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Northern Lights

The best place to see the Northern Lights is below the Aurora Oval which tends to appear between 2000 and 2500 km away from the Geomagnetic North Pole.  

Our guesthouse in Iceland is 2250 km away from the Geomagnetic North Pole. 

We have big windows in two directions with unblocked views and low comfortable sofas.  Beats waiting outside in the cold waiting for the Northern Lights to appear.

After you spot them, you can continue to watch inside, step outside or drive to a completely dark place, by a waterfall, by the ocean or into a drive-in-volcano, etc.

Whale watching

Next to our guesthouse in Iceland is where the Atlantic and the Artic oceans meet.

This is also the place where the warm ocean currents from the Gulf of Mexico meet the cold currents from the Artic and the cold water melt from the massive Greenland Ice sheet.  This tends to be the most nutrient rich area of the Oceans and hence it is full of life, plankton and fish.  This is What attracts the whales.  

All you have to do is walk to the end of the street to the sea shore and observe preferably with binoculars the different whales or drive a short distance to do the same depending on the season.  Sometimes you can observe direct from inside the living room using our provided scope.

Birdwatching

Ours is probably the best house location for birdwatching in Iceland.

We are in the middle of a bird breeding colony.

During the summer the artic tern flight path is right above our house and garden, with new born birds in the street, on the sidewalk and parking area.  Cars are required to navigate around traffic cones to reduce their speed.  

Other birds to be seen from the house are hundreds of eider ducks, some other ducks like widgeons, redshanks, godwits,  whimbrels, golden plovers, white tailed eagles, gyrfalcon, merlin, owls, pigeons, starlings, snow buntings, swans, geese, fulmars,  Iceland gulls, glaucous, redwings, beachside, common snipes, 

It is particularly nice to hear the loons.

Midnight Sun

In the summer the sun sets for a very short time and because we are on Greenwich mean time (like London) this means that when the clock shows midnight the sun may still be shining.  

So what is the practicality and beauty resulting from this.  One thing is that this results in very long sunsets and sunrises, lasting hours and hours.  By contrast in the Mediterranean, it may be around five minutes to half an hour depending on how you define it. 

A practical advantage is that it is never too late to go for a hike etc.  Whereas on lower latitudes you could end up delaying your hike so long that you would in the end say that it is too late now because it is going to be dark soon.  Over here it may not get dark so it is never too late.

All our accommodations are equipped with sun blocking curtains, etc.

Art Village

We are very lucky that the villages here have a disproportionate number of artists.

Our little village has a culture center and a waterhole called The Freezer, the owner is an actor and musicians who often performs there, but also a lot of visiting artists.  Street art artists have also been based there and have made a lot of murals especially in our twin village called Hellissandur.  

A number of Artists are based in Hellissandur, including Peter Lang (from Germany),  Steingerður Jóhannsdóttir,  Bjarni and Ragnheidur with their Art Gallery called 3 walls (3 Veggir) and a lot of visiting artists.

The whole area is inspired my the magical mystical volcano and glacier and continues to attract a lot of people with an alternative take on live.

Not expensive

We aim to provide great value for money.   The value is provided primarily via our fantastic locations.  You are getting top locations for a price that is similar or less than what you would be paying elsewhere. 

A group has the possibility of getting a larger space to share without having to book many rooms which may be more expensive when looking elsewhere.

Those that want to save more can take a shared room category, a category without linen or to come as a volunteer.  Home office is also an option.  Extra savings may be gained by using our kitchen facilities so as to save on the cost of eating out.  Conversely you may choose to eat out more often using the savings you have accrued from staying with us rather than at some more expensive place. 

Private Rooms

In Switzerland our private room range from bedrooms that can sleep up to four or five to rooms that can accommodate up to 8 to 10 people.

In Iceland we can accommodate up to 10 people in the tatami living room which can be separated from the rest of the house with movable paravents.  Most other rooms are small with small double or single beds for one to two people, with the possibility of squeezing in an extra mattress.

Both in Switzerland we have rooms with gigantic tatami beds.  In Iceland a bed with the dimension 330 x 200 cm and in Switzerland two beds with the dimension 270 x 200 cm.  These kind of beds may suit whole families sleeping together or for alternative lifestyles.

Roomsharing

In Iceland we have one small room which might be shared by two singles or the tatami living room which might for example be shared by two groups.

