Iceland Encounter | Owner, Erling Aspelund

November 17, 2020

Today we’re chatting about one of my favorite countries for active travelers, Iceland! While luxury in other countries may mean five star hotels and spas, true luxury in this corner of the world looks more like private guides inviting you into their homes, having parts of the other-worldly landscape all to yourself, horseback riding to a private picnic near a waterfall, or helicoptering up to hike on a glacier.

Our guest today is Erling Aspelund, Owner of Iceland Encounter. After many years working in the corporate world in the US, Erling and his family traveled home to pursue their passion for travel and design a better Icelandic travel experience. Today Iceland Encounter is probably the top luxury travel company in Iceland. Erling and I discuss secret hikes, the fabulous landscapes and wow moments he’s created for travelers. We also touch on how the Icelandic culture lends itself to working together, and how that will help the country recover quickly post-Covid.

Listen to hear:

02:06 – About Erling’s favorite spot in Iceland
03:48 – Why after 24 years in the USA, Erling and his wife moved back to Iceland
06:55 – How a guide can help you find the secret places of Iceland
11:42 – Why luxury travel is on demand
13:17 – Where the home of the Arctic Fox is
14:39 – About the wide range of specific experiences a visitor can have
18:35 – Why Iceland is perfect for birders and geologists
19:16 – Where can you see boundaries of North American and Eurasian tectonic plates
20:36 – About the challenges the Icelandic weather brings to its inhabitants
21:32 – What Erling’s favorite hot spring in the country and favorite place to hike is
22:18 – What’s special about Icelandic cuisine
23:06 – What Erling’s favorite adventure in Iceland is
24:51 – Why Iceland can be the best destination to visit in a post-Covid world
26:09 – What you will learn about the world after visiting Iceland