"What I find is that you can do almost anything, or go almost anywhere, if you're not in a hurry "
Paul Theroux

Antarctica is about penguins, seals, birds and whales in numbers beyond imagining.

"The White Continent" is also about ice-"bergs" and glaciers. It is a land of landscapes, shadow and light that suggests the dawn of time.

Imagine standing on 'Explorers' elegant bow as it plunges, crushes and finally bisects an ice pack seemingly unbreachable. Then go ashore past penguins and seals blanketing a beach, in search of an albatross nest along a trail where no one has trod before.

Antarctica is, for the traveler, a land of "first." The Travel Goddess wants this first to be yours.

'Explorer' is the first passenger-carrying vessel to sail the Antarctic Peninsula. Renovated in 1999 to ensure the highest level of comfort and safety anywhere she travels, 'Explorer' sails with a distinguished team who know the Antarctic waters intimately. Onboard, you will make friends with some of the world's finest Antarctic naturalists, historians and explorers. Altogether a crew of 75 supports a scant 100 guests. For you, this means unparalleled service, insight and access. For the 2003-24 season, A&K will introduce 'Explorer II', a ship that will bring a rate touch of comfortable, informal refinement to Antarctic travel.

Why should I travel to Antarctica?

T.G. says - what a silly question! Why not my travel darlings!

Antarctica is a truly magical travel destination that stirs the imagination and fires the blood. Hmmm...

Literally every moment is an opportunity for adventure, excitement and discovery - an unforgettable journey into one of nature's last, most remote and fascinating strongholds.

Castles of ice, seas of glass. Antarctica simply has no equal for the traveler who appreciates unique landscapes and unusual environments.

This is a place of spectacular beauty, a place where nature's palette of sky, sea and ice produces breathtaking effects of color and light. A slow cruise through the Lemaire Channel or Paradise Bay, surrounded by a forest of icebergs and escorted, perhaps, by humpback whales, is an indescribable and almost overpowering experience.

Because A&K schedules the 'Explorer's' visits during the austral summer, the traveler enjoys the power and grandeur of icebound Antarctica at its most comfortable season, warm enough to dine and sightsee on deck.

A wildlife paradise. The nearly total absence of a human presence in Antarctica has fostered one of its greatest attractions: wildlife.

You will share the landscape with dozens of unique animal species, unafraid and unperturbed by your presence: hundreds of thousands of penguins in one of their huge, raucous rookeries, bellowing elephant seals, giant petrels, terns and skuas. The Antarctic is a paradise for those who relish a chance to observe and photograph wildlife at close range.

Discover for yourself. Remote, pristine and little visited, Antarctica asks her privileged guests to visit on her own terms: as explorers and adventurers.

Though great physical exertion or feats of fitness are not required, this is not a passive destination. The very nature of the Antarctic experience means that you will enjoy hand-on exploration with a group of curious, energetic, like-minded fellow passengers, led by veteran lecturer/guides on expeditions that bring the incredible within reach. Antarctica speaks to the explorer in us all.

Contact the Travel Goddess for brochures, itineraries, destination insights, fares and any other queries you may have about these magical and magnificent voyages to Antarctica.

T. G. says - fascinate me, indulge me, show me the wonders of this alluring, last frontier of travel!