Antarctica – Page 2 – Don't Stop Living

10 Places I LOVE Which Aren’t Even In The Lonely Planet!

Posted on July 6, 2013March 15, 2024 by Jonny Blair

I use the Lonely Planet Guide Booksquite a lot when I travel and I like them. Usually they are correct, mostly they are useful but sometimes they are horrendously wrong and ill-informed. As soon as they go to press they are out of date, as prices go up, bus timetables change, visa regulations change etc. However today I’m going to do a post about 10 places I really enjoyed which weren’t even mentioned in the Lonely Planet – (at least not in the editions I had or at the times I visited). This is the real “lonely planet” guide – places so far off the beaten track, even the Lonely Planet doesn’t know they exist! We start off in lonely Poatina…who on earth goes there?

1. Poatina, Tasmania, AUSTRALIA
I’ll never really know why life took me to the mountain village of Poatina in Tasmania but it did. I lived in my tent up in the mountains back in 2010. At the time I was working on broccoli farms nearby. I can understand why Poatina isn’t in the Lonely Planet, however it’s a cool village that I can say I’ve lived in. Alcohol isn’t allowed or sold anywhere (unusual for Australia), the village offers great views, has decent wildlife (saw deers, wallabies, Tasmanian devils and possums there) and virtually closes down after 5pm.

living in a tent in poatina — Relaxing by my tent in Poatina, Tasmania, Australia. Great mountain views!

There’s not even a shop open! The entrance sign to the village reads “the way life was meant to be”, I don’t quite buy this definition but it’s worth checking out. They even have postcards and a communal village barbecue.

poatina general store — The General Store in Poatina. It’s not in the Lonely Planet, but I loved it…

2. Shinying/Sinying/Xinying, TAIWAN
How Shinying has missed out in featuring in the Lonely Planet I’ll never know. It is a massive city and in fact houses some of the government offices for the entire Tainan County (even with former Taiwan capital Tainan in the same county). I visited Shinying in 2009 and used it as my base while bacpackng round the island. My best mate Neil Macey spent a year or so living there. The city has its own train and bus stations and is well connected to other places such as Chiayi, Tainan and Kaohsiung.

shinying taiwan — Backpacking in Shinying! Where? Some massive city in Taiwan…

Shinying itself has several decent temples, a swan lake, a sugar refinery, a top class night market and a few relaxing parks. It’s a big and busy city. From a personal perspective it has extra meaning for two reasons, the first is that Shinying reignited my spark for travel back in 2009 when I was at a low ebb. The second reason is that the cover photo for my blog Don’t Stop Living was taken there! The picture of me with that globe that you might have seen, well it was taken by my travel buddy Natalja while backpacking in Shinying. Well worth a visit.

swan lake taiwan sinying — At Swan Lake in Shinying, Taiwan. The Lonely Planet missed it out…

3. Santa Ana Alta, COLOMBIA

A paradise in the Colombian mountains, a two hour bus ride north east out of Bogota, Santa Ana Alta was my home for a few days. A great farming area with sparse fields, great views, countryside walks, wildlife, nature and away from the madness of the big city. Travel bliss. I stayed with my mate Julio on his farm here and loved it!

4. Danxiashan, Guangdong Province, CHINA
I could list over 20 Chinese towns and villages I’ve visited that the Lonely Planet doesn’t even cover. That’s kind of obvious though, as China is the world’s most populated country and you can’t quite cover it all. Of the places that aren’t in the Lonely Planet, I’d say the World Heritage Site at Danxiashan was the most remarkable. A National Park with rivers, mountains and odd rock formations that has endless outdoor activites, hikes and remoteness. Foreigners don’t really go here. In fact my reports on it on this blog are probably the most informative stories you can get on Danxiashan in English on the internet (happy to be proved wrong by the way!). Interestingly there are sexual parts rocks – A Vagina Rock and A Penis Rock !

sunset in danxiashan — Sunset in the Danxiashan Mountains of China. Just outstanding!

5. Jougla Point, ANTARCTICA
Hidden away shyly and completely overaud by the presence of Port Lockroy, Jougla Point sits un-noticed in Antarctica. I was delighted when I learned on our trip we would be visiting it. It’s part of Wiencke Island which sits along the Antarctic Peninsula. In terms of sightseeing, it offers great penguin and cormorant watching and a nice view over to the British Base of Port Lockroy.

6. The Samade Buddha, Kurenegala, SRI LANKA
I was shocked that the Lonely Planet didn’t include this one to be honest. It’s a fantastic Buddha which towers over the town of Kurenegala. OK so Kurenegala isn’t the most picturesque or touristy Sri Lankan town, but it’s still a nice place to go backpacking in. Head up to the Samade Buddha which so obviously overlooks the town and enjoy the views. Take your shoes off and go inside. A Buddha that is really worth seeing!

samade buddha kurunegela — The Samade Buddha overlooking Kurenegala in Sri Lanka – off the beaten track.

7. Juquitiba, BRAZIL
Juqitiba is a rural area consisting of rainforests, rivers and fields. And while local people live here and refer to it as Juquitiba, the Lonely Planet doesn’t seem to feature it. It’s a great place for outdoor activity. We went white water rafting there and loved it. It’s about 2 hours drive outside of Sao Paulo.

white water rafting in juquitiba brazil — White Water Rafting in Juquitiba in Brazil!

8. Osterweddingen, GERMANY
Life parties away in Osterweddingen in the former East Germany but nobody else notices. I was staying there with my old workmate Rene who grew up in this remote village. I got invited to a local dinner, where Rene’s Dad was hosting a party as part of a local council event. This was just an amazing few days to be honest. I was eating with the family and staying in their house. Commercialism has yet to really influence Osterweddingen, though nearby thriving Magdeberg is your best bet for a big city of Sightseeing. Osterweddingen doesn’t have a train station but can be reached by bus.

not in lonely planet osterweddingen — In 2007 I ended up in Osterweddingen in Germany. Where?

