Epic Antarctica Combos
An Antarctic cruise is a once in a lifetime experience but that doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be made even better. We’ve put together just some of the spellbinding combinations which will take you to some of South America’s most dramatic sights.
Many ships depart from Chile or Argentina, so Patagonia, the region that straddles the deep south of both countries is the perfect add on to your great Antarctic adventure. Bookend the icy territories of your cruise with more epic landscapes: from impossibly blue lakes to towering granite peaks and immense glaciers, prone to launching huge chunks of ice into the waters below. It also feels great to stretch your legs after days on board a ship with a hike on Patagonia’s many famous trails at the end of the Andes.
Imagine a secluded, mysterious island where a salty sea breeze whizzes from crashing surf to slumbering volcanoes, and giant, stoic statues litter a rough landscape. Easter island really can’t help but ensnare your imagination. It’s long abandoned statues and intriguing cave paintings offer a poignant juxtaposition to Antarctica’s vast, unspoilt beauty.
Leave the white expanse of Antarctica and fly up to the mighty Iguazu Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with 275 cascades descending into a sub-tropical rainforest. It’s not hard to see why it’s one of South America’s most beloved attractions. This unbelievable site is home to 450 species of bird, including toucans and parrots and is a must for wildlife enthusiasts who want to be surrounded by the sounds and sights of the jungle. We couldn’t think of a bigger or better contrasting combo for a bucket list trip.
Combine your Antarctic expedition with the world’s greatest party. The incredible Rio Carnival is truly a once in a lifetime experience and luckily for those heading to Antarctica, it happens every February so works well at the end of an Antarctica trip. As approximately 200 million people take to the streets, the already exciting city of Rio takes on a life of its own. Samba pulses and the streets fill with colour from the fantastic costumes and incredible parade floats. Here at Scott Dunn, we can arrange tickets to the Sambadrome for you – the jewel in the Carnival’s crown.
From Antarctica’s seemingly endless, white plains untouched by human hands to an ancient civilisation surrounded by dramatic pine-clad peaks and vertiginous valleys. Machu Picchu is a masterpiece of ancient architecture whose well-preserved temples and terraced plateaus are unlike anything else in South America, let alone Antarctica!
Galapagos and Antarctica are hailed as remote parts of the world where wilderness is king. Both regions feel as though you have stepped back into a land before time, a place where humans rarely tread. Like Antarctica, Galapagos’ wildlife is truly phenomenal and the scenery, which is in this case barren and volcanic, is hauntingly beautiful…so why not combine these two wildly impressive regions on one unforgettable trip?