AddictedToTravel.com

You are not currently logged in.

Travel Guides

Send to a friend

Antarctica Travel Guide

Travel to Antarctica - The Frozen Continent

Local Time
 
Ratings:
4.8 out of 5 (10 votes)
Reviews:
1   Add your review

For centuries, Terra Australis Incognito or the ‘Unknown Southern Land’ remained a mystery and an allure to cartographers, scientists and explorers alike. It was not until 1820 that a Russian expedition led by Fabian Von Bellinghausen aboard the ship Vostok first sighted the elusive continent and not until 1821 before man set foot upon the continent when sealers landed on the peninsula. Now, more than 180 years later, Antarctica has been famously explored and mapped by many nations carving a colourful history of high adventure, mass exploitation, cutting edge science and for the glory and honour of claiming the South Pole.

Today, the global issue for the Antarctic continent is it’s environment and it’s protection and a universal treaty ensures that nobody ‘owns’ Antarctica and the continent is one of global peace and scientific advancement. Pocket populations of different nations reside on the continent in their pursuit of knowledge and to expand and logistically support science and in recent times with growing concern of global warming and the depletion of the ozone layer, ‘the bottom of the world’ has received prominent attention from the world’s media and a boom in tourism.

Visitor numbers are increasing and a number of specialist operators continue to offer ‘expedition’ ships and cruises to Antarctica to experience the spectacular scenery, the frozen landscapes, the indigenous and stunning flora and fauna and a taste of history.

Map of Antarctica

Antarctic Peninsula Travel Guide South Pole Travel Guide Atlantic Sub-Antarctic Islands Travel Guide Pacific Sub-Antarctic Islands (Ross Sea) Travel Guide Commonwealth Bay and Magnetic South Pole Travel Guide Ross Island & the Ross Ice Shelf Travel Guide Antarctica

Areas of Antarctica

Places to Visit in Antarctica

Antarctica Reviews

CliveVal's Photo

Antarctica: Penguins!

Posted on:
Tuesday, 25th September 2007
Rating

The ice, sea and isolation make Antarctica unique.

Best of all though is to sit near a penguin colony while moulting adolescents come right up to you - fearlessly - to find out what you are. Now that is a truly unforgetable experience!

Posted by:
CliveVal
Posted at:
07:36

Add a Review

Login or Register to post a review.

Antarctica Travel Guide

Antarctica Travel Guide | Travel to Antarctica
(1/86) - Antarctic Winter Panorama (from Drew Cook)
<
> View photo gallery

Things to do in Antarctica

Travel Information for Antarctica

Background Information for Antarctica

Why Travel to Antarctica?

  • The abundant wildlife from vast numbers of penguins, close up sightings of whales, the proliferation of avi-fauna and the friendliness of huge seal populations found nowhere else on the planet.
  • The Aurora Australis or ‘The Southern Lights’ where the electrons in the earth’s atmosphere accelerating along the planets magnetic fields create beautiful and stunning light shows against dark skies peppered with stars free from any light pollution.
  • The Ross Ice Shelf floating in the southern ocean yet still attached to mainland Antarctica. Itself the size of France, it presented itself as a huge barrier to be overcome for early explorers whose abandoned huts nearby are still visitable today.
  • The awesome and unparalleled mountains and icescapes of the Antarctic coastline, of the continents highest peak Mt Vinson (4900m) of the Lemaire Channel to the frozen sounds and islands of the northern peninsula.
  • Every iceberg....