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Iceland Adventure Retreat
Reykjavik, Iceland
July 7-14th, 2024
Cost: $4850
What are the accommodations?
5 nights at Breiðabólsstaður farm.
Breiðabólsstaður farm will be our home near Snaefellsnes for our horseback riding adventures. Family owned and operated, this is a great place for us to experience the local culture! We are staying on this farm with Oli and Beta. We will overtake the whole place and we get to be immersed in Icelandic home culture. The best part is that Beta is an amazing chef and will lead us in a cooking class prepared with fresh medicinal herbs and veggies from her garden.
2 nights at Vatnsholt guesthouse:
Vatnsholt Guesthouse is owned by husband and wife Jóhann Helgi Hlöðversson and Margrét Ormsdóttir. In 2005 they bought Vatnsholt farm and moved there with their children. With hard work and dedication, they opened Vatnsholt guesthouse in 2010. At that time, they had 14 rooms but today they have expanded to 34 rooms and a restaurant that can accommodate up to 300 guests. Vatnsholt guesthouse prides itself on Icelandic cultural characteristics, closeness to the countryside, nature and wild life and every guest that stays is considered part of their family.
What will the food be like?
The food is the BEST PART!
Amazing culturally and locally sourced meals at our guesthouses and restaurants. They will be offering the freshest ingredients available at this time- serving local and traditional food that takes your taste buds on an adventure they will never forget.
What is a typical day?
Each day will be magical but not very typical.
We will start each day with our “Awakening the Senses” Yoga for centered riding. We will then have a hearty breakfast and pack our lunch for the riding adventure. We will ride 2 to 4 hours each day. Each day after our ride and lunch we are going to have special horse connection sessions with the herd which is Colleen’s speciality. Prepare to be amazed at what the horses will tell you. After our FANTASTIC horse experience days we will go next door to the famous Krauma Hot Spring and Spa to soak and relax. One evening we have a magical gong sound meditation
Great way to end the day!!
What will the horseback-riding be like:
Each day we will ride 2 to 4 hours, starting out with walking and going in to fast tolting and cantering. You should at least be an intermediate rider.
What is Iceland like?
Unlike it’s name, Iceland in the summer is green and full of life! There are waterfalls and breathtaking views around every corner. The food is rich with history and the locals are friendly. We will see a great deal of the country on our retreat including horseback riding, hiking and hot springs. We promise, there will be no shortage of stunning views, local food and culture.
“The problem with driving around Iceland is that you’re basically confronted by a new soul-enriching, breath-taking, life-affirming natural sight every five minutes. It’s totally exhausting.” ~Stephen Markley
What will the weather be like?
The weather in Iceland is unpredictable and completely dependent on location. It may be sunny in the south and think of high temperatures around 50 (but it could get to 70), have a waterproof rain jacket!!
Do I have to do all of the activities?
No! All activities and outings are optional. This is YOUR retreat. We encourage you to do what feels most nurturing and right for you. You will be fully supported in doing as much or as little as you choose. All of our activities will be guided by expert staff, and instruction and support will be offered for every activity according to your experience level.
What will be yoga be like?
We begin each adventure-filled Women’s Quest day with a centered riding Qigong/Yoga practice. This gentle but powerful practice draws inspiration from Yoga, Qigong, and Tai Chi, and is a perfect way to prepare the mind, body and senses for the activities of the day.
What will the hikes be like?
Iceland is known for hiking and the trails are maintained very well including ropes and rails to help on steeper sections. We will be hiking 3 days to amazing spots including the Glymur hike, the Fimmvorrduhal hike and Skogafoss and to a river full of hot springs located outside of Hveragerdi. We will also be doing some river crossings so bring water shoes. Hiking shoes or shoes with “4 wheel drive” are a must since the trails can be rocky and muddy.
What is the average age on this retreat?
We have a wide range of women who attend our retreats, from 15-75+ years young. Each retreat will vary but Iceland is for EVERYONE.
What if I am coming alone?
