Antarctica

Towering mountains, misty bays, rocky outcrops, freezing temperatures, gale force winds, calm seas, ice floes, 7 storey iceberg floes, whales, penguins, seals and research stations. A photographers delight, an adventurers thrill, a bucket list item. Be expected to be awed, challenged, surprised and changed!

I would suggest going on an expedition cruise, as only 100 people can step on land at any given time and expedition cruising specialises in small groups. A cruise with more than 200 people will usually have one group go ashore whilst another group will go zodiac cruising. A cruise ship with more than 500 guests cannot get off the ship at all. With the unpredictable weather, it's hard to guarantee anything in Antarctica which means the itinerary is fluid and the crew will always do their best to chase the favourable weather and co-ordinate with other cruise ships in the area to ensure everyone, that is able, has a chance to go ashore. 

Overnight camping and kayaking were the extra special activities that we experienced and I would categorically say, "Do Them". The thrill of sleeping under the night sky (our sky was overcast, so no stars for us). Kayaking, enabled us to experience the Peninsula from a different perspective with two highlights. First, hearing the sound of an iceberg melting - just like hearing a fry pan frying food. Second, one of the small icebergs we just finished paddling around actually turned over. A reminder of just how powerful and big they are underneath the water line. 

The frozen continent is truly remarkable and special.