A holiday in Antarctica is a holiday in the world’s last frontier. It’s a truism that you need to travel to the end of the world to experience the world’s last true pristine wilderness. Although some ships travel to Antarctica from the Antipodes (Hobart and Christchurch primarily), the true adventure expedition departs from Ushuaia, capital of the Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego. It’s at Ushuaia that the wild Patagonian plateau plunges into the Magellan Strait at Cape Horn.
Most cruises and expeditions occur between November and March, the Antarctic summer, when daylight lasts up to 20 hours. Trips generally range between 10 and 21 days, much of which is traversing the ocean. Depending on your trip, you’ll have the opportunity to attend presentations on a wide range of familiarity topics to prepare for the destination ahead, all delivered by Antarctic experts. When you hit your destinations you’ll be ferried from ship to landfall on Zodiac landing craft, and you’ll get up close to penguin colonies, historic sites, research stations, and interesting terrain and features. And if you get lucky, maybe even a whale or two. Bring your camera for some of the most amazing wildlife and natural beauty on earth.
Some departures offer the chance for the more adventurous to camp overnight on the ice, go Kayaking, cross country skiing, mountaineering or even dry suit diving if you’re feeling ultra-adventurous.
The small downsides are possible bouts of seasickness on the wild seas of Drakes Passage, and the need to remain flexible as Mother Nature rules the seas and therefore cruise itineraries. And if you’re hoping for onboard discos, casinos and cabarets, you’re likely to be disappointed because, on Antarctic trips, it’s all about wild life and attractions of an entirely different type.
The vessels are sturdy and well –equipped, onboard facilities generally include dining room, bar, lounge, lecture theatre, library, sauna and medical clinic. Most cabins and suites have private facilities but the vessels generally lack the grandiose opulence of the more familiar cruise ship.
What we love about Antarctica
The Antarctic is a continent surrounded by ocean
The sea ice accumulates annually and more than doubles the size of the continent
There are no land mammals on the Antarctic