Submitted by CE-Press on 25 September 2012 - 1:24pm
As the season came to an end in Iceland on September 23 with a call from Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Sun, Iceland Travel was already planning new tours for next year.
Liz Gammon, manager of shore excursions and cruise services at Iceland Travel, said: “We are finding that alongside the classic sightseeing motor coach tours, we really need to cater to the remaining clientele too and attract a younger/new passenger audience. We want to devise a product that offers great value for money and an unforgettable experience.”
With this in mind LIz and her team have been exploring new tour possibilities. Gammon explained: “We all know that the name Iceland is now inseparably linked to the word volcano so it was decided to focus on Iceland´s dramatic lava landscapes and volcanoes for today’s new tour offering.
“With this in mind we took off to the Reykjanes peninsula just outside of Reykjavik. The surrounding landscape is made up predominantly of lava fields, geothermal areas and volcanic craters (both extinct and active), and it was here that our team put the finishing touches to their new and exclusive day tour called ‘Let’s go volcano’.”
Transport for this tour is by ‘super truck’ which has been specially modified to traverse Iceland’s rugged terrain. Leaving Reykjavik, passengers will soon be in the middle of one of Iceland’s characteristic lunar-like, steamy lava fields. A bracing hike to the top of a 3,000-year-old volcanic crater will be followed by a journey into the underworld via an unmarked cave that Iceland Travel reached by way of GPS.
Gammon said: “This was without doubt a major thrill for all of us – just knowing that we were off the beaten tourist track and were literally breaking new ground!” Wearing obligatory helmets and equipped with high beam torches, the group made their way through the moss-covered rocky entrance and into the 300m lava tube which is full of stalactites and stalagmites.
It was then off to the nearby thermal field to check out the area’s wealth of hot springs, solfataras and fumaroles and their accessbility including counting steps and checking out the service facilities along the way.
Iceland is not only famed for its volcanism but also its seafood, said Gammon, and a special lobster soup will be included in the tour before the final thrill of the day: a drive to the top of a mountain overlooking the Blue Lagoon - Iceland’s world famous al-fresco spa.
‘Let’s go volcano’ will be available from next year. The tour will take about five hours and can accommodate a maximum of 10 people who are ‘fit and active’.
Source: cruiseeurope.com
