London may have its Portobello Road Market, but Reykjavik has its Kolaportio Flea Market - the opportunity to rummage through an amusing hodgepodge of goods. You can buy vintage record albums, wool mittens, and used books in this shaggy Wal-Mart of sorts. Stalls are crammed with crafts and clothes, although you’ll have to really hunt for treasures. Bring an adventurous appetite–there’s a fish market in back where you can snack on pickled salmon, fumar eggs, and shark. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. Look for the hangar-style building right on the harbor at Tryggvagotu 19.
Posts Tagged ‘shopping’
HARBORSIDE BARGAINS
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010FILL YOUR HOLIDAY STOCKINGS WITH ICELAND PRODUCTS
Monday, November 16th, 2009
Tired of giving soap-on-a-rope again to your dad? Or a pair of slippers for mom? Break out of the rut with a unique product from Iceland, the Niceland. The 15 percent tax-free refund for tourists on a minimum purchase of about $40 (5,000 ISK) adds to the shopping nirvana. Here are some ideas:
Laugarvegur – Iceland’s Fifth Avenue
Strolling down the main shopping street, Laugarvegur, in Reykjavik will make you think you’re on one long catwalk of tres chic boutiques. Some of our favorites are:
Kisan with its ultra sumptuous hand-knit sweaters and unique home goods (www.kisan.is).
Fashion forward KronKron located in a loft-like boutique filled with bold Prints and patterns (www.kronkron.com)
Trilogia is the jewel in the crown of Laugarvegur shopping. Part boutique, part art gallery, it is named as having one of the city’s strongest mixes of Iceland and international collections, selling work by recent fashion graduates alongside big brand heavyweights. Find designer labels like Alexander McQueen, Chloe, Preen, Erotokritos, Orion, Pepa Delight, Robert Cary Williams, and Antipodium – serious fashion with a lot of attitude thrown in. The store is frequently converted into an art gallery for true fashion is really an art.
Naturceuticals from The Blue Lagoon
You don’t need to go to Iceland to give the best skincare Iceland has to offer. Blue Lagoon Iceland skin care is a true naturceutical brand, providing a perfect harmony between nature and science, and it’s available to you right now. The spa’s production methods are green and environmentally friendly, and high-performance formulations pamper all the senses and make one’s daily skin care regime a joyful Icelandic experience. All products are hypoallergenic and dermatologically tested so skin feels pure, rejuvenated, glowing with energy.
All bath and skincare products are available online at bluelagoon.com/Shop/. There’s an on-line store locator, or you can order on-line – product is stocked in the U.S. for faster delivery. U.S. residents that order in November receive free shipping on orders over $100.
Shop for gifts and souvenirs ‘til you drop
Making your shopping trip complete are a wide variety of traditional Icelandic gifts and souvenirs. Iceland’s largest souvenir shop is called The Viking, located in the hearts of Akureyri and Reykjavik.
Throughout the country you’ll find hand-knitted Icelandic woolens, sheepskin outerwear, lava-laced pottery, Viking inspired novelty gifts, stunning photographic books, music and artwork from local artists – all are available in shops throughout the country and in the duty free stores of Leif Eriksson International Airport in Keflavik (www.dutyfree.is).
TRAVEL DEALS OF THE MONTH
Thursday, November 5th, 2009
Winter Fun in Iceland
Guðmundur Jónasson Travel is offering three winter fun packages filled with sightseeing programs and activities.
• Winter Fun Package 1: Iceland at Its Best (departs daily)
There is a lot to see and a lot to do in a short time. Explore Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital, walk around the world-famous Geysir hot spring area, visit the magnificent Gullfoss waterfall and enjoy the excitement of northern lights hunting.
Included: Return airport transfer without guide to accommodation, 2 ½ hours Reykjavik City Tour with guide, entrance to the National museum of Iceland, 3 hours northern lights evening hunt with guide, 8 hours Golden Circle Tour with guide, admission to Geysir museum, 3 nights accommodation of your choice including breakfast. $260 per person for guesthouse accommodations. Valid Nov 2009-Mars 2010, except over Christmas/New Year.
• Winter Fun Package 2: Like a Viking (Thurs. to Sunday only)
Explore a new world, like the Vikings did. Fight the winter blizzard, like the Vikings do. Discover some of the most spectacular scenery on earth, like the Vikings did. Learn about living in wilderness with volcanoes, hot springs, glaciers, fjords, lava fields and waterfalls. Come and be a Viking in Iceland.
Included: Return airport transfer without guide to accommodation, 8 hours Golden Circle Tour with guide, admission to Geysir museum, 9 hours Saga Circle Tour in West Iceland with guide, entrance and light lunch at the Saga and Viking museum in Borgarnes, 3 nights accommodation of your choice including breakfast. $310 per person for guesthouse accommodations. Valid Nov 2009-Mars 2010, except over Christmas/New Year.
