Iceland

Well known for his picture post-card views of Scotland, Colin Baxter has taken his work to a more satisfying level with this book of his Iceland photographs. Accumulated over many years' visits -this book provides an invaluable catalouge of what to see should you be visiting this unique country. Photographers and those with a special interest in landscape will find the map showing the photo locations invaluable. Good design, adequate printing, lots of photos, some very good indeed. Icelandair should be very pleased with its impact on tourism: very low Puffin count too!

I recommend this fantastic book to anyone intersted in Iceland. Forget the other guide books, none of them compare to this complete guideto Iceland.

"This is simply the best guide for the independent traveler yet published. The information is cogent, well organized and well presented - especially for anyone who wants to fly to Iceland, rent a car and just explore the country independently without a set itinerary. The nine chapters divide the country into geographical sections organized around the "Ring Road" (the highway which encircles the country) and are packed with pertinent facts and interesting information. The choices are laid out knowledgably and interestingly. There are numerous maps showing auto routes, hiking trails and places of interest. There are suggested walks and sidebars on Icelandic history and nature in each chapter plus a fact file in the back that tells you everything else you need to know. The chapter on Reykjavík not only includes a multitude of things to do in the capital itself, but outlines suggested interesting day excursions one can make by car or bus with Reykjavík as home base... really great for the first time visitor unfamiliar with distances and the time it takes to travel them. Another chapter focuses on traveling through the uninhabited highlands and includes detailed maps and notes on auto routes, jeep routes, walking trails, mountain huts, camping areas and more. Author Cathy Harlow, lives in Iceland, has trained there as a tour guide and since 1987 has shared her enthusiasm for the country with hundreds of visitors. Perhaps that is why the Landmark Visitors Guide so beautifully intuits exactly what the independent traveler needs to know. This is a wonderful guidebook and long overdue.....

The hardest thing for me to find in a guide book is a good balance between what is written and the pictures. I hate lenghty descriptions. This book does it better than any other I have seen - really outstanding pictures that save many words describing the locations, simple maps but enough to give you an idea and a lot of helpful advice and tips. Really feel that if you are only going to buy one book to plan your trip to Iceland - this should be it.

Not having seen any reviews or picture of this book, I was a little worried about what I might find when I ordered it. To my surprise, however, I received an absolutely fantastic description of everything Iceland has to offer a first-time tourist. The book is packed with dozens of amazing, beautiful photographs that compel you to fly over there as quickly as possible. The text not only covers a solid description of all the interesting places to visit, but dives into some of the history as well. Most importantly, the author makes available plenty of contact phone numbers and addresses (physical, e-mail, and web) that will help you better plan your trip.Even if you weren't thinking about ever going to Iceland, you would after reading this book.