9. Blandford Forum, ENGLAND
This is a typical English country town, which has been made famous because of the massive army baracks there. While living in nearby Bournemouth, I had a mate who was working in the army camp there and visited the town a few times. The central streets are pretty, there’s a nice church, market stalls and it had England’s first ever 24 hour pub. The Railway Tavern in Blandford Forum was where I enjoyed my first ever legal pint at 4am, back in 2008.

blandford forum railway hotel — With my friend Gemma at the Railway Hotel in Blandford Forum, a few moons ago…

10. Comber, NORTHERN IRELAND
Comber is where my Mum is from. She was born there and she grew up there. It’s an excellent Northern Irish town which typifies a lot of the country’s appeal. Hard working people, a proud square and a good farming lifestyle make Comber a special place. This is also the birthplace of the man who designed the Titanic! Yes, Thomas Andrews was from Comber. The town is also famous for its very tasty potatoes. I love eating them with butter, you should try them out – Comber Potatoes.

jonny blair in comber county down — Relaxing in Comber with my Mum and Dad on a rare trip back to my home country of Northern Ireland. This place isn’t in the Lonely Planet!

I could actually go on for a bit longer on great places I have been that don’t feature in the Lonely Planet books, but 10 is a nice number for now. Perhaps I’ll do another post on it at sme point. If you really want to see the world and experience it as a lonely planet, then yes you need to head to places that “aren’t even in the lonely planet”. Safe travels one and all.
My videos:
Shinying:

Poatina:

Santa Ana Alta:

Juquitiba:

Blandford Forum:

Comber:

Posting A Postcard✉️📮From Antarctica🇦🇶at Port Lockroy🇬🇧

Posted on June 23, 2013September 3, 2024 by Jonny Blair

If you follow Don’t Stop Living, you might have read that I write and post my youngest brother a postcard from almost every new city and country I visit. If I can’t find a postbox or post office, I just wait until the next town and then post it. My favourite postcard memory so far to my brother Danny was posting a postcard from Antarctica at the British Base of Port Lockroy.

postcards at port lockroy — Arrival at Bransfield House at the British Base of Port Lockroy in Antarctica where I posted a postcard.

We arrived at Port Lockroy after a quick trip to Jougla Point and I was ready to explore this British Base in Antarctica. After a walk round the museum at Bransfield House and getting a few photos, I headed to the shop which doubles up as the world’s southernmost post office. I bought some stamps which had the Queen’s head on them, were Antarctica stamps and I paid in British pounds! Amazing. They say on them British Antarctic Territory.

posting and writing postcards in antarctica — Writing my postcards at the Post Office in Port Lockroy, Antarctica.

Then in a room next door there is a table where you sit down and write them. I also posted one to my flatmates in Australia, my workmates in Australia and my mate Steve in New Zealand (plus one to a girl who is not worth the breath anymore).

posting postcards in Antarctica — With some of my postcards at Port Lockroy, Antarctica.

The sheer madness of it all – being in Antarctica and then sitting down writing a postcard. Then posting it. Just another great travel moment. I urge you all to start posting postcards – my brother now has around 150 postcards, all posted by me from over 50 countries round the world.

post office port lockroy — The post office and shop at the British Base Port Lockroy in Antarctica.

It was also on remembrance day (11th November 2010) so my trip to Port Lockroy had an extra sentiment to it. I loved it.

post office at port lockroy — My ship mates writing and posting postcards from Antarctica at Port Lockroy.

port lockroy postcard — A postcard from Port Lockroy – the world’s southernmost post office.

As I paraded with my Northern Ireland flag at the entrance and by the flying UK flag (Union flag), I sat with penguins just marvelling at the epic white background.

port lockroy postbox — By the post box at Port Lockroy, a British Base in Antarctica.

norn iron flag in antarctica — Flying the Northern Ireland flag in Antarctica at Port Lockroy by the British flag.

Moments like this don’t last forever and we were soon back on the ship again. I’m glad that I can add posting a postcard from Antarctica to my travel stories. Safe travels one and all.

Here are a few of my videos from Port Lockroy:

The Post Office at Port Lockroy, Antarctica:

Writing postcards at Port Lockroy in Antarctica:

Remembrance day at Port Lockroy in Antarctica:

jonny blair went backpacking in antarctica

Backpacking in Antarctica🇦🇶: My Top 5 Moments!

Posted on June 16, 2013September 3, 2024 by Jonny Blair

It’s almost three years since I went backpacking in Antarctica, and though I’ve written about 40 articles about it already, I haven’t yet done an actual “Top 5”. The main reason for this will be that I tend to write about each part separately, but also that every moment of the trip was a highlight and worthy of a “Top 5” position. However I’ve realised thanks to my post on eTramping recently that people are actually interested in visiting Antarctica so here’s a new post on it to fill you all in! These are my Top 5 moments from backpacking in Antarctica.

First up, here’s the two posts on how I backpacked my way to Antarctica and how you can book a cheap trip to Antarctica. Now for my top 5 moments. Antarctica is an incredible place, so a top 5 is harsh on those places omitted, but here goes…

1. The British Base, Port Lockroy, Wiencke Island

The British Base at Port Lockroy just had to make my top 5 for so many reasons. Firstly, being Northern Irish, I’m actually British myself and therefore the political, personal and sentimental aspect of it all. Seeing the union flag flying against a backdrop of snow, penguins and a milky white sky was just phenomenal. It was also slightly special just because our visit was on remembrance day – 11th November. So we had a minute’s silence for the fallen war heroes and deaths of yesteryear on a quiet, cold morning.

port lockroy antarctica — Arrival at the British Base in Port Lockroy in Antarctica

At Port Lockroy there are a few buildings, one of which is Bransfield House. Once the British Base, this is now a Museum. Inside there is a full gift shop, and even a post box and a room for writing your postcards. In essence this is the world’s southernmost Post Office. I was totally moved and inspired by it.

