As a traveler setting foot on Antarctica for the first time, I was struck by a silence so complete it felt sacred. The landscape stretched out in a breathtaking expanse of white and blue—icebergs the size of cities drifted past like frozen sculptures, and the sunlight danced off the snow with a brilliance I’d never seen before. Every moment felt surreal: watching penguins waddle across the ice, hearing the thunder of a calving glacier, and breathing in the crisp, untouched air. It’s a place that humbles you—wild, remote, and unimaginably beautiful.

Antarctica, a vast and pristine wilderness at the southernmost tip of our planet, is a realm of breathtaking beauty and profound stillness. Its towering glaciers, endless ice fields, and shimmering blue crevasses create a landscape both alien and awe-inspiring. Beneath the silence, life endures—penguins huddle against the wind, whales breach icy waters, and seabirds soar above sculpted icebergs. Unspoiled by human development, Antarctica stands as one of Earth’s last great frontiers, a place where nature reigns in its rawest, most majestic form.

A trip to Antarctica is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. With no permanent human habitation and logistically tricky access, it’s no surprise that the “White Continent” is one of Earth’s most isolated and untouched places.

Like so many of Earth’s most majestic natural landscapes, it’s a place where no amount of flowery language or expertly taken photographs can do justice. There’s nothing like witnessing the breathtaking sight of icebergs and glaciers up close, watching penguin colonies waddle their way down snowy slopes, or whales breach as you kayak through one of the most remote and beautiful places on the planet.

Throughout my nineteen-day expedition voyage with Oceanwide Expeditions, I stepped outside my comfort zone, faced new challenges, and connected with nature in a profound way.

It sounds a bit Woo Woo, but my trip was truly a transformative experience. The type of experience you want to share with anyone that will listen, but also protect at all costs. To visit Antarctica is to become an ambassador for a remote and distant place that most can only dream of experiencing for themselves.

In this post, I’ll go over why you should consider visiting Antartica, how to get to Antarctica from Bangladesh, what to know before you book your trip to Antarctica and some of my favorite Antarctica experiences.

Day 1 – Friday 6th December-2024, Ushuaia, Embarkation day

Today is the day! It is finally time for us to embark upon our epic adventure! In the late afternoon we arrived at our ship, Plancius, our new home for the next twenty days. It has been a long journey for most of us, so we were glad of the warm welcome provided by the Staff and Crew. The day was cloudy cold and rainy but the winds gentle and the sea calm, a good omen for the three weeks ahead of us.

Ushuaia was good to us, some of us spending a few days exploring the area, birdwatching or simply enjoying the last opportunity for the comforting embrace of civilisation before the frigid weather ahead of us.

Boarding was smooth as we trickled in one by one into our new home. Finding our rooms fresh and tidy. Gathered later in the lounge we were introduced to our expedition team and the first officer.

We had to go through the mandatory emergency drill before being treated to some snacks and a customery glass of bubble after meeting our captain and the expedition team for a toast to a successful voyage.

The evening was spent navigating the Beagle channel and wonderous wildlife and landscapes, meeting our co travelers, new room mates and crew members with whom we will form a new happy family throughout the trip.

Day 2 – Saturday 7th December-2024, At sea towards the Falkland Islands

Good morning, good morning, good morning. Our first day on our new home, Plancius, began with a wakeup call from our Expedition Leader, Adam. Every day he used to wake us up through the PA system. This was indeed a unique way he has developed for which he will be remembered by us all.

The little blue ship gently rocked in the waves, with seabirds following us along the way. Breakfast was well-attended, which suggests most people are feeling fine and not too many are suffering from seasickness.

In the morning, we had to go through several mandatory briefings. The IAATO (International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators) provided guidelines on how to behave when visiting Antarctica. The rules for the Falklands and South Georgia are similar, so it was a good introduction to understanding how to respectfully move on land. We also got a brief overview of biosecurity measures to prevent the introduction of alien species into new areas, and to help combat avian flu, which continues to impact wildlife populations—not just birds.

Later, Adam gave us more details on Zodiac operations, so we would be well-prepared for our first outing in the Falklands. After a short rest and a delicious lunch, we were fitted with our boots—the preferred footwear for the trip—followed by an engaging lecture on seabirds by Steffi.

