My Safety Advice to Iceland Travelers
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- čas přidán 4. 06. 2024
- Have you been wondering “Is Iceland a safe country to visit?” Iceland is a magical, breathtaking country BUT it can also be cruel and unforgiving. Recently a tourist died while hiking Glymur (this video was filmed well before that) and it just breaks my heart to see people ignoring warning signs and putting their lives at risk. If you're traveling to Iceland, you need to watch this video and PLEASE stay safe.
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Coming from Switzerland, I sometimes see tourists doing stupid things too and occasionally newspapers report them dying due to being incautious.
Hiking shoes or boots are very, very important! Nobody should walk a path on difficult terrain without them
Iceland is a very safe country. What can occasionally be dangerous is... (drum roll, please): You yourself, the innocently ignorant or careless tourist! In Iceland warning signs REALLY mean business, and Mother Nature is VERY unforgiving if you turn your back on it!
Thanks for the update, especially about the waves on the black sand beach.
Thanks for this great advice. We live on the coast and see so many visitors who just have no clue about tides, waves, wave sets, and sneaker waves. Surf is very powerful!
When travelling to another country, remember- you are an unofficial ambassador. Be kind, humble, respectful. There is no reason to be a scofflaw or rule-bender in Iceland. They live in a land filled with raw, natural beauty at he cost of...raw nature. A lot of rawness. When you see an Icelandic warning sign, you respect it. It's there for a true purpose to warn you of a real danger to avoid, not to sidestep personal injury lawsuits. This is a gorgeous place that also has sandstorms, whiteouts, earthquakes, landslides, avalanches, volcanoes...to name a few. That little bubbling mudpit? It will kill you painfully, so observe it from a safe distance and don't try to see how hot it is... That slippery wet precipice at the waterfall? It is known to be wet and slippery with a killer dropoff beyond. See how this works? Having said all this, you will never be bored in this wonderful place. Every view is a postcard picture, go enjoy it safely!
Thank you so much Chris! - Wonderfully said!!!
Such an important video, thank you ❤ Even as a tourist it is so frustrating seeing so many people shrugging off safety advice. But then I am a little protective of my heart home!
When I was in Iceland 4 years ago, saw someone beyond the chain on a rock at a waterfall. They were just 2 steps from falling off, the person was that close. Crazy.
eek!
Thanks for the tips before going to Iceland (and Faroe Island) this summer :)
Thank you, appreciate your advice.
Great ideas. :) Don't ignore the warning signs. 😊
Yes! A video with helpful Iceland apps would be great!
Thank you 👏🏻
Respect the place you are visiting is a good rule to follow 👍🏻
Doing this will allow many others to enjoy what you are seeing 😎
Important: If you are planning to hike somewhere, obviously check the conditions, weather and make sure you have appropriate gear but most importantly TELL SOMEONE WHERE YOU ARE GOING AND HOW LONG YOU EXPECT IT TO TAKE. The rescue services can't save the people they don't know are lost/missing in the mountains!
ABSOLUTELY! I couldn't agree with you more!
So many great tips and points in this video. I remember being mad in Iceland when seeing tourists just ignore the ropes and signs. Some standing on the edge of cliffs that clearly showed rock cracks. I know it was wrong, but I also remember imagining the crack give in sending them down to their certain death! ... (my imagination). As you said, it was frustrating. Same about those sending drones in 'No Drone' areas. People!!
What’s the mic you’re using these days? The audio is great!! Love your content and it was super helpful for our February trip.
Great vid as usual 🎉
Iceland was the 2nd place I went to during covid in Sept 2021. Really liked it, but would hire a car next time.
Always such awesome and useful info. Thank you! I'd love a list of suggested Apps if you have any to share. Been noting these and playing with them BEFORE I visit. :). Thank you for all you share!! Looking forward to your new book releases, too.
SOOO many requests for Apps!
I would love a video about some helpful apps when in Iceland!
Someone else just mentioned this!! Putting it on my list!!
FYI… on this topic; On New Zealand’s South island,there is a place called the “Church of the Good Shepherd “ on the shores of Lake Tekapo. It is a beautiful place but they have had to put a fence barrier around it because of the disrespect show by many Asian tourists who think it’s ok to CHIP OFF a pice of the stone building!!
I’m a landscape photography enthusiast and it’s so disappointing to se what so many dumb tourists do to places they visit. Such disrespect 😢
Yes, an apps video would be helpful thanks!
This blog may be a little outdated but you may find useful stuff in it: icelandwithaview.com/best-travel-apps/
I'll also add it to my list to update this information - new apps are always coming out!
The biggest issue are the Instagram jerks who think the rules simply do not apply to them. Ever. And that will not change until there are dire consequences, widely publicized.
1984. No chains, no signs. Except for at the Krossa "do not try and cross this river unless you know it" and Myvatn "this volcano will erupt without warning, we suggest you stay this side". Went back a couple years ago. "Rocks are slippery". WTF? Locals explained "too many idiot tourists. This is why we can't have nice things".
Iceland tourism certainly has changed over the years, even since I arrived. I'm sure it's extremely different from what it was like 39 years ago!
