Luxury Holidays in Antarctica
Surrounded by the Southern ocean, Antarctica is the coldest, windiest and the driest continent on the planet.
It has a coastline of some 11,000 miles (UK excluding Eire has 7760 miles) and its land mass is divided by the Transarctic mountains and almost the entire continent, technically a desert, is covered by an ice sheet over 1.5 miles thick.
Land mammals are not the attraction of Antarctica (the largest is a flightless midge 1/2 inch long!) but the marine life and birds are. The latter include the Emperor Penguin, that somehow manages to breed in the Antarctic winter, when minimum temperatures can be -80°C (-110°F). Others are the Adelie, King, Chinstrap, Gentoo penguins, and the Rockhopper, as well as Storm Petrels and various Albatrosses and Gulls.
The Weddell, Fur and the voracious Leopard seal all inhabit these waters, not to mention the earth's largest mammal of all, the Blue whale (which can reach an astonishing 98ft, 30 metres).
In the last few years the quality and variety of cruises have increased and there is now a wider choice; accommodation is comfortable, the food good, and an excellent range of naturalists who really know their stuff. The shortest cruise of 7 days starts from Punta Arenas, while longer ones of up to 20 days start from Ushuaia and visit the Falklands and South Georgia en route to the Antarctic.
Rather than approaching Antarctica from Argentina or Chile it is possible to combine an expedition with a trip to Australia. On the way from Hobart, midway between the two continents, visit Macquarie Island with its prolific wildlife including the endemic Royal Penguins before walking in the footsteps of Shackleton, Scott and Mawson in Antarctica.
We look forward to tailoring your holiday to Antarctica. Please call Tim Best Travel on +44 (0) 207 591 0300, or if calling from the US, Toll Free on 1-866-205-8369 to speak to one of our luxury travel specialists.
