Uncovering the Secrets of Iceland: A Guide to Tourists, Including Tips, Tricks, and Insight into the Icelandic Perspective

Gill: A fun and light insight in to life in Iceland. A truly amazing country.

United Kingdom on Sep 26, 2023

J. Lucero: Traveling to Iceland soon. Needed some basic info, besides the lovely social media photos we all see. This book informs and entertains perfectly. All travelers to Iceland should read this. I’m so glad I did.

United States on Jul 30, 2023

Oscar Andrés: There are several tips that can be quite useful for your visit. But I was really missing the part that would tell me more about Icelanders. Maybe wrong expectations.

Spain on Jul 23, 2023

Cherry Raisin: Very well written, with great information and intersected with good humour.

Canada on Jun 13, 2023

Kindle Customer: Despite having visited Iceland before and having already acquired a considerable amount of knowledge about the country, reading this book provided me with a wealth of new insights that reignited my enthusiasm for an upcoming visit. The book managed to uncover hidden gems and untold stories, offering fresh perspectives that I hadn't encountered before.

The author's ability to delve into the thoughts and experiences of both locals and tourists opened my eyes to a deeper understanding of Iceland's culture, history, and political landscape. It unveiled layers of complexity that I hadn't fully appreciated during my previous trips, and as a result, I am now eagerly anticipating my upcoming visit armed with a newfound appreciation and curiosity.

I believe that even seasoned travelers to Iceland will find immense value in this book. It goes beyond the typical tourist information and provides a nuanced portrayal of the country, enriching one's understanding and offering a fresh lens through which to experience Iceland. Whether it's uncovering lesser-known aspects of the culture or gaining a deeper appreciation for the local perspective, this book has undoubtedly enhanced my...

United States on May 21, 2023

Silure Dumnonii: If you are going to be in Iceland for Christmas or New Year (lucky you), you reallly need to read this book! If you are simply interested in Icelandic or Scandinavian tradition or Christmas in general, you really need to read this book!
Alda takes us through Iceland’s many idiosyncratic customs, traditions and folklore relating to the Christmas period (which is lengthy in Iceland).
Her usual easy style and native wit work perfectly with her explanations of Icelandic Yule goings on. Perhaps this book could be your (in keeping with Icelandic tradition) Christmas Eve read. Treat yourself, you won’t regret it.

Australia on Dec 20, 2022

Tori: It was interesting learning about the recent history of Iceland, leading up to and following the 2008 recession as well as the government corruption, incompetent management, shady business dealings, and housing and funding shortages that are contributing to a mass exodus of Icelandic people. It was a side of the country I didn’t hear much about while visiting. To be clear, it wasn’t a guidebook, in that it doesn’t teach you useful phrases or recommend places to see, but it does give you an economic and brief sociopolitical backdrop to your travels, provide a handful helpful websites at the back of the book and tell tourists to not damage the land or take ill-advised risks when driving or trying to explore without a guide. The book was an easy read, kind of like salacious gossip; you can finish it in a day. I must say that it was racist of the author to say all Asian drivers are bad, that they learned on computer simulators and never drove on actual roads before. I am Asian and drove fine in Iceland, though I did see people (non-Asian) stuck in ditches on the side of the road (about 8-9 cars) during our road trip of the Golden Triangle. Having lived in Midwestern United...

United States on Jan 15, 2021

Marianne: This was an enjoyable read, well written in a personable way. It became a page turner, much like a who-done-it, which surprised me. This book should be in every pouch pocket of every airline servicing Iceland. It teaches you how to be a respectful, responsible tourist educated in the local environment and customs. It also has some valuable advice on what NOT to do while in Iceland.

I only had one issue with the book... the PUBLIC naked showers!

Understanding the concept is easy. Understanding the need is easy. Understanding how an author that (I think) wrote her book in order to foster some respect from tourists to respect the Icelandic environment and cultures, yet seems unable to respect that the rest of the world may be considerably less comfortable with the tradition of the public naked showers, just didn't sit right with me. I can accept that she can't understand it, but you don't have to understand something to still respect that not everyone is the same.

Comfort with public nudity at the pools is established in Icelanders from childhood. There are a few other countries with the same degree of comfort but the rest of the world in general has varying...

Canada on Feb 17, 2019

Pinxit: I read this book after I returned from a short layover in Iceland, and in an odd way I am glad I didn't read it beforehand! It lays bare the dark side of Icelandic politics and government, and also many of the dubious practices fueled by the country's new cash cow, tourism. It was dispiriting to read that Iceland has the same 1%er issue with shady governmental tactics that we have here in the U.S. I didn't have a need to believe in Icelandic Elves, but found I had really wanted to believe that Icelanders were more egalitarian, feminist and noble than my own compatriots. But, the truth is that people are people, the world over! Disillusioning as that is, it really is good to be reminded of this.
I really do recommend that everyone going to Iceland read this book! The author writes well and entertainingly.
I expected this book to be set up with more Q & A and FAQs. There were some, but there were also long digressions explaining intricacies of political events and the recent financial crisis, on which the author is clearly an expert. However, many tourists are not actually all that interested in that stuff. Of course, a brief overview, and mention when germane is good. But...

United States on Aug 28, 2017