Antarctica
Antarctica is a stunning part of the world where water, wilderness and wildlife combine with total perfection.
This harsh yet delicate environment is one of the world’s least discovered destinations and is preserved by the Antarctic Treaty. It is home to some of the world’s most extraordinary species. You will find an abundance of beautiful sea birds including albatrosses and petrels. Emperor penguins and the Weddell seal live on the ice and fish in the coastal waters. All the wildlife you may see has adapted beautifully to their life in this challenging environment.
This is a continent that explorers, over many years, have tried to uncover. Captain Cook, Roald Amundsen and Captain Scott are perhaps the most famous and today, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) operates five research stations, two ships and five aircraft in and around Antarctica on its own exploration mission. It remains virtually unspoilt and at times, in accessible.
Antarctica’s tour season is about five months long, from November to March (summer in the Southern Hemisphere). The later in the season, the less people are likely to be around as much of the wildlife people travel to see will have headed back out to sea. There are two travel options – by ship or plane.
The most popular way to travel to Antarctica is by cruise ship and we can recommend several excellent cruise operators who operate in this area. On a cruise, everything is provided on the ship and you get to spend time in Antarctica and watch its wildlife for several days. You will need to decide whether to travel on a larger ship or a smaller one – there are advantages and disadvantages both ways and we can help you decide which option is best for you.
Most voyages to the Antarctic Peninsular region leave from Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego in Argentina, Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands and a few leave from Punta Arenas in Chile, Buenos Aires in Argentina, or Puerto Madryn in Argentina.
Flying to Antarctica is a quick and straightforward option. You have two choices. You can book a sightseeing flight over Antarctica which gives you a bird’s eye view of this icy landscape. These flights can only be taken from Australia. Or, if you want to spend time on the ground in Antarctica, there are a number of adventure holiday companies who organise such a trip.
Fly-cruise options are also worth investigating. Take a flight to King George Island and then board a ship which will explore the area. A good option if you prefer not to spend too much time travelling on board a cruise ship.
Which ever option you prefer to choose, ask us for more details. A trip to Antarctica will be a journey of a lifetime that will be very hard to beat. As long as you don’t mind the cold!
