Abercrombie & Kent Travel Logs
Read about the experiences of Abercrombie & Kent travellers in their own words, and learn what makes an A&K journey so uniquely satisfying.
Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands
January 3, 2013 – At Sea, Drake Passage, Beagle Channel
The morning greeted us with blue skies, a strong wind coming from the port bow and the occasional albatross making a close pass by the ship before banking off into the distance. It was quite peaceful looking out over the great expanse of sea, listening to the sound of ‘Le Boreal’ plying its way [...]
Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands
January 2, 2013 – At Sea, Drake Passage
We awoke to the gentle rocking of the Southern Ocean, though some of us slept in a bit, just because we could. It had been quite a stretch of very active days of landings in Antarctica, so a low-key day to relax and recuperate was very welcome. After a leisurely breakfast and some good [...]
Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands
January 1, 2013 – Neko Harbor, Cuverville Island
We had a reasonably civilized start time this morning, considering that some of us were still in the pool in the early morning hours celebrating New Years Eve. The cold air greatly helped the wake up process, and soon we found ourselves speeding ashore in a Zodiac bound for Cuverville Island. The gentoo penguins [...]
Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands
December 31, 2012 – Petermann Island, Vernadsky Station
Under misty morning light, ‘Le Boreal’ approached the northern entrance to the legendary Lemaire Channel, often aptly referred to as “Kodak Alley” for its spectacular scenery. This 7-mile-long and one-mile-wide channel separates Booth Island from the Antarctic continent with dramatic, towering snow-covered mountains lining the route on both sides. Expedition leader Larry Hobbs gave [...]
Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands
December 30, 2012 – Halfmoon Island, Deception Island
With spectacular mountain scenery all around, Captain Etienne Garcia dropped anchor off of Halfmoon Island in the South Shetlands. The Zodiacs landed in calm conditions on a cobble beach with several chinstrap penguins in attendance to greet us. The decaying remains of an old wooden boat were laying slightly above the shoreline, and the [...]
Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands
December 29, 2012 – Bransfield Strait, Gourdin Island
Late last night, Captain Etienne Garcia was called up to the bridge by the officers on watch. Significant amounts of sea ice were situated between ‘Le Boreal’ and her destination, the Antarctica Sound. Even though the most recent ice chart had shown that the area was clear, wind and ocean currents can often turn [...]
Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands
December 28, 2012 – At Sea, En Route to Antarctica
We awoke to grey skies and calm seas as ‘Le Boreal’ steamed towards the Antarctic Peninsula. A line of ice was visible on the port side, the sea ice edge that was well north of its usual location for this time of year. In fact, during the early morning hours, Captain Etienne Garcia had [...]
Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands
December 27, 2012 – At Sea, En Route to Antarctica
The strong winds we experienced upon leaving South Georgia were coming from the stern of the ship, and the amount of ship movement during the night was quite minimal. So we had a restful sleep on board that was made all the better by the time change during the night, giving us the gift [...]
Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands
December 26, 2012 – Drygalski Fjord, At sea en route to Antarctica
The sky was just brightening as ‘Le Boreal’ pulled in the bay at Gold Harbor. Expedition leader Larry Hobbs and Captain Etienne Garcia were on the bridge with binoculars glued to their faces, assessing the conditions at the north corner of the beach, where we hoped to do a sunrise landing this morning. However, [...]
Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands
December 25, 2012 – St. Andrews Bay, Grytviken
Under calm conditions with some blue sky peaking through the clouds, we arrived at yet another spectacular South Georgia site know as St. Andrews Bay. The stunning scenery of towering mountain peaks with calls of king penguins echoing across the bay only served to heighten our anticipation for the adventure ahead. It was truly [...]
Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands
December 24, 2012 – Salisbury Plain, Elsehul
After fueling up on a light breakfast, we donned our layers, our parkas and our boots for our first outing in South Georgia: Salisbury Plain in the Bay of Isles. This large, glacial outwash plain is fronted by a broad, black-sand beach, and is home to one of South Georgia’s largest king penguin colonies. [...]
Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands
December 23, 2012 – At Sea, Shag Rocks
With a time change forward the night before, most of us opted for a late breakfast before gathering in the Theater for ornithologist Patricia Silva’s introduction to penguins entitled, “Birds in Tuxedos: Why Do They Look Different?” She highlighted some of the species we may encounter on this trip including the Adélie penguins, which [...]
Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands
December 22, 2012 – At Sea, En Route to South Georgia
Well rested from a good night sleep, we socialized over scrambled eggs before embarking on what would be a day of learning and wildlife watching. The first lecture of the day, “Fur-lined, Web-footed Wonders of the Antarctic: An Introduction to the Seals of the Southern Ocean,” was presented by marine biologist Charley Wheatley. Charley [...]
Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands
December 21, 2012 – Stanley, Falklands
Under scattered clouds and patchy blue skies, ‘Le Boreal’ sailed past low-lying rocky islets en route to the protected harbor at Stanley. After watching our approach on the outer decks and a hearty breakfast, we made our way down the gangway for a morning of exploration in the Falkland Islands. There were a surprising [...]
Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands
December 20, 2012 – At Sea, En Route to Falkland Islands
We awoke to a new world, one defined by an ocean view in all directions, with the last remnant of the South American continent now just barely visible in the distance behind us. During the night, ‘Le Boreal’ had left the shelter of the Beagle Channel, and we could now feel the power of [...]
Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands
December 19, 2012 – Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
As our flight approached Ushuaia, Argentina, the clouds occasionally parted and we glimpsed striking views of the southern Andes. The glaciers, glacial lakes and towering peaks—they just had to be seen to be believed. Finally landing in the southernmost city in the world, also known as “El Fin del Mundo,” we found a growing [...]
refund the difference — guaranteed.