[Post-Edit Note: All pictures and written content in this post was originally created in 2014, unless otherwise credited.]

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Here’s a caveat: if you have Iceland earmarked as your next travel destination, be prepared to be hit with an indubitable amount of explaining to do.

A fortnight in France or a month along the Amalfi Coast will be greeted with wide-eyed wistful longing and envious gushes, followed by strings of questions involving heavyweight icons like the Eiffel Tower or the Mediterranean Sea. But mention a week’s trip to this topographical marvel, and the momentary pause in the conversation will almost always be succeeded by just one question: But why?

It’s off-handed and almost rude, but quite understandably so. Iceland demands much from the imagination – the country itself is flushed with a remarkably magical history, culture, and sweeping landscapes; but there is little tangible evidence to show for any of it (except maybe the last). There are no famous pyramids or paintings, no legendary statues or abbeys. Sometimes, there isn’t even sunlight. But what Iceland lacks, it makes up for with an abundance of spirit and quirk. The country might be stuck out on the edge of the Arctic, but nobody puts baby in the corner when it comes to this culturally rich island. It doesn’t take you long to figure out that Icelanders are generally a compelling mix of wit, creativity, candour, and dark, wintry humour; and that ninety-eight percent of the time, no one’s joking around when they fill you in on their mythical kingdom of mythical elves, gnomes, fairies, dwarves, and hidden people.

A mere baby in geological terms, Iceland is the youngest country in Europe, formed by underwater volcanic eruptions along the joints of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates some 17-20 million years ago – which, incidentally, is drifting apart from each other at a rate of 2cm a year now. From steep-sided fjords to glacier-carved valleys to moonlight lava fields and bubbling mudpots, Iceland is a deep, bottomless pit of a geography lesson that will have you clamouring to remember bits and pieces of random information from your last Geography information some five to ten years ago, like why volcanic magma and lava aren’t quite the same thing. And unlike most places you’ve visited thus far, you’d be quick to realize that this destination requires at least twice as much planning than the usual norm. Basic research aside, Iceland is best appreciated when embarked on with tertiary amounts of knowledge, and even then, half the things I’m about to tell you may never even have crossed your mind. If you’re seriously considering Iceland as a future visit, I suggest sitting through this extremely long (but not painful, I promise) read, because what I’m about to tell you are things you never knew you had to know.

1. Iceland Is Not For the Budget Traveller.

Iceland is as expensive as balls and definitely not for the budget-minded traveler. Expect eye-opening prices in restaurants, grocery stores, bars and just about any other retail store you can find, although you probably already saw this coming after a quick research on day trips prices. The 45-minute bus ride from Keflavik Airport to the city costs a little more than SGD25, entry to the legendary Blue Lagoon starts from a whopping SGD60, and average activities can cost anywhere between SGD50 and SGD1000 (and more). This is, after all, a land of extremes, and extreme prices you will pay.

The only advice I can think of for budget-conscious travelers is to spend only on what is necessary. Collect experiences, not things. Splurge on day trips and then apologize to everyone back home when you show up sans souvenirs. If necessary, get them in Finland (which will be your most likely stopover) because they have amazing budget stores there. And of course, pack everything you need for your stay so you don’t waste precious financial resources purchasing them in Iceland, which, if you ask me, would just be about the most ridiculous thing you can do. Simple handmade sweaters can set you back at least $200. Even a decent knit cap or pair of gloves averages $70. And let’s not forget about food, our wretched basic staple. Food is expensive here. It is so expensive that you should plan like there is no food in Iceland. The idea of packing instant food supplies seems hilarious and almost embarrassing at first, but you won’t be laughing when you realize just how much of your budget is taken up by feeding yourself three damned times a day. Go out for a meal of puffin meat and fish and chips (but no whale meat please, unless you’re an ardent supporter of whaling) just to experience traditional Icelandic food fare; but you don’t want to turn this into a daily affair unless you’re swimming in cash. It is not uncommon for a single burger to cost you $14 (from a food stand, no less), or a McFlurry-esque type of ice cream to rip you off of $8, so budget smart and make money last.

2. For the Ones Living In Asian Countries: Chances Are, Your Home Currency Is Obsolete.

If you ever need a stark reminder that money really is, at the end of the day, nothing more than paper, try being stuck in Iceland with SGD4000 and realizing –with increasing dread– that everything you have on you is essentially worthless. This is where complacency takes you, when you walk out of the country’s biggest bank daunted with horror that finally, you’ve found the one developed nation in this world that doesn’t recognize the Singapore Dollar. So used was I to having our beloved currency accepted worldwide that it never once occurred to me that there would be places that actually, didn’t.

Basic information of such nature was only a Google Search away, but apparently even that was too much for me to do. It’s like every possible time I can do something dumb, I choose the dumbest possible thing to do. But, on the flip side, what you’ve heard is true: credit cards are accepted everywhere – and I mean everywhere (even in buses for bus fares) – but don’t forget about the mountain of additional currency exchange charges you’d incur from all that cross-border transacting.