Due to all the unpredictable weather is it better to plan to stays at hotels or to do a camper van in winter? It seems like to explore Iceland it’s best to travel around the country and change locations every 1-2 nights. Looking for some insight
Hi Sue! Great question! I LOVE the freedom that a campervan provides - you don't need to make reservations months in advance just to find a place to sleep - BUT, in my opinion, campervanning in the winter in Iceland is NOT a good idea. Many of the campsites are closed (toilets, showers, kitchens) and it is just too cold. Renting a car is definitely a viable option but you'll need to be prepared to change plans due to weather conditions. You'll also require a 4x4/4wd in the winter which is costly. I agree that it's best to change locations every 1 - 2 nights but again, Iceland winters can upend your plans. Check out my guidebooks, pre-written itineraries, and this video (icelandwithaview.com/winter-driving-tips/) to help you plan your trip! ~ icelandwithaview.com/shop/
thanks, love your content and delivery, and the location! hope to get back for round three - new years last year was freeking Amazing, Reykjavík my people had no isead what was going to happen ..... then my wife and I traveled to the westman Islands and experienced a super cool deal where they come down the moutain with torches and fires are set , just cool memories.
Yes what apps??
Looking for guidance on a late September 14d photo tour - inland and coastal. 2nd time around. Resources?
My shop on my website has you covered! Travel guides, digital maps, pre-written itineraries, and you can use the search bar to browse through my videos. Start here: icelandwithaview.com/september/
@@IcelandwithaView just bought your guides. : )
Do you have a video on all the apps that we would need in Iceland? We are traveling in June. TIA
So many people asking for this!!
The number one complaint I hear from my family in Iceland, is how oblivious some tourists can be to danger. Both to themselves and them causing dangerous situations for others. They are especially frustrated by tourists stopping in the middle of the road in the countryside to take pictures. MOVE TO THE SIDE! And just so you know, the Reynisfjara beach is now called “take away” beach by Icelanders…..because of how many people get flushed out to see.
I hear ya! Its so awful when those stories of fatal falls or waves or car accidents come up. I reiterate all of the things you've said in my travel products, hoping to influence at least some travelers to make better decisions!
Iceland is, without a doubt, the safest, lowest-crime country I have visited. But there is danger in its nature. Just a few days ago I read the tragic story of a woman who fell off an icy trail TO HER DEATH in Glymur. Someone was with her. That person's life has been changed indescribably 😥😰
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take any closings or warnings very seriously! DO NOT assume that 4-wheel drive or shoe spikes will allow you to go anywhere you want. Iceland is so small and isolated that nothing will stop or slow a bad weather system. Believe me, that can get dangerous fast!
Go to Iceland! Enjoy and treasure it ❤ But above all, be safe! 👍
Absolutely! Well said!!
@@IcelandwithaView Thank you!
Ive heard the traik wasnt even closed. Went there some years ago during summer but we didnt made the whole way to the waterfall cause it was too slippery and steep. But most people didnt care. It was just a matter of time.
In recent years, Icelandic police have repeatedly warned about the risks posed to the country by organized crime, and the Beqiri murder could be a warning signal. In a 2019 assessment report, the National Commissioner said this risk was ‘enormous’ - the highest on a four-stage risk-assessment scale. The report concluded that criminal groups in Iceland have considerable strength and resources, making it more difficult for police to counter their activities. As well as importing and selling drugs, these groups are also involved in financial crimes and money laundering and male on male sexual assault. Rape is not considered a serious offense within the Icelandic legal system and is rarely ever reported, male on male rape involves protected class and police are very careful and hesitant to investigate such assaults. Armando Beqiri, a 33-year-old of Albanian origin who had been living in Iceland for several years, was murdered outside his home in a residential street in Reykjavik on the evening of 13 February 2021. He was shot nine times with a handgun, but the Neighbours didn’t hear a thing. Another Albanian, also a resident of Iceland, has confessed to police that he pulled the trigger and was one of the 26 that committed postmortem sexual assault on the deceased.
Just 800 miles from the North Pole, on the island of Spitsbergen in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, underground and bombproof, is a facility that has been dubbed the bunker at the end of the world, or the Noah’s Ark of seeds. Officially it is called the Svalbard World Seed Vault, and it holds over a million varieties of 6,000 plant species that grow in every climate and on every continent on the planet. The objective of this storage facility is to ensure that humankind can continue to produce food in the event of a catastrophe. I am hoping you will explore this.
What can an American expect if they deliberately overstay their visa? And please explore firearms in Iceland. And please visit a homeless camp and explain the length of prison sentence one can expect for murder to theft. How prevalent is HIV and AIDS in Iceland? Is there a way to bank blood in case the need for surgery arises? If not what blood substitute is being used in the hospitals?
Also why is the number of pre-teens on psychotic medications so high in Iceland? Is couples' euthanasia for the elderly really as encouraged as they say or is this just talk?
In 1993 Þórður Jóhann Eyþórsson was convicted of his second murder in the District Court of Reykjavík and sentenced to life imprisonment. He committed the second murder while on parole for his first murder, committed in 1983. The conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court of Iceland and sentenced to be imprisoned for almost two years.
Are you planning on committing crimes in Iceland? Or euthanizing someone? I've seen many weird comments on social media, but I think this ranks right about the highest!
I am no wimp and I almost got my ass swept out just retrieving a kite in the surf. It ain't like Myrtle Beach people! take care but have fun. Never turn your back to the sea!
Never turn your back to the sea!
Iceland is nuts scary and crazy in all the very best ways, cant wait to get back, black beach did not get me last time!!!!! but I was a lucky idiot, do not take the warnings lightly folks!