• Winter Fun Package 3: Shop and Relax (Groups only, daily departures)
Come to Reykjavik, where shopping is fun, where foreign currency is king and where you can find the special gift from Iceland for your friends and family. It’s shopping with a twist in the world’s most northern capital. Travel from shop to shop and in between, relax in a hot pot (outdoor thermal pool).
Included: Return airport transfer without guide to accommodation, 2 ½ hours guided walking and bus tour Reykjavik, entrance and transfer to local geothermal swimming pool, three transfers between accommodation and the two shopping malls on day 3, entrance and towel at Blue Lagoon (either on arrival or departure depending on flight times). 3 nights accommodation of your choice including breakfast. $260 per person, min. groups of 10 only. Valid Nov 2009-Mars 2010, except over Christmas/New Year.
For more information: Guðmundur Jónasson Travel, +354-511 1515, gjtravel@gjtravel.is, www.gjtravel.is
Travel Deals from our friends at Icelandair this month include:
Aurora Adventure
The Aurora Borealis, or the Northern Lights, are undoubtedly one of nature’s most spectacular phenomena. What could be greater than viewing them in the realm of Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest glacier? Stay in Hofn in Southeast Iceland, a region where tall glaciers stretch towards the sea. It’s a spectacular place to enjoy glacier hiking, ice climbing, ATV black sand safaris, and the spectacular and photogenic views of the glacial lagoon.
Four night stays are available now through Dec. 15, 2009 and Jan. 6 – Mar. 31, 2010 from $1,429*. For more information, click here.
$100 Off The Winter Wellness Spa Getaway
Your spa vacation just got even less expensive: our previous discount has been chopped by a further $100. Revive yourself with a visit to Reykjavik, with its clean and crisp air, geothermal pools and dynamic people. Relax and recharge your body and soul, and allow yourself to enjoy the spectacular nature Iceland has to offer. Stay at the Park Inn Island, which is within walking of three of Reykjavik’s best known spas (Laugar Spa, NordicaSpa and the Blue Lagoon Spa in Reykjavik) as well as the city’s largest geothermal swimming pool, or the Icelandair Hotel Loftleidir, with included pool and spa facilities.
From $789* per person based on double occupancy. Departures: Oct. 1, 2009 through April 27, 2010. Click here for more info.
A Very Viking Thanksgiving
How about going out for dinner this Thanksgiving? Way out. Thanksgiving is a popular holiday in Iceland (really: who doesn’t enjoy a feast?) and you can enjoy turkey – and then some – in an exotic location worthy of telling your friends about. Iceland is just five hours from America – and a perfect place to have a great time while you’re counting your blessings.
Departures November 25. From $999* per person based on double occupancy.
THEY SAID IT
Monday, October 26th, 2009
“Iceland’s economy collapsed in 2008, and since then it’s done an excellent job of rolling out the deals to entice travelers. Not only is the U.S. dollar worth more in this once prohibitively expensive destination, but Iceland’s deals are bundling the perks for added value. And, best of all, Iceland is closer than you think! It’s only about a five-hour flight from the East Coast, and Icelandair serves airports in Boston, New York’s JFK airport, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Orlando’s Sanford airport and Seattle.”
– CBS travel editor Peter Greenberg on Oprah.com
“The collapse of Iceland’s financial system last year has made Reykjavík’s cafés, industrial-chic nightspots, and restaurants more affordable than ever. At the new Center Hotel Arnarhvoll in downtown’s 101 district, the modern rooms (slate palette accented with red and chestnut brown) come with views of Mount Esja. Browsing the boutiques on Laugavegur, Reykjavík’s main shopping street, could take days; stop by Gust for funky Icelandic wares such as knit wool wraps, or Steinunn for local, cutting-edge clothing. Segurmo at Boston is a restaurant opened last year by Björk’s personal chef, Nuni Thomasson.
– Travel + Leisure, “World’s Sexiest Affordable Destinations” September 2009
“In a 2007 survey conducted by the University of Iceland, 64 percent of citizens polled had some belief in “alfar,’’ or elves. That is perhaps not surprising in a country where the landscape seems alive, where volcanoes, geysers, and waterfalls abound. Of all the bewitching natural phenomena here, the northern lights, or aurora borealis, are among the most spectacular. Iceland is one of the world’s best locales to see this display and September marks the beginning of prime viewing, which continues through March. The country is a magnet for photographers looking for a little night magic.”
– The Boston Globe, Sept. 1
“Iceland has long been a pipe dream for those traveling on a budget – until last fall, when economic meltdown left the nation with $200,000 worth of debt for every citizen. Take advantage of Iceland’s half-off sale at the Hotel Reykjavik Centrum, within walking distance of the city’s bustling bars and harbor, complete with glass-enclosed ninth century Viking archeological site.”
– Men’s Journal, October, 2009
