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Arrive
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Day 1 Arrive in South Africa
Arrive into Cape Town, where you will spend the night before your flight to Antarctica. Home to vast and verdant vineyards and panoramic views of the ocean and Table Mountain, this is a wonderful base before your adventure. Today you have a safety briefing, where you will be introduced to the White Desert team and learn about the kit requirements and the Antarctic weather forecasts. The rest of the day is at leisure for you to enjoy.
Overnight: Ellerman House
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Day 2 Fly to Antarctica
Leave behind the sprawling urban jungle of Cape Town as you depart on your private business jet to Antarctica. Glide over floating ice bergs in to the Polar Circle, where the sun never sets, relaxing in the utmost luxury before landing in Antarctica. With a flight time of just five hours, this journey is spectacular and takes you to one of the remotest and uninhabitable parts of our planet. On arrival, you will be met by the White Desert Team, and taken to the Whichaway Camp, nestled into the chalky white landscape. Settle in to your private pod, ready and heated, complete with faux fur blankets and pillows to keep the Antarctic chill at bay. Explore the camp, discovering the incredible surroundings and take in the cool and crisp Antarctic air completely unpolluted. In the evening make your way to the dining tent for some utterly delectable cuisine, whisked up by the incredibly talented on-site chef, before returning to your pod to sleep.
Overnight: Whichaway Camp or Echo
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Day 3 Day Exploring the Camp
Wake up to your first full day in Antarctica, choosing from the vast range of activities on offer. Today is for you to do as much or as little as you like in this chilly paradise. The knowledgeable and skilled field guides will help you find what is right for you, whether you want to learn how the very best polar explorers survive, or simply take a relaxing trek to the glassy and cool ice caves. Discover and learn about the landscape and the many explorers who have tried to conquer this changeable and volatile landscape. This is where ice tunnels rise out of the snow, dazzling in the never setting sunlight, and summits call to be climbed. When ready, return to your cosy pod for a little relaxation, before settling down with your fellow guests for another scrumptious spread, paired with tasty South African wines and lively conversation.
Overnight: Whichaway Camp or Echo
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Day 4 Fly to the Emperor Penguin Colony
Today experience one of the most magical spectacles as you fly across the never-ending white plains to one of the few Emperor Penguin colonies that scatter Antarctica. With their golden and yellow markings, and majestic stance, this threatened species has been declining rapidly. After a short two-hour flight over the Antarctic, step into your very own documentary as you get up close and personal with one of the most captivating creatures in the world. So unaccustomed to human interaction, these curious and full bellied birds will confidently waddle over for a closer look, coming within touching distance. Learn more about the Emperor Penguins and their life in this inhospitable landscape, watching as they huddle, wobble and chatter away against the white background. When ready, say goodbye and fly back to camp for another evening of delicious food while wrapped up warm .
Overnight: Whichaway Camp or Echo
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Day 5 Day at leisure
Rise early to another day at the end of the earth, and prepare for a fun and exciting day trekking and exploring the ice tunnels, before stopping by the local science base to discover the hard work that goes on. Wander through towering arches and tunnels made of solid ice, winding your way through this crystal labyrinth. The creation of harsh winds, plummeting temperatures and meltwater streams, the tunnels are a complex network that web their way beneath the ice. The day ends with a stop at one of the science bases that call Antarctica home, and where you can find yourself immersed in the research and exploration of the white desert. When ready return to camp for a much needed break in the sauna before and evening at leisure.
Overnight: Whichaway Camp or Echo
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Day 6 Fly to the South Pole
Another day, another once in a lifetime experience as you visit the South Pole, and get your passport stamped with one of the rarest stamps in the world. The flight is 7 hours in total, but worth the long haul, as you glide over the Antarctic plain, really experiencing the scale of Antarctica. Fly over snow peaked mountain ranges, stopping en-route at Dixie's Camp at 83 degrees South to refuel and stretch your legs, before continuing to the southernmost part of the planet. When you arrive, you will be able to walk around the world in a matter of minutes and stand at the most Southern point where the only way is north. Enjoy a guided walk around the base, and see where Roald Amundsen, the first person to reach the South Pole set up his camp, and where the Scott expedition, after weeks of negotiating the temperamental Antarctic plains in hopes of being the first to reach it, found they were not. Set up camp for the night, experiencing the South Pole just like the famous explorers before you.
Note: This is weather dependent, and may occur on a different day.
Overnight: South Pole Camp
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Day 7 Return to Camp
Wake up in the South Pole and tuck into a delicious breakfast quite unlike any breakfast you have had before at the end of the Earth. When ready take the plane back to the Whichaway camp, where you will enjoy a day at leisure. Discuss with your field guides what you feel like doing, whether that is a day curled up in the library with a warming cup of coffee, or walking up and abseiling down glaciers. Tonight, there is a three-course dinner accompanied with champagne to celebrate your adventure to the South Pole, before retiring to your cosy pod for some rest.
Overnight: Whichaway Camp or Echo
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Day 8 Day at leisure
Today is your last full day in Antarctica, and a great day to spend it relaxing as you listen to some captivating talks by the incredibly knowledgeable polar staff at the camp. Listen as they take you through the history of Antarctica, the incredible explorers who have dared take on this uninhabitable landscape and their very own world-record breaking expeditions. A wonderful opportunity to ask more questions and discover more about Antarctica, before an afternoon kite skiing around the camp, and some abseiling off a Nunatak mountain for those who dare take on the heights. Once again, return to camp for your last dinner and evening of wonderful food and excellent company.
Overnight: Whichaway Camp or Echo
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Day 9 Depart Antarctica
Rise early for your last morning in Antarctica, savoring your last breakfast at the camp. Pack up your bags, and jump on the private jet, shaking off the Antarctic chill as you return to the sunshine and warmth of South Africa. On arrival, swap goose down coats for shorts and t-shirts and transfer to your hotel. Plunge back in to the hustle and bustle of Africa, miles away from the reserved silence and stillness of Antarctic, and take it easy after your remarkable adventure.
Overnight: Own Arrangements
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Depart
