4 Interesting Tourist Attractions in Antarctica

4 Best Places to Visit in Antarctica

     Even though the world is being hit by a corona pandemic, this is not the case for the Antarctic continent. In fact, they add security to the isolation of the continent. There is no chance for Corona to enter Antarctica.

This continent has no government. However, several countries around the world have permanent research stations and claim some areas of the plains. In total there are seven countries that claim Antarctica, namely Australia, Argentina, Chile, Norway, France, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

However, even though the continent of Antarctica is an isolated place, there are tourist attractions within it.

                                                             Image Source: wikimedia.org

King George Island

King George Island has beautiful scenery, unique and amazing. This is evidenced by the presence of wildlife such as killer whales, seals, and a colony of Gentoo Chinstrap penguins on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula.

King George island has no natives. This tourist spot spans 1,150 sq km, making King George Island the largest in the southern Shetland archipelago.

The tourists who visit can see and feel the wild life of various kinds of animals, and can get around the island with an existing tour guide.

To go to King George Island, tourists need to spend a large amount of money, because access to reach this island is quite difficult.

The South Pole

The South Pole is a mystery, uninhabited by humans and full of ice. But it turns out, not a few tour operators that offer trips and adventures there.

The South Pole is a unique place that has large chunks of white ice, offering views of various wildlife. This cold temperature place with relatively strong winds is only owned by the Antarctic Continent. So, for those of you who can stand the cold, South Pole you can visit.

The average thickness of ice at the South Pole reaches 3,000 meters, the thickest can be up to 4 km. The best time to visit Antarctica's South Pole is at the end of the year, during the summer, with no more than 10 degrees Celsius of warmth.

                                                          Image source: tripadvisor.co.id

Mount Achala

Mount Achala is a volcano And if you want to see cool scenery such as beaches and wildlife.

Mount Achala is one of the tourist attractions on the Antarctic continent that is suitable for mountain climbers.

You can see amazing sights such as beaches and wildlife, but you have to hike to the mouth of the mountain.

You will experience a hard struggle to get there, but it will be paid off with beautiful views that will spoil you.

Bransfield House

For those of you who like to read books, this museum is for you. At Bransfield House, you will learn a lot of various kinds of history. Starting from the history of the exhibition, to the history of the station's past.

This place is also perfect for you shopping lovers. Because, this place doubles as a souvenir shop. So, you can buy the knick-knacks you want.

The British government beautifully restored the original station building, Bransfield House, the main building of Base A, in 1996. Displays of the station's history hang inside. A wind-up HMV gramophone with a Noel Coward 78rpm note, artifacts including clothing from Operation Tabarin, a secret 1944 radio transmitter, and a wooden ski board purchased from Grytviken Whaling Station Stores in South Georgia in 1957.

Don't miss the portrait of Marilyn Monroe painted on the back of the gift shop's generator barn door, a memory for the lonely winters of the Antarctic era for men.

Traveling to the Continent of Antarctica

South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands

      Hardwood floors, wooden beds and leather sofas in the dining area, Wolf's Fang accommodations are more like a holiday stay than a remote outpost in Antarctica.
For about $68,000 tourists can fly to Antarctica and spend six days at a luxurious polar campground, including activities such as hiking and skiing.

Travelers who are willing to spend more money can also fly around the continent, meet penguins or visit the South Pole.
Once a temporary home for explorers and scientists, tourism in Antarctica has started to thrive in recent decades.

                                                          Image Source: wikimedia.org

With a capacity of up to 254 passengers, charter flights can only carry 23 people and a number of supplies tourists need.

Wolf's Fang and another camp, Whereaway, are run by the White Desert tour agency, which flies tourists from Cape Town, South Africa, to an area of Antarctica called Queen Maud Land.

They bring a maximum of 12 guests on a single trip. But with the number of guests so small, the logistics costs for each trip are still very large and expensive.

With a capacity of up to 254 passengers, charter flights can only carry 23 people and a number of supplies tourists need.

Wolf's Fang and another camp, Whereaway, are run by the White Desert tour agency, which flies tourists from Cape Town, South Africa, to an area of Antarctica called Queen Maud Land.

They bring a maximum of 12 guests on a single trip. But with the number of guests so small, the logistics costs for each trip are still very large and expensive.

Meanwhile, other travel agents offer private campsites, cruises, and parachuting activities.

According to the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO), 74,401 tourists traveled to Antarctica with IAATO member carriers during the 2019-2020 season.

This number is up compared to the previous year. Only 731 visitors were traveling by air.

Most Antarctic tourists visit by sea, often on expedition cruises that stop briefly in the Antarctic Peninsula, south of Chile.

While many operators have expressed their commitment to eco-friendly tourism, some involved in Antarctic research have already voiced their concerns about tourism in Antarctica.

Port Lockroy

Antarctica tourist attractions that you must visit are Port Lockroy. This place is a post office which is still in operation today. Port Lockroy is a post office located at the southern tip of the world. The post office of Port Lockroy is part of the UK territory.

This place was first discovered by Jean Baptiste Charlote's in 1903. He is a French national, who had been on an expedition to the Antarctic Continent, until he finally found this amazing place.

Then about 41 years after he found this place, Port Lockroy was built during the Second World War. The main function of this place was formerly a place to carry out British military missions in its efforts to conduct reconnaissance against the enemy to the Southern Hemisphere.

And for that reason, Port Lockroy entered the territory of the United Kingdom. This place has been functioning as a post office since 1996, at the same time Port Lockroy has become a tourist attraction in Antarctica. Then, Port Lockroy became one of the world's tourist attractions visited by tourists from various parts of the world.

South Georgia or the South Sandwich Islands

Antarctica tourism that you can visit next is South Georgia or the South Sandwich Islands. Here is the most suitable place for an anti-mainstram holiday, besides Port Lockroy.

This place is still in dispute between England and Argentina. This place is more functioned for the research process, because here there are some polar animals that are far from world news.

If you visit this place, make sure you are wearing thick clothes. Because traveling in the polar regions certainly requires courage and is supported by warm clothes or clothes. Many people come here to do research such as Penguins, Polar Bears, and other animals.

Tourist Attractions in Grytviken

This tourist place is highly recommended for those of you who want to get a new experience. Grytviken is a tourist spot in which there is a museum that is very useful for you to add insight and knowledge. Grytviken is located in King Edward's Bay which is a popular tourist attraction for travelers from all over the world.

In Grytviken you will be presented with a view of the animals that are there, such as seals, whales, seabirds, and penguins, and it will certainly be very enjoyable for those of you who want to get a new experience in an unusual place.