Looking Forward, Antartica Expedition, Private Yacht

Antarctica. An Epic Exploration to the ends of the earth on board a private yacht charter. An expedition cruise to Antarctica is a truly remarkable adventure, a voyage to a pristine land of ice and snow, populated by an all-star cast of penguins, seals and whales. Photographers, nature enthusiasts and lovers of magnificent raw surroundings are drawn to Antarctica like seals to icebergs. The world’s southernmost, driest, coldest and windiest continent is an incredibly rewarding world to visit. The best way to explore this paradise is on a private Antarctica yacht charter, where you’ll have the freedom to go where you please, stay as long as you like and change course if you so wish. Considering you’ll be disembarking a couple of times a day, it’s infinitely easier and faster to discover Antarctica if you’re aboard a private yacht charter rather than a large ship. In a place where every second on land (or ice) counts, ease of access, privacy and freedom are immensely important.International flights are in and out of Punta Arenas. Private charter round trip to King George Island, Antarctica to board your private yacht. For the best private Antarctica Expedition Charter, include at least 1 helicopter and 1 submarine for the most interactive ice experiences, along with the finest Antarctica Expedition Leaders and Naturalists. We suggest two remarkable options, one will accommodate 12 guests and the other 22 guests. Group ships can be arranged as well. For the VV Best, round up family and friends and enjoy an unrivaled private Antarctica Expedition Charter. A two-hour flight from Punta Arenas will drop you on the seventh continent, where you board your private yacht. This is the best way to see Antarctica, in private luxury. Offering two exceptional yachts, a 252’ Expedition Yacht for 12 Guests with 2 Helicopters and 1 Submarine on board. The second yacht is a 253’ Expedition Yacht for 22 Guests with option to add 1 Helicopter and 1 Submarine. DAY 1 KING GEORGE ISLAND. Arrive at King George Island by private charter flight and board your private yacht and set off in 24-hour sunlight for Antarctic Sound to anchor. Antarctic Sound is nicknamed “Iceberg Alley,” where you may discover enormous tabular icebergs that break off from the Ronne, Larsen and Filchner ice shelves. Antarctic Sound is a wild place with its cathedral-like icebergs and glaciated mountains of Trinity Peninsula imparting a distinct appearance unlike any other part of the world. DAY 2 ANTARCTIC SOUND. If weather allows take helicopter trips to land on Snowhill Island to watch and mingle with the amazing Emperor Penguin colony. Native to Antarctica, the Emperor Penguin is the emperor of all penguins, sometimes weighing over 100 pounds. Laying only one egg at a time and only living in Antarctica, this colony is one of the few Emperor Penguin gatherings this far north in AntarcticaLEGEND Yacht for Charter | Icon Luxury Yacht CharterDAY 3 Cruise along TRINITY AND SPERT ISLAND. Explore Trinity Island and look for Antarctic wildlife including Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins. Spert Island has displays of amazing rock formations carved by ice. Cruise towards Enterprise Island, searching for Humpback and Orca Whales.  Watch Humpback Whales in the age-old dance of bubble net feeding to corral krill. DAY 4 Visit ENTERPRISE ISLAND & GERLACHE STRAIT. Explore the wreck of Norwegian whaler ship, Governoren which burned on January 27th, 1915, having just finished an arduous whaling season with tanks full of whale oil. Customarily at the end of the whale season, the fishing crew celebrated with a party; a lamp was knocked off a table, with so much oil on board, a fire quickly grew out of control. The Captain set the ship on land in Foyn Harbor, Enterprise Island, where the crew of 85 abandoned ship, the ship completely burned leaving the ruin left today. Cruise Gerlache Strait to Cuverville Island for sea kayaking and paddle boarding through a massive colony of penguins and Seals. DAY 5 Cruise to NEUMAYER CHANNEL & PORT LOCKROY. Cruise through the iceberg filled Neumayer Channel to anchor in Port Lockroy, an old British Antarctica Scientific Base, which is now a designated Historic Site.  Hike ashore around Port Lockroy.  Visit Palmer Station the U.S. Antarctic base, which is the northern most U.S. base in Antarctica, keeping an eye open for Leopard Seals and Adelie Penguins DAY 6 Cruise along LEMAIRE CHANNEL to visit the VERNADSKY BASE Watch for whales while cruising along the ‘Kodak Gap.’ Head ashore to visit the Vernadsky Research Base where the hole in the ozone layer was first discovered. This is now a Ukrainian Research Base, where there is surprisingly a small bar, the southernmost bar in the world. Warm up and enjoy a rare tasting of the onsite distilled bathtub vodka while watching wild penguins. Nowhere else in the world! DAY 7 Visit PARADISE BAY before cruising to NEKO HARBOUR. Explore amazing Paradise Bay, once home to two active research bases: Argentina’s Almirante Brown Antarctic Base in operation since 1951 (only open in summer since 1984) and Chile’s González Videla Antarctic Base, active from 1951 to 1958, and briefly in the 1980s. A nearby shelter has been designated a Historic Site. Around Paradise Bay, encounter massive ice floes reflecting amazing shades of blue and green, while keeping an eye out for seals and Gentoo Penguins and the occasional whale. Later in the day cruise to Neko Harbour, home to Minke whales and Weddell seals and enjoy a sea kayak adventure paddling through a quiet channel to an unnamed island deep in the channel. DAY 8 and 9 Cruise to DECEPTION ISLAND. Explore volcanic Deception Island, home to an old whaling station. Called Deception Island due to the fact that the island is actually the caldera of a still active volcano, and recent eruptions have seriously damaged local scientific stations in 1967 and 1969. Inhabited by a scientific outpost of Argentine and Spanish research bases. Enjoy a unique warm water Antarctica swim in the geothermal waters in the caldera. Visit the large Chinstrap penguin colony and watch for whales and seals. DAY 10 Cruise back to KING GEORGE ISLAND to overnight Day 11 Private charter Plane flight from King George Island to Punta Arenas, Chili. The wildlife of Antarctica is as captivating as its surreal wilderness, with colonies of penguins, sea lions and elephant seals basking in its refreshing bosom. Of all the hardy creatures who call this place home, the most enticing to admire are Emperor penguins, as well as humpback and killer whales. There are few places on our planet – and so few animals – which have the ability to make humans feel so immensely insignificant. So waddle among colonies of sea lions and penguins, kayak along the edge of enormous ice fields, hike atop hills for inspiring views and dive the freezing deep-blue waters of this fantastic destination aboard your private charter.

