WHY HOLIDAY IN ANTARCTICA?
Antarctica is a land of pristine whiteness, where gigantic icebergs carved by the elements pierce the sky from the ocean. The coastal shores and sub-Antarctic islands are home to hundreds of bustling penguin rookeries, seal colonies and nesting seabirds.
Perhaps the world’s last true frontier, Antarctica is simply awe-inspiring. Much like in the days of early exploration, it’s weather and ice, not clocks and calendars, that will set the schedule here.
MY TRAVEL TIPS
Antarctica is so wildly remote that travelling by ship is the only way to visit. Cruises and expedition vessels depart from Argentina.
Crossing the Drake Passage (the waters between South America and Antarctica) and the Southern Ocean are notoriously rough, but Antarctica is well worth it! Ships these days have excellent stabilisers, but it’s best to be prepared with seasickness medicine.
If you want to see more species of Penguins and other birds, opt for take a longer itinerary that also includes the Falklands and South Georgia Shore.
The vastness, the wildlife, the utter quiet of this place all combine to make something truly unique, and virtually unchanged since the days of Scott and Amundsen.
MY ANTARCTICA HIGHLIGHTS
Seeing an Emperor Penguin was definitely a highlight, they live close to the South Pole so they're very difficult to see (even though some of them are 1.5 metres tall)!
The Zodiac excursions get you right up close to penguins, seals and whales for your own personal Attenborough experience.
Kayaking the icy waters – you definitely don’t want to capsize!
BEST TIME TO GO
The main season runs from end of November until March: go early for lots of snow, early December for nesting season, or January through March for hatchlings and whale watching.
