Chasing Ice instead of FIRE (iykyk)

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Hello dear reader! I’m Avria, Holicay’s first, unofficial journalist. My role in Holicay? It’s marketing. Guess I’m now a journalist too. Long story short, it started from Holicay’s co-founder reading my Substack writings, and he was like “yo Avria, do you wanna write articles for Holicay?” and I was like: “Sure, I don’t mind”. Honestly? I don’t really know how to write articles— I’ve never been trained in journalism— I write whatever my mind tells me to, so please pardon the lack of journalistic standards. Still, I hope that you will enjoy this piece and learn some new things! - Toodles, Avria

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Did you know? I’ve been spelling Antarctica wrong my whole life. Yup, I’ve always written it as Antartica— no “c” before the “t.” Oops. But beyond the spelling mishap, what really caught me off guard is how few people consider actually travelling to Antarctica. Most people see Antarctica as a place only seen in documentaries or read in books, but you can actually visit as a tourist too!

However, visiting Antarctica is not your average trip. It’s going to cost you months— or even a full year (if you go full lux)— of your salary. Expect to fork out at least USD 15,000–25,000 per person from Singapore, depending on whether you go budget or luxury. But honestly? If you’re already dropping 5 figures, you might as well go all in.

As someone who’s bad in geography, allow me to show you where Antarctica is:

(The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1998)

It’s at the bottom of the globe.

So, how do you get there?

There are five gateway countries to Antarctica:
1. Argentina
2. Chile
3. Australia
4. New Zealand
5. South Africa
(Source: Wikipedia – Antarctic Gateway Cities)

But 90% of tours start from Ushuaia, Argentina— aka the southernmost city in the world. Other routes include flying in from Punta Arenas, Chile to King George Island or boarding exclusive charters from Cape Town, South Africa.

From Ushuaia, you’ll cross the Drake Passage, a treacherous stretch of water known as the world’s scariest ocean crossing (CNN Travel, 2020):
“It’s the closest thing on Earth to sailing through a washing machine”
(CNN Travel – Drake Passage) I suppose you can experience what it’s like to be laundry?

From Punta Arenas, hop on a 2-hour flight directly to Antarctica’s peninsula or interior camps, skipping the rough seas entirely.
(YouTube: Antarctica Flights)

If you’re motion-sick-prone like me, you’ll want to fly. But either way, it’s not a smooth ride— weather delays are common and plans shift daily.

So what exactly happens once you're there?

Your typical Antarctica journey spans 10–12 days, sometimes longer, depending on weather and itinerary. You’ll have daily briefings, landings, and guided exploration. No need to plan— you literally can’t. Type-A travelers, consider this your personality detox.

There’s little to no Wi-Fi, so you'll be off the grid, surrounded by silence, snow, and penguins. Sounds kind of perfect. Henceforth the title of ‘Chasing Ice instead of FIRE’. Punny, I know. 

When to go?

There’s only one answer:
November to March– Antarctic Summer.

Expect 0°C temps, 20-24 hours of daylight (!), and a higher chance of seeing penguin chicks and whales. 

The continent is completely closed off to tourists from April to October due to extreme cold and total darkness.

(Source: Local Adventurer – Antarctica Tips)

Antarctica is one of the 7 continents on Earth.

Isn’t a continent defined as a large continuous piece of land that is usually separated by oceans and has distinctive geological features? Well, yes. 

Isn’t Antarctica just slabs of ice around water? Well…no. There’s actual land beneath that ice. Dinosaurs used to roam it, like there were actual plantations and tropical weather. What made Antarctica that cold now? I’m not sure. 

Antarctica has so many cool facts, and let me entertain you with some of them. 

Little-Known Antarctic Facts (with Sources)

• Fewer than 140,000 people visit each year— it’s one of the most exclusive travel destinations.
  (Nomadasaurus – Places to Visit in Antarctica)
   
• The Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959 by 12 nations, bans military activity, mining, and ownership claims. Antarctica is solely reserved for science and peace. (Wikipedia – Antarctic Treaty System)
   
• At least 11 children have been born in Antarctica— most notably as part of a geopolitical flex by Argentina. (Wikipedia – Demographics of Antarctica)
   
• There’s no official time zone. People just follow whatever time zone their base country uses.
  (Polar Guidebook)
   
• Antarctica has active volcanoes— Mount Erebus is the southernmost active volcano on Earth.
  (Polar Guidebook)
   
• You only see the top 10% of an iceberg— the other 90% is hidden beneath. (Local Adventurer)
   
• Bring sunscreen, even in freezing temps. Antarctica’s ozone is thin, and snow reflects up to 90% of UV rays. (Local Adventurer)
   
• 70% of Earth’s fresh water is trapped in Antarctic ice (Polar Guidebook)
• Antarctica is the world’s largest desert; yup, you heard that correctly. It very, very rarely rains. (Whelan)

Antarctica’s Real Locals: Who You Might Bump Into on the Ice

No, you won’t find polar bears roaming the ice shelves here— that’s an Arctic thing if you didn’t know. But Antarctica has its own celebrity lineup, and trust us, it’s a wild (and adorable) one. 

Your usual suspects:
Imagine waddling alongside entire colonies of Adélie, Chinstrap, and Gentoo penguins. Or watching Humpback whales breach near your ship as Crabeater and Weddell seals chill on the floes nearby. Oh — and look up, Snow petrels and Skuas might just photobomb your GoPro.

The elusive ones:
If you’re lucky (and quiet), you might spot a stealthy Leopard seal or a shy Minke whale gliding past. Maybe even a lonely Albatross riding the winds like it owns the sky.

The crown jewels:
Some travelers hit the jackpot— sightings of Emperor penguins, Blue whales, or even a pod of Ross Sea killer whales. Entire Snow petrel colonies? Possible. A South Polar skua? A rare nod from nature herself.

One visitor noted they even saw several pods of orcas— a sight considered rare in that season. Proof that Antarctica likes to surprise.

“They told us it was rare to see orcas this time of year, but we saw several pods. Polar bears only live in the Arctic.”
— Local Adventurer (2023)

(Source: Local Adventurer)

Isn’t 10+ days too much?

You might then wonder…isn’t it going to be boring? To be in the middle of nowhere, on a boat, for like more than 10 days? Well…Apparently not! Visitors to Antarctica want to return just to experience it all over again, and people said that “it just keeps getting better day by day”. 

Surprisingly, you can:

• Land and hike through historic sites.
   
• Hop on Zodiac cruises to spot glaciers, icebergs, and wildlife.
   
• Go kayaking or even stand-up paddleboarding when the seas are calm.
   
• Brave the infamous polar plunge, with hot chocolate or alcohol waiting for you afterward.
   
• Get aerial views on a helicopter ride or explore the icy depths in a submarine (under construction at the time of writing).
   

Clearly, boredom isn’t on the itinerary; core memories are.

(Source: Local Adventurer)

Final Thoughts— Is It Worth It?

If I had to sum it up:
Yes, it’ll rob your bank account. But it might just restore your soul.

Antarctica isn’t just a destination— it’s a confrontation with silence. With time. With your own thoughts. With a world untouched by humanity. I imagine myself standing there, staring at glacial stillness, rethinking all of my life decisions. Might come back with lots of new realisations y’know.

After this article, I would say that Antarctica is definitely on my bucket-list of places to check out someday! I've got to get past my fear of ships and immense boat motion sickness first though. 

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Brought to you by Avria Lim,

Holicay’s marketing girlie turned journalist (wearing multiple hats here)

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