Most of the women who attend our retreats come by themselves. Iceland is a safe and easy country to travel as a single female. English is widely spoken and we are here to answer any questions about travel that you may have. Although you may come alone, you will leave the retreat with new, lifelong friends!
How do I change money in Iceland?
The Icelandic króna is the local money in Iceland. You can travel with US Dollars and exchange them at the banks either in the airport or in Reykjavik or any other major city. ATM’s may be the best option as they may give you a better exchange rate and allow you to travel with less cash in hand. Make sure to let your card company know where and when you will be traveling so they do not put any holds on your account for unusual transactions.
What about communications?
Wifi is everywhere in Iceland. The best way to communicate with home is with an online communication program (we recommend either Skype or WhatsApp). You can also buy minutes with Skype and make calls to US phones through Wifi. Please check with your cell phone provider if you choose to use your phone. They will most likely charge foreign use fees (either a flat rate or by use).
Electric plug adaptor – Iceland uses the standard Europlug socket with two round prongs. For these plugs, you can use adapter types “C” or “F”. These are often labelled as a Northern Europe adapter. If you are visiting Iceland from overseas, we do not recommend bringing a hair dryer.
Payment Policy
Payment in full for all retreats is due 90 days prior to the retreat date. If you do not provide payment in full by 90 days prior to the retreat you risk losing your reservation. All deposits are non-refundable.
A 4% payment processing fee will be added to all payments made using PayPal, Stripe or Venmo. You are welcome to send in a check or pay by Zelle to avoid this fee.
Cancellation Policy
If you must cancel a reservation, a full refund, less your deposit which is non-refundable, will be provided for any cancellation we receive in writing at least 91 days prior to the commencement date of the retreat. We are sorry but we cannot refund any payments for cancellations made 90 or fewer days prior to the commencement of the retreat.
We reserve the right to cancel retreats with inadequate participant interest. Women’s Quest IS NOT responsible for any personal expenses, such as airline tickets due to changes in schedules or tour cancellations.
Covid-19 Policy
Cancellations by Women’s Quest: Women’s Quest reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel or reschedule any retreat due to concerns over Covid-19. As a small company Women’s Quest is unfortunately not able to provide refunds of payments for retreats cancelled by Women’s Quest due to the Covid pandemic. This is primarily due to our financial commitments with the various retreat venues. As a result, in the event Women’s Quest cancels or reschedules a retreat due to Covid-19 Women’s Quest will apply all payments to the rescheduled or following year’s retreat, or to any other Women’s Quest retreat of your choosing through the end of the next year after the year in which the retreat was cancelled by Women’s Quest. Because of the unforeseen and unprecedented circumstances of the outbreak, this policy supersedes earlier policies.
Cancellations by You: If you need or desire to cancel your reservation due to Covid-19, or failure to comply with the requirements of a negative test and being symptom free, this cancellation is subject to the Cancellation Policy above. This is why we urge everyone to purchase travel insurance when signing up.
Covid Waiver and Release
This waiver, release and acknowledgement of responsibilities is unfortunately necessary during this unique time of the Covid 19 pandemic. By signing up for and or attending any Women’s Quest retreat you agree to be bound by the terms of this document. We understand these times are challenging, however, these provisions are necessary to protect all attendees and staff members of Women’s Quest.
Testing For and Symptoms of Covid 19. Irrespective of vaccination status you are required to provide a negative test for Covid 19 taken within 3 days of the commencement of the retreat. This test can be either a PCR test or a home antigen test. Also, irrespective of your vaccination status, you agree you will not attend the retreat if you have any symptoms of Covid 19 immediately prior to the beginning of the trip. These symptoms include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea (these, along with symptoms outline in the following link and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control shall be collectively referred to as the “Symptoms”.) More information on symptoms of Covid 19 can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
Symptoms During the Retreat. In the event you develop any Symptoms during the retreat you must immediately leave the retreat and follow protocols outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and all local regulations. We understand this may result in you incurring significant expenses associated with separate accommodation and travel, however, you understand these expenses are not the responsibility of Women’s Quest and must be incurred by you. You agree to be fully honest with Women’s Quest staff in regard to any Symptoms you may develop and agree to comply with a request by Women’s Quest staff to depart as determined by Women’s Quest staff in their sole discretion. As provided below, this is why we strongly urge everyone to get travel insurance covering these and other expenses prior to departure.
