Boldly go where no ordinary traveller has gone before. Surely you owe it to yourself after two years of lockdowns and no-travel zones.
Pioneers of luxury travel in Antarctica, White Desert, will open "Echo" in November. The land of snow and ice, Antarctica provides an alluring backdrop for Echo, inspired by the seminal age of space exploration. The eco-camp will provide exclusive access to the rarely seen interiors of the southernmost continent on planet Earth. It will feature six heated, cutting-edge "sky pods" complete with French windows offering commanding views of the dramatic landscape. Crafted from composite fibreglass, each pod will be designed for two, with interiors featuring retro space-age detailing and luxurious furnishings. Photos taken from the International Space Station by retired astronaut Col Terry Virts will adorn the walls.
Futuristic in design, Echo has been constructed to be dismantled without a trace, leaving no more than a transitory impact on Antarctica. Activities will include fat biking, skiing, skidooing, 4x4 Arctic Truck driving, and the usual hiking, ice-climbing and mountaineering. Visit Atka Bay to see the 28,000-strong Emperor Penguin colony or a bucket-list journey to the South Pole.
No visas are required, however you must have comprehensive travel insurance. Prices start from US$780,000 (B26 million) for 12 people or $65,000 per person for a five-day tour and includes return flights and transfers from Cape Town, South Africa to Antarctica, all accommodation, full board and activities around camp. White Desert Antarctica have pledged to use $1,000 per person, per trip on their conservation, community and sustainability initiatives. Visit white-desert.com or email info@white-desert.com.
