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To find out how to get to the highest, driest, and coolest continent, we visited the Yahoo! Travel destination guide for Antarctica. Detailed information from Lonely Planet, a site "for web monkeys and travel junkies," reminded us that the South Pole was more than a hop, skip, and jump away Qantas Airways of Australia offers Antarctic "flightseeing" tours that depart from Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth during the summer months of the Southern Hemisphere -- December through February, weather permitting. These scenic, 12-hour excursions offer dramatic vistas of icebergs, mountains, glaciers, and extreme emptiness. Actually setting foot on Antarctica demands a bit more expense and planning.
Although Argentina, Chile, and Great Britain all operate Antarctic airstrips, none are currently open to tourists. Consequently, most tourist travel to the South Pole is by sea. You'll cruise aboard vessels ranging from Soviet icebreakers to French yachts and sail from ports like Christchurch, New Zealand; Capetown, South Africa; Ushuaia, Argentina; or Punta Arenas, Chile. According to Lonely Planet, you can expect to spend around $5000 for a typical, two-week cruise. Consult the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, an organization that promotes safe and environmentally responsible private-sector travel, for guidelines and additional resources. If you're thinking of joining the self-reliant international work force who
sign on for stints of South-Pole-style isolation, be sure to read Frequently Asked Questions About Working In Antarctica. Rather than spending your life savings on bunny boots, balaclavas, and multi-layered mittens, you may just decide that Virtual Antarctica is the only way to travel.
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