We're ready for the last continent we haven't visited yet, the incredible Antarctica!
Taking a trip to Antarctica has never been so simple. Still, it is one of the most difficult places in the world to visit. Here are the five ways to get there.
It used to be that traveling to Antarctica meant playing Russian roulette with your life. Tourism in the coldest, driest and windiest place on Earth began in earnest in the 1950s, but even 15 years ago, getting there was always a challenge. Travel to the continent can currently be approached with (relative) ease. Just look at the numbers – last year, 37,405 visitors made the trip south, compared to 10,000 in 1999 and zero in 1914.
Still, it is the most remote and forbidding stretch of wild land in the world, exponentially more difficult to reach than almost all other land. You will need a permit and you will have to follow the Antarctic Conservation Act, which prohibits tampering with the ecosystem in any way. We're heading to Antarctica now in February 2018, and if you want to go to the bottom of the world, I can safely say that you only have five options to get there.
#1: Tourist on a cruise or scientific boat
Most people get to Antarctica through tour operators who help with logistics. They often use boats, which are the most economical way to make the trip, although trips still cost several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars. Ushuaia in southern Argentina is the preferred disembarkation port (and a worthy destination in its own right). You will travel and experience beyond penguins, icebergs and through the notoriously choppy Drake Passage before arriving in Antarctica. Any operator that is a member of the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators promotes environmentally responsible trips to the continent, they are very expensive, around $12 thousand dollars per person, we secured a ticket for $1750 dollars per person on Black Friday , early in the morning and it was a great find in a triple room, you can try your luck by going to Ushuaia and paying around $3000 dollars if you know how to bargain well.
#2 become a crew member
The least expensive (and longest) way to get to Antarctica is to work for one of the Antarctic research stations. The United States National Science Foundation (NSF) operates three bases on the continent: Palmer, Amundsen-Scott South Pole and McMurdo. But you don't have to be a scientist to get a ticket. They need operational support such as cooks, plumbers, snow shovels, pilots and forklift drivers. Lockheed Martin is the private contractor that operates the U.S. Antarctic research facilities. Check the website for available positions.
#3: Be an artist or a writer
According to the NSF website, working on an art project that will "increase understanding of Antarctica and help document America's Antarctic heritage" could earn you a free round-trip Antarctica trip. They want people focused on long-term projects.
#4: Scientist
The US government will also pay for scientists able to prove that their research will benefit from traveling to Antarctica. Check the NSF website to see a complete list of funding opportunities.
#5: Fly the Icy Skies
If you want to ski the South Pole, climb the Vinson Massif (Antarctica's highest peak), or visit the continent's vast interior, you have to fly. Because there are no commercial flights, you will have to go through a private logistics operator. The International Antarctic Logistics Center is based in Cape Town, South Africa, and flies to a Russian base called Novolazareskaya. Adventure Network International flies from Punta Arenas, Chile, to Union Glacier, a small base where they launch guided expeditions. But you won't find a ticket for less than $20,000 for a seat on their crazy-powerful Russian jet, the Ilyushin II-76, which lands on a three-mile-long ice runway.
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