For $74,000 You Can Spend the Night with Emperor Penguins
Getting to Antarctica isn't easy. Spending even a few hours with penguins (in their natural environment) is just as hard. But Antarctic Logistics &Expeditions — a tour company offering 360-degree trips (air transportation, trip logistics and guided experiences) to the interior of Antarctica — has an adventure that will have penguin lovers emptying their savings account.
The nine-day Emperors & Explorers expedition will bring travelers to two locations during the course of the trip: the Gould Bay Emperor Penguin Colony on the Weddell Sea and the Geographic South Pole, otherwise known as the most remote destination on Earth.
While visiting the Gould Bay colony, visitors will camp on the same sea ice that the Emperor penguins raise their young, meaning trip-goers will quite literally be surrounded by curious penguins trumpeting around the tents.
The second part of the Emperors & Explorers re-tracks the historic path of explorers (that tour name makes more sense now!) Amundsen and Scott, who trekked across Antarctica more than a century ago to find themselves at 90 degrees south, a.k.a. the South Pole. (The plot twist: As opposed to Amundsen and Scott's harrowing journey, it'll only take you a few hours to get there.)
During the trip, travelers will stay at three different base camps: Gould Bay Camp, Union Glacier Camp and South Pole Camp. Each one offers slightly different scenery, whether it's from the base of the Ellsworth Mountains or the frozen tundra of the South Pole. One thing is for sure: It's going to be cold. Temperatures during the Antarctic summer (November through January) range between negative 31 degrees Fahrenheit and 30 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on where you are.
It's not entirely surprising that this entire experience will set arctic enthusiasts back $74,000. Antarctica is an expensive continent to navigate safely and going on the trip will put you in a small unofficial club of explorers who have experienced a penguin colony in this way. The price tag will cover: roundtrip airfare from Punta Arenas, the Gould Bay colony, and the South Pole; meals and tented accommodations; guides; checked luggage; and a "celebration dinner." What travelers will need to cover: travel insurance, flights to and from Punta Arenas, meals and accommodations in Punta Arenas, personal equipment and satellite phone expenses.
For more information on the trip and how to book a spot on an upcoming expedition, head to the Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions website.
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