To visit the South Pole, head to the 'End Of The World' first

An adult penguin looking after its chicks at Jougla Point in Antarctica. — Polar Latitudes

Just the thought of eventually seeing it sent a tingle down my spine. The point was not lost on me that I was about to see one of the most pristine parts of our planet, a view most absorb only through National Geographic and Animal Planet documentaries, and their ilk.

It took almost two years to plan my trip to Antarctica as unlike other places, it’s not quite a hop, skip and a jump away. And neither is it about getting on a plane and flying straight to the White Continent.

The seventh continent remains the remotest and coldest place on Earth and the summer months of December through to March are the best to experience this breathtaking landscape.

Visitor numbers may have increased over the years, but only a few operators specialise in the South Pole.

The missus and I opted for an expedition ship – MS Seaventure – that could board about 130 passengers, a company which included Malaysia’s most famous adventurer Yusuf Hashim, and some other Malaysians.

This was a crucial decision because its relatively smaller size provided us with special access to most of the possible land stops, so we didn’t have to merely sail past The Ice.

Sailing on the MS Seaventure at Paradise Bay. — Polar Latitudes

The typical luxury megalithic ocean liner with thousands onboard is prohibited from landing on many of the islands that are teeming with wildlife. It’s near impossible to organise a non-stop landing for a ship with 3,000 people because a maximum of 10 passengers in a single zodiac (inflatable boat) is allowed to travel to the islands.

With numbers strictly regulated, only about 100 people get to land on an island at a time to see the animals up close. Yes, patience is a virtue, but coming face-to-face with penguins and seals in their natural habitat is an exhilarating experience that’s worth the wait.

Polar Latitudes, the Britain-based company we chose for our sea adventure had scientists and naturalists on board the ship. There were daily lectures on climate change, the formation of islands and wildlife. Sure, that may seem like a far cry from the extravagance and luxuries of having a casino or dance club, but a trip to Antarctica is purely for the devout.

The trusty tank was home to us for three weeks, beginning from Ushuaia in Argentina, through to the country’s southern tip, the Falklands, South Georgia and then Antarctica.

Of course, en route is the treacherous Drake Passage, with its violent waves.

The tail fluke of a whale seen above water. What a sight to behold. — DR ALEX TAN

On our return to Ushuaia, dubbed the “End Of The World” (being at the southern-most tip of South America), our ship rocked and rolled through the two nights. Not for the faint- hearted or those with queasy stomachs.

Antarctica is an unpredictable place where anyone and everyone is at the mercy of the weather. The winds and choppy sea can change landing spots overnight and sometimes, within hours. Nothing usually goes to plan, but that’s part of the fun.

It also means getting wet when the zodiac ferries people from the ship to the islands, but all that is forgotten when standing among hundreds of thousands of penguins and seals, with the birds and mammals right beside them.

The scents of nature

What does Antarctica and the islands at South Georgia smell like? As expected, ice and snow are scentless but the smell of guano, or penguin poo, is thick in the air.

It has even been reported that a series of brown smudges against the vastness of the White Continent is clearly visible from space. I got used to stepping on puddles of what seemed like mud but were actually penguin poo. Nauseating for most people but this is part of the adventure.

The writer (left) keeping warm at Brown Station in Antarctica with Malaysian adventurer Yusuf Hashim. — FLORENCE TEH

Also, there are no toilets on the Antarctica islands. Older folks are advised to wear disposable adult diapers. In urgent cases, they are taken back to the ship; while the penguins can leave their waste anywhere, humans are reminded to leave nothing behind, take and touch nothing. We are only allowed to take with us photographs and of course, the priceless memories.

What a pity that many travellers choose to spend 10 days for the long trip, yet skip South Georgia, regarded as the gateway to Antarctica and located in the Southern Ocean, about halfway between the south-east coast of Argentina and Antarctica.

The remote island, which takes at least two days to reach by sea, is synonymous with Antarctica travel even though it’s technically not part of the continent. However, it must be included in any itinerary to this part of the world.

The Serengeti of the Antarctic, as South Georgia is known, has boundless and stunning wildlife, spectacular landscapes, and rugged coves. More than 100,000 breeding pairs of king penguins live there, regarded as the largest creche in the world. Seeing their trademark yellow head markings on a screen is one thing but seeing them in the flesh is something else entirely.

A seal pup possibly looking for its mother. — DR ALEX TAN

This is also the home to the southern elephant seal, the largest seal species in the world. It’s amazing that they have no fear of human beings, and the only predators are themselves, with seals or birds, for example, preying on baby penguins.

What I saw at Fortuna Bay was beguiling to the eyes. The greatest artist of them all is Mother Nature herself.

Watching whales and orcas swimming just a breath away past our boats was another sight to behold. So, all those animal documentaries never exaggerated with CGI or camera tricks – this is truly the living world’s creation.

It was awe inspiring to watch numerous whales swimming close to our ship and the zodiacs in their natural habitats as they flip their wide tail flukes up and down several times, with some even leaping out of the water.

Climbing snow-covered hills and getting on and off the zodiacs sometimes proved daunting, so I’m glad I decided to travel to Antarctica while my knees and legs still allowed me to walk and hike through these rough terrains.

A trip to Antarctica isn’t cheap with our ringgit continuing to depreciate and air travel becoming pricier. It’s unfortunate that not many people can take three weeks off from work to head to the Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica.

Once in a lifetime

So, how does a Malaysian traveller get to Antarctica? I flew from Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul (Turkiye) on Turkish Airlines and then straight to the Argentinian capital, Buenos Aires.

The writer at Brown Station, Antarctica. — FLORENCE TEH

After a night’s stop, we took a three-hour flight on Aerolineas Argentinas, Argentina’s local airline, from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia.

Flight delays and cancellations are normal, but they are anxiety-inducing because they affect connecting flights. Keeping a cool head in moments like these is imperative.

A voyage to Antarctica is not for the timid or those who want to remain “plugged in” on the ship because these “necessities” are limited and expensive. But it’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

In a near four-decade career, my journalism job has been kind enough to accord me the visit to more than 60 countries, but seeing Antarctica is the mother of them all. As they say, you should only see Antarctica after you’ve seen everything else because nothing will ever compare.

If you’re afraid of the cold, then just live vicariously. Even though it’s accessible only during the South Pole’s summer, there was still light snow, and the temperature was around 1°C and 0°C.

Sure, there were tricky moments during the trip. Taking pictures while riding for two hours on the zodiac proved arduous, especially when I had to remove my gloves and endure the biting cold from the wind, but the snapshots are worth a lifetime.

However, by being properly attired for the weather, using merino wool material for thermal wear, things should be fine.

The most important reason to go to Antarctica is simply because it remains the last untouched place on Earth, a locale which belongs to no country or government. So, just enjoy the vastness of the place and appreciate that the human race is but a speck in this world.

Antarctica remains the only place on Earth not only with no government, but no citizens, no population, police, army and legal system, and for sure, no politicians. This is definitely Heaven on Earth.

As someone from the tropics, the sights of the giant floating icebergs and glaciers, including the A23a whopping block of ice, which is 4,000sq km big and 400m thick, is nothing short of staggering. After all, it’s said to be three times the size of New York City, and over double the size of Greater London.

But more importantly, the trip left me with a commitment to sustainable living and a renewed passion to save this unique ecosystem and our beautiful planet.

Time is running out, unfortunately, and that’s what drove me to see Antarctica. As it happens, it’s now almost impossible to see polar bears in the North Pole. Not acting now will come at our peril.

**For more photos of the expedition, check out the media gallery below.