3. Know Where to Sit On the Bus Ride to Reykjavik.

This sounds almost inconsequential, but one of the first mistakes you can make from the airport to the city would be to sit on the wrong side of the bus. The right side is, of course, on the right side. The left looks out on nothing by expansive plains of lava fields with occasional glimpses of the ocean, and by the end of your one-hour ride, you’ll be so depressed you’ll want to turn around and come home. That said, lava fields are a good introduction to Iceland’s bleak beauty of windswept hills and delicate greens and grays; so don’t kill yourself over it if you board the bus full and aren’t able to choose seats at will.

4. Yes. Everyone Speaks English Here.

I don’t know how or where the rumor began, but for some reason, everyone seems to think that the Icelandics don’t speak English. Well, they do, so there is no need for an Icelandic crash course before your trip. Everyone in Iceland speaks English – in fact, they even know some pretty tough words too. These Icelandics are sharp, quirky, and full of wit, so do not be surprised if they hit you with lashes of wintry Brit-styled sarcasm faster than you can say, ‘Oh, so you do speak English!’

5. Do Not Mock Their Beliefs In Elves, Fairies, Dwarves, and/or Any Other Mythical Creature. They Are Not Joking.

54.4% of the Icelandic population believes in the existence of magic folk, which essentially means that 1 in every 2 Icelanders you meet will most likely believe in creatures of the netherworld. Just as how topics about politics and religion and sex and salary are sensitive to the rest of the world, this folklorish one in particular is especially sensitive to the Icelanders too. It definitely isn’t something they feel comfortable discussing with outsiders; and theories about why they seem prone to such superstitions centre on their earliest settlers’ struggles to endure their isolated existence in such a majestic yet unpredictable landscape. With half the nation in on this one, the perceived existence of these magic people is serious enough to spark nationwide environmental protests to this very day – and if that doesn’t tell you not to mess with their superstitions, I don’t know what will.

6. The Water Smells Nasty, But Drink It.

Sulfur smells like rotten egg, and you’ll learn this fast enough when you turn on the faucet in Iceland (I give you three seconds, tops). Fact is, the water smells because it’s heated by geothermal energy, which stems from the Earth’s belly. Therefore, what you’re really smelling is the scent of sulfur at the core of Earth – but let’s cut this Geography lesson short. You’d be surprised to learn that water which reeks this badly is actually one of the cleanest water to drink in this world; I’m not saying that it makes it any easier to consume (or the stench any easier to inhale), but it definitely does save you a hell lot of money on bottled water (which, surprise surprise, isn’t cheap at all).

7. Alcohol Isn’t All Fun & Games.

Iceland has some pretty weird laws about alcohol, so listen up if you want to navigate its boozy maze well. Alcohol is sold in bars, restaurants, and cafes, but never in supermarkets because, believe it or not, this country once had total prohibition on alcohol right up till 1989 (which isn’t that long ago if you think about it). And while the ban has been lifted since, you’d be lucky to find anything stronger than 2.25% at the state-owned alcohol chain called Vínbúðin (meaning ‘the wine shop’). Lingering alcohol neuroses on the political front mean that these shops are deliberately few and far between, have very restrictive opening hours, and are not permitted to run special offers. And ironically enough, it is this very same peculiar Icelandic attitude to alcohol that has resulted in the legendary Icelandic weekend all-night partying on one side, and the assumption that anyone drinking anything at all for the rest of the week must be an alcoholic, on the other.

8. Don’t Expect to Find Comfort Brands Here.

When you’re a frequent traveler, you tend to get used to seeing certain staples no matter where you go, like McDonalds, and 7-11s, and the occasional Starbucks even. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending how you look at it), Iceland has none of the above. This resplendent nation is so inherently homegrown that you’d be hard pressed to find anything commercialized or remotely mainstream here. In its place, however, is an endless string of quirky businesses dominating the country’s unexampled retail scene. The best peanut butter milkshake I have ever had hailed from the American Style Diner located right in the heart of Reykjavik, and the Chuck Norris Grill serves some pretty kickass burgers and fries (with a name like that, it better). Stop by Dogma for the wackiest range of souvenirs and accessories (I found a Kwikee Mart tote bag! Simpsons fans, anyone?); and the only brands you’ll find yourself acquainted with at their supermarkets are the occasional Lays & Ruffles.

There is a unique operational complexity that comes with serving a nation of just 300,000 people; and the best part is, Iceland seems to be doing just perfect without any help from the giants of the consumer world.

9. The Naked Truth About Blue Lagoon.

You may or may not have heard, if you want to soak in this geothermal pool of celestial sorts, you will have to shower naked before entering. My advice is to just get over it because there is no way around this. The stalls at the Blue Lagoon come designed without doors, so unless you intend to shell out SGD70 just to sit in the locker room and sulk over the… transparency, of your situation, strip down and move on. And if you think your ordeal is over, you won’t be pleased to know that you have to go through the same thing after. Hey, at least the bathrooms are gender-specific right?