Procedures During the Retreat. During the retreat Women’s Quest may, but need not, endeavor to practice social distancing and wearing of masks when traveling in close proximity. You agree to comply with all requests of Women’s Quest staff during the retreat related to these procedures. Any such procedures implemented by Women’s Quest are not a guaranty you will not be exposed to Covid 19 and you understand you are responsible for taking any precautions you deem necessary and providing your own personal protective equipment during the retreat. You also agree to comply with any reasonable requests by other attendees to respect their social distancing and other protective measures (“Participant Requests”.) Notwithstanding the foregoing, you are responsible to comply with all laws and regulations of the locality visited relating to protections against Covid 19.
Waiver of Coronavirus Related Illness; Indemnification. You understand that irrespective of protective measures that Women’s Quest or you may or may not take, you may be exposed to Covid 19 by another retreat attendee, a Women’s Quest staff member and or an individual to whom you may be exposed during, or traveling to or from the retreat. You agree to waive and release Women’s Quest, its officers, directors, staff, employees, contractors, and partners from any claims, liabilities or damages you may incur in the event you contract Covid 19 at any time during travel to, attending or after attending the retreat. You further agree to indemnify and hold harmless Women’s Quest, its officers, directors, staff, employees, contractors, and partners from any loss, liability or damages it or they may incur as a result of your failure to receive a negative test for Covid 19 prior to the retreat as provided above, attending the retreat with any Symptoms, not respecting Participant Requests, and not immediately departing the retreat if you develop any Symptoms.
Cancellation. In the unfortunate event you need to cancel your trip, cannot attend due to contracting Covid 19 or developing Symptoms prior to the retreat, or must leave the retreat due to contracting Covid 19 or developing Symptoms, Women’s Quest cannot provide any refund of any amounts you paid.
Travel Insurance. Check Squaremouth website, it will help you to quickly quote, compare, and buy travel insurance https://www.squaremouth.com/
As provided in this document you could incur significant personal expense in the event you contract Covid 19 or develop any Symptoms during the retreat. As such, you are strongly urged to obtain travel insurance that provides adequate protections against these risks.
Additional Waiver. This waiver is incorporated into and made a part of other waivers you agreed to in connection with signing up for the retreat. In the event of a conflict between these terms and the terms of any other waiver, this waiver shall govern.
Purchasing Travel Insurance
Check Squaremouth website, it will help you to quickly quote, compare, and buy travel insurance https://www.squaremouth.com/
We highly, highly recommend you get travel insurance to cover your expenses and losses in the event you test positive or come down with Symptoms prior to the retreat, develop Symptoms during the retreat, or cannot return home due to Covid related issues. We recommend getting insurance that covers the cost of your trip, medical care while at the retreat, and coverage to pay for the necessary quarantine period if you test positive or come down with Covid. Please remember, if you have to cancel your trip in the unfortunate event you come down with Covid, test positive, or suffer Symptoms prior to or during the retreat and need to leave, Women’s Quest cannot provide a refund since we have to pay your trip expenses well ahead of time.
If you are concerned about travel and the changing environment in which we are living irrespective of your Covid status, we recommend getting travel insurance that allows you to cancel for any reason. This coverage is more expensive, however, may provide you with the coverage and flexibility you desire.
Irrespective of the travel insurance you get, please make sure you talk to a travel insurance agent prior to buying any insurance and make sure you have the coverage you desire and that the policy will cover trip cancellation, medical expenses and trip interruption due to Covid.
Check Squaremouth website, it will help you to quickly quote, compare, and buy travel insurance https://www.squaremouth.com/