Traveling to Antarctica isn’t as hard as you think

For as long as I can remember, I had Antarctica at the top of my bucket list. It held great mystery to me. What are the temperatures like? What survives down there? What does one do down there? The questions went on and on. Admittedly, my favorite subject in school was always science; particularly biology. I loved learning about the local environment and what thrived there. I also loved nature. I still do. So I couldn’t let go of the idea that I needed to see this mysterious white continent for myself.

My first challenge in getting to Antarctica was that every time I would do a little research, the costs would make me close my browser. I am someone, like Alice and her Wonderland, to believe in many impossible things when I start a day, but figuring out how to get to Antarctica felt a lot trickier. Until I went on a camping trip to southern Africa.

I decided in the fall of 2016, to travel through Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa on a near month-long group trip and experience as much of these southern countries as possible. It was during one very hot afternoon taking in some giraffes, elephants, and antelopes at a watering hole when I mentioned my desire for Antarctica to some fellow travelers and one of the women responded, “It’s not as expensive as you think.” She said, “There are options out there at bigger discounted prices.” And in that moment a new seed was planted.

After Africa, in early mid-November, I found myself in Berlin, Germany on a cold rainy day seated at my computer in an Airbnb and I started to search for Antarctica trips again. And there it was. A last-minute trip to Antarctica in a triple room with a big discount - the combination I was waiting for. And I booked it…

I had to make my way to Buenos Aires, Argentina the first week of December, then hop on another smaller plane to Ushuaia, Argentina, and then set sail the following Monday for the White Continent. The last-minute booking in a multi-bedroom, on a lower deck of the boat, and staying with a stranger was the solution for traveling at a price that was more manageable. If the flexibility of time is there, the options are better.

On my second day on the boat, I met a woman who had traveled through Patagonia, found herself in Ushuaia a couple of days before we took off, hit up a travel agent near the docks, and found herself with an even better deal than me because it was better for the boats to take off with a body in a room than with the room empty.

TIP: If you can be flexible with your travel plans and are willing to wait until the last minute to book (particularly at the start of the travel season), you could find yourself with a cheaper option.

My second challenge was my seasickness. It would hit me in different ways on different boats and I didn’t have a great understanding of it. But I could distinctly remember how awful it feels. How I was going to be on a boat for two days through the Drake Passage and not feel miserable was a bit of a mystery, but I felt it was worth the challenge.

The amazing news is that this issue wasn’t unique to me and the boat hired a full-time doctor who walked around the vessel with a fanny pack full of seasickness medicine. I had packed my own and brought my sea bands, but something about knowing his presence was around me brought me comfort. We were able to ask for suggestions, as all of the staff seemed very familiar with this issue, and find the strategies that worked best for each of us. Once we were out in the open water and things got a little rockier, I chose to stay virtually horizontal in bed for almost two days and limited how full I could make my belly. It worked because waking up to a gorgeous, sunny, and calm Antarctica morning was one of my biggest dreams come true.

TIP: If you experience seasickness, consult with your doctor on effective ways to address the motion and duration spent in the Southern Ocean.

For many, the third challenge is time off from work to be able to spend 11 days+ on a trip with very little to no cell service and WiFi. I was fortunate to take this trip during my time in between careers, but I recognize the sensitivity to time off in a world where companies don’t appreciate staff using their PTO. Trips to Antarctica can vary in length. I chose to take a shorter one, as it fit within my budget. Admittedly, a lot of folks on the boat were in their retirement years or taking a gap year, or self-employed. But there were employed folks on this trip as well. If this is a big enough dream of yours and you plan accordingly, it is worth working it out with your employer/team to fit in a week of expedition travel.

For more on my trip to Antarctica, visit this blog post here. And feel free to message me with any specific questions.

Bon Voyage,

Taryn