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NEW Trip – Ladakh Mountain Biking AdventureView Trip Details

11 Days$6370USD

Activities
  • 10 days expedition cruising
Accommodation
  • 10 nights aboard MV Ushuaia
Meals
  • 10 Dinners
  • 9 Lunches
  • 10 Breakfasts
1
Discovery and Cruising
 
 

Trip highlights


  • The most wildlife-rich part of Antarctica - penguins, whales, seals, sea birds
  • Narrow sheltered waterways and fjords
  • Spectacular mountains rising directly out of the sea
  • Historic sites
  • Active scientific stations
  • Great variety of terrain over short distances
  • Icebergs and active glaciers

Commencing our voyage in Ushuaia we cruise to the magnificent South Shetland Islands & Antarctic Peninsula. We fully appreciate the unique, pristine, dramatic region and enjoy the magnificent wildlife viewing opportunities that are available. Albatross soaring over the Drake Passage, huge penguin colonies on the South Shetland Islands, and the whales and seals that frequent these icy polar waters. Imagine following in the footsteps of the world's greatest explorers, and time permitting visit a scientific base. As we head south, the Peninsula becomes even more dramatic with towering icebergs, glistening unclimbed peaks and spectacular glaciers.

Trip Code: PL5

Embark the USHUAIA in the afternoon and meet your expedition and lecture staff. After you have settled into your cabins we sail along the famous Beagle Channel and the scenic Mackinlay Pass.

Meals:  D

Named after the renowned explorer, Sir Francis Drake, who sailed these waters in 1578, the Drake Passage also marks the Antarctic Convergence, a biological barrier where cold polar water sinks beneath the warmer northern waters. This creates a great upwelling of nutrients, which sustains the biodiversity of this region. The Drake Passage also marks the northern limit of many Antarctic seabirds. As we sail across the passage, our lecturers will be out with you on deck to help in the identification of an amazing variety of seabirds, including many albatrosses, which follow in our wake. The USHUAIA’s open bridge policy allows you to join our officers on the bridge and learn about navigation, watch for whales, and enjoy the view. A full program of lectures will be offered as well. The first sightings of icebergs and snow-capped mountains indicate that we have reached the South Shetland Islands, a group of twenty islands and islets first sighted in February 1819 by Capt. William Smith of the brig Williams. With favorable conditions in the Drake Passage, our lecturers and naturalists will accompany you ashore as you experience your first encounter with the penguins and seals on Day 3.

Meals:  B,L,D

The South Shetland Islands are a haven for wildlife. Vast penguin rookeries, beaches ruled by Antarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals make every day spent in this amazing island group unforgettable. Sailing through the narrow passage into the flooded caldera of Deception Island is truly amazing. King George Island, the largest of the South Shetland Islands, features colonies of nesting Adélie and Chinstrap Penguins, Kelp Gulls, Blue-eyed Cormorants, Antarctic Terns and Southern Giant Petrels and is home to scientific bases of many different countries. Macaroni, Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins as well as elephant seals await you at Livingston Island. The Antarctic Peninsula’s remarkable history will provide you with a type of excitement often only associated with the early explorers. You will have plenty of time to explore its amazing scenery, a pristine wilderness of snow, ice, mountains and waterways, and an incredible wide variety of wildlife. Apart from penguins and seabirds you are very likely to see Weddell, crabeater and leopard seals as well as Minke, killer (orca) and humpback whales at close range. We hope to navigate some of the most beautiful waterways (depending on the ice conditions): the Gerlache Strait, the Neumayer Channel, and the Lemaire Channel, the latter are narrow passages between towering rock faces and spectacular glaciers. We plan to make at least two landings per day. Possible landing sites may include: Paradise Bay is perhaps the most aptly named place in the world and we attempt a landing on the continent proper. After negotiating the iceberg-strewn waters of the Antarctic Sound, we hope to visit the bustling Adélie Penguin (over 100,000 pairs breed here) and Blue-eyed Cormorant colonies on Paulet Island. The Nordenskjöld expedition built a stone survival hut here in 1903. Today its ruins have been taken over by nesting penguins. Further exploration may take you to Melchior Island, Cuverville Island, Portal Point, Neko Harbour, Pléneau Island and if ice conditions permit, to Petermann Island for a visit to the southernmost colony of Gentoo Penguins.

Meals:  B,L,D

We leave Antarctica and head north across the Drake Passage. Join our lecturers and naturalists on deck as we search for seabirds and whales, and enjoy some final lectures. Take the chance to relax and reflect on the fascinating adventures of the past days on the way back to Ushuaia.

Meals:  B,L,D

During the early morning we cruise up the Beagle Channel, before quietly slipping into dock in Ushuaia. It is a busy time, with people saying farewell to our crew and others who have shared the intensity of being in a magnificent white wilderness. We head off in our different directions, hopefully with a newfound sense of the power of natural forces.

Meals:  B


Inclusions

  • 10 breakfasts, 9 lunches and 10 dinners
  • Comfortable cabin accommodation and use of all public areas on cruise
  • Specialist expedition staff
  • All shore excursions from the ship including the use of Zodiacs
  • Lectures, videos, slide and film shows and guide services
  • Medical services (there is a resident medical officer and infirmary on board)
  • Port taxes and port charges imposed by government authorities
  • Pre-departure information

  • Air transport and airport transfers before and after the cruises
  • Passport and vaccination charges, reciprocity fees and airport departure taxes
  • Accommodation and meals or other services not included in the ship cruise itinerary
  • Laundry, postage, personal clothing, medical expenses, travel insurance and items of a personal nature such as bar charges, wine and phone calls
  • Emergency evacuation charges
  • Customary end of voyage tips

Cabins


Departure dates


Notes

NB:
Special rates for families a child (under 16 years) accompanied by two adults will be free of charge in a triple superior cabin or triple suite.

Priceper person from

$6370USD

Options & Supplements*
  • Standard Twin shared bathroomUSD$6820
  • Standard Plus TwinUSD$8670
  • Superior TwinUSD$10310
  • SuiteUSD$10920
  • Premier TwinUSD$11480
*Prices listed are per person

Essential Information

Ready to book? Make sure you download and read the detailed Antarctic Classic trip notes which contains all the essential information you need to know before booking. Once you’ve booked, we will supply you with a Pre-Departure document which contains a detailed gear list and other important information to help you prepare for your adventure ahead.


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Our vision is to leave the world a better place by following our sustainable active outdoor travel charter. All our adventures are 100% carbon offset and our Regenerative 2030 Project aims to integrate ‘regenerative’ projects into every one of our global operations by 2030.

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