Author: Alex Mudd

Alex returned from his first Antarctica trip ten years ago firmly bitten by 'polar fever' and obsessed with icebergs. Since then, in between further forays to the polar regions, he's been evangelising about the joys of expeditionary cruising and doing all he can to return to The White Continent.

An inveterate traveller never happier than when beyond mobile reception. Some of his more memorable adventures have included dog sledding in Spitsbergen, hanging out with Huli Wigmen in PNG, piranha fishing in The Amazon and chasing the Northern Lights in Greenland.

Epic Adventures

The Best Time to Travel to Antarctica

Antarctica’s white wilderness has an irresistible magnetism for adventurous souls the world over. Around 40,000 travellers make the journey to the 7th continent each year in search of life-affirming and perspective-changing experiences, and they don’t return disappointed, but when is the best time to go? There are a host of reasons to voyage to one […]

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Antarctic cruises

The 2021 Antarctica Solar Eclipse

Perhaps you’ve experienced an eclipse in your lifetime; the anticipation, squinting upwards at a surreal sight, the world changing around you in real-time. If you’ve never witnessed one and you have an innate curiosity to do so, you’re not alone. Scientists have studied eclipses across the world for hundreds of years, and many outside of […]

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Antarctic cruises

A Guide to Antarctica Weather at Different Times of the Year

If you’ve never travelled to Antarctica you might be wondering what awaits you. It may seem like a land locked in permanent winter, but with 1,860 miles between the South Pole and the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, it’s no surprise that there’s dramatic weather variation across the continent. When it comes to planning […]

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Reviews

Declan & Karl’s Basecamp Adventure

“No matter how well travelled anyone was, we all had the same sense of childlike wonder in Antarctica. It exceeded all expectations: the scale, serenity and beauty of the continent makes an indelible mark on the soul.” Swoop Antarctica customer Declan took the trip of a lifetime on Swoop’s Antarctic Basecamp Adventure in December 2016. […]

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Reviews

Spotting polar bears in the Arctic

Deep inside the Arctic Circle only 500 miles from the North Pole, yet easily accessible from Europe and with more polar bears than humans, Svalbard beckons the adventurer. Never one to turn down a challenge, Swoop’s very own Lauren headed to Svalbard to see what it has to offer and know more about the third region […]

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Reviews

Double the adventure for Nor & Cindy: 5 weeks in Antarctica and Patagonia

A handful of Swoop’s customers choose to venture to both the Antarctic and to Patagonia on the same trip. Swoop only specialises in these two destinations and so is perfectly placed to offer the dream trip to someone looking for a double-adventure! We know both regions inside out and can tie two ends of an […]

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Reviews

Iceberg Graveyards, Slumbering Humpbacks and a Polar Circle Party: Swoop’s Alex on returning to Antarctica

What was it like to visit Antarctica again? Antarctica is so magical that it always feels very special and a great privilege to be there. Two main things struck me this time: firstly just how different the same places can look under differing light conditions and at different times of the season. Secondly, the sheer […]

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Antarctic cruises

Why should I book with Swoop? Our Antarctica expert Alex answers our 10 questions you probably want to ask us (and one you might not have thought of)

For most people, a trip to Antarctica is a ‘once in a lifetime’, so naturally you want to get it absolutely right. We often get asked similar questions about booking with Swoop from those eager to make sure they are choosing the right travel agent, so we thought we’d put 10 of the most common […]

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