However, contrary to its name, Iceland is not that icy and temperatures in the capital, Reykjavik, in the middle of the winter are equal to or sometimes even warmer than the temperature in New York for instance. And despite being a vast country with an area of 103,000 km2 (40,000 sq mi), it is inhabited by only 332,529 people, making it the most sparsely populated country in Europe.

Iceland is a gorgeous country – I often have an internal conflict deciding which country I like the most, Georgia or Iceland. I spent around two weeks touring almost the entire country on the Ring Road, an 800 mile route that takes you around the country and covering almost everything that is worth seeing. Depending on how many stops you’ll make (and you will make plenty, believe me!) it could take between 7-10 days to get a good feel of what this beautiful country has to offer. I have heard of people who even spent a month and were not bored.

Who would enjoy Iceland? If you love nature in its rawest form, if you are an adventurer, if you are a bird watcher, if you like ice caves and lagoons, volcanos, hiking, waterfalls, glaciers, or the aurora borealis you would love Iceland.

Speaking of the aurora borealis, I unfortunately missed it since it wasn’t the season but at least now I have a pretty good excuse to go back! And although it has been a few years since I visited, I still remember the fresh air I was able to take in, which is not a surprise considering that Iceland runs almost entirely on renewable energy.

Without further ado, here are some reasons why I think every (adventure) traveler should visit Iceland at least once:

As usual, you can see pictures of Iceland and my other trips around the world on Instagram (@gmr83).

1. Waterfalls: There are probably more waterfalls in Iceland than there are people! And almost all of them are pretty accessible right off the road. Guide to Iceland has a great list of the top 10 waterfalls.

2. Geothermal springs: Iceland is the land of fire, ice, and water. The combination of all three along with Iceland’s unique geographic location means that there are lots of volcanoes, geysers, and hot water springs. Imagine the weather being 0-15 degrees Celsius outside while you are soaking in a water of about 40 degrees Celsius. You have probably heard of the Blue Lagoon, which is perhaps the most well known of these hot springs and the most commercialized, but there are many others that you could stop at and mingle with fellow travellers and locals.

3. Jökulsárlón: You haven’t seen anything until you have seen Jökulsárlón, a large glacial lake in southeast Iceland, on the edge of Vatnajökull National Park. This is one of the most beautiful scenes I have set my eyes on. The serenity and majesty of this place simply compel you to not say a word as you just sit and stare in amazement. The best part is that you can also go on a boat ride in between the large chunks of ice covering the lake.

4. Aurora Borealis: Or the Northern Lights are actually collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the earth’s atmosphere. The best months to see this beautiful phenomenon is September to mid-April, and you do not have to be that far off from the cities to see it. A few weeks ago, the city of Reykjavik turned off street lights and encouraged people to turn off the lights at their homes so that everyone could watch the northern lights.

5. Unscheduled detours: As I mentioned below, you will probably travel through the Ring Road when visiting Iceland, however, you will always come across delightful secrets that lure you into making an unscheduled stop. Pictured below is Seljavallalaug (now try saying it three times real quick!), one of Iceland’s best kept secrets, and is filled with hot spring water which trickles down from Eyjafjallajökull (again, say it three times real quick!), which consists of a volcano completely covered by an ice cap.

6. Bird watching: Iceland is home to a large diversity of beautiful birds, including the Arctic Tern, eiders, waders, and passerine birds, as well as seabirds such as the Guillemot, Razorbill, and probably the cutest of them all — the Atlantic Puffin.

7. Horses: Icelandic horses are gorgeous and are probably the happiest in the world, and once you see the country, you will understand why! Unlike other horse breeds, Icelandic horses boast two gaits in addition to the typical walk, trot, and canter/gallop. To protect its horses from diseases, Iceland has a ban on the import of horses, and once a horse leaves the country, it is not allowed back in.

8. Geysers: The English word geyser actually comes from the Icelandic word “Geysir” which in turn is derived from the Icelandic verb geysa, “to gush”. The area of Geysir in Iceland lies in the Haukadalur valley on the slopes of Laugarfjall hill, which is also the home to Strokkur geyser about 50 metres south.

9. Whale watching: I am not best friends with open water nor am I a good swimmer so you could understand my reluctance to join a whale watching tour. However, the thought of getting so close to one of these majestic giants made the bumpy boat ride and the sight of multiple people throwing up because of sea sickness worth it!

10. Ice caves and glaciers: Europe’s largest glacier mass is found in the south of Iceland in an area called Vatnajokull. I haven’t been to this part but this is high up on my list when I come back. See other beautiful pictures in this Daily Mail report.

Have you been to Iceland? What was your favorite experience?

I don’t think I ever felt so close to nature as much as I did there. The energizing feeling you get from the fresh smell of pine trees, the beautiful vistas, the roaring waterfalls, and the sense of solitude are difficult to describe. Nature has a special way of showing you how small you are in the scheme of things.

All this would not have been possible without my Serbian guide, Grada, who is not only a passionate nature conservationist, but is also very knowledgeable about history and preservation.  You can reach him at [email protected] to book a custom made tour.

Now that I visited the country, I think there are many reasons to visit but here are some that I think stand out.

1. Coffee Shop/bakery culture: The Serbs are a very outgoing people and it is very common to see places and streets crowded even on weekdays. To serve this outgoing-ness, Belgrade is home to some of the cutest and coziest coffee shops and bakeries you have ever seen, and they are literally on every corner so you won’t have to walk a lot to find them. My personal favorite is Mandarina Cake Shop in Belgrade. Food Tour Belgrade and Belgrade Walking Tours are two good sources to check for customized and even free tours within Belgrade. Fellow Dubaiite Luciana has a good guide on beautiful places to eat in Belgrade.

