点评:Gunnar made Iceland feel less like somewhere we were touring and more like somewhere we had been invited into.
He is incredibly kind, knowledgeable, funny, social and genuinely caring. He is very safety-conscious and an excellent leader, but never in a way that makes the trip feel rigid. One minute you’re learning about Vikings and Icelandic history, the next you’re dressing up, laughing, getting footage or somehow being assigned your own Icelandic name.
What really separated this trip from others was how personal and thoughtfully curated everything felt. Every day, every location and even every place we ate was completely different from the last. The food honestly surprised me almost as much as the landscapes. We weren’t just stopping somewhere convenient to eat; the restaurants and food experiences felt like another part of discovering Iceland. You are basically in a constant state of “wait… now THIS?” because somehow the next place keeps being completely different and equally incredible.
The pacing was perfect. Gunnar didn’t spend the entire drive firing facts at us. Instead, he told sagas, Viking stories and pieces of Icelandic history that gave meaning to what we were actually seeing. We visited waterfalls, hidden gorges and places that felt far removed from the standard tourist circuit, with an itinerary thoughtfully created alongside Heather Wallace and adapted around different interests within the group.
Gunnar also has a way of staying one step ahead of what people need, whether that’s safety, a photo, a video, a laugh or simply making sure everyone feels included. By the end, it genuinely felt like we were travelling together rather than being strangers who happened to book the same trip.
Season Tours may be a smaller company, but that’s part of what makes it so special. It is extremely professional without ever feeling corporate. The entire experience feels fulfilling in a way that’s difficult to explain until you’ve done it: incredible landscapes, history, food, laughter, unexpected places and actual human connection all woven together.
It feels much more like having a local friend take you around Iceland and say, “No, this is what you actually need to see.”
Gunnar is also the author of Iceland and the Famous Golden Circle, available on Amazon and something I think deserves far more attention. After hearing him tell Iceland’s stories in person, his Golden Circle tour has already made the list for our next trip.
Þórhildur
翻译:Gunnar让冰岛不再只是一个我们单纯游览的景点,而更像是我们被邀请进入的一个特别之地。
他极其善良、博学、风趣、善于交际,而且真心关心他人。他非常注重安全,也是一位出色的领队,但绝不会让整个旅程显得刻板拘谨。前一刻你还在了解维京人和冰岛的历史,下一刻你就开始打扮起来、开怀大笑、拍摄视频,甚至还会被赋予一个属于自己的冰岛名字。真正让这次旅行与众不同的,是所有环节都显得如此个性化且经过精心安排。每一天、每一个地点,甚至我们用餐的每一家餐馆都与前一天截然不同。说实话,那里的美食带给我的惊喜程度几乎不亚于沿途的风景。我们并非只是随便找个地方用餐;这些餐馆和饮食体验本身就如同探索冰岛过程中的另一大乐趣所在。基本上,我们始终处于“等等……现在又是这个?”的状态,因为接下来的景点总是截然不同却又同样令人惊叹。
节奏把握得恰到好处。古纳尔并没有在整个车程中不停地向我们灌输各种知识。相反,他讲述了各种传奇故事、维京人传说以及冰岛的历史片段,这些让我们所看到的景象更具意义。我们游览了瀑布、隐秘的峡谷,还有一些远离常规旅游路线的地方。我们行程的规划是在希瑟·华莱士的协助下精心设计的,并充分考虑了团队中不同成员的兴趣爱好。
冈纳总能预见到大家的需求——无论是安全保障、拍照需求、拍摄视频,还是逗大家开心,亦或是确保每个人都能融入集体。最后,我们真的感觉就像是一群一同旅行的伙伴,而不再是只是恰巧预订了同一趟旅行的陌生人。
Season Tours虽然是一家规模较小的公司,但这正是它的独特之处。它极其专业,却丝毫没有大企业的做派。整个体验令人满足,这种满足感只有在亲身经历后才能体会:绝美的风景、深厚的历史、美味的食物、欢声笑语、意想不到的去处,还有人与人之间真挚的联结,这一切都完美地融合在了一起。
这种感觉就如同有一位当地朋友带你游览冰岛,并对你说:“不,这些才是你真正值得一看的地方。”
Gunnar还是《冰岛与著名的黄金圈》一书的作者。在亚马逊上有售,我觉得它值得获得更多关注。在亲自听过他讲述冰岛的故事后,他的“黄金圈之旅”早已被列入我们下一次旅行的计划清单。
Þórhildur。