My full post on Port Lockroy is here: Port Lockroy Antarctica

2. Hiking up Cuverville Island

This was more than just a hike, and there were smiles all round as we docked off the coast of Cuverville Island. We boarded our Zodiacs and headed to land, at a remote and tranquil beach only penguins could make a home of. Staring up there was a “peak” which we would be walking through the tick snow up to.

antarctica cuverville — Our group hiking up Cuverville Island in Antarctica, zig zag style

It didn’t take too long to get to the top and it was quite an amazing walk. We walked in a zig zag pattern, led by John Kernan. On arrival at the top it was simply a feast for your eyes. The views down on a world of white and blue were nothing short of spectacular. We threw snowballs, dived in the snow and rolled our way back down.

cuverville island — The immense views and freedom from the top of Cuverville Island in Antarctica

My full post on Cuverville is here: Hound of the Cuverville

3. Landing on Mainland Antarctica at Neko Harbour

No trip to Antarctica would be complete without stepping on the actual mainland. As if the islands are fake, the real Antarctic moment for me came with my first step onto land at Neko Harbour.

northern ireland flag in antarctica — Loving the wilderness of my arrival onto the Antarctic mainland at Neko Harbour, with my well travelled Northern Ireland flag.

You have to pinch yourself sometimes and yes we really did it. We really stepped on Mainland Antarctica – the same land mass as the South Pole.

A world of glaciers, never ending snow and beauty lay in front of us. Again we dived into the snow, walked on the beach and enjoyed the calm blizzard that made our visit slightly more typical and authentic. Neko Harbour will never be forgotten. It’s my favourite travel moment.

My full post on Neko Harbour is here – Neko Harbour Antarctica

4. Going Swimming at Whaler’s Bay in Deception Island

Deception Island has its glory moments and you will never forget this “C” shaped enigma of an island, which doubles up as an active volcano. We saw an airport hangar, an old whaling station and were almost blown away at Neptune’s Window. However the highlight of Deception Island was definitely going swimming at Whaler’s Bay. A hot Kahlua and cream plus an “I’ve swam in Antarctica” certificate awaited all those who braved the waters.

I went in with my Northern Ireland flag and shorts and got a bit cold and naked in the waters. I loved it.

My full post on Swimming is here – Naked in Antarctica

5. First landing at Barrientos, Aitcho Islands

While the above four moments were all unique and special, you could say the best moment was the actual arrival in Antarctica. My venue for my first ever footsteps onto this continent was a small island known as Barrientos. It belongs to the Aitcho Islands group.

barrientos antarctica jonny blair — Yeah baby – arrival in Antarctica at Barrientos in 2010. One of my best travel moments from a decade of nomadery.

The main attractions there are snow, penguins and seals. In fact I was blown away by it. Literally – a snowstorm welcomed my arrival on the world’s coldest continent and I loved it. A special memory.

My full post on Barrientos is here – One small step for Yer Man

If you want to see all my Antarctica posts, then head here: Backpacking in Antarctica.

I’ll leave you with my videos from these top 5 places when backpacking in Antarctica. If you haven’t been yet – get it on your list. I still frown at travellers who think travelling is a weekend a Paris, a month in Thailand or 2 weeks in New Zealand. Get out and see the real world folks! What are you waiting for? Don’t forget, I backpacked my way to Antarctica by working my ass off on farms, anyone can do it!

Backpacking in Antarctica: Port Lockroy

Backpacking in Antarctica: Cuverville

Backpacking in Antarctica: Neko Harbour

Backpacking in Antarctica: Polar Plunge at Whaler’s Bay

Backpacking in Antarctica: Barrientos

10 Things You WON’T find in Antarctica🇦🇶

Posted on May 14, 2013September 3, 2024 by Jonny Blair

I mention Antarctica quite a lot on here, mostly because it’s by far the most incredible place I have ever been. I loved the peace and tranquility of it, the fact there are no offices, no murders etc. So here is a list of 10 things you WON’T find in Antarctica! In case you wondered…

1. Polar Bears

It’s a common myth that there are polar bears in Antarctica. There are zero. Nought. None. Zilch. Nein. They don’t live here. Polar Bears are all living in the north of planet earth in the Arctic, NOT Antarctica. However one of the funniest questions asked on our Antarctica tour was by Canadian guy Stevie who said “If you take all of the polar bears from the North Pole and put them at the South Pole, would they know the difference?” It would cost a lot of money and time to carry out that experiment, but I’d be keen to know the answer.

2. Skyscrapers

This ain’t a continent for idiots dressed in suits working in posh multi storey office blocks. Leave your briefcases and posh cups of coffee at home – this is the real world! Antarctica has no time for skyscrapers. In fact they’d probably not last too long in this climate! Just as well.

northern ireland flag antarctica port lockroy — Flying the flag near Bransfield House at Port Lockroy. Thankfully this is the nearest Antarctica will get to a skyscraper.

3. ATMs

Who needs money when everything is free? Free hiking, free visas, free views, free entrance, free spirit…oh the land of wonder. There are no cash machines here. Forget about commercialism, enjoy the landscapes. For the few souvenir shops they have you can use US Dollars, and bring British Pounds to spend at Port Lockroy for the novelty of it.

4. DickMonalds (McDonald’s)

no mcdonalds in antarctica — 10 Things You Won’t Find in Antarctica: McDonalds

Enough said. You don’t hike to the peak of Cuverville Island and buy a Big Mac. Because you can’t. Just as well – plenty of decent grub on board your ship anyway!

5. Underground Train Systems

There’s no real need for them to be honest, due to the low quantity of people here, and the fact that there is NO capital city, or even any major towns. Add this to the fact that while digging the metro system out, an avalanche of snow wouldn’t be long filling the holes in. “Next Station: South Pole, please mind the gap” has a nice ring to it, but you won’t be getting a train there.

