Mind sojourn- Antarctica

If I had $1 million dollars, I would use at least part of that to go travelling. Sure you can see man-made wonders and sights, but how can you beat pure nature? Inspired by a recent trip to Seaworld... This week's mind sojourn is Antarctica.

 



 The attraction

• The coldest and driest continent on earth!
• Doing something only few have done before
• There are heaps and heaps of penguins (and other animals)
• See huge icebergs
• A holy grail for science geeks
• You can "flightsee" Antarctica in a little under a day with a jumbo jet
• Most visitors do it by cruise- style and luxury in a harsh environment!

And why is it only a mind sojourn? Trip planning suggests that:

• It's expensive expect to budget at least U$5000 - U$20,000
• There is a lot of hidden costs
• You need to be physically fit to do optional tours like camping on Antarctica or kayaking it's waters
• You are unlikely to actually reach the south pole
• There is a limited number of departures and are often booked out months in advance
• 24 hours of sun during summer... I thought vacations were about R &R.
• Nature can't be tammed, it's a dangerous place

Time for more trip planning? You can get more information from:

• Lonely planet travel guide. As always the guide has a wide selection of information to ensure you don't miss the best bits.
• Wikipedia. Also has some information, but this time around, I didn't find it very useful, just provided a whole list of different cruises.
• Browse tour company websites. I found this the MOST helpful. They offer full itineraries, prices and dates. For example, Aurora expeditions, World Expeditions, but be careful of hidden costs.
• Attend an information session. Only attend if you are really serious because you are bound to get follow up calls.
• There is also a tonne of books authored by people who have actually been there and done that. Check it out on Amazon,

 Have you thought about trip planning Antarctica?

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