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1 ACCESS IS EASY ON A SHIP Many of Iceland's famous highlights are close to the coast, making it an ideal country to explore by ship. Some of them, like the world's largest puffin colony on Heimaey in The Westman Islands, are only accessible by sea. It's a lot easier arriving on a ship than navigating local ferry timetables and finding a hire car and suitable accommodation during peak puffin season which conveniently coincides with the country's best time to cruise. Exploring Iceland on Viking Star was a breeze. 2 ICEL AND IS STUNNING, R AIN, HAIL OR SHINE In Iceland there's no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes. During our voyage, the sun shone brightly most days, and sunscreen was a must. Our only rainy day was a bonus rather than a disappointment as the scenery was moody and dramatic and waterfalls flowed down the cliffs as we drove from one scenic highlight to the next in our motor coach. While we had initially hoped for perfect weather, we discovered that any kind of day is a winner with scenery this good. 3 WILDFLOWERS ARE EVERY WHERE During summer, bright purple lupines— imported from Alaska to hold the volcanic soil together with their strong root system—create a stunning purple carpet across the landscape. Everywhere you look there are also colourful local wildflowers that aren't just beautiful to look at, they also make for truly stunning photos. 4 THE GOLDEN CIRCLE This iconic day trip from Reykjavik was the perfect itinerary adventure on the day we were due to board the ship. After flying in the night before, we were up early to board a local tour bus for a day spent exploring some of Iceland's most famous sights: the thundering Gullfoss Waterfall, Geysir Hot Spring Area and Thingvellir National Park where the North American and Eurasian continental plates towered above the surrounding landscape. At the end of the tour, our guide dropped us at 8 reasons to sail AROUND ICELAND Journalist Tiana Templeman shares her top eight highlights from her circumnavigation of Iceland.