6. A 7 11

If you want to pop off the boat at 11pm for a quick packet of noodles and a tin of Fanta, think again. On my visit to Antarctica in 2010, there were NO 7 11 convenience stores. Nor are there any plans to open on. Ground rent is too high, customer levels would be too low and location is a problem – who wants to spend 2 days delivery a crate of milk and 2 days to get back.

7. Cows

As a person who has worked on a load of farms, milked cows and grew up in a country full of them (Northern Ireland), you will be disappointed to know there are no cows in Antarctica. I reckon it’s due to the cold climate and lack of grass, but I could be wrong.

8. Human Murders/Homicides

While there might be sea animals killing each other, this is the only continent without human murders. Nobody gets done for homicide in Antarctica. I’d even guess there isn’t a Majistrates Court, a prison or a guillotine. This is purely the most peaceful, beautiful continent imagineable. How humane and incredible.

graveyard in whalers bay antarctica — Some gravestones I visited in Whaler’s Bay in Antarctica. These guys died of natural causes. There are no human murders here.

9. A National Football Stadium

I’m a massive football fan, but sadly Antarctica is not an actual country, nor are they affiliated with FIFA. They have never qualified for the World Cup, nor staged a football match. In fact the only continent never to have fielded a team in the World Cup is Antarctica. Every match was called off due to poor weather conditions. It’s hardly a surprise I mean you wouldn’t be able to see a white ball against a backdrop of glaciers.

football in antarctica — There is no national football stadium in Antarctica, this is Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland

10. Tramps Asking For Money

It just doesn’t happen in Antarctica. You don’t stand taking photos of penguins and have a guy shove an old cap in front of you saying “you wouldn’t spare me a few quid for a boat back to Argentina please”. I’d say this is the only continent bereft of tramps!

So there you go folks – those are 10 things you WON’T find in Antarctica, but take my advice and get out there and see it! It’s an amazing continent and the best place I have been. Here’s my tip on how to book a cheap trip to Antarctica.

Of course I could be wrong with this list of 10 things you won’t find in Antarctica. If you’ve been there and found one of these please let me know!

Stay safe and happy travels!

I’ll leave you with 1 of over 100 of my videos from Antarctica, the rest can be found on my Antarctica YouTube channel!

How To Book A Cheap Trip to Antarctica!🇦🇶

Posted on April 8, 2013September 4, 2024 by Jonny Blair

getting a cheap trip to Antarctica a lifestyle of travel — How to book a cheap trip to Antarctica! Enjoying the freedom of the cold continent a few years ago!

This post has been a while in coming believe me and I’m about to reveal the cheapest way for a traveller or a backpacker to get to Antarctica without working on a ship or working in Antarctica. This is how to book a cheap trip to Antarctica as a traveller and backpacker. You can do it, and you SHOULD do it. Antarctica is the best place I have been so far.

But before I go into detail, you should know that this trip was always a huge dream of mine and I find it hard to believe now, that I did it. Years of planning and research also went into it. I remember being bored in my tent in Poatina one night and I had my Wireless Internet connected and I started to look up what might be the best Antarctica cruise or the Antarctica backpacker option.

Beach on Barrientos Aitcho Islands Antarctica cheap trips to Antarctica — Arrival on Barrientos Island in Antarctica. I worked bloody hard for this trip, but I’m here to tell you how to get it even cheaper!!

Yes indeed, you may have read my story of how I lived in a tent in the mountains of Poatina in Tasmania, working 7 days a week and 10 – 12 hour days on farms just to afford my trip to the white continent. Well I lived my dreams and did it. Yes I landed in Antarctica and completed my quest to visit all seven continents. But I didn’t actually do it the cheapest way possible! I booked my place in a cabin on the boat months in advance. I booked it in Melbourne, Australia in April 2010 and ended up going in November 2010. I needed something big to look forward too and I was chuffed when I had it booked and just worked and counted down the days until my adventure. I paid around $5,000 Australian Dollars at the time, BUT that’s NOT how to book a cheap trip to Antarctica…read on…

How can you get to Antarctica for cheap?
OK this is for travelers only, NOT workers or scientists. We know boat staff, captains, expedition staff, waitresses and scientists all go to Antarctica with work all the time, but here’s how to do it as a backpacker.

Five key words: DON’T BOOK ANYTHING IN ADVANCE!

Elephant Island the Pardo head statue — The Pardo Head Bust Statue on the edge of Elephant Island. One of many highlights from my Antarctica Adventure!

That’s right, if you really want to go to Antarctica on the cheap, do NOT book a trip to Antarctica. It makes sense for travel companies, agents and tour groups to have remarkably high prices for these trips and they do! The cheapest tour you will get to Antarctica by booking in advance is probably around $4,000 US and it will be one of the shorter trips. Perhaps only 5 days on the actual continent and 2 days there and 2 days back. That in itself is good but you have it booked already. If you want to do Antarctica on the cheap, don’t book anything. That’s the first step.

How to get your Antarctica trip booked
The second step is this simple – turn up in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego in Argentina in October, November or December and book into a hostel. Spend a few days and nights exploring the world’s southernmost city and walk past the travel agents in the city centre. There are LOTS of them. Go inside and book a last minute trip to Antarctica to leave the next day! Yes, that my friends is how to book a CHEAP trip to Antarctica!!

Ushuaia Tierra Del Fuego Argentina gateway to Antarctica — To get a cheap trip to Antarctica, just turn up in Ushuaia and book it there and then!

If you book yourself on a boat to leave to Antarctica the next day you will get it for as cheap as $3,000 US Dollars! How’s that for a saving!!