Day 3 – Sunday 8th December-2025, West Point Island and Saunders Island, Falkland Islands

For those that were up early this morning, Plancius was escorted by dolphins as we approached the Falkland Islands. Commerson’s dolphins surfed along the sides of the vessel as the sun rose on misty seas. As we got closer to shore, we also had Peale’s dolphins join the ship and scattered whales were sighted.

Our route to West Point took us through the Wooly Gut. A narrow passage with Black-browed albatross and Magellanic penguins on the shores and in the water. We rounded the last corner of the passage and the settlement of West Point appeared with two small sail boats anchored just off the beach. Thijs and Kiki were at the pier to greet us as we arrived and offered rides to the bird colonies in their Land Rovers. Many of the ducks and geese had ducklings or goslings with them. The gorse created bright pops of yellow on the slopes of the island.

A nice leg stretch over the hill to the far side of the island took us to a mixed colony of Black-browed albatross and Southern rockhopper penguins nestled in tussock grass. Albatross circled closely over our heads with a quick whoosh as they passed. The Southern rockhoppers had tiny chicks tucked underneath their parents. After we had our time at the colony it was time for tea and cake at the house. The table was full of delicious treats prepared by the island caretakers.

The rain picked up as we left West Point and headed back to Plancius for lunch. Luckily conditions cleared just as we arrived at Saunders Island. Gentoo penguins greeted us on a white sandy beach. The caretakers of the island and their adorable dogs met us ashore and enjoyed the sunny afternoon with us. While exploring the island we had the ability to see 4 species penguins: gentoo penguins, king penguins, Southern rockhopper penguins, and Magellanic penguins. Many of the gentoo penguins had two successful chicks tucked in their nests. The Magellanic penguins were coming and going from their burrows on the slope as sheep were grazing nearby – a peak Falkland Islands image. The black-browed albatross colonies were spread out on the slopes on the far side of the island and we had such nice weather that we could walk to them all and have a visit.

Day 4 – Monday 9th December-2024, Stanley, Falkland Islands

Our day began with Adam’s friendly wake-up call as we made our way into Port Stanley, the capital of the Falkland Islands. Gathered on deck, we watched as the Plancius navigated her way through “the Narrows”, a narrow strait leading into Stanley Harbour. We arrived at the jetty via zodiacs in the abnormally calm conditions and were greeted by a few hauled out South American sea lions. We later learnt that these sea lions were harbour ‘locals’ and even give birth to their pups on the jetty later in the season.

Once ashore, our group split up to explore Port Stanley’s attractions. Our bird enthusiasts headed out on some locally guided tours to spot some of the shorebirds and other local wildlife. They were lucky enough to spot the finch, banded plover, the rufous-chested dotterel, and the unique Magellanic snipe, and other species they were eager to tick off their Falkland Islands list.

Meanwhile, the rest of us immersed ourselves in the town’s history (and souvenir stores!). We strolled along the foreshore, admiring the quaint British inspired architecture, the iconic local land rovers driving by, and the shipwrecks that dotted the coast. We visited numerous monuments such as the ‘Whalebone Arch’, which was constructed in 1933 from the jawbones of two blue whales to honor the centenary of continuous British administration in the Falkland Islands. We also viewed the Christ Church Cathedral, which is the southernmost Anglican cathedral in the world; the Saint Mary’s Church, and the Falklands War memorial. We gained a deeper insight into not only the famous war, but local culture and history at the Falkland Islands Museum, which hosted an impressive display of artifacts and exhibits.

And of course, a few pennies were spent in the local string of shops. Many bags were full of the famous locally distilled Falkland Island gin, handmade woollen garments (and balls of wool for the avid knitters!), numerous penguin souvenirs and of course the local diddle dee jam. The poor zodiacs were much heavier on our way back to the ship!

This was the end of the Falklands part of the tour. After a delicious lunch on board, we set sail for our ~ 2.5-day journey to South Georgia. The weather and swell were surprisingly calm, which gave plenty of us the opportunity to enjoy the outside decks and observe the black browed albatross soaring above, and hourglass dolphins swimming below.

We later joined Koen Hoekemeijer in the main lounge where he gave us an insightful and informative talk on photography. He enthusiastically told us all his tips and tricks for our upcoming encounters with wildlife and dramatic scenery.