The Tale of the Elements: An Icelandic Journey
About the Tale
Bismillah! Become a part of history and join us for the FIRST Tale!
This Tale will take you on a journey through Iceland, immersing you in the natural elements -Water, Wind, Earth, Fire - in hopes to connect the physical elements to the elements of our spirituality.
We are soul-seekers hoping to inspire others to reflect in the signs of Allah as we will throughout the Tale as a group, inshaAllah. Four weeks before take-off, we will gather once a week (virtually) for 30 minutes to discuss pre-readings together, break the ice, and relay important travel and packing information! This will be intentional travel full of cultural immersion, inner reflection, and building of camaraderie.
We welcome all participants 18+ and any participants who are willing to travel in an active trip with an average of 20,000 steps/day over uneven, hilly terrain. It’ll be slightly rugged, but a delightful adventure during the “Midnight Sun” season!
Travel Date - Friday, May 24, 2024 (US flights generally leave evening/night)
Arrival Date - Saturday, May 25, 2024 early morning
Program Dates - Sunday, May 26-Saturday, June 1, 2024
Departure Date - Saturday, June 1, 2024 afternoon
Registration Deadline - April 20, 2024 at 9 PM EST
Please note: Below shows the TENTATIVE plan, as plans are subject to change depending on schedule updates, weather conditions and unforeseen factors! You will be added to a WhatsApp group closer to the start of the program which will include a detailed daily itinerary.
Once upon a time, there was a Caravan of companions who embarked on a journey to Iceland in hopes that the elements outside would teach them about the ones inside…
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May 25, 2024
They made landfall to Iceland. Adreneline was high, despite the fatigue from the short, overnight flight. They quickly unpacked their belongings, washed up, and jumped straight into exploring the charming city of Reykjavik with their new companions.
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May 26, 2024
The companions made no hesitation to jump straight into the heat of the island by venturing to a hot spring thermal river and visiting a volcano.
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May 27, 2024
They journeyed onwards to the land of lava fields surrounding a 3,000 year old Crater, waterfalls in the foreground of a foreboding mountain peak, and scenery that inspired the writing of the Journey to the Center of the Earth.
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May 28, 2024
Their next stop was an Icelandic beach experience with dangerous, sneaker waves, cliffs housing puffins, and basalt column formations. They kept with the water theme by discovering waterfalls boasting their majestic beauty and even stumbled upon a secret swimming hole in the mountains.
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May 29, 2024
Their hearts jumped with excitement when they realized Iceland traverses two tectonic plates! Naturally, their curiosity led them to a place where they could walk between the two plates in a vast, green landscape!
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May 30, 2024
To immerse themselves deeper into the food culture of Iceland, they visited a geothermal bakery where they indulged in a rye bread, baked in hot, black sand with Icelandic butter and fresh trout. They even visited a country-style, family-run restaurant offering tomato-based dishes from onsite greenhouses before ending their day at a secret lagoon and visiting a spewing beast!
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May 31, 2024
They traveled to the land of floating diamonds on water, a land where ice pushes against a black shore in an extraordinary glacier lagoon. They found a hidden hike with views of glaciers and waterfalls where they reflected in silence in their final looks at the beauty of Iceland.
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June 1, 2024
It was time to say goodbye to Iceland and fly home, but not before they indulged in pastries from a well-known Icelandic bakery.
Registration
If you are registering for multiple Companions, click Add to Cart for each Companion and enter their information!
Each room will be shared. The form will include a field for you to submit your choice for roommate.
Registration Deadline is April 20, 2024 at 9 PM EST
PLEASE READ THE CANCELLATION POLICY VERY CAREFULLY
Important: Please do not book your flight until your registration is confirmed. You will receive an email from admin@caravantales.org within 24 hours with approval to proceed. Please check your spam folder if you do not hear from us in this time frame.
Cancellation policy
Caravan Tales is delighted to have you on board and is working hard to create an experience for you that will be as enjoyable and seamless as possible. The business downside is unpredictable world events, natural disasters, and sudden life changes that may affect your ability to attend once registered. The Cancellation Policy serves as a contract between Caravan Tales and the registrant. When you acknowledge the contract during registration, you are committing to your end of the contract and acknowledging the risk/unpredictability associated with travel.
Once your payment is processed, there will be a non-refundable $350 USD amount (included in your registration fee). Anything outside the amount CAN be recuperated until 9 PM EST on April 20, 2024 if you decide to no longer attend the trip. After 9 PM EST on April 20, 2024 , the registration amount ($1750) is non-refundable under any circumstances. To allow flexibility, you CAN transfer your slot to a family member or friend at any time of the same gender.
Gender Balance/Group Size - As a new business, there is no guarantee the trips will fill up/have a gender balance. The trip leaders are a married couple (one male and one female). The trips will continue even if one other person is registered. You are committing the $350 non-refundable amount with the assumption of risk. If you are un-willing to take the risk, please contact admin@caravantales.org to get information on group demographic BEFORE registering, however understand that people may cancel, causing a gender imbalance. Accommodations will be separated by gender unless you are a married couple.
Visa/Passport Process - For US-based travelers, it is your responsibility to ensure your passport is valid 3 months from the return date. Any delays/rejection based on passport validity is not the responsibility of Caravan Tales. For non-US based travelers, it is incumbent on you to ensure you have the correct Visa requirements to enter Iceland in a timely fashion. Delayed arrival of visa will not be the responsibility of Caravan Tales.
COVID - Due to the lifting of mask mandates, participants are not required to wear a face mask on the journey. Participants may choose to if they are comfortable but please understand the risk of illness with travel. Prevention and safe care will be the responsibility of the participant and will not be the responsibility of Caravan Tales.
Please note: if the Tale has to be cancelled for unpredictable world events/natural disasters, we will make the decision on postponing or cancelling as soon as possible. Your safety is our top priority.
Questions/Concerns?
Please reach out via email at admin@caravantales.org. If you would also like to schedule a call or in person meeting with us to talk through questions or concerns, we can coordinate via email!