This is how it works
Most boats heading to Antarctica are never full. They end up upgrading those already booked and paid, into the larger rooms, which frees up the 3 and 4 bed dorms and cabins on the boats. The travel companies then need to sell these beds in a rush as the departure date nears. It’s all or nothing for them. If the boat is leaving the next day and that bed is empty, they get ZERO $0 US Dollars. That’s why they can offer you a bed in a dorm for around $3,000. That’s why you can get to Antarctica for cheap!

Boarding the MS Expedition for Antarctica in 2010 — Boarding my boat bound for Antarctica in 2010. I got it quite cheap, but you can get it even cheaper!!

So head to Ushuaia on the island of Tierra del Fuego in Argentina and book your trip to Antarctica for the very next day! Or if that boat really is full, you’ll only have to wait a few days. There is always space for more. Antarctica only attracts 30,000 tourists a year (the rest of the visitors are scientists or working there or on boats). It’s not high on most people’s list and it’s not cheap but treat yourself to it and you’ll love it! I paid $5,000 US Dollars (also a special offer at the time) and it was worth every penny or cent. Imagine if you get it for $3,000 US! You will have the time of your life.

If you’re still not sure you want to visit Antarctica, check out my stuff on it…

Here are some of my best memories from Antarctica to get you in the mood for your trip:

1. Arrival in Barrientos
This magical island called Barrientos was my first landing on the white continent so it will never be forgotten. Blizzards and penguins, I was in love.

Barrientos Island, Antarctica — Antarctica Highlights – Barrientos Island

2. Visiting Port Lockroy, the British Base and Museum
A total highlight for me was getting my British passport stamped at the British Base of Port Lockroy. I also posted postcards there from the world’s southernmost post box.

postcard writing in Port Lockroy British Antarctica Base — Antarctica Highlights – Writing a postcard at the British Base in Port Lockroy

3. Landing on Mainland Antarctica
The real highlight was our landing on mainland Antarctica at Neko Harbour. It was just magical!

Jonny Blair flies the Northern Ireland flag on the Antarctic mainland — Antarctica Highlights – Arrival on the Antarctic Mainland at Neko Harbour

4. The Mystical wonder of Deception Island
Shaped like a “c”, Deception Island is a place of wonder. We spent a full day exploring different parts of it including Neptune’s Window, Whaler’s Bay and Telefon Bay.

Whalers Bay Deception Island doing Antarctica on the cheap — Antarctica Highlights – The magical Deception Island

5. Swimming in Antarctica
Yes the water is cold, but I went in for a NAKED dip and loved it. We had our “swim” at Whaler’s Bay in Deception Island. I showed my willy to a load of my crew mates!

Polar plunge swimming in Antarctica Deception Island — Antarctica Highlights – Getting naked in the waters at Whaler’s Bay

6. Happy Hour
The onboard boat had a happy hour on it and I loved taking advantage of it, but I also brought my own beer on to save money and even had a beer on land. Check out my places to drink in Antarctica.

Happy hour in Antarctica cheap drinks in the cold continent — Antarctica Highlights – Happy Hour on the Boat! Loving it!

7. The Drake Passage
Crossing the roughest stretch of water in the world was quite amazing. I loved crossing the Drake!

How to get a cheap trip to Antarctica — Antarctica Highlights – Relaxing on the Drake Passage, just incredible.

8. Hiking up Cuverville
We did a mini hike through the deep snow up to the top of Cuverville Island for an outstanding view. It was simply sensational!

Jonny Blair in Antarctica at the top of Cuverville Island — Oh yeah! The freedom of the world from the top of Cuverville in Antarctica!

So I’ve sold Antarctica to you!! Now all you need to do is head to Ushuaia in Argentina and book your trip on the spot for the next day. It’s not just the quality terrain, landscape and beauty of the white continent…the amount of awesome travellers you meet on board the ship is phenomenal. We even had a massive “cabin party” in our cabin bedroom on the last night! And I met my girlfriend in Antarctica. If I have to go to the bottom of the world to meet the girl for me, it must be a special place. (A story for another day on Don’t Stop Living).

How to travel Antarctica for cheap by Panny Yu — Panny Yu, The travelling Hong Kong girl I met in Antarctica – she knows how to get to Antarctica on the cheap!

So that’s my best memories from Antarctica and my NUMBER ONE tip on how to do Antarctica on the cheap, inspired by my travelling Hong Kong girlfriend Panny Yu who did exactly that. Yes she just turned up in Ushuaia and booked a cheap trip to Antarctica the next day… She’s travelled more than me, and on a tighter budget. Take her advice, live your dreams and head to Antarctica on the cheap!

This post is written by Jonny Blair of course, but inspired by Panny Yu.

One of over 100 videos I made in Antarctica:

Crossing the Drake Passage to Antarctica

World Borders: Crossing The Drake Passage from Argentina🇦🇷to Antarctica🇦🇶

Posted on March 27, 2013September 4, 2024 by Jonny Blair

This latest post in my series of World Borders is WITHOUT doubt the best border I have crossed in my travel repertoire. It is the longest ever border crossing I have done between two countries (yes, MUCH longer than flights), the most exciting and the most inspiring. This my friends is the “dreaded drake”, it’s the roughest stretch of water in the world. It’s the Drake Passage and it separates Argentina and Chile, from Antarctica. Crossing the Drake Passage was magical! This isn’t just a border between countries (and strictly speaking Antarctica isn’t really a country), this is a border between:

– 2 continents

– 2 oceans

– the civilised world and the land where no humans ordinarily alway live

This was an epic trip, and I’m glad to share it again today and include it in my World Borders Series.

