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Travel Ushuaia | Cruises | DIY Options | When to go | What to take and wear |
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Ushuaia...bay towards the end! The first expeditioners to arrive in Ushuaia found that the local Yamana people referred to the area as "Ouchouaya", when refined by missionaries this became the modern name of Ushuaia. To the local people of the time, "Ouchouaya" meant "bay towards the end". Ushuaia is the point from which most of the cruise ships leave for Antarctica. The southern most city in the world, Ushuaia backs onto the beautiful national park of Tierra del fuego in the North and the Beagle Channel leading to Drake's passage in the south.Tourist info The two tourist offices of Ushuaia can be found at San Martin 674 (week days 8:00 to 22:00 and at weekends 9:00 to 20:00) and at the local harbour (8:00 to 18:00). Staff speak English, Spanish, German and Italian and are most helpful with organizing local activities. Email: muniush@tierradelfuego.org.ar Phone: 00 54 2901 432000 Fax: 00 54 2901 424550 Activities Many activities are available in and around Ushuaia. Out of town you can take a guided climb up to some of the glaciers, go horse riding, mountain biking, and take day cruises to nearby seal and penguin colonies. In town you can visit Ushuaia jail, military prison and naval museum at the Naval Base at the end of San Martin. Eating Along the main strip of San Martin there are many small cafes, bars and restaurants offering a mix of traditional Argentine dishes and western fast food. As you may expect, having easy access to the open ocean, the seafood restaurants offer fantastic dishes. The one which stood out from the crowd for me was Volver at Maipu 37. Sleeping Four and five star hotels are rapidly appearing in and around Ushuaia but there are many other cheaper alternatives for the budget traveler too. Alba's House comes highly recommended, homely feel, clean rooms, 15 minute walk to the town center. You can find a useful street plan of Ushuaia here. Local information contact details | Top |
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CruisesThis is the means by which I made my trip to the Antarctic, aboard the M/S Explorer. I can therefore only speak of my personal experience aboard this particular ship.Onboard accommodation was very good with cabins ranging from modest bunk bedded quarters in the bow of the ship to double bedded suites on the main deck. All food and drink was of excellent quality and never ending, more often than not I was rolled from the table due to over ingestion. Do not be fooled by the word "cruise". These cruises do not sport the cabaret evenings and discos of Caribbean cruises. On the 48hr crossing to the Antarctic continent you are educated about the flora, fauna, geography, geology and history of the region by the on-board lecturers. Evenings are spent socializing with the captain and expedition staff. Once you reach the continent your choice of cruise ship suddenly becomes a key issue. Had you chosen to sail aboard one of the large cruise liners with up to 500 people you would now be kicking yourself. Laws state that tourist companies may only land 100 people at any one place at any one time on the continent. Now if you travelled aboard the M/S Explorer or other small ship your entire party can land at once. This means quite simply that on-board a smaller ship you are guaranteed many more landings throughout your trip - for me this is a real selling point. Antarctic cruise companies | Top |
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DIY OptionsI believe it is possible to hitch a lift to the Antarctic with the Chilean Navy. From time to time they stop off in Punta Arenas to pick up supplies to deliver to the Chilean bases at the north of the peninsula. These ships are somewhat sparse in luxury and it is thus advisable to take on board anything you might need including a few food supplies. Unfortunately you cannot find out much about these ships unless you are actually in Punta Arenas, not even there do people know exactly when the next ship may arrive/depart so it is a bit of pot luck if you succeed (if you do succeed however, you are guaranteed the trip of a lifetime).Travel by sail boat as in the picture and you will need to be a most able mariner, it is far outside my remit to advise on this method of reaching the Antarctic, although I can guarantee this would be the most satisfying and exciting. Top |
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When to goAll cruises run during the austral summer (it's somewhat more pleasant than the polar night!). Tour season runs mid November to the end of February however high season starts late December until early February.What you are likely to see: Nov-Dec This is when the pack ice begins to break up after the polar winter. An exciting time to travel as the Captain will have challenging routes to pick through the breaking ice.
Antarctica's warmest months.
This is the end of the Antarctic summer. (This when when I travelled to the region)
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What to take and wearThe key to regulating body temperature whilst in the Antarctic is wearing many thin layers and keeping dry. If you are wearing several layers you can peel one off at a time when you get hot and put them back on when you cool off, this is a lot better than wearing one thick woolly jumper.Head A good woolly hat and scarf for when you are standing around on the beach or standing at the summit of one of the hills on shore. (see picture for appropriate headwear) Sunglasses are also a must to ensure you don't suffer snow blindness. Upper body As mentioned, wearing many thin layers makes it easier to regulate body temperature and keep comfortable. Normally a good quality windproof, waterproof overjacket will be supplied onboard but please check with your tour operator before departure. A small pac-a-mac is handy for the warmer days. Lower body Loose, easy drying trousers are best. Items of clothing like jeans absorb a lot of water and take a very long time to dry so are not advised. Good quality waterproof trousers are a must for wet days and going ashore in the zodiacs. Footwear Good fitting rubber boots with thin under socks and thick woolen oversocks are best. You will not be hiking for huge distances and rubber boots with good soles give the best protection and grip on the snow. Hands Good gloves and a pair of thermal under-gloves are essential. With the under-gloves you can still take pictures with gloves on without freezing your fingers to the camera casing. Camera Plenty of films! You don't want to run short while on ship, although our ship carried a small supply of films, I wouldn't rely on all ships carrying an unending supply. Faster film is suitable, around ISO200. A UV filter and polarizing filter will also come in handy. Top |
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