Péter Gáspár, the third-place winner of the IBS World Tour, who won a weekend trip to a European country just came back home. He had a great time there and he shared his stories, and experiences with us.

'In late July this year, I had the opportunity of travelling to Iceland, "the land of ice and fire". It turns out our timing was impeccable, as the middle of July had been plagued with some of the worst storms Iceland faces in the summer, and mere days after our departure the Fagradalsfjall volcano erupted only a handful of kilometres from Keflavík airport.

The trip, which would have easily cost a small fortune, was very generously provided by IBS Budapest and Emirates Airlines, who organised the IBS World Tour trivia competition. As the third-place contestant, they gave me the decision to pick any destination within Europe for a weekend stay. Naturally, I picked a bit of a bucket-list item since I had been trying to go to Iceland since before the pandemic, as my original plans were cancelled by the first wave.

I had been looking at pictures, reading articles about it, and being generally aware of the strange landscapes of Iceland for years at this point and yet seeing it for myself and especially getting a feel for the scales and distances was still jaw-dropping.

Since renting a car is difficult for an 18-year-old, and because I knew he would also enjoy the fascinating landscapes, I gave my second ticket to my father. We had an absolutely enchanting time in Iceland, driving along the famous Golden Circle on our first day, making sure to stop at some of the less-visited sights, as those were often quite a stark reminder that these sights are just the norm there. Our second day was spent more off the beaten path, as we decided to stick by the airport and visit the volcanically volatile Reykjanes peninsula, where we were faced with the true, non-curated beauty of the island. Towering steam rose from far-off geysers and impressive volcanic mountains were ever-present, with the odd caldera visible from the road, perhaps a small car park, but most of these incredible geological formations were just as much a part of the peninsula's landscape as trees were not.

Of course, our focus was not only to see the sights, our first evening was spent in the capital city, Reykjavík. The hotel staff warned us of the "early close-times" of most restaurants, they turned out to close along with the setting sun, at about 1 a.m., naturally. We enjoyed local delicacies and explored the surprisingly colourful town centre, which was still as busy as it would be at noon, at 10 p.m. Murals and statues dotted almost every street, with even the quiet-looking corners offering bars, restaurants or even ice cream.

Overall, this trip was an incredible experience and one I wish to be able to have again. Driving the Ring Road still remains firmly on my bucket list.

If you're looking for a truly extraordinary vacation destination, Iceland is that and more.'

Click on the photo below for more stunning pictures!

Stay tuned, because soon we are going to share Rozi's (the second-place winner) story as well!