Map onboard the Antarctica cruise showing the Drake Passage — We’ve entered the Drake Passage – you can check your location onboard the boat on the screens

How to get from Argentina to Antarctica (crossing the Drake Passage)

There will be more posts to come on routes, travel tips etc. but let’s make things concise here. Book yourself a trip to Antarctica and most likely it will leave from Ushuaia in Argentina. So to get from Argentina to Antarctica, you will leave the port of Ushuaia, first sailing along the marvellous Beagle Channel and secondly entering the Drake Passage. Your destiny my friends is no longer in your own hands. It’s in the hands of the able crew and captain plus the joys that Mother Nature provides the ship with. When crossing the Drake Passage, the ship will rock and it will roll. The tour I booked was with GAP Adventures and they included an onboard itinerary every day of the trip, here’s the one from the main day of crossing the Drake Passage…

Crossing the Drake Passage in Antarctica trip daily bulletin on board. — Our on board itinerary of what was in store for us during the crossing of the Drake Passage

How long does it take to get from Argentina to Antarctica?

On the Drake Passage, it takes roughly two days, but ours was less than that. From the exact moment that you leave the port of Ushuaia until you land in Antarctica on soil will be about 42 – 48 hours. If I remember correctly we left on a Saturday night around 6pm and made our first landing in Barrientos, Antarctica on the Monday afternoon around 2.20pm.

Ushuaia, Saturday afternoon boarding the boat:

Boarding the boat for the drake passage to Antarctica — Boarding the MS Expedition boat in Ushuaia, Argentina before heading on the Drake Passage to Antarctica

Barrientos, Antarctica, Monday afternoon stepping on land:

Arrival in Antarctica after the Drake Passage — After the Drake Passage I made it safely onto land two days later at Barrientos, Aitcho Islands, Antarctica

What Visas do you need to get from Argentina to Antarctica?

Visas are NOT REQUIRED for visits to Antarctica. You can get your passport stamped at the bases you visit, but no passports or documents will ever be checked on landing. You don’t see penguins waiting in booths, or anything remotely political like that. Antarctica is a natural wonderland of sheer bliss. In terms of other things you need then it’s warm clothes and travel insurance. The rest sorts itself out.

Port Lockroy passport stamp Antarctica — No visas are required to visit Antarctica but you can get your passport stamped at the bases. This one was from Port Lockroy.

How rough a crossing is the Drake Passage?

I won’t lie to you – the seas are rough. It’s the roughest stretch of water in the world. But having said that, I didn’t find it particularly rough so perhaps we were lucky. I have spent 2 years of my life working on boats however and I love life on the ocean so that could also be a factor. You’ll have time to relax and enjoy it, or if you do get ill, you’ll be able to just sleep it off. Don’t worry too much. It’s worth going through rough seas to feast your eyes on Antarctica!

Relaxing on the Drake Passage Antarctica — Relaxing on the Drake Passage – plenty of time to take photos like this and enjoy the fantastic views!

How to prepare for the Drake Passage

This is very much an “each to their own” to be honest – do what you feel you need to do for your own health and body – don’t listen to others too much. Generally I don’t get sea sick so I’m not a good person to comment on this. However I did have a one hour headache on the first morning of the Drake. I had drank some cheap wine the night before to toast to the trip with my room mate Mark, so that possibly affected it. Here are a few things I advise (but do your own thing)

– Drinks lots of water and tea.

– Eat lots for breakfast and lunch.

– Don’t move about too much.

– Sleep well.

sunset on the Drake Passage to Antarctica — A sunset on the Drake Passage as the boat shakes from side to side!

– Avoid alcohol if you get remotely sea sick.

– Relax.

There isn’t too much to worry about really and your feelings and illnesses will soon disappear when you see Antarctica for the first time! You will be buzzing!!

Aitcho Islands Antarctica arrival — Any illness you will feeling on the Drake Passage will be soon eased by your first sighting of the land of white! Magical – arrival in Antarctica!

What is there to do while crossing the Drake Passage?

Are you kidding? There is an abundance of things to do!! You will be busy, here are some things you can do:

– head out on deck and go bird and whale watching (amazing views and birds follow the boat, plus fresh air)

Bird watching on the drake passage — Things to do while crossing the Drake Passage? Go bird watching out the side of the boat for some waves and fresh air!

– sleep (you have a comfortable bed to catch up on all that travel sleep you missed out on)

– drink tea and coffee (unlimited free supply on board – I got my money’s worth)

– update your travel blog (I am constantly writing posts for my travel blog. I most most of them offline so I took time during the Drake to write about my recent stuff)

– mingle and mix (get to know everyone on the boat!!!! They’re all fellow Antarctica travellers like you and they’ll be very talkative and have great stories)

– visit the onboard library (ours was a Lonely Planet library – I got lost in there reading about Uruguay for a few hours!)

– visit the swimming pool and gym

– attend all the onboard lectures and documentaries (held in the lounge and highly informative)

Lectures during the Drake Passage crossing — There’s loads of things to do on board the boat – attending the onboard lectures is one!

– have a drink (the bar is open for happy hour and at night – be sociable)

– relax

– plan your next travel adventures

Like I say you won’t be short of things to do or people to talk to and the time will pass by in a flash. It’s a fantastic journey and if you haven’t yet been, get out there and do Antarctica!!! I have about 30 other Antarctica related posts on here and have also guested on these sites writing about it:

Backpacking Spirit

Inspiring Travellers

Almost Fearless Backpackers

It’s the best place by far I have travelled to, just an incredible experience.

My Videos from the Drake Passage (WORTH WATCHING):

First morning on the Drake Passage:

First Day on the Drake:

Second Day on the Drake:

Arrival and first sighting of icebergs in Antarctica:

Thirsty Thursdays: Drinking in Antarctica🇦🇶Top 6 Places For a Beer🍺

Posted on February 28, 2013September 4, 2024 by Jonny Blair

I was thinking about my Antarctica trip recently, and how I managed to drink in 4 different places on the trip (OK I’m cheating as three of them were onboard the boat!!!). But I thought I’d give all you Antarctic bound travellers some tips on how you can drink in Antarctica, yes there is even a bar there, there is even a Happy Hour and drinking in Antarctica is part of the experience to the world’s southern most continent. Here’s my Top 6 places to drink in Antarctica (of which I drank in only 4 of them, as sadly 2 of them we didn’t visit)! One of my favourite Thirsty Thursdays to date.

