How to Visit Antarctica

There is at least one place left on earth where you really can disconnect: Antarctica.

There is no mobile phone service. There are no ATMs, no souvenir stores, and no tourist traps. The local "airports" are really just ice or gravel landing strips.

Antarctica is nearly twice the size of Australia and mostly covered with a thick sheet of ice. It's one of the most remote destinations on earth and the trip of a lifetime for many travelers. It's also easier to travel to Antarctica than one might think.

Lars-Eric Lindblad first took a group of 57 visitors to Antarctica in 1966. "At that time it was more or less like accomplishing a moon landing," his son Sven-Olof Lindblad said. "In those days, we were not as prepared as we are now. There were no satellite ice charts. You were not that different navigationally from the early explorers."

Even now it can be hard to really understand a place like Antarctica. It is the coldest, windiest, and driest place on earth. It has no currency of its own. It is a desert with no trees, no bushes, and no long-term residents. More meteorites are found in Antarctica than in any other place in the world.

"Antarctica is about the wildest place you can go on the planet," Lindblad said.

"The conversation around climate change has elevated people's interest and created a sense of urgency," Lindblad said.

The Antarctic travel season lasts from November through March, the Antarctic summer. Temperatures can range from around 20 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

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The day after Christmas, we left Richmond VA for Atlanta where after some delays we boarded a plane to Lima Peru.  We were supposed to have alayover there but the other delays shortened that.  From there we flew to Buenos Aires.  A number of hours later we flew to Ushaia where we boarded Viking Polaris for a cruise to Antarctica.  This is an expedition trip with scientists aboard.  It was a wonderful cruise. We were able to learn a lot from the scientists on board and we were able to actually take a zodiak to land and walk on the continent.  It was grand.

Wow, how awesome!  Great pics, wow!

LOL, you noticed that the penguins were watching us.

They don't get many visitors LOL  They were as amazed to see you as you were to see them!

Absolutely -  what beings are they?????  what planet do they come from?????     We would watch them slide down their trails (we had to stay 5 meters away from the penguins)  but then they would amble over to where we were and look us over.

Oh I bet that was very cool!

If you ever have the opportunity, go.  It is a real vacation.  

It sure sounds like a real blast!

It was a 378 passenger ship. You get to know almost everyone, at least by sight.  No arranged seating so you have the opportunity to mingle and meet people. It was great.  Viking is great.  We were delayed leaving port due to very rough waters so Viking arranged for us to take tours of the "end of the world" - Garibaldi Pass, museums, etc.  When we did leave, the waters were as calm as could be and the trip was perfect.  It was summer there in Dec. & Jan. and temps were about 36F.  It was 18F in Richmond.