Don't like the Heat? Take a Trip to Antarctica!

Summer is here! The 90 degree weather and above, the humidity, the sweating, the dehydration, the guzzling of cold water... some people love this type of weather and plan their vacations around the heat and sun; but there are some other people that avoid it like the plague and wish it would be fall or winter year round. For those of you out there that find summer as a disappointment and nothing to do, I got the perfect vacation for you this summer! Antarctica!

Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent that overlies the South Pole. There are no permanent human residents and has never had a originating population. Only cold adapted plants and animals survive there. Antarctica is the last vast wilderness on the planet. Its gigantic icebergs, mountain ranges and the emptiness of the polar plateau boggle the mind, while its weather curdles the blood. It's beautiful and serene, savage and violent, and its scale is almost unfathomable. You don't need a visa to visit because no one owns Antarctica; however you will need a valid passport since the vessel that you would be taking may have to pull into a port of another country for shelter. So what is there to do in a cold, abandoned continent?

Antarctica is not an easy place to access and very few have ventured onto the continent. However those that do will usually rant and rave about the awesome sights of nature, such as; taking a 10 day expedition to the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. For those of you who like to pinch pennies and are looking for the cheapest arctic cruise, this is the one for you. The Antarctica Classic is an explorer ship that holds up to 108 passengers that have simple cabins with meals and basic guide service.

The ten day Antarctica Classic expedition will be the voyage of a lifetime to a land where penguins rub shoulders with seals and Orcas and whales are often seen playing it the icy waters. Prices range from $3,360 to $8,150 and passengers are required to be covered by a travel insurance policy with a minimum coverage of $75,000 which must include personal injury, medical expenses, repatriation expenses, and evacuation expenses.

If you're looking for the maximum adventure, you'll have to wait for early October. The March of the Penguins 16 day expedition aboard the Kapitan Khlebnikov to the Snow Hill Island will let you view the Emperor penguins and several other species of penguins as you tour the icebergs and islands by helicopter and by cruise ship. Prices range from $16,980 to $27,980, included in these cost are accommodations in the hotels aboard the ship as well as onboard meals, all group meals on land, group transfers, services of the expedition staff, lectures, briefings, films, ship and helicopter excursions, landing and port fees.

The next stop on this Antarctic tour would be Deception Island. This island is one of the most incredible islands on the planet. It is not really an island... it looks like one, but in reality it is an active volcano in the South Shetland Islands off of the Antarctic Peninsula. The shape of the island volcano is in the shape of a horse shoe with a large flooded caldera. The landscape is unique and includes barren volcanic slopes, steaming beaches and ash layered glaciers. Over 57% of the island is covered in permanent glaciers.

It is one of the only places in the world where you can sail directly into the centre of the restless volcano. Air temperatures are normally 26 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures normally range from 51 degrees Fahrenheit to -18 degrees Fahrenheit. Extreme micro climates exist around steaming fumaroles and geothermal heated water where temperatures can go up to 158 degrees. You can go swimming right on the edge of the shore, the water is warm, however if you start getting cold all you have to do is plunge your hands into the sand and more heat will be released! It is awesome!

Although the travel to Antarctica is not easy and requires a lengthy flight or cruise, nothing can compare with the rewards of traveling there. The towers of ice that glow in shades of pink, violet, and baby blue, and the awesome look at the wildlife will sweep you away. Navigating around icebergs on a cruise you can gaze at the 18 foot 4.5 ton elephant seals as they haul themselves out of the water and gather onto the icy ledges. King or penguins are always encountered amongst their colony of thousands upon thousands as they nest and raise their fluffy chicks.

Along with the penguins, you'll be able to see 10 to 12 foot long leopard seals as well as ten species of whales that have been spotted in the Antarctic Ocean including humpback, minke, right, blue, sei, finback, orca, pilot, sperm, and southern bottle nosed whales. You can also watch dolphins! If you're a bird watcher, this is the perfect place to be, with over forty four species of birds including albatrosses, sheath bills, skuas, and Arctic terns, this is a bird watchers dream come true!

Everything sounds great and you're probably ready to book a cruise right now, but there are some do's and don'ts that you should know about before planning. The first is that you should not expect to go ashore alone; your cruise leaders will take you ashore. Traveling to Antarctica means preparing for severe and changeable weather which means bring weather gear to cover you from heat to toe and plenty of layered clothes.

Do not walk alone on dangerous ice fields, and don't interfere with the scientific equipment. Make sure that you follow the instructions of the tour leaders and maintain safe distances from all wildlife on land and sea. Remember to bring sunglasses because snow blindness can easily occur as well as wear sun block because sunburns are intense because of the hold in the ozone. And always remember that it is not a good idea to climb or get too close to icebergs because they can explode or cave in.

At some point in the Antarctic trip you may visit some of the research bases or stations that are found on this desolate continent. If you can befriend these winterers that are in charge of the bases they may take you to places that the average tourist doesn't go, they will know also that they are not supposed to do this but may not care. So please respect the base and their home that they are going to show you.

The biggest do is to have fun! And we all want to hear about it when you get back!