Hottest Destination is Surrounded by Ice

---

I am pretty sure every single friend on Facebook has or will be traveling to Iceland this year. Iceland is arguably one of the most popular destinations for 2016. Luxury Travel Guide and Budget Traveler both listed Iceland at the top of the list of places to visit this year.

What exactly makes this ice-capped paradise so popular? Probably the biggest draw to Iceland is the northern lights. During the northern lights, the sky glows with vibrant colors (the result of collisions between gaseous particles in the Earth’s atmosphere). Now whether or not you will actually see the northern lights during a trip to Iceland depends on factors such as solar wind conditions and space storms. How cool is that?

The northern lights aren’t the only reason why many people pack their snowshoes and head to Iceland. The country is a photographer’s dream with glaciers, lava formations, geysers, and the famous Blue Lagoon. There is also the Black Sand Beach, the Skogafoss waterfall, and the Hallgrimskirkja tower. Iceland also offers some spectacular places to do some whale watching. The country has also provided the backdrop to several Hollywood films such as the recent Star Wars movie, Tomb Raider, Die Another Day, and Batman Begins.

Now, the number 1 reason why more and more people are heading to Iceland is the cost. I am looking right now, and if you live on the east coast of the United States, you can book a flight to Iceland for about $350. WOW Air and Icelandair both offer affordable flights to Reykjavik – Iceland’s coastal capital.

Accommodations? International Vacation Home Exchange has you covered. There are a vacation home exchange cottages near Mývatn. Mývatn is a shallow lake located near some active volcanoes. The lake and its surrounding wetlands provide great opportunities for bird watching. Bottom line, if are looking to get away from it all, this is a great place to do it. First, you are in Iceland. Second, you wake up to views of glaciers and possibly even whales. That sure beats the city skyline.

If you are interested in reserving this home exchange property, contact the travel coordinators at International Vacation Home Exchange.

Thank you to travel writer Carla Pruitt. You can follow Carla on Twitter at @crobscarla