Despite what I learned as a child, it'sreally not a small world, after all. The world is large. Seeing it takes significant time and effort. I’m not a stranger to the long hauls involved with continent-hopping, but getting to Antarctica was truly a feat. A feat that was every bit worthwhile, but a feat nonetheless.
Perhaps it was because my airport of origin was in Missoula, Montana (trust me, it takes us a little longer to get anywhere from Montana). Perhaps it was because after flying for two days straight, I boarded a ship and spent another two days at sea. Perhaps it was because my excitement was as such a high level that everything seemed to take twice as long as it would have under normal conditions. Or, perhaps it was because of the truth: Antarctica is a long way away from everything.
While en route to Antarctica, I was constantly amazed at the distances I was crossing. As the crow flies, Missoula to Ushuaia, Argentina is 7,508 miles. As planes fly, Missoula to Ushuaia is 10,517 miles. From Ushuaia, the tip the Antarctic Peninsula is another 620 miles.
The Antarctic Peninsula is the tip of the iceberg. While large by itself, the Peninsula is nothing in size compared to the actual continent. Antarctica is massive. It’s a sense of scale that’s impossible to grasp until you’re there. As the Ortelius journeyed southward along the Peninsula, I found myself constantly marveling at the sheer size of my surroundings. Nature has sculpted skyscrapers in Antarctica. It has created glaciers which flow into the sea in a full 360 degree rotation and formed jagged peaks which cast the ship in shadow.
In comparison, our ship was dwarfed by the landscape and those of us who called it home were smaller still. One of our guides said it best: “Antarctica makes you realize how insignificant you truly are, and it’s a good feeling.”
The agent had great response to questions and coordinated well to create an itinerary that met our expectations.
Bob Sunshine
1 day ago
Very responsive to all questions
Teresa Cardoso
2 days ago
Kelly and Rhenee were excellent to work with on planning our trip. The logistics all worked smoothly and everyone was friendly and on time. Our accommodations were very good, particularly the incredible Patagonia Camp in Torres del Paine! Our guides on every excursion were outstanding and made the hikes memorable! Overall we had a wonderful trip with incredible memories!
Scott Gibson
2 days ago
Adventure Life is definitely a first-class safari tour company, and our representative was Franny Friesz. First of all, she responded immediately after we contacted Adventure Life. We told Franny that we had never been on a safari, and she was more than eager to offer a mountain of information about the trip. She informed us fully about all the ups, downs, and all arounds! She even prepared a number of packages for us to review -- even after we made changes to the areas we wanted to explore. Friendly, helpful, professional, and extremely knowledgeable -- these words describe Franny, and what a wonderful trip she prepared! We couldn't have asked for better service than Franny of Adventure Life. We HIGHLY recommend her and her outstanding company! Bon Voyage!
Prima Burke
3 days ago
The staff at Adventure Life made planning my family's trip to the Galapagos Islands as easy as possible. They listened to what we were hoping to experience and made thoughtful suggestions about how to accomplish our vacation goals while meeting the needs of travelers ages 17-76! They patiently answered questions and follow up questions in the months leading up to the trip. They helped us trouble shoot and customize the trip in every way possible. The logistics involved in traveling from Boston to the Galapagos are innumerable. The Adventure Life staff helped us arrange every detail and the team they assembled in the Galapagos was tremendous. I have never done a trip this big before and after working with Adventure Life this time--would not hesitate one second in working with them again.