00:00Huh. Tastes pretty good.
00:02Bring waterproof everything because you're gonna get soaked.
00:05I'm at the Black Sand Beach and this is amazing.
00:09Today we're leaving the capital city behind and venturing out to Iceland's scenic south coast.
00:14Come along with me as I take you on a 12-hour tour with Arctic Adventures
00:17that people say is an experience of a lifetime.
00:20I'm visiting breathtaking waterfalls, a world-famous black sand beach,
00:24but what I'm looking forward to the most is hiking a glacier.
00:27Follow along my journey in the land of fire and ice.
00:30The bus picked us up at 8 a.m. in Reykjavik by our hotel.
00:33Then we headed south to the first stop on our tour, Seljalandfoss waterfalls.
00:37Iceland has about 9,000 waterfalls across the country.
00:40This falls is particularly popular amongst tourists because you can walk behind it.
00:44It's very misty.
00:49We head up the flight of stairs and can see the water crashing down on the ground below.
00:53Seljalandfoss is 60 meters tall and has a naturally carved deep alcove
00:57that allows tourists to get behind the water.
00:59It was such a cool experience. I've never been behind a waterfall before.
01:03First waterfall and I'm already soaking wet.
01:07So it's true what they say, bring waterproof everything because you're going to get soaked.
01:12So I need some water and my tour guide told me to fill it in the stream
01:17because this is spring water, the freshest water you can get here in Iceland.
01:22All right, let's try this out.
01:27What?
01:30Just bend down and fill it up.
01:32Bend down and fill it up, okay.
01:39Every lake in Iceland is drinkable and this water is extremely pure.
01:44Okay, well, there's no bugs.
01:46Bugs.
01:47I don't think.
01:50Okay, let's try it.
01:51Where do you come from?
01:52From Canada. Okay, okay, let's try this water. Let's try this water.
01:56Let's see.
02:00I have to film it this way.
02:03Okay, just tried the water. It's actually really good.
02:08Cheers, fresh spring water.
02:10Next we're checking out Skoafoss, the forest waterfall.
02:14My first reaction is it's gorgeous.
02:16Skoafoss is one of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland.
02:19It stands 200 feet tall and 83 feet wide.
02:22Visitors can climb up the steep staircase beside the falls to catch some amazing viewpoints.
02:26But I was too happy just playing in the water.
02:28On sunny days, you can usually see a rainbow through the mist.
02:31Our third stop of the day is the iconic Black Sand Beach.
02:35I've never seen anything like it before.
02:37The waves and strong currents make the beach extremely dangerous to swim in.
02:44If you don't like the weather in Iceland, wait a minute because it will change.
02:49It absolutely has. It's raining, it's cold, it's windy now.
02:53Visitors are warned about the potential dangers with signs posted at the entrance.
02:57Unfortunately, it started to pour when we got there, but that didn't stop me from getting my hands dirty.
03:02So the black sand at Black Sand Beach actually comes from volcanic ash and black rock.
03:07The beach is also known for its black basalt sea stacks, which are formed when lava cools down suddenly.
03:12The cape beside the ocean is covered with these beautiful rock formations.
03:15And across the water, you can see spiky stacks rising from the ocean.
03:18This was definitely an unforgettable experience.
03:21I'm absolutely soaked.
03:23My hair, look, there's like water coming out of it.
03:27Time to eat some lunch. I've definitely worked up a daffodil.
03:30Our final stop of the day is hiking the Soljemálokul Glacier.
03:33There are 269 named glaciers in Iceland and about 10% of the country is covered in ice.
03:39We're walking to the glacier.
03:41I've got some hiking boots.
03:45It looks like an ice pick.
03:47Some crampons.
03:49I haven't even started hiking yet. I'm already tired.
03:53Alright, let's go.
03:54Glacier hiking is very dangerous without a guide, especially if you're a noob like me.
03:58So before we make our way up, we're taught how to use the equipment properly to stay safe.
04:02So let's say the terrain is going down in front of me.
04:05It's a little bit higher behind me.
04:07I have this thing. I can stick it to the ice behind me.
04:10And every step I do, I can carry this behind me and put my weight on it.
04:14It takes about 30 minutes to reach our destination on the tongue.
04:17And let me tell you, the views are breathtaking.
04:20The ice is covered with black ash that's been left over from volcanic eruptions in the past.
04:24Our guide explains to the group how glaciers are formed.
04:27Every winter, we have a snowfall in here.
04:29And then during summer, it doesn't melt.
04:31And next winter, we have another one. And another layer. And another, another, another.
04:35And this goes on for hundreds of years.
04:37We're all getting a little thirsty at this point, so our guide teaches us how to do a Viking push-up.
04:44Woohoo!
04:46Whoever else!
04:48The Viking push-up!
04:50I can't do push-ups, but I have to see what the water tastes like.
04:53It's really cold.
04:56Oh! It tastes pretty good.
04:58It does taste earthy.
05:00Then we make our way back to the bus.
05:02What a way to end a beautiful tour.
05:04By the time we get back to Reykjavik, it's 8pm.
05:06I'm exhausted.
05:08As for the tour, it's true what they say.
05:10It is an experience of a lifetime.
05:12I highly recommend taking a trip to Iceland's picturesque south coast.
05:15If you've toured Iceland before or have plans on doing so, let us know what your favourite part is in the comments.
