Snacking around the World with DreamBox

Ever had the feeling of returning back to Singapore and missing all the great overseas snacks you had? I definitely do, and I thank God for DreamBox, a local initiative by two students - Simon and Joshua - who aim to deliver snacks from all over the world to your doorsteps. Every month or so, they will scout the world for delectable sweet and savoury snacks. For the month I got my starter pack which consists of 5-6 snacks, you can probably guess that it's annyeong-Korean-hasaeyo time.

9 Days Iceland Summer Road Trip Itinerary: Day 2 - The Golden Circle

Day 2 of our road trip brings us around the famous Golden Circle before heading to Selfoss for the night. If you have not heard of the Golden Circle, it is actually a popular route that tourists take for a day's trip. The total distance is approximately 300km (about 3.5 hours drive) and the loop starts and ends at Reykjavik. Major attractions include the Þingvellir National Park, Geysir, and Gulfoss.

Renting a car

There are organised tours to the Golden Circle, well you can, but there's nothing like a self-drive tour which allows you the freedom to stop whenever and wherever you want. For this purpose, Lady M and I (well, mostly me) did a hell lot of research about car rentals, because there are a lot of horror stories about excessive charges about minor damages to the car etc, and for one, we definitely do not want that to happen to us. One of my friends recommended Lotus Car Rental, and we were impressed with the variety and competitive prices (I'm not paid nor sponsored to say this).

9 Days Iceland Summer Road Trip Itinerary: Day 1 - Reykjavik

Iceland, an idea became reality on August 2017. 

Our flight from Heathrow was around 8pm, our bodies beaten from yesterday's 10-hour wedding photoshoot and the earlier shopping trips, but the thought of embarking on this adventure excites us. We booked a round trip with Icelandair for approximately SGD$500 each. They even have a simulation of northern lights within the cabin.

We landed at Keflavik at about 11pm. The skies were still dimly lit because of the midnight sun. The weather? Freezing. Everyone was literally trembling while waiting to board the buses. Surprisingly, you can still see people donned in shorts and carrying shit tons of beer. Here's a tip: Get your trip's alcohol at the airport, but remember, if you drink, don't drive.

9 Days Iceland Summer Road Trip - Guide and Itinerary

Why Iceland?

I never once dreamt that one day I would travel across the magical world of Iceland, also known as the Land of Fire and Ice. Right now, I'm pretty sure that the opening theme of Game of Thrones is playing in your mind now. Let me tell you, the name is darn apt, as active volcanoes and glaciers lay just beside one another in this land of 300,000 people.

I don't even know where to start, a while ago, Lady M and I were planning to explore the outskirts of London - Oxford, Cambridge, York, Windermere. Turned off by the exorbitant rail prices, we looked to explore Dublin, but it looks rather boring. We zoomed out on Google maps, and we saw an island just located 3 hours away from London. We looked at each other, and the next moment, we were booking our air tickets. You know what? We even prepped ourselves by watching "Secret Life of Walter Mitty" and listening "Dirty Paws" (by Monsters and Men) again. Prepped might not be the right verb, but it certainly made us 400% more hyped about this trip.

Seljalandsfoss (don't ask me how to pronounce this)

The idea of travelling the whole ring road may sound daunting, especially those who do not even drive in my homeland (yes, that's yours truly). Oh, for those who have no idea, Ring Road (a.k.a Route 1) is their main road which covers various major attractions, such as Seljalandsfoss, Reynisfjara (black sand beach), Jokulsarlon (glacier lagoon), and Myvatn (volcanic lake). If those attractions sound really unfamiliar, fret not, I will be covering them later on.

Source: zigzagonearth

This Guide

The total duration of our Icelandic trip, or shall I say, pre-honeymoon, lasted 9 days. Although it is possible to cover the whole ring road in a day, you might not want to do that because you will, and I am sure, that you will stop every now and then to enjoy the beauty of this island. We went in the end-summer periods in mid-August 2017, when crowds have started to die down but prices are still considered high. We explored Iceland, starting from their capital Reykjavik and going in an anti-clockwise direction. I hope this guide serves as an overview and valuable add-on for your Icelandic itinerary.

Chillin' at the coast of Reykjavik

Duck and Waffle @ Bishopsgate, London

Widely known as one of the best restaurants in London, Duck & Waffle is a high-end restaurant situated at the heart of the city. Duck & Waffle was the first few restaurants that Lady M and I placed on our makan (eating) list. Despite booking a month ahead, we did not manage to get any slots for dinner so we settled for lunch instead. Yeah, that’s how popular it is, so if you are planning for a romantic dinner, plan ahead.

Besides being a 24/7 establishment (yes, you can still get your fix at 4am), it brings your dining experience to a whopping 40-storey experience. After going through a brief security check on the ground floor, we took the lift all the way up – which was really, really fast – but I mean, who needs to fork out extra for a breathtaking view of London?