In Switzerland one of our large rooms is used for sharing between individuals, couples and groups, including volunteers. 

Spa Vacation

Our Switzerland location is ideal place to make a Spa Vacation.  The spa facilities built in 2018 are top notch and very affordable.  Only 7 minutes drive away.  We know of another comparable facility which is also not far from us which is ten times more expensive.

The Spa features a nude Sauna area, with 2 large saunas and a steambath, several relaxation areas, water slide, infinity pool and tub.

Skinny-dipping

Half-way between Reykjavik and our place in Iceland is a hot geothermal natural pot which is great for skinny-dipping.

In Switzerland we do not have such a facility, but if you want to go nude we recommend the spa mentioned above or arrange with us to have one of our floors designated as  clothing optional for a certain time.

LGBT-friendly

We are friendly to alternative lifestyles, including polyamory, bisexual, lesbian, gay and trans.

Home Office

People often come to us to stay for several months for various reasons, to get away from everything,; to enjoy the different fantastic environments; to reorganize themselves; to seek an alternative life, etc.  

These may be young people taking a year of, people taking a sabbatical,  people who want to help us to help the world; people who need to take a break for whatever a reason or retired people who would like to do something different.  

Our places are equipped with fast Internet.

In Iceland every room has a small desk and extra desks can be found in the corridors, and greenhouse.

In Switzerland, some rooms have desks.  People can also use other tables, the table on the veranda, by the bar and by the sofas. 

Volunteering

The Raison d'être for our places is to serve as volunteer centers.  Volunteers pay less for accommodation in exchange for helping us out.  Volunteers help with making sure our places are up to standard.  Do to the extra bit which guests themselves are supposed to do but sometimes miss.  Short term volunteers can easily find ways to help us such as by doing extra cleaning, sharing photos and videos.  Where as longer term volunteers can help with translations, to organize other volunteers and help with our projects in a variety of creative and mundane ways. 

Volunteering with us is for people of all ages, from 18 upwards, past the retirement age.  Both skilled and unskilled people.

Nature Holiday

Both our places are all about nature.  If you do not appreciate nature then our places are not for you.  In Switzerland we are next to farms.  If you can not tolerate cows mooing, some flies outside and occasional smell from organic fertilizer then you better stay inside a city when visiting Switzerland.

In case you love nature, you will love our places.  

In Switzerland there is a hiking post right outside that points to a trail that goes to the lake and towards various mountain trails including the Alpine Panorama Trail .

In Iceland direct from our street there is a hike and bike trail to the next town and village.  But you are also free to walk off trail into the meadows, mountains and along the shoreline.

National Park named after the Volcano

In Iceland we are next to the Snaefellsjokull National Park.  The Park is named after the glacier and volcano Snaefellsjokull.  It is lika a smaller and yet impressive version of Mt Fuji.  When the weather permits you can see this mountain from almost anywhere in the Park, but also directly from our living room, patio and kitchen.  The volcano erupted last 2300 years ago so there is an eruption now is not likely but if you are lucky some other mountain in Iceland might erupt.  Several are expected to do so soon or in the next few years.  Generally eruptions are welcomed for their beautiful displays, but recently it has been to close for comfort for one town in Iceland.  Grindavik which is not on our peninsula.  Our peninsula Snaefellsnes is like a microverse of Iceland.  Which means that exploring the park and the rest of the peninsula is a good idea compared to driving all over the country.

Beautiful Iceland

Iceland has one of the most pristine nature in the world.

Reasons for the magic and beauty of Iceland:

1. Small population.  Iceland has a population that is 1/30th of that of Switzerland in country that is 2.5 times bigger.

2. Iceland is in the middle of the Atlantic, next to the Artic Ocean further away from sources of pollution than almost anywhere else on earth.

3. The combination of being close to the oceans, having a varied landscapes the view of which is generally not obstructed by forests, costal areas with and without fjords, lots of differently shaped mountains and rock formations, incredible bird life,  geothermal areas, glaciers and plenty of waterfalls.  And last but not least unique. 

4. Environmentally conscious.

Our region Snaefellsnes does even better than the rest of Iceland on most of the points mentioned above. 

Swiss Beauty

A country free of litter, with the magnificent Alps, lakes  and valleys.

If you want to experience the sheer beauty of Switzerland, we have the place for you.   Better views than what George Clooney has guaranteed.  Click to see.

Eco-friendly

We not only go through the motions of the feel good measures that many environmentally aware people do.  