For discerning adventurers who set their hearts on experiencing the most breathtaking place on earth, there could be no better adventure.

The Journey consists of cruising between Islands and the western coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, sailing along ice-filled fjords resting amid stunning icebergs, the scenery is complimented by seabirds, penguins, seals, and whales. Day trips by Zodiac allow you to explore the landscape with your expert guides to interpret the wildlife and illuminate the history and the many marvels of the Antarctic environment.

The vistas are vast and the ice in your cocktail may have been fractured from a polar ice cap – what more could an adventurer ask for?

Jetting so far south is the perfect occasion to include a stop in South America – hop down the long and lean country of Chile from the Atacama to Patagonia before setting off. Life is filled with contrasts and this is the perfect combination of contrasts!

Travel Forward Egypt, Petra and Rwanda

Egypt Cruise the Nile. The Middle East. My last Journey, merely weeks before lockdown was to Jordan and Egypt, who could ask for a more perfect ending to travel. I began in Jordan exploring Amman and made my way to the Rose City of Petra. We will help you arrive for a night walk under moonlight. I trekked through the narrow dirt Siq passage of Petra by candlelight, to reach the spectacle of The Treasury illuminated by thousands of candles. It was perfectly quiet except for a haunting flute melody played by a local Bedouin. Explore Petra for at least two days, there is much to discover besides the famed Treasury, stroll the colonnades of the Great Temple complex, climb up more than 800 steps to the top of the impressive Monastery. Add on a day or two for glamping in Wadi Rum.

In sharing once in a lifetime adventures, it’s hard to ignore the allure of Africa and the Middle East, and in particular, Egypt – the pyramids are still magnificently standing, having withstood every imaginable world crisis. The history, the pyramids, the sphinx, and the ancient burial tombs all standing in the midst of a hectic twenty first century life.

We always send a box of books and reading list pre-departure and Agatha Christie is at the top of the list for Egypt. It’s a personal choice whether you gather your finest floppy sun hat and white linen, don’t forget evening clothes.  Plan to begin in Cairo, the boisterous capital of Egypt. Known alternately as “The Mother of the World” or “The City of a Thousand Minarets”— visit the tangled narrow alleys and bustling marketplaces and the larger than life Pyramids of Giza. If you dropped the pyramid in New York City, it would take up a whole city block. The soon to open vast Grand Egyptian Museum, a treasure trove of antiquities, including royal mummies and gilded King Tutankhamun artifacts, is not far from the Giza pyramids. In the shadow of the pyramids, the grand Mena House hotel provides easy access to Giza and the new museum. Arrive early to explore – there’s no better place to initiate your visit, laying out a cultural map of your upcoming days of exploration. Marvel at the majestic Sphinx, buried for most of its life in the sand, an air of mystery has always surrounded the great Sphinx. Then head to the Nile and board a private Felucca or one of our favorites, the intimate 22-cabin Oberoi Philae, we enjoyed an onboard tour. For the ultimate in indulgence and comfort consider a Dahabiya Nile cruise. A Nile cruise has long been one of the classic experiences of travel. Long stretches of river have changed little over the centuries, it’s truly Biblical in nature. Lounging on the sundeck, watching the ancient scenes glide past is a contemplative experience, I moseyed to the upper deck at dawn and couldn’t tear myself away. Home - Nile Dahabiya Boats Absorb archaeological wonders, explore vibrant bazaars and ponder pharaonic temples as you cruise the Nile. Float past lush sugarcane fields, sleepy rural villages, and oases of date palms as your boat glides up the Nile. The Dahabiya is an ancient iconic boat style, a reminder of the romance of the past with modern comfort and convenience. It’s a leisurely way to get between Luxor and Aswan. Sailing the Nile in a private Dahabiya is what inspired the Victorian allure of boat travel. The most serene of river boats, it offers the ultimate in privacy and convenience for stopping at any river bank. Fancy a shore break to bicycle around an oasis of date palms or an impromptu farmers market, this is the only river boat allowing such intimate shore access. Elegant in design, designed for modern comfort with light filled comfy cabins and acres of outdoor lounging space.Dahabiya Nile Cruise • Djed Egypt Travel

