Seeing penguins for the first time as we were on the mountaineering walk. Chinstrap penguins - they were so close! ?

Life changing

I admit that I didn’t go on with many expectations as I like to keep an open mind in terms of what is possible. It was wonderful to see so many penguins - especially as we saw three types. We were really lucky in terms of seals and whales too.

Absolutely wonderful! Very knowledgable and really nice people! We were super lucky with our team. The talks were all really interesting and informative. Whenever we went out, I always felt extremely safe and happy, whether that be in zodiacs, kayaking, mountaineering or snow shoeing. Zet and Pippa socialised with us as well as, which was really fun and appreciated as I imagine being a guide is tiring work! Clouds is extremely knowledgable, Koen and Ty super sweet and enthusiastic, Zet professional and fun both on the boat and on the kayaks, wanting to give you the best experience possible, Pippa lovely, sweet and patient in answering all my questions, Lucas enthusiastic and so knowledgable about ice always happy to talk and answer and share his knowledge, Pierre fun and gives excellent presentations about whales - also very approachable, Werner happy to answer all my questions and help with cameras/phots, Christian calm and kind as well as knowledgable, Martin and Richard experienced and calm (important for mountaineering), and Linda friendly and professional. The team really made the trip incredible, as well as the crew and staff on the boat.

The boat was great! Really well run by a fabulous staff. The beds are comfortable, cabins clean. In fact, the whole boat was always spotless! I’d say the four-berth cabins are a little tight on space, trying to get everything into the cupboard is a challenge but I really didn’t mind. The facilities are great. I loved having a common area (bar), where we could hang out together over a tea/coffee/chocolate milk. Loved it!

Again, I didn’t go in with any expectations and found the zodiac cruises fun and a great way to see a lot more of Antarctica than we would’ve seen from a simple landing.

Tips: don’t overpack but don’t underpack. Getting laundry done works out to be quite pricey depending on how much you need doing. Think hotel prices. Use the patches you put behind your ear for sea sickness. Remember to look with your eyes and not just your camera. Do the polar plunge! You’ll regret it If you don’t. Enjoy :)

Thank you for your patience with me. It was a difficult period before the trip and I couldn’t have coped with more pressure. Thank you. Thanks for being present too, even though I didn’t need to contact you more than I did, it was nice to know I could have.