On our last day of traveling Around the World in 7 days we will visit Antarctica! Dan and Audrey from Uncornered Market are sharing beautiful images of a place most people will never see in person. Learn more about their world travels here.
Around the World Adventures: Antarctica
This is a guest post from Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott, the husband-and-wife storytelling team behind the travel blog Uncornered Market. At the end of 2006, they left their secure office jobs for what was meant to be a 12-18 month creative sabbatical to travel the world. Over 90 countries and eight years later, they are still going…and still married.
Choosing to travel to Antarctica is not decision made lightly. First, there is the hefty price tag of the Antarctica tour and flights to get down to Ushuaia on the southern tip of Argentina. And, traveling to Antarctica is a time commitment usually of a minimum of a couple weeks.
But a trip to Antarctica is truly like no other journey. It’s one of those trips that really does live up to the overused phrase “trip of a lifetime.” It feels at times like you have landed on a deep blue planet, one that is so inhospitable to humans yet you are in awe of – and in love with – it.
Several years ago we traveled to Antarctica with G Adventureson the MS Expedition. Here is our advice on choosing and making the most of any Antarctica tour that you decide to take.
5 Antarctica Travel Tips
1. Choose a tour with a commitment to the environment
Antarctica is a harsh, yet oddly beautiful, environment that is incredibly fragile and needs as much protection as it can get. As you are choosing a tour provider be sure to select one with strong commitment to environmental protection and supports local environmental programs.
2. Be sure your Antarctica boat has scientists, historians and other experts on board
One of the things that I loved most about our Antarctica tour were the lectures we received from and access we had to experts – bird and whale specialists, glacier experts, historians, etc. This education not only helped us make sense of all that we were seeing around us, but it made us value what we were experiencing all that much more.
3. Choose a tour that goes south of the Antarctic Circle
Many Antarctica tours will get close to the Antarctic Circle, but not go beyond. Spend the extra time and money on a tour that goes south of the Antarctic Circle – this is where you truly feel like you’ve landed on another planet.
4. Stock up on motion sickness medicine or wrist bands
In order to reach Antarctica you need to go through the Drake Passage, one of the roughest waters in the whole world. And I mean rough. During our trip we hit a bad storm so we had the “full” experience, but even under good conditions it can be bad. So, don’t forget to pack ample motion sickness medicines.
5. Bring a dry sack for your camera
You will be transferring every day from the ship to shore via zodiac. And while this is fun and adventurous, you will likely get splashed with waves and you also risk possibly falling when disembarking or embarking. Protect your camera with a proper dry sack so that you don’t have to worry about ruining your photographic gear in the midst of the incredible scenery around you.
For more Antarctica photos check out our Antarctica Highlights Photo Gallery
