Came to Iceland to see the Northern Lights. Haven't so far but have had a fantastic trip anyway with teens Jo (19) and Elly (15)
Up at 4 for flight at 7 so had full day when we arrived. Hotel Odensve looked drab from outside but clean fresh Scandy decor inside and great views over Reykjavik. And at £238 for 3 for 3 nights I wasn't complaining - tho Princess Elissa didn't feel it merited 4 star. I've long given up taking any notice of the star rating.
So we threw our cases in the room dug out our cossies and headed off to get on another bus back out towards the airport and the BLUE LAGOON - a naturally heated pool mentioned as a must do in all the travel info.
I was pleasantly surprised. It looked huge and commercial from the pics. But changing rooms were posh with lockers operated by sensors in the wristband and alcove dressing tables with hair dryers and cotton wool in big glass pots.
Outside was all wooden decking around a massive rock pool with bridges and ramps in and out of little coves - one if which had a little hobbit door set into a big mound of rock. people kept going in and out. we realised it was a steam room. next which led to a waterfall and more saunas. And the water truly was a milky blue. It was waist deep, with sand on the bottom, and really warm. people just wandered about - some with cups of Gull beer and others with dainty plastic wine glasses of sparkling wine and others with drinks and white face masks. It wasn't long before we joined them. Great experience walking around in a huge bath drinking bubbles looking like a ghost in a bikini!
There were black boxes dotted around where you could dip a long ladle into a bucket of the white silica clay that gives the blue lagoon it's name. We rubbed it on our faces and shoulders. On one side a small geyser was spouting steam through a big rock all the time. It was fenced off and as we got nearer the water in the pool got much hotter - and we could see it bubbling up through the steam in the rock. All slightly surreal.
Elly bought some lava soap rock and we lay (slid) down some ramps at the entrance and rubbed it on.