Today, Condé Nast Traveler’s Matthew Buck is in Antarctica to see what life is like on the most remote continent on Earth. A stay in Antarctica is a rare opportunity filled with once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Join Buck as he enjoys the hospitality of Ultima Oasis Camp, covering all bases from how to get there to exploring the ice caves and meeting Adélie penguins.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00We've landed in a landscape virtually unchanged since the Ice Age.
00:05A plateau of thick crunchy snow flanked by 30 metre high white cliffs
00:10dancing with vivid blue veins at the edge of the inky ocean.
00:15Immediately a line of emperor penguins breaks away from their distant colony.
00:20They're snaking their way directly towards us to investigate.
00:24It is very unlikely that these birds have ever seen a human before
00:28but their curiosity is somewhat relentless.
00:32I'm Matthew Buck and I'm in Antarctica, about as far out of reach as it gets.
00:49After a five and a half hour flight from Cape Town in an adapted cargo plane
00:54we land on a three kilometre long ice runway
00:57where we quickly change into our polar gear.
01:00It is already minus ten.
01:02We drove across the brightest white landscapes
01:05that meet on the far horizon the bluest of blue skies.
01:0925 minutes later we arrive at the ultimate oasis camp.
01:14The camp consists of four buildings and our building is called Storm Petrel.
01:20And after the bird we will see glimpses of flying over the camp.
01:26The sun doesn't set here at this time of the year.
01:29It just dips into a semi-twilight from 9pm to midnight
01:33changing the landscape from blue and white to pale pink, lavender and orange.
01:39Four layers on and everything bar my eyes are covered.
01:42We hike to the cliff tops revealing a breathtaking view of the frozen sea.
01:47It is 75 kilometres to the closest moving water from here.
01:51This feels like we are on a completely different planet.
01:55Our host greets us with an icebreaker, a Paloma.
01:59Possibly the best one I have ever been served.
02:02We ate perfectly barbecued fillet of beef, roast carrots with sesame seeds
02:07and all paired with some truly excellent South African wines.
02:11Three courses every night and a different menu each day.
02:16Today's starter is tempura sardines with a beautiful lemon aioli
02:22as well as a beetroot and avocado mousse.
02:25I did not expect the food in Antarctica to be this excellent.
02:30Our guide Ethan is taking us to the ice cave today.
02:34It's a hike over ice fields, rock strewn landscapes
02:38and quite a climb down a cliff to reach the edge of the frozen sea.
02:42We arrive at the mouth of the ice cave as we make our way through the colour changes.
02:47We start at white and hit every imaginable shade of blue.
02:51These ice tunnels are formed by melt water flowing through them
02:55and are not static features, they are dynamic, they change year to year.
02:59You can walk in and out and kind of get lost in this really magical landscape.
03:03As we are ushered forward the passage narrows considerably
03:07and my dormant claustrophobia awakens.
03:10So I return to the white light at the mouth of the cave.
03:14Here I'm greeted by five Adelaide penguins.
03:17The rules here are to always keep a minimum of five metres away from the birds.
03:22They were not however making it easy.
03:25This feels wildly surreal.
03:28I'm drinking in everything again and again
03:31and I realise how rare this opportunity is.
03:34Upon our return I head to the traditional Russian banya at the camp
03:38replete with dried eucalyptus branches and a schvitz hat.
03:42Later in the year the frozen lake right outside
03:45will thaw just enough for guests to take an ice cold plunge.
03:49Fortunately, I am too early.