1. Drinking in Antarctica: On Antarctic land

Drinking beer in Antarctica with my travel mates - Jonny Blair — Drinking in Antarctica: having a beer on Antarctic soil at Admiralty Bay on King George Island with my travel buddies.

OK so strictly speaking this is illegal as you should take only water with you on your treks. But on our last landing in Antarctica, myself and 5 others all took a drink each onto the land to toast to our amazing trip. We chose either wine or beer and burst them open by some rocks near the Henry Arctowski Polish Station at Admiralty Bay on King George Island. It is probably the best place I have ever had a beer. Just there in the wilderness with penguins in behind. A must for drinking in Antarctica!

2. Drinking in Antarctica: Out on Deck!

Jonny Blair Russell Sneddon Mike MacSween drinking in Antarctica — Where to drink in Antarctica – out on deck in a snowstorm!

OK so we were sailing down the Gerlache Strait and were welcomed by an amazing snowstorm. I was sitting in the indoor bar onboard our ship, the MS Expedition when my drinking buddy on the trip, Russell and I turned to each other and said almost at the same time “Let’s go outside for a beer”. It had to be done. We sat out on deck in the snowstorm – Russell in his shorts and flip flops/thongs! We were joined out on deck by Canadian Mike MacSween who even came barefoot! There was no need to keep the beers chilled as it was absolutely freezing! Great place for a beer. Try and get as many from the boat to join you, even if it’s just for 5 minutes or so.

3. Drinking in Antarctica: Onboard Bar at Happy Hour

Happy hour cocktails in Antarctica — Drinking in Antarctica: Don’t miss Happy Hour in the onboard bar!

For the budget travellers this is a great option. Each excursion to Antarctica will of course be different, but ours had a Happy Hour from 5 – 6pm every day in the Lounge Bar. This also coincided with the daily gathering of everyone on board in the lounge to discuss the day’s events and plan ahead for tomorrow. Our ship, the MS Expedition had two onboard bars and alcohol was available normally after 4pm on each day. There were 3 places to buy booze onboard, these were the two onboard bars and the restaurant:

– The Lounge Bar was open from around 4pm – 7pm and had a Happy Hour from 5pm – 6pm. Every day they had a different quirky featured cocktail (e.g. Gentoo Delight, Antarctic Sunrise, Snowstorm etc.)

– The Polar Bear Bar was open from around 8pm until closing time (whenever you wanted to stop drinking)

polar bear bar in MS Expedition — Drinking in Antarctica in the Polar Bear Bar onboard the boat with Frank S. Todd, penguin expert!

Alcohol was also available at dinner, served to you in the onboard restaurant, everything you ordered was added to your bill. There was no payment accepted in cash as far as I remember, they just added everything to your bill and you paid at the end of the trip. Be careful not to get too happy though, as even Happy Hour in Antarctica is more expensive than what you are used to!

Price of alcohol in Antarctica — The Bar menu for our trip to Antarctica to give you a rough idea of prices. However this was 2010!!

Having a beer in Antarctica — How much is a beer in Antarctica? Here’s a price list from 2010!

To give you an idea I’ve included the drinks list from my trip, however this was 2010 so the price will no doubt have increased dramatically since then.

Jonny Blair drinking in Antarctica — Another Happy Hour Cocktail after an epic day in Antarctica!

4. Drinking in Antarctica: Bring Your Own Alcohol

carryout in Antarctica — The cheap option for drinking in Antarctica is bring your own!!

Again the cheapskate option and this is the one I used mostly – even the beer I took onto Antarctic land to drink was bought in Argentina and brought on board. There is no real limit on the amount of alcohol you bring onboard, but if you suffer from sea sickness, please note that the Drake Passage is the roughest stretch of water in the world, so you want to avoid the booze on that part of the trip!

Party in Antarctica — We had a party in our cabin one night – it was a bring your own!!

I brought my own beer and wine and drank it in the cabin or sneaked it into the bar (hardly a big deal considering you’ve paid loads for this trip!!).

5. Drinking in Antarctica: The Bar at the Ukranian Vernadskiy Station

OK this could well be a regret in life, but on our trip we just didn’t make it to the bar or even to the actual Ukrainian Vernadskiy Station, which not only has a cool bar but even makes its own hot pepper Vodka (I’m not even kidding).

Drinking in Antarctica at Vernadskiy base — Drinking in Antarctica: Yes there really is a pub at the Ukrainian Vernadskiy Base!! Photo courtesy of Esquire.com .

The Vernadskiy Research Station is the longest continually running one on the entire continent. It was the British that put the pub there when they owned it!!! We were caught up in a crazy snowstorm off the coast of Petermann Island, and seeing an Argentine Research Station from the boat was the closest we got to the set of Argentine Islands where the Vernadskiy Station sits.

Esquire – Vernadskiy Research Station

Great Blog on Around This World

6. Drinking in Antarctica: A Pint at the South Pole

This would be the ultimate planet earth beer, and we didn’t go that far, but it can be done. It’s costly to get to the South Pole and if you do make it and manage to acclimatise, you will be pleased to know you can have a celebratory tipple, or if you really want to be a cheapskate, bring your own! There was a beer shipped out there last year called Pole Axed!

A beer called Pole-Axed

Having a beer at the South Pole must be a beer drinker’s dream. Sadly I didn’t make

If you have managed to do all six of these I salute you!! I was happy with the four I managed to get in on my amazing Antarctica adventure back in 2010.

How to backpack to Antarctica!

Getting Naked in Antarctica!

