Antarctica travel, tours and holiday packages

A short guide about Antarctica

Antarctica - the last continent! It was first sighted about 230 years ago, but would you believe that ancient Greeks in 400BC actually speculated that there was a large land mass situated at the bottom of the world. Now days it is populated by thousands of scientists and support staff who work at the 17 Antarctica Research Stations during the summer season, some even stay over for the long, dark winter. It was here at the Russian Vostok Research Station that the lowest temperature on earth was recorded -89°C. This continent’s tremendous land mass is twice as large as Australia and in winter the sea ice expands - doubling the surface area.

The Research Stations operate under the ‘Antarctic Treaty of 1959’ and their countries are held in abeyance to the ‘International co-operation for scientific purposes’. Under the guidance of researchers and their vessels commercial tourism has grown, offering adventure and expedition holiday packages and now some 40,000 tourists are visiting Antarctica every year. With state of the art equipment, 75% of these visitors enjoy the opportunity to make Zodiac-style landings, other tours do sail-by cruises; these make no landings but provide sea kayaking tours. There is also sightseeing flights, visits to research stations, or perhaps a trip to the South Pole. Other high-adventure-sport tours will take you skiing or climbing into Antarctica's amazing interior.

Almost totally covered with ice and temperatures far below zero it hardly seems like an inviting tourist destination. But here you'll find unique wildlife and breathtaking scenery; cruise around icebergs in a zodiac and view the incredible range of colours contained in them - from the palest of blue to deep greens, indigo and even mauve - they consist only of frozen water and entrained air. Icebergs - this is what tourists want to see most! And a calving iceberg is spectacular, but dangerous as it creates a mini tsunami that's capable of capsizing a nearby boat. There is seldom any warning when the iceberg brakes off the glacier's face because the cracking sound is heard moments after.

Intrigued about Antarctica? Well as you browse through the travel and land holiday packages that Tourabout has catalogued for your convenience - you will begin to understand that this really is the trip of a life time. See Emperor Penguins, Whales, Seals and a myriad of bird life in a unique and rugged setting. Most tours to Antarctica will begin in South America and from here you travel through the Drake Passage, and visit the most popular tourist destinations - such as the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. Other tours depart from Australia and New Zealand, with the Antarctic summer having light snow and a daytime temperature that hovers around freezing; it’s relatively easy to fly back and forth from New Zealand.