Antartica

ANTARTICA’S ELITE HOTEL & ADVENTURES

At first glance these snowcovered bubbles in the middle of the Antarctic wilderness don’t seem to have a lot going for them. At $99,000 for 11 nights, it’s also one of the world’s most expensive

The lonely lodgings are part of the world’s most remote hotel, where guests have to survive subzero temperatures in the harshest climate on Earth. There are some pretty good reasons why the likes of Prince Harry and the Saudi Royal family have been clamoring for a stay here.

The White Desert camp in Antarctica has recently been given a five-star revamp to mark its 10th anniversary and these pictures provide a rare look inside the unique, luxury accommodation.

The camp comprises six heated, fibreglass domes, known as “sleeping pods”. Each pod stands alone on a rugged strip of land in the interior of Antarctica, midway between a frozen lake and towering walls of ice. Inside, the lavish interiors are really impressive.The bedrooms come with bamboo headboards, Saarinen chairs, fur throws, and en suite bathrooms stocked with sustainable Lost Explorer-brand toiletries, created by the de Rothschild family.

The walls are decorated with antique wooden skis.The dining room, which once consisted of one long wooden table, is now outfitted with fur throws covering the chairs. There is also a library.The hotel’s guests - of which there are a maximum of 12 at any time - dine together, enjoying three-course meals with ingredients and wines flown in from Cape Town.