The Coolest Way To Holiday In Antarctica

Annabel Illingworth journeys to the world’s last great wilderness with White Desert, Antarctica’s first luxury camp.

Adventures In Antartica: Taking On The White Desert

In a world bustling with creativity and colour, it’s profound to find somewhere that values leaving no trace above all else. That’s not to say White Desert Antarctica isn’t beautiful, or that a great deal of thought hasn’t gone into it. It is arguably one of the most carefully designed and orchestrated experiences in the world, operating within the unforgiving interior of this vast icy continent. Here, the team has transformed a giant, blank canvas at the edge of the world into an ode to nature, time and space.

I fly in from Cape Town and when I step onto the blue ice runway, a sense of elation washes over me at the first glimpse of Wolf’s Fang: the majestic tip of the mountain piercing through the ice sheet. As I soak up the stillness and sheer scale, there is great power in the silence.

White Desert’s Echo Base camp sleeps 12 guests in hard-shell pods

The transit lounge features a cosy communal tent and an ice igloo, with ice sculptures by Daniel Primerov and meteorites from Argentina, Sweden and the Libyan Desert on display. Blending art and science, proceeds from the exhibition fund grants through the White Desert Foundation to study microbial systems on Antarctic meteorites, complementing the company’s climate science initiatives. White Desert strives to foster innovation on the continent and was the first operator there to introduce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) produced from waste oils and greases. Alongside guests, staff and cargo, the private planes fly scientists and their equipment, delivering them safely to and from their research stations.

The two camps house just 12 guests each in hard shell pods kept warm thanks to solar panels. Space-age Echo oozes Bond-lair panache, with floor-to-ceiling glass panels gazing over the pure white expanse. The lounge features a geometric infinity mirror installation by Anthony James and an apt glass chessboard. The walls are adorned with photos provided by former astronaut Terry Virts.

On the lunar landscape of the Schirmacher Oasis sits the original Whichaway camp, with its Old World explorer charm. I’m drawn to the small library with its maps and adventure books, to be perused with a dram of whisky after a day out. With the sun never setting, there’s time to relax in the transparent wellness dome, enjoy a massage, or jump in the sauna before a convivial meal accompanied by fine Cape wines.

Activities can include visiting penguin colonies, hikes and ice climbing

As much as possible is pre-prepared before being shipped to the ice shelf at the start of the short season. Fresh goods and laundry are flown in weekly with guests. All water is melted from the ice or collected from the nearby lake for drinking and quick showers. Soaps are biodegradable and all waste is shipped out. Every touch point is considered, blending luxury, efficiency and responsible action.

With no internet for distraction (Starlink is reserved for emergencies), I find myself truly living in the moment. ‘Being out here is transformational,’ founder Patrick Woodhead tells me, ‘even if that is an overused word nowadays. But it also elicits a responsibility for symbiotic existence.’ He has come a long way from his record-breaking explorer days, huddled in a tent during a storm, dreaming of creature comforts and of sharing his passion for the interior with us mere mortals.

What started in 2005 with a few tents has become a sophisticated operation with around 300 guests a season and over 100 staff on the ground. The private runway alone takes days to prepare. The best job is perhaps that of mountain guide, leading daily activities. I feel in safe hands as I strap on crampons and navigate giant ice waves where the sea ice crumples against the continent. Turquoise rivers run along the surface, and the only signs of life are a speckled skua near camp and a surprise encounter with an Adélie penguin, its chest feathers glistening in the light.

Other days bring hikes up nunataks, anchored traverse climbs along striated cliffs, ice climbing and perfect picnic spots. Some guests take a round-trip flight to the South Pole, seven hours each way. I opt for a breathtaking flight to Atka Bay, skirting the fragmented coastline in a turboprop to see the Emperor penguin colony. We’re blessed with blue skies and a magical encounter; a few stragglers remain, most having fledged and gone fishing. Early season offers fluffier chicks, though weather can be harsher with biting winds.

Here, the elements rule. The planet feels wise and self-contained, demanding respect in a way that puts everything into perspective. The search for meaning is replaced by something deeper. A humbling truth emerges: that the world’s greatest masterpieces were never made by us, yet their survival rests in our hands.

BOOK IT

Cookson Adventures offers a seven-night trip to White Desert, including all experiences, three nights at The Silo and Ellerman House Hotels in Cape Town and flights to the Antarctic. cooksonadventures.com

Annabel’s return flights from London Heathrow to Cape Town and Cape Town to Wolf’s Fang had a carbon footprint of 3,102kg CO₂e, ecollectivecarbon.com