33º 58’ 00” S 18º 36’ 00” E
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
Start Point: Cape Town, South Africa.
We will host a safety briefing the day before the flight where our staff will welcome you. We will also update you on the latest weather forecasts in Antarctica and assist with any last-minute preparations.
Flight
South Africa to Antarctica
On the flight from Cape Town, you will pass into the Antarctic Circle and into 24 hours of continuous sunshine. The Airbus A340 (or similar) will be equipped with return range. All carbon is offset with fully accredited projects.
90° 0′ 0″ S
THE GEOGRAPHIC SOUTH POLE
Even now, reaching the southernmost point on earth is a feat that very few people have achieved. During the seven-hour flight, we land on the polar plateau to refuel, and you will have a chance to walk around this vast, foreboding wilderness getting a real taste for the immense scale of Antarctica.
Back on board, we continue to the South Pole, landing at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole station. At the designated marker, you will be at the lowest point on earth. A place with no more East, South or West – only North and you will be able to walk around the world in just a few paces!
70º 38’ 16” S 8o 15’ 45” W
EMPEROR PENGUINS
Two hours flight via Basler BT-67 from our main camp and you are at a site of more than 14,000 penguins and their young chicks.
Both are totally unafraid of humans and will come within a few meters of our group, immersing you in the noise, commotion and the sheer beauty of it all. This is one of the greatest, and yet least seen, wildlife events on the planet.
Accommodation
White Desert’s uniquely located camps are designed to be easily dismantled and removed, leaving no trace on the pristine environment. Guests can choose to stay at either Whichaway, an oasis of luxury overlooking freshwater lakes, or Echo, where the lunar-landscape feels like being on another planet.
Compare our two camps below
Whichaway
70º 48’ 00” S 11º 23’ 00” EWhichaway is our flagship luxury camp and sits on the shores of one of the freshwater lakes of the ice-free Schirmacher Oasis. We’ve designed 6 heated ‘polar pods’ with cutting-edge exteriors and old-world interiors that conjure up images of Antarctica’s rich heritage of exploration. A warm and inviting communal area with lounge, library and dining room is the ideal setting to relax and recount the day’s activities with friends.
Activities Around Camp
Echo
71º 32’ 00” S 8º 50’ 00” EInspired by the seminal age of Space exploration, Echo sits in quiet solitude encircled by pitted rock formations. Echo is as close as you can get to feeling like you’re off the planet without leaving Earth. The space-age design of the ‘Sky Pods’ makes them look like they’ve been beamed down from Mars. Futuristic and luxurious, the six bedrooms are created from composite fiberglass with floor to ceiling windows allowing guests to soak in the moon-like landscape beyond.