Post by citrusmint on Aug 22, 2014 11:34:17 GMT -5
Any of you ladies ever been to Antarctica? We're considering it for our honeymoon (obviously, we are NOT beach people) and I haven't really found a wealth of information online.
It's our #1 "bucket list" travel adventure so we thought why not? I've been on different cruise company websites and have the Lonely Planet book, but even that book is only like 200 pages and really lacking in information on which adventure companies are best for this trip. We are looking for around a 10-15 day trip, and I definitely want to camp out on the continent itself. Some cruise companies only sail past it, and I want boots on the ground so this doesn't work for us.
If you know anyone who's been, or have been yourself, I would really love some insight.
One of our expedition leaders used to work for Nat Geo and had very good things to say about it. However, I don't think you'd be disappointed with any of the expedition companies.
Honestly, I'm glad that I didn't go with Nat Geo, because it was enough of a blow checking off the top of my bucket list. I spent 6 months thinking, "How can I top that?!" and I still have trouble planning travel, because it's hard to get excited about things when you've already done the one thing you most want to do! This way, when I go back, I can consider the Nat Geo trip for a different experience. And it will probably take a while to save up for the extra expense. Alternatively, we might go for a trip that includes South Georgia for the king penguins.
The Lonely Planet book is okay for the history, but very little is even dedicated to the peninsula, which is where nearly all the expedition ships spend their time. I definitely knew a lot more about the history from skimming the LP, but I had trouble finding much detail about the individual places we landed. On board, G Adventures gave us each a copy of The Antarctic Cruising Guide, which was nice for wildlife spotting.
I'm happy to help with packing advice. I used the trip as an excuse to buy all the high-end outdoor gear I wanted, and some of it was truly excellent. Some of it not so much.
Overall, my biggest advice is to go with an open mind and no expectations. Even the expedition leaders don't know what the trip will include or what you'll see. If you're going with a particular goal, you should consider the part of the season you're traveling, but the people who had the best time were the ones who were happy with whatever fate brought us!
PS - There are no laws for tourism in Antarctica. There are guidelines set by IAATO, but the expedition companies regulate themselves. Definitely choose a company that's at least a member of IAATO.
I went in March 2014 with One Ocean Expeditions. It was a great trip. There are also some cruises (Princess and maybe Holland?) that go there to, which might be better as the food on ours was "ok" (Russian food/crew).