It's on my DH's bucket list. He wants to dive the Antarctic. Me, I'm not convinced. So cold!!! Yeh, that's me, Captain Obvious...
For what he's said though, it's also pretty difficult to get there, you've gotta be pretty committed. Boats and planes and whatever. Sounds a bit too hard for my liking! He isn't home ATM so I can't ask him sorry.
It's on my bucket list. That and see the polar bears in the wild.
I researched it and decided i wanted to do one of those specialist cruises with fewer passengers and with wildlife experts on the boat. As the cruise would be from Chile or Argentina, I'd then want to add some time in South America. This was a few years ago and it was going to be about $20K. I realise you could probably do it cheaper but I would be wary of the too cheap ships going to Antartica. It's not somewhere I'd want to be stranded
I listened to a documentary recently that suggested that people visiting there is destroying it. Do you think you would go if there was a chance that just getting there was destroying it? I couldn't do it. It breaks my heart that so many "untouched" parts of our world because everyone wants to see them, yet the reason they are untouched is because they weren't destroyed by humans.
And yes I've read all the articles that suggest that there is little impact. And no I'm not a perfect environmentalist.
I have two friends who have done it separately. Both left from South America and both paid pretty hefty amounts (about $20K I think). They had small passenger lists, lots of experts giving talks on the way over and there, lots of excursions when they got there etc. Both have come back saying it was worth every cent and they would do it again.
I would love to go but with the price tag its probably a bit out of our price range. I also get horribly seasick and the crossing is meant to be absolutely horrendous ;-)
Yes, the sea sick thing has kind of turned me off a bit. I get very sea sick and don't think I'd risk that sort of outlay for a week or more of illness!
I used to work on Antarctic issues but never managed to go for work due to my asthma. So close but yet so far...
Best parts to see wildlife are off the Antartic peninsula on cruises leaving from south America. While visitor management is a big issue for Antarctic Treaty countries with bases in Antarctica, a lot of damage was done in the past before strong controls were agreed to.
A friend of mine recently visited the Russian base Vostok near the south pole. First Aussie woman to ever do so. Sounded incredible!
My MIL went earlier this year and loved it. Sounded like it was lots of fun, with plenty of activities and you could choose which you wanted - kayaking, camping on the mainland, sea dip, wildlife walks, etc. She also enjoyed the parts before Antarctica - they went to Georgia and several stops in South America.
The only downsides are the cost (really expensive and she had to share a cabin with three other ppl) and it sounds like it was pretty much all retirees, so if you're going as a younger person you might have to adapt to a slower pace on outdoor activities.
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Antarctica?
Yeh, that's me, Captain Obvious...
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