2. Raspberries: Who doesn’t like raspberries?! Well, Serbia is the world’s second largest producer of raspberries in the world after Russia, thus making raspberries an important element in Serbian food, whether it is in jams, juices, alcoholic drinks, or just eaten raw. You can even find raspberries growing in the wild on the side of the roads, which makes for a good snack during hikes and road trips.

3. Waterfalls: Waterfalls are abundant in Serbia and most of them are easily accessible by car or by foot. For ideal viewing, try to come around spring time so that the waterfalls have more water following the end of winter and the melting of the snow.

4. Uvac Gorge: Easily one of the most amazing sights that I have ever seen. Located in southwestern Serbia, the Uvac Special Nature Reserve is distinguished by the presence of 104 bird species. After seeing this view from above, you can go down by car, take a boat ride around this majestic canyon, see vultures in the wild, and explore an ice cave — all in one day.

5. Hiking: There are countless hiking paths in Serbia. In many areas the forests are so dense, that there are fallen yellow leaves from previous years that haven’t moved. Every walk we took was rewarded with beautiful views, a canyon, and/or a waterfall.

6. Caves: The many canyons and gorges in Serbia make natural homes for caves, many of which are unexplored to this day. I managed to visit one — the ice cave in Uvac Gorge, which was absolutely mind blowing. The cave is only accessible by boat and you are allowed to enter only with a guide. The formations of the rocks inside as well as the sheer size of the place are unbelievable.

7. House on The River: You have probably seen pictures of this place but didn’t know where it is — well, it is also in Serbia! The tiny house stands on an exposed rock in the middle of the Drina River, near the town of Bajina Basta. It was built in 1968 by a group of young boys who needed a place to sunbath, and was swept away by floods several times since then but was reconstructed every time. You can also take a boat ride around it if you wish to do so.

8. Architecture: Serbia is a melting pot of Turkish and Austro-Hungarian influence and this is evident in how architecture changes based on which area you are in. My favorite places for spotting architectural trends were Subotica and Novi Sad which I thought looked a lot like Barcelona and Bruges respectively.

9. Fortresses/monasteries: Serbia is home to a large number of fortresses and many of them are well preserved or are being renovated. It is also very common to see monasteries built within fortresses since they often functioned as independent cities. True Nomads has an excellent guide on fortresses in Serbia.

10. Wine: Unbeknowst to me before this trip, Serbia also produces wine — really good wine! There are also wine routes you can follow and explore the country at the same time. Vinopedia is a great source of info on Serbian wine. If you fancy something stronger (like with 40% alcohol and above) you should definitely try Rakija while you are there.

11. Tara National Park: Serbia is home to Tara National Park, the size of which is about 220 square km with altitudes varying from 250 to 1,500 metres above sea level.  The national park consists of a group of mountain peaks with deep picturesque gorges between them. Many different species of wildlife live in Tara, including brown bears, chamois, roe deer, lynxes, otters, and wolves.

12. Museum of Aviation: This is a gem for World War II buffs! Located right next to the airport, the museum owns over 200 aircraft including US aircraft that were shot down during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999. I recommend you come to the airport an hour early to your check in and visit this place which is only a 5-minute walk from the airport.

Have you been to Serbia? What are your favorite things?

Flydubai has regular flights to Salalah which is about 2 hours away from Dubai. We stayed at the Rotana Salalah Resort which was great.

For some background, Salalah is the second largest city in the Sultanate of Oman, the largest city in the Dhofar Province, and is the birthplace of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. If you’ve heard about Salalah before, it is probably because of its unique Khareef (autumn) season – from July to September — during which temperatures drop compared to other cities in the Gulf and the desert is completely transformed to lush greenery.

Think of Salalah as Mars meets Sri Lanka. For that reason, the short travel distance, and several other reasons which I will list below, Salalah makes an excellent and unique weekend trip from Dubai or any other GCC city really.

As usual, you can follow me on Instagram (@gmr83) for more pictures of Salalah and other places.

1. Breathtaking cliffs: A few minutes away from Salalah is Taqah — a coastal town that has a small castle and beautiful cliffs overlooking the ocean below. The drive is quite easy although a bit offroad.

2. Marneef cave and blowholes: These are the next best thing to geysers!

3. Mountains: Salalah is surrounded by beautiful mountains that turn into blinding green color in the Khareef season so take your pick and head up to one of the mountains!

4. Job’s Tomb: Job is a prophet in the Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and his tomb is believed to be located in Salalah. You can read more about him in the picture caption below. The drive up to the tomb is scenic, and make sure to stop for a cup of delicious karak at the small cafeteria near the tomb.

5. Camel meat barbecue: Yup, you heard me! Salalah has a ton of small eateries on the side of roads serving camel barbecue which is cooked live in front of you on… wait for it… hot gravel! It is super delicious and you might down 5 skewers before it hits you that you are actually eating camel meat!

6. People: Omanis in general are known to be the friendliest people in the GCC – sorry Emiratis, Qataris, Kuwaitis, Saudis, and Bahrainis, but you know it’s true!

7. Waterfalls: Salalah’s unique nature and climate has allowed for beautiful waterfalls to form. This one below is called Ayn Athum (17.134315, 54.364312).

Last but not least, here is a video on Salalah’s unique Khareef season so you’d know what to expect: