Antarctica Trip — Part 2: What would I do differently if I go to Antarctica again?(a)
If you are craving something exciting, and memorable in life but don’t want it to break your normal routine and completely out of your comfort zone, going to Antarctica during your break is a good option.
I never regretted going to Antarctica even though it was a quick decision. It wasn’t as cold or as dangerous as I expected. There were some things that I did right despite that I was packed in a rush which played a big role during the trip. However, there were a few things that I hoped I would have known earlier to make the trip better, but none of those was a deal breaker.
- Make sure you know what you want to do during the trip and pack accordingly.
Most people will have some idea about Antarctica before going, but, NO POLAR BEARS. So many people asked me if I had seen any polar bears, and this is not what would have happened. For animal lovers, you will see plenty of penguins, sometimes whales, seals, and sea birds. Polar bears are in the north, you won’t find them in Antarctica. For nature lovers, you will see plenty of icebergs, snow mountains, rocks, and the sea. I can confidently say in a nutshell, Antarctica is a place with plenty of snow/ice plus penguins. Everything else that you have seen and experienced is a plus but not guaranteed. Or put it in another way, if you want to show people a photo to prove that you have been to Antarctica, make sure that the photo at least has one penguin in it :) The alternative option is to show icebergs. Big icebergs floating on the seawater are also a unique feature of Antarctica, but you may also find them on the north end of the earth.
Photos are no doubt a must-do on the trip. What cameras to bring depends on what kind of end products that you are aiming for. If you are aiming to shoot high-quality ‘National geography level’ photos, make sure that you bring a good camera. If you are a blogger or influencer, maybe bring a GoPro if you want to record how you jump into the seawater with a first-sight angle. I also saw people bringing an insta stick, and it is very convenient. Otherwise, a smartphone with a waterproof case would do the job. I brought an insta X and films with me for instant photos, and I took about 20 photos in film.
I didn’t expect much about the trip as my main purpose was to be there: set my feet on the 7th continent before turning 30, rather than just simply flying over the continent and viewing it on a plane — this is also an option and will cost you less than $2,000 and one day instead of $20,000 and over 10 days.
2. Activities need to be booked beforehand, not after when I was on the boat.
There are standard activities included in the cruise package: zodiac cruising and short hikes on land subject to weather conditions on the day. My first mainland landing was canceled due to the landing spot had too much floating ice around and the landing activity was replaced by a zodiac cruise.
Other activities are optional and some have additional costs. I didn’t realise that I would need to book add-on activities upfront at the time of booking. Luckily the only additional activity that I was thinking of doing was the polar plunge, which was free, and no booking required. Those activities include kayaking, camping, and a photographer program which you will be put on the first zodiac cruise every time with a professional photographer and you can even borrow a professional camera.
For kayakers, they will have less time on the land and most of the time on the water. There will be more quiet moments on a kaya compared to sitting on a zodiac, but you would probably see more parts of the area in a zodiac.
For campers, sleeping bags will be provided. One couple got engaged during the camping night, and they posted a video recording on their Instagram. I heard stories from the campers that they were sleeping on untouched snow in a sleeping bag and it was snowy in the early morning before they had to leave. It was not very cold but the snow had caused some trouble for breathing when the sleeping bag was fully zipped.
There were also citizen science programs available for free, such as Cloud Observation Club, Bird Observation Club, and the one that I participated in was to listen to different sounds in Antarctica for a PhD thesis. The best part of it was that I was given an underwater microphone during one zodiac cruise activity, and I heard the cracking sound of icebergs underwater.
3. No need to bring your work laptop unless you are your own boss or there will be something during the trip that you really need to deal with
There are 3 reasons why it is better not to bring your work laptop:
a. You may get seasick that you can’t work
b. Wifi is expensive and may not have good reception
c. You will miss out on the lectures from the researchers about Antarctica and the expedition team about their adventures in polar regions, which you would not easily get on other occasions.
I got seasick during the quiet day in the sea and I could only stay in bed. Not even going one level down to the restaurant to enjoy a buffet lunch and dinner. I had to call for room services. The ship was waving all the time, and when the waves were high, my plates fell from the table to the floor.
