Amazing 80th Birthday Trip for Mom -- thanks to Rinolda!
Iceland
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Mar 8 - Mar 13, 2024
Oh my goodness we just returned from the most amazing Iceland trip, thanks to Rinolda!!
About a year ago we started working with Rinolda to plan my mom's 80th birthday trip, and she was so very accommodating with all of our requests and millions of questions! She took great care to plan the best (and unique!) itinerary for us. My mom was really trying to maximize the chances of seeing the Northern Lights (staying in more remote, darker areas), while also wanting to see popular touristy things too. And we wanted a mix of active and less active things to do. Rinolda listened to all our requests, tweaking the itinerary several times, until we had it just right.
She booked various Northern Lights tours for us (via Jeep, bus, and boat), as well as a Golden Circle tour, snowmobiling tour, the Blue Lagoon, and even dog sledding. She was very clever with her solutions to our requests, and had a "can do" attitude. She never said "We can't do that" but instead, "Let me figure something out and I'll get back to you." :)
One of the best things about working with Rinolda was that she was very accessible and responsive throughout our trip. We never felt like we couldn't get help if we needed it. And when unexpected things happened (like one of our tours inexplicably getting cancelled the day before, not due to weather), she was all over it, finding us a replacement and taking care of things behind the scenes.
Right before the trip, we also realized that it was looking like the best weather for Northern Lights viewing might very well be the very first night of our trip when we had nothing planned -- so we asked her if she could find us a tour at the last minute and she did! (And yes, it turned out to be the best NL viewing!!!)
There was also a lot of seismic activity going on right before our trip -- with the Blue Lagoon evacuating and closing temporarily -- and Rinolda was very involved with keeping us posted on volcano updates and finding possible other geothermal bath alternatives for us. We were able to go to the Blue Lagoon after all and it was wonderful.
Another day while we were already in-country, we realized that one of the days coming up was kind of open (while we were going to be waiting around for a tour pick-up at 2pm). We asked Rinolda if there was anything we could do that day instead of sitting around at the remote hotel... Well Rinolda took charge and contacted one of her friends who lives in the area and is also a guide, and that friend (TAMARA -- the best!) picked up my mom and I and took us to see some local horses, and to an adorable tomato farm for lunch!!! It was such a perfect solution and we were so, so grateful that Rinolda CARED to help us -- and that Tamara was so wonderful too!! Tam was such great company, and now we can't imagine our trip NOT having included her. <3
Other great recommendations: the Super Jeep Northern Lights tour (you get picked up in an actual Super Jeep and can go off-roading/to more remote places than the bus tours can); also DANIEL from our Golden Circle tour was so knowledgable and friendly and entertaining -- highly recommend; Hotel Gullfoss (Gullfoss) and Hotel Skuggi (Reykjavik) were great accommodations; the snowmobiling tour with NICO/NICK out on a glacier out near Gullfoss was a total blast (and yes, my 80 year old mom did it!); KAREN, the driver on our return trip from the Golden Circle was amazing/funny; and then dogsledding was possibly our absolute favorite (THELMA with Viking Women drove us there and CLARA was our delightful musher) -- imagine being pulled on a sled across a frozen lake by huskies, while it's snowing... it was magical!
All in all a fantastic trip - and we saw the Northern Lights every night except the last night! Not bad!
Thank you, Rinolda, for ALL your help, your knowledge of the country, and your care and concern for your clients. This was a perfect "bucket list" trip for my mom that we will never forget. :)
Hotel Reviews
Activity Reviews
Loved the Jeep 4x4 access (vs a bigger bus that can't go off-roading to more remote places for better viewing) and the smaller group feel
Highlights: Thingvellir National Park, geysir, and Gullfoss waterfall
Even my 80 year old mom could do this! Incredible! Nico/Nick was a fabulous guide!
This was such a fun, unique activity! Highly recommend!!
We were not able to see the lights this night but the concept was pretty cool (being out on a boat on the water to see them). Separately, the boat was also very crowded. Also, a lot of times the lights will show up later at night, around midnight, but the boat didn't wait and just returned to the harbor at 11pm (even though apps were showing a break in the clouds coming at midnight). Many people on the boat had to get back to their tour buses. We probably would have preferred a smaller boat or more private option, in retrospect. The captain was really funny though, and it's not his fault that the lights didn't show while we were out there!
Thanks a lot for your beautiful words!