There are off the beaten path destinations, and then there’s Antarctica. One of the driest, coldest and windiest places on the planet, the majestic icy wilderness attracts scientists from around the world keen to study the unique environment.
19.07.2023 - 09:43 / cntraveler.com / Sylvia Earle
As our bus bounced down the winding dirt road, through the Mars-like landscape of King George Island in the South Shetland Islands, a cargo container shelter came into view. On the front porch a crowd was gathering, waving eagerly. At first, I thought they might be residents of the Chilean Frei base, which maintains the rudimentary gravel runway on which we just landed. Scientists, perhaps, or support staff that keep the base functional. But then I saw her—the venerable marine biologist Dr. Sylvia Earle, shepherding passengers from Aurora Expedition's Sylvia Earle, the new polar expedition ship that had just completed its first sailing. We were in the midst of switching places: those on the bus about to embark upon our Antarctic adventure, and those on the porch returning home after theirs. Earle had been onboard to christen her namesake vessel.
Across Antarctica, you’ll find no shortage of places, landmarks, and even animals named after women: Queen Elizabeth Land, Una's Peaks, and the Adélie penguin, among them. But it's not a reflection of the many scientific accomplishments by women in the region. It's because the continent has long been dominated by men—men who named things after their sweethearts at home, female benefactors, or, in the case of Una's Peaks, after a secretary's body. (The informal name for the basalt towers at the entrance to the Lemaire Channel, a narrow passage between 3,000-foot mountains that's frequently traversed by cruises, is extremely uncouth.) Fortunately, times are changing, and places and ships in Antarctica are now being named to celebrate women for their accolades.
The Sylvia Earle
In the case of Earle, 87, that list of accolades is monumental. In 1970, she led a two-week stay in the
There are off the beaten path destinations, and then there’s Antarctica. One of the driest, coldest and windiest places on the planet, the majestic icy wilderness attracts scientists from around the world keen to study the unique environment.
Thinking of something a bit…bigger than another beach holiday? We might suggest heading to the remotest points on Earth – literally.
Australia-based cruise line Aurora Expeditions has this week released its inaugural Impact Report. The report is titled ‘Protecting the world’s wild places’ and marks the first of its kind for the expedition cruise line.
For U.S. News & World Report, the road from weekly news magazine to publisher of company rankings has been a long and winding one. The key, though, to its shift toward data-driven ratings of companies and institutions was its 1983 publication of “America’s Best Colleges.”
Dreaming of an expedition to Antarctica? Even at the literal end of the Earth, you don’t need to go without art and culture. MS Roald Amundsen, a 530-passenger expedition ship launching in 2019, will sail to the Poles with a collection of nearly 600 works of art onboard—many chosen by Queen Sonja of Norway.
The esteemed Dr. Beach has released his annual list of America’s top ten beaches, and you’ll want to visit all of them this summer—doctors orders.
In an overhaul of its travel advisory system, the U.S. Department of State recently assigned every country in the world a travel safety rating. The safest places are ranked Level 1, while the places that Americans are advised to avoid are considered Level 4:
Here’s a secret: If you want to visit Europe during peak season without the crowds, take to the ocean. A small-ship sailing tour lets you explore the hidden gems of Croatia, Italy, or Greece, without having to fight traffic or cram yourself on a crowded train.
Holland America Line will launch a 42-day cruise across the Atlantic Ocean and around Europe and the Middle East from Florida next year, inspired by a journey the cruise line took nearly 100 years ago.
It may be hard to believe, but there’s a place in England where the sand is fine and white, the sea is turquoise blue, and the sun shines more than just about anywhere else in the country. In this dream-like place, you can surf, you can sunbathe (and even get a tan), you can hike coastal paths, valleys, and moors, and you can stuff you face with cream teas and pasties. You guess it, Cornwall, England, is a must-see when in Britain. Lucky for you, it’s only a direct train ride away from London.
Exploring the Amazon, the planet’s largest tropical rainforest and freshwater system, is a dream for many, but the costs of joining an organized tour expedition can be prohibitively expensive. Luckily, shelling out thousands of dollars for a spoon-fed expedition is not the only option. In fact, a week of the most thrilling and authentic mode of Amazonian travel — cargo-passenger boats — will probably cost you less than a fancy weekend in Rio de Janeiro.