If being in quarantine at home is getting dull consider flying to Reykholt, Iceland and staying in their incredible bubble hotels. These hotels offer amazing views of Icelandic nature and even the Northern Lights! If you’re going to quarantine, might as well do it in style.
Reykholt is a village in west Iceland in the valley of the river Reykjadalsá, called Reykholtsdalu (thank you Wikipedia and Google Translate). While Reykholt is a fairly tiny village, it has a lot to offer. It was home to Snorri Sturluson, the Nordic world’s most well-known medieval writer, historian, chieftain, and lawspeaker. If Old Norse Mythology, like Thor and Loki, isn’t your thing then maybe heading into a nearby wooded area for a more magical experience just might be.
Inside the surrounding wooded areas of Reykholt there are transparent bubble hotels that have stunning and continuous views of nature, the stars, and occassionally the Northern Lights. The company that concocted these ingenious hotels is called Buubble, formerly known as Floating Tours. Their website states that in the winter the view will consist of stars or the aurora. While in summer, the scenery consists of butterflies, birds, and the midnight-sun. Either way, I definitely have the travel bug now.
The reasoning behind these bubble hotels is just as magical as the actual experience. Robert Robertsson, the managing director of this project in Reykjavík, Iceland stated, “Some childhood dreams stay with us for our whole lives. Sleeping under the stars or watching the aurora borealis dance is one of those lifelong dreams. To fulfil these dreams the Bubble concept was born.” They are making a fantasy into a reality right before our eyes, I guess childhood dreams aren’t as silly or unattainable as we thought they once were.
To get into the technical side of things, they provide information on what to expect from these magical bubbles. The FAQ states to wear waterproof/resistant layers and shoes during autumn and spring – as they are the rainiest seasons. In winter, they suggest wearing a thick cold-resistant coat/jacket along with other obvious winter wear. There is a bathroom in a nearby building, each bubble can fit two people, and there is no wifi in the bubble. Honestly, who cares about wifi if you have a front-row seat of the aurora borealis (make sure to take pictures though).
The Buuble site continues to tug on our heartstrings by saying, “Forget the city, forget work and enjoy watching the aurora borealis dance for you. We can of course not guarantee you will see the lights but if they show up you will have a magical night.” While the bubble hotels provide an extraordinary panorama of Icelandic nature, they are also a sanctuary from the stresses of work and city life.
These bubble hotels are truly the imaginative getaway of our childhood (and adulthood) dreams with the aurora borealis at arms reach. Iceland is hitting it out of the ballpark with their tourist attractions because in spring 2021 a new swim-up bar called Sky Lagoon is due to open. Be sure to brush up on your Icelandic because once it’s safe to travel Iceland seems like a first great destination.
