PERSONALLY SPEAKING
Ladies, Iceland is your new hairstylist! And that style is Clean. Just make sure you wash it and then leave the rest to Iceland. It’s the best you can do. Iceland has a belly laugh at your carefully packed styling products and tools. So just leave them at home. My go-to so far has been Hat Hair, with an evening look of Blow Dry Just So It’s Not Too Damp and viola! I am ready for my close-up.
Gents, on the other hand: There seems to be a fancy barbershop every other block in Reykjavik. Treat yourself and get a clip over here – it’s bound to be fun and you’ll probably get a great, stylish, new Viking-inspired look!
YOU’RE IN HOT WATER NOW
This is seriously a non-negotiable on your trip: You have to visit at least one of the many geothermal lagoons for a soak. I was able to visit two – The Secret Lagoon and the Blue Lagoon – and both were wonderful experiences! The Secret Lagoon had a more local, relaxed, rustic flair. The changing rooms were more high school locker room and the lounge area had a bowling alley pizza place vibe, but it was uncrowded, well-staffed and the water was the perfect bath temperature. There was even lava sand under your feet! I could have stayed for a year. The Blue Lagoon, by comparison, was slick and techy but an equally enjoyable experience. There are wristbands for your locker access and cashless beverage transactions, a much larger and ornate pool area with bars and silica mud masks to wear as you swan about.
Two caveats though – your glasses will fog up, rendering them useless in the pool. And you are expected to shower, in some cases, in a communal shower. Naked. Hello Junior High Gym Class. So yeah, probably a good idea just to leave your glasses in your locker…
