OVERVIEW
The polar regions are ideal for those who seek adventure as they are two of the last unexplored areas of our planet. Far from an expedition in the style of explorers many years ago, polar holidays are increasingly more accessible for those looking to experience pristine beauty in a world of cityscapes and constant development. If you’re prepared to put in a little effort – and certainly not as much as you may think – getting to these regions is a rewarding and surprisingly manageable prospect.
Whether you choose to visit Antarctica or take one of our holidays to the Arctic, you’ll encounter curious cultures and a plethora of incredible wildlife, observing stunning scenery along the way. The two regions are, despite appearances, very different; they share similarities in great sheets of blindingly white ice and snow, deep cobalt waters and jaw-dropping coastlines. But the wildlife that inhabits the two poles is very different, from penguins to polar bears and everything in between.
Finally they are also best seen at different times. The best time to visit Antarctica is between late October and March, our winter but summer for the southern hemisphere, when days and temperatures are at their best and the winter ice has broken up to allow passage to the Antarctic Peninsula. The Artic is the opposite: head north in late June to early September and you’ll find the sun never properly sets and the wildlife is easier to spot. Our summer is the best time to visit the Arctic regions.
Active Antarctica Adventure
The world’s last travel frontier is opening up. The White Continent is no longer as inaccessible as it once was, and it’s now possible to hike, camp, dive and climb on the world’s southernmost continent. Adventure holidays to Antarctica could see you scuba diving in polar waters, summiting peaks, sailing around the continent on an expedition ship, tracking elusive wildlife (or meeting the many penguins); you could even take to a kayak to paddle through the ice floes.
Wildlife of the White Continent
This epic 24-day adventure takes you on a once-in-a-lifetime voyage across the Southern Ocean to the wilds of Antarctica. Along the way you’ll travel through the Beagle Channel and the Drake Passage, call in at the curiously British Falkland Islands, explore the remote and wildlife-rich island of South Georgia with its former whaling station, and spend several days discovering the incredible landscapes and wildlife that call the Antarctic Peninsula home.
Spitsbergen Wildlife Adventure
This ten-day voyage sets sail from the port of Longyearbyen, famous for its past as a coal-mining town on Spitsbergen Island in the remote Svalbard Archipelago. On board an expedition ship designed to cope with the sea ice, you’ll travel around sounds, glaciers and tiny islands, with the chance to spot a huge array of wildlife from reindeer to polar bears.