When you’re not exploring Luxor, Aswan, or Abu Simbel landmarks, relax on your balcony or lounge at the plunge, camera in hand to record the long-robed farmers moving fresh hay to their cows grazing on the banks of the Nile. Include a few land days to stay at the legendary Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan. Spend a few extra days in Cairo to wander art galleries, ancient mosques, the 12th Century Citadel, and ramble through the Khan el-Khalili for treasured mementos. The Old Cataract Hotel is the historic site where King Fouad once entertained, and Agatha Christie sipped cocktails in the colonial era five-star hotel on the banks of the NIle. The hotel faces out over the Nile to Elephantine Island and the sands of the Sahara beyond. The Aga Khan’s mausoleum faces the hotel, and the waters of the Nile are perpetually dotted with white felucca sails. A majestic testament to elegance and a step back in time to the pharaonic era. Another stop in Luxor, at the Winter Palace, located along the breezy Corniche avenue on the east bank of the River Nile; the Winter Palace is renowned as the spot where Agatha Christie wrote “Death on the Nile” in the late 1930s and the place where the discovery of King Tut’s Tomb was revealed to the world in 1922. The Winter Palace lies within easy walking distance of the Temple of Luxor and the Luxor Museum and offers a great base for visiting the Temple of Karnak and Valley of the Kings. A combination of sailing and hotels adds a few days, but why rush through this enchanting land?

I loved my Egyptian experience and would return for more – it is safe, energetic and the food is delicious – you will never eat flatbread again after savoring the hot from the oven Egyptian bread of Ramses III.

“(Egypt) is a great place for contrasts: splendid things gleam in the dust.”
― Gustave Flaubert, Flaubert in Egypt: A Sensibility on Tour

Africa—If possible, I would be in Africa every month! My eight visits of mostly safaris have been divine, days of roaming the bush with endless vistas interrupted only by wild animal sightings is an extraordinary experience. Our private team has unique exclusives for lodges, locations and experiences. You fly private, mosey from lodge to lodge on your schedule and you aren’t part of a group. This is the ultimate safari adventure, private and personal. In Kenya we have a few favorite lodges Ol Jogi Ranch and Arijiju House. Ol Jogi is a magnificent private ranch-style lodge set against a boulder-strewn hillside, with just seven cottages tucked away in the lush gardens, all with astounding views over nearly 60,000 acres of pristine wilderness – and it’s all yours. Ol Jogi lies within Kenya’s scenically diverse northern Laikipia region, renowned for its abundant wildlife, including all of the Big Five together with several rarities and a staggeringly rich birdlife. The most enchanting aspect is the diversity and amount of wildlife.  Wildlife includes the Big Five as well as African wild dog and rare species such as Grevy’s zebra and reticulated giraffe. Activities including day and night drives, walking safaris and riding safarisOl Jogi Home

Another favorite is Arijiju House which stands on the Borana Conservancy, it operates both as a working cattle ranch, traversed by the nomadic Maasai with their cows and goats, and as a wildlife sanctuary.  Arijiju – the house takes its name from the Maasai word for the hill on which it was built – is owned by a third-generation Kenyan. Originally a cattle ranch, like much of the land around here, it shares a boundary with Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, which has been at the forefront of rhino conservation in Kenya for more than two decades. Borana operates both as a working cattle ranch, traversed by the nomadic Maasai with their cows and goats, and as a wildlife sanctuary. The property is well stocked with plains game – zebra, giraffe, Grant’s gazelle, eland and hartebeest – as well as lion and enormous herds of elephant. It recently became home to 22 black rhinos, translocated from Lake Nakuru National Park and neighboring Lewa – which had reached its own carrying capacity of 70. Our team also has a private tent camp near the Mara area, where the massive yearly migration occurs. These are just a few of the Kenya options, no Journey is ever repeated, each bespoke safari is designed especially for you.

Rwanda. Gorilla trekking should be on the top of every animal lovers list. You will never forget your first breathtaking encounter with a 700-pound Silverback!  Porters bushwhack through dense thickets of bamboo, as you climb up a slope, the thick brush snaps with a crash and in minutes you come face to face with a wild furry black beast, the King Kong of the jungle. Your eyes meet and there is an instinctive bonding, honestly, I was transfixed, and he was impassive, if not bored, sharing 98 % DNA, it is impossible to not stare at their hands and feet, so familiar.  During my three-day trek in Rwanda, we enjoyed the personal guiding of renowned guide Francois Bigirimana.

Wouldn’t you like to cuddle with these precious gorillas?