Antarctica Travel Guide

As these voyages offer a collective experience in the company of like-minded people, they’re very well suited for single travellers. You have the option to either share a triple or twin same-sex or to cover the supplement to secure your own cabin. If sharing, a cabin mate will be allocated to you by the boat operator.

This is an active cruise with optional daily walking excursions over uneven terrain and to be able to get the most out of it you should be in good general health. In order to join the excursions, you must be able to easily get up and down the steep gangway from the ship to the water level and to be able to get in and out of the awaiting zodiacs, which can be awkward, particularly in choppy seas. Staff will be on hand to assist all passengers, so don’t worry about this, it’s just something to be aware of.

You can make your expedition as relaxed or adventurous as you like. With no predators on land you are free to explore or if you prefer, sit quietly on the edge of a penguin colony. Close encounters are common as penguins are curious creatures.

If you want to stretch your legs and get some height, extended guided walks are provided sometimes with snowshoes or skis. The opportunity of a night out camping on the ice should not be missed – it may not be the most comfortable night of your life but certainly a memorable one. Kayaking on crystal clear waters surrounded by porpoising penguins is an exhilarating experience. For the height of adventure and a unique perspective, snorkelling and diving are available on some voyages.

This is a tricky one as the crossings can be anything from a millpond to a force nine hurricane, the latter being the less common. Ultimately it’s down to a little luck, but most people find that their own experience wasn’t as bad as they thought it would be.

We can certainly help to reduce concern by recommending boats known for their stability. For those still worried, it is possible to avoid sailing the Drake Passage altogether by taking a two-hour flight rather than undertaking a two-day sea journey.

If you are sailing from Ushuaia in southern Argentina to the Antarctic Peninsula, remember that cruises will take two days to get there and two days to get back. This stretch of water can offer up some interesting weather and if you are at all prone to seasickness, make sure you go prepared.

Generally the aircraft that fly to Antarctica are 70-passenger BAE-146 which are high-wing aircrafts with very short runway requirements. There is a limited luggage capacity of 20 kg per person in total (combined hand and hold luggage). There are big advantages to the limited capacity of the aircraft, in that you will join a sailing with just 70 passengers aboard a ship designed for more than 100. Antarctica season runs from November to March. Fly and cruise options tend to have a slightly shorter season to cruising, they start in December and finish in February. These options are very popular and places fill up fast, book early to avoid disappointment.

Experiencing Antarctica first-hand can be overwhelming – the smells, the sounds and above all the scale. Penguin poo has a particular perfume. There’s the honking bray of penguins, the shrill party whistles of young chicks trying to find their voice, the bleating, mewing, strangulated cries of a creche of young fur seal pups. The deep visceral gurgling of the stomachs of elephant seals. The staggering size of the icebergs, the vast numbers of penguins. That’s the trouble with visiting this part of the world: sensory overload. The weather, the seas, the scenery, the marine life, the bird life, the colours, the contrasts. You scour your memory database for superlatives, you are constantly reaching for your camera – thank goodness for digital cameras – but however much you try, you are never quite able to capture the experience.