Cape Town is one of the world's most beautiful cities. Perched between the ocean and the mountain, with a national park as its heart, there is nowhere like Cape Town. Cape Town, the "Mother City", is the oldest city in South Africa and has a cultural heritage spanning more than 300 years. The unique topography of the region makes it easy to orientate oneself as long as you remember that with Table Mountain behind you and Robben Island before you, you are facing north, looking across Table Bay and up the west coast of Africa.
The southernmost of the Earth’s mapped five major circles of latitude, the Antarctic Circle is renowned for its exceptionally icy air, stark wilderness landscapes, and exotic wildlife. The entire continent of Antarctica falls within the area of the Antarctic Circle. Visitors can experience the midnight sun and polar nights, explore the remote landscapes of the Antarctic Peninsula, view majestic icebergs, and spot an array of wildlife such as orca, minke, and humpback whales; leopard, crabeater, Weddell, leopard, fur, and southern elephant seal; Adelie, Gentoo, and chinstrap penguins; as well as giant petrels and many more.
The Continent of Antarctica is a great white desert which is larger than Europe. It is a land of extremes----the driest, coldest and most isolated place on Earth. The coldest temperature ever recorded is -89 degrees Celsius or -112 Fahrenheit. In summer at the coast temperatures can reach a balmy 15 Celsius or 59 Fahrenheit.
Unlike the Arctic, there are no permanent residents. There are various research stations, the largest being Russian. The average year round “population” is about 3,750, with a significant 5,000 plus during the summer months from November to February. There is an Orthodox church at the Russian Bellingshausen Station.
The Antarctic is colder than the Arctic as most of it is at an altitude of around 3,000 metres above sea level (nearly 10,000 feet). Much of it resembles the Andes, and there are several volcanoes, some active. The most recent eruption was in 2008. The highest peak is Vinson Massif located in the Ellsworth Mountains and is at 4,892 metres or 16,050 feet.
There is unique flora and fauna with numerous penguins, blue whales, orcas, colossal suids and fur seals. There are no polar bears.
Antarctica is both romantic and awesome. It has definite “wow” factor. Vast and ownerless, it is unique and a journey there is like no other.
We are now able to offer visits from Cape Town with accommodation in custom built camps and research centres, and itineraries which include flying to the South Pole! The flying time from Cape Town to base camp in the Shirmacher Mountains, Queen Maud Land is 5 hours 30 minutes.
We offer a range of adventures from 9-day safaris to visit the Emperor penguins and the Geographic South Pole, to shorter trips designed to cater for those with tighter schedules. With genuine polar explorers as your guides, you will see, touch and experience a place that is unlike anything on earth.
Those who visit will experience something that more than ninety nine per cent of the World’s population cannot and never will. Very few people you know will ever have the chance to set foot on this huge Continent. A visit is expensive but in context it is extremely good value.
Come with us on an unforgettable journey. Come explore…