We are actively campaigning for biodiversity and more measures that make environmental sense such as discouraging the use of crypto currencies.

It makes sense to stay at places like ours that have a smaller ecological footprint than big hotels and that do not have the negative economic consequences that is associated with city accommodations.

Self-Service

Our places are self-service without which it would be impossible to provide our accommodation.   Small units do not have the economies of scale that big hotels have and having someone come in to clean up after every guest would be to expensive and our volunteers can help us, help the world, which is more important.

The Alps

Strangely enough the Alps can be elusive in Switzerland.  From Zurich and Geneva you can see the Alps but they are so far away.  From Lucerne one of the most beautiful cities in Switzerland, in winter you see snow capped mountains but not the year long snow capped Alps.  In Ticino the Alps you can see loose their snow caps during the summer.  In Interlaken you can see the Alps in between but not the lakes at the same time as this town is between the lakes.  And from many places that are quite close to the Alps you do not see them because some green mountains in front block the view.

From our place the Alps and an Alpine Lake are visible on a normal day (weather dependent).  Even if you go 700 meters in three out of four directions you loose this magnificent view.

Seeing this beautiful side of Switzerland is a must.  We welcome you.

Charitable Institute

We campaign for biodiversity, inclusion, fairness, against tyranny and ignorance

Mt Fuji-like

The Snaefellsjokull inspires all sorts of people, including Jules Verne, Halldor Kiljan Laxnes, artists, healers, scientists, rich and the poor.  The National Park center of attraction is the volcano.  See the National Park section above.

Euro-Japanese

Being so close to the Mt Fuji look-a-like mountain prompted us to make our own version of a Japanese themed living room.  So we imported from Asia some tatamis shipped over on what used to be the worlds largest container ship .  Got some Japanese style lamps and an old scroll painting with Mt Fuji.

A feature of a Japanese tatami room is the dual use.  To be used at night for sleeping and during the day for living.  In Japan this is achieved with futons that are rolled up and stored during the day.  For seating a thin cushion with or without a back is used.  However people who are not used to this arrangements find it uncomfortable both for sleeping and sitting.  So we made our own  adaptation.   

Our tatami room (also called washitsu) we adapted sofas to be low sofas with storage for the bedding inside.  To make the sofas even more comfortable we provided or for more people to sleep we provided toppers and instead of the usually relatively hard tatamis we indulged in a luxurious model where the interior is made up of coconut fiber and linen (similar to futons which tend to have a coconut fiber and wool interiors).  We estimate there is coconut fiber from about 20 000 coconuts in our tatamis in Iceland.

Added features are the wide sofas (on can sit on either side) and the movable backs which are very convenient and allow groups to tailor the sofas for their own needs.

Reviews

"It was a fun holiday for us in a very beautiful place" ⚫ "Location is mesmerizing" ⚫ "Loved my stay"  ⚫ "The views were absolutely gorgeous" ⚫ "Extremely nice" ⚫ "A quiet retreat"  ⚫ "I highly recommend" ⚫ "Splendid" ⚫ Perfect"

We think our places are extraordinary and nice but we would not go as far as to say they are perfect, but they might be perfect for you or they might not suit you at all.  Read our full descriptions and see more reviews on Airbnb - You can find links on our booking overview page.  

Travel Stories

All sorts of people end up at our places.  Pioneers.  Olympic competitors.  Climbers.  Artists.  People who are taking a break from it all.  Someone on his way to Africa from the United States who was forced to make a layover and not planned at all ended up looking at the Alps and the Milky Way from our balcony.  People who are traveling through Europe.  People who have been to Iceland before and want to take a more relaxed approach to traveling.  Young people who needed a break from their relatives who did not show much understanding during the lockdowns.  Retirees.  People from most countries of the world.

Bucket Lists

• Northern Lights or the Midnight Sun

• Atlantic and the Artic Oceans

• Drive-in volcano

• The entrance to the center of the earth

• True fishing village

• Pristine nature

• Bird sanctuary paradise

• Japanese tatami rooms

• Volunteer

• Help the world

Backpackers

For people who want to save we have some categories without linen.  A mattress protector, pillows and blankets but not duvets are provided.

Day Tours 

Switzerland

• Our place in Switzerland is centrally located, so most things that Switzerland has to offer are within reach.