A few videos of me including drinking in Antarctica:

Having a beer in Antarctica at Admiralty Bay:

Out on deck in Antarctica:

Arrival on Cuverville Island in Antarctica:

Final night having a beer on the Antarctica boat:

The ones I missed out on:

Someone Else’s trip to the Vernadskiy Bar in Antarctica:

Someone Else having a beer at the South Pole in Antarctica:

The Day I…Got Naked🍌🙈In Antarctica🇦🇶!! (X-Rated)

Posted on January 26, 2013September 3, 2024 by Jonny Blair

Viewing deck of the 'swimming' in Antarctica - onlookers on the eye for a nippy nipple, chilly willy or a polar penis! — Viewing deck of the ‘swimming’ in Antarctica – onlookers on the eye for a nippy nipple, a chilly willy or a polar penis!

I have been asked a few times “What is your most crazy or outrageous travel story?” and to be honest there are a few contenders, however being naked in the waters of Antarctica has to be pretty nuts, right? So have you ever gone for a swim in the Antarctic Ocean? I have, and I got my kit off. Is it cold? Of course!! Was it worth it? Definitely. Here’s my story of the day I got naked in Antarctica! Yes I got my kit off in Antarctica! Often termed as the Polar Plunge!!

The magical Whaler's Bay in Deception Island, Antarctica — The magical Whaler’s Bay in Deception Island, Antarctica

After arriving in the wonderful Deception Island just after dawn, we had a bit of decent sightseeing against strong Antarctic gales. It wasn’t snowing but the wind was kicking up the same kind of storm Oasis did in the 1990s…

Inside a disused aeroplane hangar in Antarctica!

We got to see Neptune’s Window (a natural ‘window’ out to sea, amidst stormy waters and sweeping wind), an old whaling station, an airfield and hangar and ‘runway’ (yes, where the first Antarctica flight flew from!) – this was all at the quite magical Whaler’s Bay.

Jonny Blair in Antarctica - swimming naked at deception island — A lonely naked penguin gasps at the shock of seeing a naked Northern Irishman at Whaler’s Bay in Antarctica!

Once the group had all assembled back on the ‘beach’ after the stroll, it was time to get changed for ‘swimming’! It was no surprise to see Russell Sneddon from Australia going in for a dip first. If the Australians and Irish share something, it could be our total lack of awareness for weather! “Is it cold?” “Who cares? You only live once, we’re going for a swim in Antarctica!” The ‘swimming’ experience was underway. I’d say around 60-70 of us had assembled ready for it, with about half of us willing to go in for a dip. The others on our trip were either on board the boat or kayaking. The makeshift ‘changing rooms’ consist of a rusty remains of an oil drum, or something like that.

Makeshift changing room at Whaler's Bay, Deception Island for going swimming in Antarctica!! — Makeshift changing room at Whaler’s Bay, Deception Island for going swimming in Antarctica!!

The girls changed round the back, and the boys at the front. The penguins were constantly naked. It was well below zero and absolutely freezing. The water, we were told was ‘thermallly heated’ (it wasn’t of course, but nobody cared).

Russell goes in first - an Australian swimming in Antarctica! — Russell goes in first – an Australian swimming in Antarctica!

So in went Russell, then Paul from England, a few others, then my turn. I was dressed in my green Northern Ireland football shorts and carrying my flag.

Me in green shorts, dashing into the cold Antarctic waters for a dip!!

It was so cold but when you are running on adrenalin, you just don’t feel it! In I went, did a wee dance, took my shorts off and jumped naked to the view of my fellow Antarctic travellers.

My naked dip in Antarctica at Whaler's Bay! Satisfying! — My naked dip in Antarctica at Whaler’s Bay! Satisfying!

Literally it would freeze the balls off you. Even Northern Ireland was never this cold in the height of Winter! What the hell was I doing!?

Flying my Northern Ireland flag while 'swimming' in Antarctica. A turning point for me in life. — Flying my Northern Ireland flag while ‘swimming’ in Antarctica. A turning point for me in life.

But suddenly as I came out of the water, I held aloft my Northern Ireland flag and in this odd wilderness miles from civilisation, I smiled to myself. Life felt good again! It was a turning point for me, and some nightmares of yesteryear had been vanquished once and for all. It took getting naked in Antarctica for freedom and enjoyment to come back to me. For slightly personal reasons, life had truly made me happy again.

On the way out, the crew hand all the brave swimmers a towel and we head over to put our clothes back on. This to date is still one of my favourite travel stories to recount and remember. I’d recommend getting your kit off on the white continent!

The photos on here are actually the milder ones, a few chilly willy snaps later made their way onto the Slide Show on the boat and even Facebook! Tracey, Haya and Panny were all on hand to snap me jumping in the buff!

There were a few others on our ship that went naked including Matt, one of the crew and Valerian (actually he had a penguin to cover his iced gem).

A welcome free tipple after the naked swim - a Kahlua and cream! — A welcome free tipple after the naked swim – a Kahlua and cream!

After that we got a free shot of Kahlua and cream as we caught a Zodiac back to our ship. It was a well needed sauna time! It was a case of don’t stop stripping for the travelling Northern Irishman. Antarctica – been there, done that, got my kit off! I highly recommend going for a dip in Antarctica! Do the Polar Plunge! Don’t Stop Living!

I have an X-Rated Video made by fellow traveller and Irish lady Rhona who filmed me dipping naked in Antarctica (I actually didn’t plan to get naked, it just happened on the spur of the moment when I got into the water!!). The video was actually banned by YouTube! I tried to upload it below as well, so if it works, beware as it is X-Rated and contains mild nudity. I’m not talking penguins!!

Naked dip at Whaler’s Bay in Antarctica!

If that link doesn’t work, then it’s on X-Tube!:

X- Tube – naked dip in Antarctica

But to keep things clean, here’s how normal people ‘swim’ in Antarctica:

This post on The Day I got Naked in Antarctica is part of a series of other random “The Day I” stories on Don’t Stop Living – I’m a travelling Northern Irishman living a lifestyle of travel.