??  We lost count of the pitstops on Day 4 :D

Take a pitstop at the small yet gorgeous fishing village of Djupivogur - A perfect halt to munch on a sandwich or two ! 

Nothing but a road trip can bring that "SMILE" on our faces :-)

** Stay at Mjoeyri

Day 5 & Day 6  - Myvatyn Sulphur Springs , Volcanic Craters, Waterfalls & lots more 

Drive towards the stunning twin waterfalls - Dettifoss Selfoss, the road to Detifoss can be impassable during winter & early spring. Check the road conditions before you set out. The road was closed on our first day at Myvatyn , however we managed to drive through with the generous help of sunlight the next day ( the road was snowed under though ).

Explore the Krafla volcanic crater, discover the boiling mud pits, sulphur springs and fumaroles at Namafjoll Hverir, unwind yourself at yet another stunning waterfall Godafoss and go hunting for Grjotagja - a natural lava cave with thermal spring inside. ( be careful while you go inside the cave, it can get very slippery - so mind your step :D )

A frozen lake near Myvatyn - look at that turquoise colour popping up.... 

Boiling mud pits at Namafjoll Hverir

** Stay at Einishus

Day 7 -  Husavik Whale Watching & Akureyri

We went for a Whale watching tour at Husavik with North Sailing ( you can spot mink whales & hump back whales , if extremely lucky blue whale as well ). 

Excited to Spot whales in their natural habitat !?? :-) 

the two of us at North Sailing Husavik !

After 3 long hours in the sea, we got back to explore the li'l lovely town of Husavik and then drove off to Akureyri - which is one of the largest and crowded towns of Iceland ).

A vibrant city of Husavik 

** Stay at Yitri Vik Cottages

Day 8 & Day 9 -  Discovering Elf/Turf Houses and CountrySide Horse - Riding at Gauksmyri

Icelanders believe in the existence of Huldufolk (the hidden people ) and elf houses are a common sight in Iceland.

These turf houses look right out of a fairy tale !!!!

Aahhh - FAIRYTALE - ESQUE :))

How about riding handsome Icelandic horses across the gorgeous countryside of Iceland ??  If that tickles your fancy, there is no better place than Gauksmyri. We stayed there for 2 nights petting the horses and riding them under the training and guidance of a licensed horse rider and instructor. Hmm fun times........ :)

We spent the rest of day 9 discovering the nearby town of Hvammastangi. The seal center there tells you where to watch out for seals and you can just drive around and look for them.

** Stay at Gauksmyri

Day 10 & Day 11 -  Exploring the Snaefellsnes Peninsula

As we drove off to the western part of Iceland, we saw a different facet of the country. West Iceland was unique in it's own way and it was extremely windy.

The next two days were spent driving around the Snaefellsnes Peninsula - discovering the Saxholl crater, the Hellnar Arch - a basalt rock formation in the middle of nowhere, and admiring the Kirkjufell Mountain ( It's one of the most famous mountains in Iceland ).

View Of Kirkjufell from our cottage 

Hike up a little to get this stunning view of a small waterfall overlooking the beautiful Kikjufell :)

** Stay at Sudur Bar

Day 12 & Day 13 -  Back to Reykjavik

We stayed at Airport Hotel Smari at Keflavik on the last two days in Iceland as we had an early morning flight to catch. It felt so disappointing to fly back home but we decided to bid farewell to Iceland in the best possible way.

We spent day 12 relaxing at the Blue Lagoon in the geothermally heated water - a real chill out and a perfect escape from the freezing sub zero temperatures. We suggest you book in advance and make sure you spend a few hours there. 

The Blue Lagoon

The last day in Iceland was spent exploring a lava cave formed by a volcanic eruption 2000 years ago with Extreme Iceland , as we wanted to make it truly special and memorable. Adjectives fail to describe how it felt caving inside lava tubes. 

We got super-excited seeing the entrance to the lava cave :)

We had to crawl, crouch, squat, roll, slide and what not to explore and discover incredible lava tubes and icicles inside the cave. If you are anything like us and enjoy adventures , you must not give this a miss !

A Volcanic Vein tour with Extreme Iceland 

Photos or words cannot do justice to the beauty of Iceland. It's a country that has to be seen to be believed. Now you know, we aren't lying when we say that "A road trip in Iceland is a Once - in - a - lifetime experience"

If this photo journal of ours has persuaded you to pack your bags for Iceland,

• Book your stay with Icelandic Farm Holidays here.
• Make sure you check the road conditions every day before you set out for the road trip here.
• Travelling on a budget ? Book you flight tickets here and book flybus here
• You can rent your car here
• Check out Extreme Iceland or Icelandic Mountain Guides for activities that tickle your fancy.
• 
  

Also read : http://nomadicbunnies.blogspot.sg/2015/05/why-iceland-has-to-be-on-your-radar.html

Can't wait to share more of our travel itineraries with you... :-) Happy Travels !!!