Iceland

• The Snaefellsjokull National Park

• Stykkisholmur

• Skinny dipping

• Snaefellsjokull mountain

• Frodarheidi

• Vatnsskard

• Hellnar and Arnarstapi

• Black beaches 

• Cliffs and lighthouses

• Hiking excursions

Helping the World

We are all about communication campaigns to help the world.  To fight for Biodiversity, against tyranny and ignorance

Biodiversity

See our site Biodiversity.Vision

Not another Hitler

See our site www-russia.org

Affordable Housing

We strongly object to inflated house prices which rob our youth from a decent future.  We are of the opinion that low or negative interest rates contribute to this and to a lot of inefficiencies in our economic systems.  The rich who have the collateral borrow money without having to pay real interest and buy up everything they can think of, land, housing, companies unrelated to their core business, etc.  This increases the price of housing to the point that young people can not afford it or they become slaves for the rest of their lives paying off a portion of the purchasing price with a lot of risk involved.  Other people are robbed of the possibility and simplicity of saving with bank deposits and are left with poor investment choices for their retirements.  Unscrupulous banks and fund managers profit but people in general loose.   It would be better if young people could save before buying.  

Secondly good transport options would allow people to build further from the cities at much lower prices without having being robbed of their time commuting.

Crypto Peril

We are not satisfied with monetary policy around the world but we do not see crypto currency or gold as a solution.  The economic basis is simply not there.  When there is an unlimited supply of anything no matter how useful it is such as air the right price is zero.  

Secondly the environmental cost is too high, crypto currency so called mining requires a lot of unnecessary energy which adds to the energy requirements of the world with consequential climate change and biodiversity implications.

Many of the people who will loose their savings when the bubble bursts do not deserve and are in no position to take on those losses.

We campaign for this madness to end.  The same applies to gold whos price bears no relation to its usefulness or cosmetic value.

Think Tank

We welcome people to come to us to discuss topics that are relevant for world bettering projects like the ones mentioned above and for ways of encouraging change.

Rental Car

There are many car rentals in Iceland to choose from.  In Iceland you will find four international brands at Keflavik Airport and many more that deliver.  

Bus

In Iceland there is a bus connection almost to our door step from Reykjavik four days a week.  In Switzerland it is 40 to 60 minutes walk to our place from the nearest bus stop, Oberaegeri Station.  There are many cheap long distance buses that take you to Zurich and Lucerne, from there you can take a train to Rothenthurm or Zug and then a bus to Oberaegeri Station.

Hitchhiking

A great way to travel and to get to know new people.

Bike

Our areas both in Iceland and Switzerland are loved by bikers.

Train

No trains in Iceland, use the bus for public transport see straeto.is

In Switzerland the Vor-Alp Express has a very scenic route that stops about an hours walk from our place in Rothenthurm.  There is a direct train from the airport to the city of Zug and from there you can take an end-to-end bus to Oberaegeri Station and walk up to our place from there (about 40 to 60 minute uphill walk).

Private Jet

Iceland is very well connected to cities in Europe and the United States.  The main airport is called Keflavik KEF but sometimes referred to as Reykjavik.  There are no scheduled flights to and from our place from Keflavik or Reykjavik.  But if you have access to a private jet there is a proper air strip in our village Rif.

Volcano

The volcano and glacier Snaefellsjokull towers over and is an impressive sight when the weather permits.  It erupted last time 2200 years ago.

There are other volcanic eruptions happening now regularly in Iceland that you might want to explore.  However after doing so it is nice to be at a safer distance away at our place on the Snaefellsnes penninsula. 

Restaurant reviews

See our site www-iceland.com

Relaxing

We sometimes go into the mountains and relax in the moss as shown in the picture.

Fishing village

One local fisherman asked me.  "Why don't you tell your guests to come down to the pier to get some fish.  I would gladly give them some for free".   

Wedding

Our places are not for big parties but the nature around might be a good venue to propose and we can recommend places to hold the reception and co-host some of the guests.

Fresh water and air

95% of all tap water in Iceland comes from underground aquifers, including ours.  In Switzerland the water is more mixed, however we have our own well with pure water.  At our place in Iceland we have the purest air in the world and in Switzerland although not as pure as in Iceland is purer than in most places in the country.

Midnight Golf

There is a golf course next to Rif.  It may be particularly appealing to golf during the night under the midnight sun.

We will be adding more sections

so stay posted

we have a lot to share about

Iceland and Switzerland and nearby regions