The Poles

On many people’s bucket list, the Antarctic does not boast a very varied landscape; nearly all of it is covered by ice, but isolation is the buzz here. It’s a and of extremes –with the lowest lowest temperatures on earth – minus 60 is common in the interior. Researching the area for a visit it became clear you need to travel on an ice-strengthened vessel, you need time to both research your trip and then to make the journey. time, careful planning is needed to link up flights and a ship and to get the best out of the area you need something of a dis-regard for cost.

Where to start from? From the west its Ushuaia or Punta Arenas; from the east its Hobart Australia or Bluff, New Zealand. Flights to western sub-Antarctic islands are a quicker way to taste the continent in a week.

Antarctic wildlife includes the Arctic Tern, humpback whales, 20 million breeding penguins, Albatross and the Weddell Seal.

So, what about looking at the Arctic? How does it compare with the Antarctic?

There are some definite points in the area’s favour. Primarily it’s easier to get to. Its basically a frozen sea, accessible when the ice melts and its not as isolated as Antarctica, with 8 countries within the Arctic region. It’s warmer, has more culture and more history. Whilst there are some difficult goals – the North Pole being the obvious one – it’s possible to just drive the Arctic circle. And there’s a greater variety of wildlife, including 19 sub-species of polar bears.

The Northern Lights can be seen if you are between 60 and 72 degrees North. Its best to be there between November and January, and the best sightings are between 10pm and 2am.

The people aspect of the Arctic is another draw: the Chukchi in Russia and Inuvialuit in Canada, and the Sami, the indigenous people of the Lapland area. The latter still herd their reindeer and you can follow the reindeer migration with them in spring.

On board ship there are early autumn cruises to spot polar bears in the Russian Arctic. From a cruise ship you can see the Arctic wildlife including the Arctic Tern, polar bears, narwhals, Walrus, and humpback whales, The Arctic cruise season starts in May; several described in outline in Boar-rides we like. Its difficult to choose, but the Arctic seems the place to start, but eventually the lure of the sheer isolation of Antarctica is going to pull.