Life in Antarctica?

Gfriedm1 · Flight Steward Joined: 28 Oct 2005 Posts: 76 97 ants

Are there any airports in Antarctica? How do you get there? boat? or can you higher a plane to land on the snow? Also where do you stay and eat if you are there? are there any establishments there? This is something i have always wondered. do people travel to Antarctica for vacation or only researchers?
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aaron · Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2005 3:18 pm Post subject:

Tourists most definitely go, as well as researchers. In fact, there is significant concern that too many tourists are visiting, and that this is detrimental to wildlife, etc. Most travel by boat - see Greg's post on this just the other day: http://www.aardvarktravel.net/chat/viewtopic.php?t=14993

The plan is that there will be a "tourism quota" to limit numbers in the future. You can read more on this here.

Aaron
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Gfriedm1 · Flight Steward Joined: 28 Oct 2005 Posts: 76 97 ants

Are there establishments there? like towns and cities? What would be an adequate comparison to how developed it is down there? i think quotas may not be a bad idea! we need to preserve that land as long as possible!
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aaron · Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2005 3:56 pm Post subject:

No, there are not towns or cities, just research bases. No shops, no cafes, no nothing. Cool

Aaron
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Gfriedm1 · Flight Steward Joined: 28 Oct 2005 Posts: 76 97 ants

so where do tourist stay when they go there? are they hiking and camping out or there are hotels or places for them to stay?
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aaron · Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2005 4:20 pm Post subject:

There are no hotels!

I think most stay on board ship, and probably a minority I suspect actually overnight at one of the research stations.

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Kerr · Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 12:13 pm Post subject:

So is there anything to do or see apart from snow? I take people go for to see the wildlife and in turn are putting in danger the very thing they are there to see. How ironic how cold is it there anyway cause it is just a massive ice berg int it? would be cool to say you had been there tho good for conversations at parties Cool

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paul · Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 12:22 pm Post subject:

Well, they don't have a big Odeon cinema if that's what you had in mind. Wink

Most poeple go for the landscape and/or the wildlife.

And no, Antarctica is NOT just a massive iceberg! It's a continental landmass. An iceberg is a floating body of ice.

Paul
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Shandy · Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 1:34 pm Post subject:

I went about 10 years ago on a cruise ship that sailed from Punta Arenas in Chili. On a cruise you would typically visit various research stations and walk around. You can see plenty of penguins. During the cruise the scenery is fantastic. Cruises are probably only offered in summer (Dec till March) I went in January. The coldest temp were around -1C. Totally managable, it get's colder on some skiing slopes I have been. As far as I know you cannot stay there unless you have connections with a research station of the various countries.
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David42 · Trainee Steward Joined: 10 Feb 2006 Posts: 23 24 ants

You'll have to travel by boat, best option would be to take a cruise, seeing as how there aren't any cafes/restaurants. Some points of interest would be the Drake Passage and Cape Horn.

FYI, a lot people do get seasick on these voyages.
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pootle · Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 11:17 pm Post subject: Hotels

Certainly not - and thank goodness for that - would you really want a travellodge out there in the most pure beautiful place!

Crend · Baggage Handler Joined: 06 Jun 2007 Posts: 14 15 ants

Hotels in the Antarctica. That sounds really nice. Smile

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duncanbloor · Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 10:13 am Post subject: Research stations

I used to work on an Icebreaking survey ship and we dropped off supplies for the research stations. It is a fascinating and beautiful region although I'm not sure if I'd want to go there as a tourist (unless you really know what you're letting yourself in for!)
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aaron · Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 7:59 pm Post subject:

Care to expand, Duncan...?

What's wrong with it as a tourist destination?

Aaron
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rohndawson · Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 12:38 pm Post subject:

Described as the last great wilderness, Antarctica is virtually untouched by human actions. Although remote and hostile, this huge continent around the South Pole is rich in wildlife, breathtaking scenery and natural resources.

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