Iceland: Warm, easy to get to, good value for money, friendly people... None of the above. Although I may be a bit harsh towards the Icelanders. I didn't meet too many. They seem to stay indoors, or possibly they've all emigrated to Spain.

I froze my nuts off, despite having good weather. Getting there and back was an odyssey in itself. Don't talk to me about how much it costs. 7 quid a pint, 25 quid a dorm room sharing with 23 others for example (Since the trip, the Iceland economy has gone bust, so things are probably cheaper now...).

The views were wild. The riding pretty good too. If I went back it would be in a 4x4. It has a heater, you can sleep in it and carry all your own food an booze. My favourite day was watching a 35 ton humpback doing tail stands off the northern town of Husavik. My least favourite was watching 50 or so pilot whales being slaughtered in Torshavn in the Faroe Islands.