For all those who think travelling to Antarctica can be painful, even though memorable, a reality check is in order, discovers Saimi Sattar
Dig into your succulent Avadhi lamb Kofta as you watch penguins amble by. Or perhaps you may prefer to see the seals splash in the cold water as you take in a spoonful of your Pan-Roasted Sea Bream, Cumin Mushy Peas. For all those who have been dreaming of heading to the white continent but can’t compromise on creature comforts, round up your travel bucket list with Antarctica and do it in style. The Q Experiences, an Indian luxury travel company, will be taking 200 Indians to see the penguins, experience the glaciers and take in the awe-inspiring vistas of Antarctica.
“A little less than 200 Indians have been travelling to the continent each year. But these are scattered from throughout the summer in Antarctica. What we wanted to do was to take them together,” says Vasim Shaikh, founder, who has been in the business of curating travel experiences for many years now. With travel restrictions in place, only 45,000 people can go to Antarctica each year.
Shaikh, who went to Antarctica in January this year on a personal trip, plans to make it into a luxurious affair. The travelers would be aboard The Great Majestic Explorer, a 460 ft yacht with 132 state rooms and suites with an Indian flag fluttering on top. But that’s not all. Michelin starrer chef Atul Kochhar would be on board to pamper your culinary fetish. He would be ready to dish out regional favourites for all those who can’t do without comfort food.
The 11-day trip between December 9 and 19 will start from Ushuaia, the capital of Tierra del Fuego and the southernmost city in the world. The vessel would be crossing the Drake’s Passage, the body of water which is the shortest crossing between Antarctica and South America’s Cape Horn for two nights and days.
Travellers will get to explore Deception Island, Port Charcot, Port lockroy and the Weddell Sea. “Since only a 100 people can be on the continent at one time, the remaining 100 would be aboard the docked ship,” says Rati Shroff, manager, business development. Explorers can even send off postcards to their family from the Port lockroy post office.
“The people aboard the ship will be able to visit Antarctica on seven days, along with 10-11 experts, depending on the weather,” says Shaikh. She also points out that each time one goes to the Antarctica landmass, one would have to undergo sanitisation in a special chamber before stepping off from the ship. “They are very particular about not leaving anything behind and the experts will pick up even a strand of hair, if it is found in the snow and take it back,” adds Shroff. Once on the continent, the people can stay for any period between one to three hours.
The packages start at Rs 6.90 lakh and go up to 13.20 lakh ex Buenos Aires, depending on the kind of accommodation you choose on the yacht. “We decided that it shouldn’t start from India as we wanted passengers to explore some parts of South America and savour a new exotic experience before embarking on the trip,” says Shaikh.
About 50 people have already signed up for the trip since it was launched in March. “Hyderabad, Bangalore and Pune were surprises. We did expect people signing up from Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata,” says Shroff. NRIs, especially from the UAE region, have also expressed interest. The motley group comprises business owners and top management. There are solo travellers as well as couples and the age group starts from 27 years and goes up to 50. So for all those who want to join the journey of a lifetime, all you need to do is sign up.