Poles apart
Arctic or Antarctic, which one is for you?
THE ANTARCTIC
Unless you are a research scientist or passionate enough to enrol on a serious overland expedition, the only way to explore Antarctica is by ship. You can do this independently or on an escorted tour.
To reach Antarctica, you need to first fly to Ushuaia in Argentina, usually via Buenos Aires, then travel by boat, sailing across what’s often a choppy sea. Alternatively, you can fly via Santiago from Punta Arenas in Chile to King George Island and join a ship for a shorter five-night cruise.
Both Arctic polar regions are worlds of rugged beauty, of rock, ice, snow and solitude. The isolation is especially imposing in the Antarctic, the ‘White Continent’, where there are no indigenous communities. Instead, you’ll experience jaw-dropping natural ice sculptures the size of cathedrals, icebergs adrift in the current, horizonwide glaciers, blue-black waters and an infinity of whiteness. But these are by no means lifeless frozen deserts, they’re habitats for lots of wildlife.
THE ARCTIC
Obviously, the Arctic is far, far closer, with many parts accessible after a short flight from the UK. Take off at lunchtime and you can be north of the Arctic Circle before bedtime.
Ideal cruising waters can be found among the islands in the Svalbard archipelago, halfway between Norway and the North Pole, with itineraries focusing on either the east or west coast, or around the islands, depending on the state of the pack ice. Some voyages will also continue to Greenland, while others encompass Iceland.
Seeing polar bears, the so-called ‘Lords of the Arctic’, at close range in their natural habitat is one of the most spectacular wildlife shows on the planet. In summer, you can also bask in ‘the land of the midnight sun’, while in winter, the big treat is a sighting of the Northern Lights, those wispy, cloud-like green phantoms that flex, weave and wave in a magical, otherworldly choreography. Think lava lamps on a celestial scale.
National Geographic Expeditions (nationalgeographicexpeditions.co.uk) operates scores of expert-led trips each year to more than 80 destinations worldwide. These include a 14-day Antarctic cruise, from £9,916pp, which departs from and returns to Buenos Aires weekly between November and February. The 10-day Land Of The Polar Bears Arctic cruise departs from Oslo on several dates in June 2019 and costs £8,245pp.