Antarctica can lay claim to being the coldest, windiest and driest continent on earth. The extreme cold and ferocious winds, combined with its isolation at the bottom of the world, make Antarctica one of the most inhospitable and scarcely populated continents, with no indigenous human population of its own.
Despite this, a growing number of people travel to this continent. For tourists, the most popular – and practically the only – way of seeing Antarctica is by ship. The harsh weather and the lack of onsite support discourage most other types of travel. The Antarctic cruises visit the ice-free coastal areas and sub-Antarctic islands mainly during the summer season, from November through March. All-inclusive cruise packages run from $3,500-$20,000.
The activities on the various tours to Antarctica include viewing penguins, elephant seals and other polar animals, as well as ice walks and opportunities to visit research bases and meet the scientists who work there. Much of the sightseeing is done in Zodiacs – the small inflatable boats powered by outboard engines. One of the larger icebreakers has helicopters for transporting passengers ashore to visit research stations.
The major highlights of your trip to Antarctica are Macquarie, Snares Island and Campbell Island, Ross Ice Shelf and Cape Adare, emperor penguins, Shackleton and Scott’s hut, and helicopter sightseeing flights. Apart from all this locales, Mt Erebus, Antarctica’s only active volcano, is also a tourist’s delight.
Antarctica is never an easy place to travel, nor is it a cheap holiday destination. However, if you love adventures and you dare to explore the wildest areas, you are sure of experiencing a voyage incomparable to any other.
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