10. The Importance of a DSLR.

My single biggest piece of advice: do not attempt Iceland without an SLR. At the end of the day, you’ll be left with nothing but an SD Card full of subpar pictures, scratching your head and wondering why all you see is darkness when clearly, you had your camera aimed at the mystical Northern lights the night before. I’m not saying that everyone has to be a professional photographer to get Iceland right, but the fact of the matter is, so many of this paradise’s ethereal sights will turn out lacking at best if you settle for equipment that’s any less. The Strokkur, the Atlantic Ocean, Gullfoss, Skogafoss, and of course, the aforementioned Northern Lights, to say the least.

More (but less pressing) advice includes bringing a towel with you, because some of these waterfalls are big enough to mist up your lenses from even 500m away, and also a tripod – unless, of course, you have the ability to hold your chunky camera perfectly still for 20seconds running. (20 seconds is the recommended exposure time for capturing the Northern Lights, but I find that anything beyond 10 is good enough, provided you get your ISO right.) Invest in a spare battery because chances are you will be snapping away the entire day and this takes up a lot of battery energy. Some websites may even advise bringing a couple of spare batteries because they do tend to run out faster when temperatures start dropping – but trust me, Iceland isn’t that cold (refer to Point #12). If anything, Iceland is actually one of the ‘warmer’ places to catch the Northern Lights. Save those mountain of spares for Alaska; Iceland only requires one extra battery at most.

11. Do Not Plan Excessively In Advance.

The weather in Iceland is as unpredictable as Britney Spears circa 2007. One minute it’s sunny, the next it’s raining, and just when you’re about to cancel all plans for the day, the atmosphere fills with fog so dense you wonder if you’ve been transported to that same wondrous mythical world the half of Iceland believes in. (Is it any wonder that they believe in it all?) Be prepared for weather changes astronomical enough to rival its drastically varying landscapes. As it is, Reykjavik was insufferably cold at 1°C when I first arrived, but a comfortable 12°C when I left two weeks later. Packing for various degrees of cold is important, but what will be even more important would be to cut your itinerary some slack. Leave a couple of days completely empty. If nothing else, you can use this time to linger around the outskirts of this very wonderful city.

As it is, my trip to Iceland began with a 12-hr flight delay; which resulted in my arrival in Reykjavik being 24 hours later than originally scheduled. This disrupted the whale watching and Northern Lights trips I had booked for the first day, which I then had to scurry to reschedule on a later date. Subsequently, my glacier hike was also postponed because the drafts were too strong that morning; and of course, let’s not forget the ever unpredictable Northern Lights. Most travel companies will offer a free second trip if you’re unlucky the first time round (which I was), so don’t leave this activity to the very last night of your stay – unless, of course, you’re really intending to maximize that two-year promise on their second-trip offer.

12. Iceland Isn’t Made of Ice, Temperatures Aren’t Extreme, and Winter Travel Is Actually A Possibility.

It is primary nature to imagine frozen tundras and frigid temperatures whenever Iceland is mentioned. How disappointed you’d be then, to learn that Iceland isn’t covered in ice (that, I believe you’re looking for Greenland); and that it isn’t even really a country of extremes when it comes to temperatures – in all relativity, Iceland doesn’t get half as cold as, say, Britain, or even Kazakhstan, can get.

Don’t get me wrong: Iceland is cold, but it just not as cold as what you have in mind. If anything, the country’s winters present a buffet of lights and colors that don’t always manifest itself during other seasons, and it is always during these three to four months that everything magically appears softer and more… arresting. Rents and tours and accommodation are also generally cheaper during this period too, making winter travel in Iceland not just a possibility, but friendly on the pockets too.

13. Be Prepared to Never Want to Leave. Literally.

Be warned, you will fall in love with Iceland. You will say over and over to yourself in as many ways as you can, that ‘this is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen’ – until you finally run out of ways to say it. The grace of the Northern Lights will make you cry, the magnitude of the Gulfoss will leave you breathless, and the highly unpredictable Strokkur will make you hold your breath for five minutes at length, before finally sending your heart soaring as high as its erupted body of water goes. Heck, even the Icelandic horses are a cut above the rest, spirited and statuesque in ways that will make you fall in love like you never have before.

There is no question: the rugged, wild, untamed landscape of this magical far-flung island will blow you away, leaving you wanting more than just, more. And the fact that there is no possible way to see the whole of Iceland in two weeks or even just a month, will leave you toying with all sorts of wild ideas about never coming back. Of course, sense will get the better of you and you will get on that flight back; but know that once a thought like this gets whispered into your mind, it rarely ever leaves your heart alone after.

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Enjoy Iceland. I know I did .