Many women fear the idea of traveling solo, they worry that it is unsafe, lonely and boring. But did you know that you can travel to Antarctica on your own without all these fears? On my latest trip I was able to visit my seventh continent, and some of Antarctica’s most remote areas with Oceanwide Expeditions onboard the M/V Ortelius on the spectacular Ross Sea Crossing!
TRAVELING SOLO IN ANTARCTICA IS ANYTHING BUT LONELY
Interest in travel to Antarctica steadily increases with each and every year. Most travelers visit via cruise ship companies like Oceanwide Expeditions, or a chartered yacht with other travelers from the world over. Many of your fellow travelers will be solo in Antarctica as well. Not to mention the lifelong friendships you will build with many of your newfound ice-loving chums.
I spent 32 days aboard the M/V Ortelius, which is a very long time to be on a ship. But between all the amazing landings and fun activities onboard with new friends I made from all corners of the world I never found myself lonely. There were 99 other passengers on board aside from myself and 50 crew members. Everyday was a new cycle of events and each day I felt like I met someone new.
ANTARCTICA IS ONE OF THE SAFEST PLACES IN THE WORLD TO TRAVEL SOLO
Many people have apprhresnsions about traveling solo, even to the most world renowned destinations. Traveling solo in Antarctica means that you won’t have to be worried about a lot of the things you’d have to worry about with most destinations. Common concerns such as theft and assault are almost nonexistent here with the utter lack of human beings.
I felt entirely safe among my fellow passengers as we were all there for the same unique experiences. The biggest dangers for traveling in Antarctica include extreme weather conditions and getting too close to a hungry seal. But not to fear, most cruises will send you packing lists upon booking, and expedition staff will always work hard to make sure you are safe and aware of any wildlife nearby.
YOU’LL NEVER BE BORED TRAVELING SOLO IN ANTARCTICA
Between exhilarating landings in remote locations, zodiac cruises between ice floes teaming with penguins and seals, historical lectures on Antarctica’s heroic era, and meals with your new Antarctic friends traveling solo in Antarctica is anything but boring. I mean really, could afternoons with cuddly penguins ever get boring?
NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENTS FOR SOLO TRAVELERS IN ANTARCTICA
Many of you single travelers out there know all too well that many companies penalize solo travelers with charging a single supplement fee. Most all cruise ship companies offering sailings to Antarctica these days no longer charge single supplements. Solo travelers will be paired or tripled or quadrupled up with other solo travelers in rooms generally segregated by gender. Of course those solo explorers wanting a private room always have the option to choose their very own room.
THINK YOU’LL BE OUTNUMBERED BY MEN? WRONG!
Many of the solo travelers you’ll meet in Antarctica are going to be fellow solo females! I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect before I traveled to Antarctica with Oceanwide Expeditions. It was a very diverse crowd aboard the M/V Ortelius. A number of different countries represented, as well as a pretty evenly split male to female ratio. The age spectrum was all over the map, the youngest being onboard was a 21 year old and the oldest a 91 year old, both of whom were traveling solo in Antarctica. One of my favorite travelers I became friends with was the kindest 79-year-old woman from Australia, who every year goes on a polar cruise completely on her own!
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES IN THE WORLD
Antarctica is home to some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. You’ll instantly forget that you came to the seventh continent alone. Some of my personal favorites included the Lemaire Channel, Andvord Bay, Franklin Island and cruising between ice floes crowded with penguins and seals in the Ross Sea. The terrain of the Antarctic will leave you absolutely breathless and forgetting that you came here solo.
ABUNDANT WILDLIFE
Animal lovers rejoice! Antartica is so chock-full of wildlife that you’ll forget you hopped on a plane and jumped on a ship on your own. Penguins, whales, seals and so many exotic birds call the Antarctic circle home it’ll make your head spin. You’ll almost certainly get to have an up close and personal experience with the all-too-curious darlings of the continent: penguins.
I hope you all find this post useful and helps to ease any fear you had about traveling solo in Antarctica. Have you been to Antarctica? Comment your experiences below! Read Next > Camping In Antarctica
By We Are Travel Girls Contributor Nicole Smoot of AdventuresOfLilNicki.com
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These photos are unreal! What an epic experience x
Oh thank you Katy! Antarctica is a special place, so glad I had the opportunity to visit.
yes, we had a fabulous time…you cannot get Antarctica out of your blood…loved Nicole’s company.
(the 79 year old)….
My fave little lady! C’mon you know I’m cold blooded being from Alaska and all, so it’s only natural Antarctica got in there. Can’t wait to hear about your upcoming Arctic cruise, and of course all your photos.
What is the best time to travel there? Any months you should steer clear of?
Most trips go down there during the Antarctic summer between November and March. There are a handful of trips that go in October and April as well. There’s different reasons to go in different months and of course positives and negatives with them. November has lots of ice to see, but it can hinder ability to access some areas. December is usually marked with cute fluffy chicks and humpbacks begin to return. In January the ice is breaking more and allowing access further south, still lots of penguins to see and temperatures are getting warmer. February will see some moulting penguins, the best time to see humpbacks and will be the least amount of ice for the year so many places are accessible. March brings some pretty curious penguin chicks and the sun is beginning to drop below the horizon so you can snap some beautiful photos sunsets and sunrises.
Absolutely awe-inspiring story and photos. Thanks so much for sharing ? ✨
Thanks for reading Farabi. Glad you enjoyed this post, Antarctica is a bucketlist destination for sure! Becky x
Thanks Farabi!
This is absolutely amazing, and incredibly inspiring!! This is such a bucket list item/travel goal for me, and I’m so happy to see it’s possible to do this solo!
Me too Camille! If you ever plan to go, let me know and I will try and jump into your suitcase! Thanks for reading, Becky x