Iceland Through the Local Lens: Oli

One of the things we love most about travelling is meeting people, and in the course of our travels, we have come across some truly inspiring individuals who have shown incredible passion for their country and craft. We’ve hence decided to start a feature series on some of the wonderful people we’ve had the privilege of interacting with, and allow them to share with you some insights into their jobs as well as tips and tricks on their city. 

Our first feature is special to us because we see him as the man who helped preserve our lives in Iceland. Oli (full name: Ólafur Schram) was our guide for five days and we honestly would not survived the trip without his expertise in driving as he navigated us through raging winds and snowstorms. Yet what makes Oli an exceptional guide is not simply his ability to maneuver a 4WD. Throughout the trip we were amazed by the immense knowledge he had of his homeland and the incredible number of contacts he had. This is a man who knows so many people his partner, Kate, has an endearing term for the random people who greet him everywhere he goes – “Oliminn“! We saw for ourselves that the Oliminns included anyone from gas attendants, to hotel receptionists, farm lads, drivers along the road. The range of his contacts was also evident from how he had access to private churches and farmhouses owned by friends who trust him to bring guests around their property.

Oli is Iceland. – Wise man on TripAdvisor

Read on to find out more about Oli, and why you should definitely consider hiring him as a guide for your visit to Iceland.

How is it that so many people know you? 

I’ve been guiding people around for the past 20 years and have made so many friends along the way. I probably know every third farmer. Many people remember me for being part of the team who rode around Iceland on horseback for 33 days. Funnily enough, some also remember me as the first man in Iceland who tried to join a women’s knitting club.

“I could not survive in Hong Kong or Singapore because you walk into a shop and no one would know you.”

What inspired you to become a guide?

I once had the opportunity to escort a German woman around Morocco in 1994, and there I saw a Land Rover in the Sahara Desert that said “day tours”. That got me thinking about tourism in Iceland, but I soon found that I preferred longer tours because they allow me to get to know the people better. I also realised that gradually the tourists who visited had specific interests and preferred customised tours, so I only do that now.

What types of tours do you do?

Anything from bird watching, mountaineering, cultural, horseback riding, angling to even ancestor-searching! Yes, I’ve had people from Canada come to look for their ancestors here.

What is your greatest challenge as a guide?

To get people to be happy when they leave. I always try to design my tours based on what I would like if I were on holiday.

When is the best time to visit Iceland?

Iceland offers something different all year round. But if you’re coming specifically for photography, it would be May or June because May is the driest month. If you want to explore the interior, come around July to September. For the Northern Lights, it would be December to February.

We know how crazy the weather in Iceland can get. In your years of guiding, has there ever been a time when you thought you might not be able to make it?

I never lose faith in myself. But I’m also very clear that making it through the day is more important than making it through a destination.

How is guiding today different from the past?

It has changed significantly in the recent years – people come to Iceland to see the unspoiled nature; some even hope to conquer it. But with the increasing number of tourists and signs, it’s getting a little over-organised. Farm guesthouses now have to hire foreigners to manage and most of them don’t know anything. And you also have people coming and hiring guides from their own countries! There are also times (especially in the summer) when the countryside can’t cope with the influx of tourists.

What is an area in Iceland that you think tourists often overlook?

They overlook the quietness and nature because they don’t realise it exists… But if I had to pinpoint a place, it would be the West Fjords. To me, it’s the most beautiful for wildlife and bird-watching, and the contrasts of the mountains and deep fjords is spectacular. But it is only accessible in the summer.

What is an ideal duration for a trip to Iceland?

If you’re visiting in the summer, 10 days would be just nice.

Tips and advice for first-time travellers to Iceland?

Stay in one place for 2 – 3 days to really enjoy each location. Don’t rush. Iceland is bigger than you think.

If you’re travelling from mid-October to March, don’t nail down your accommodation because the weather can be erratic. (We totally concur).

Oli runs Highland Tours singlehandedly, but as a registered guide, he will be replaced with someone reliable should there be any reason he cannot bring you around. Boasting 20 years of experience as a guide and someone who has travelled every single road in the country, you would be hard-pressed to find someone who knows Iceland better than he does. In our correspondence with him before the trip, he was the only guide who made the effort to ‘tear apart’ our itinerary and rewrite it to include his own suggestions. He might not pander to all your requests, but you can be sure that he will not compromise your experience in his beloved country.