Latest news with #WhiteDesert
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Travel + Leisure
07-08-2025
- Travel + Leisure
I Spent 20 Days in Antarctica and Learned Epic Life Lessons—Here's How You Can, Too
I've traveled the globe as a luxury travel advisor, but after spending 20 days in Antarctica, crossing glaciers and sleeping under the midnight sun, I returned home with a host of profound realizations that are more valuable than any passport stamp. Here are five life lessons that I learned on the frozen continent—and how you can experience them for yourself. A trip to Antarctica is the ultimate invitation to slow down. I went fully offline once I arrived, and only took photos with a proper camera. I was determined to truly see the sights in front of me: the shocking blue of an iceberg, a humpback whale breaching, even the quiet delight of a hot shower after sleeping on ice. I would suggest doing the same on your trip. Unplug, keep a journal, and celebrate little luxuries, like sipping champagne from crystal glasses on your final Zodiac boat ride. Research shows that the act of mindfully enjoying an experience amplifies our happiness. Exploring ice caves with White Desert Antarctica. White Desert Antarctica Echo There's nothing like standing on the ice at a high-end camp, surrounded by thousands of miles of untouched wilderness. This vastness makes everyday stress feel trivial. Antarctica has been forming for over 35 million years, so your inbox can wait. Whether you fly in, cross the Drake Passage, or choose a hybrid route, just getting there shifts your perspective. Part of my itinerary included a trip to South Georgia Island, where I stepped off the Zodiac boat into a world that didn't feel like mine. Penguins porpoised from the sea, the wind howled, and I had the distinct sense that I was the novelty the animals had come to see. At that moment, I was fully immersed—no past or future, just deep presence. That state, known as flow , brings a quiet joy that lingers long after a trip ends. To experience it, don't skip South Georgia. It's imbued with an emotional richness that you can't replicate. King penguins on South Georgia Island's Gold Harbor.A year after I sustained a major injury, I found myself flying to Antarctica from Cape Town for a mountaineering expedition. I was nervous, but I learned to use crampons, rappel, and cross glaciers safely. That experience rebuilt my sense of self-efficacy—the belief that we can do hard things. Since then, I've summited Grand Teton, earned a master's in positive psychology, and even transformed my business to focus on using travel as a path to well-being. If you're looking to push your own limits, White Desert's Echo Camp offers comfort and challenge in equal measure. A ship traversing the Drake Passage in Antarctica, nature calls the shots and weather scrambles even the best plans. Living with uncertainty like this reminded me how little we control—and how that can ultimately feel liberating. This acceptance that you're not in control of everything is a powerful feeling to bring back to your day-to-day life, and career. If you're looking for a journey that can transform you as much as it thrills you, Antarctica delivers. Approach it with intention and you'll leave with lessons that linger long after you've returned home. Sarah Groen is a member of Travel + Leisure's A-List and specializes in trips to polar regions. You can create a tailor-made itinerary with Groen at [email protected] .
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Time of India
White Desert to launch multi-country trek across Peru and Chile, ET TravelWorld
Adventure 2 min read White Desert to launch multi-country trek across Peru and Chile White Desert, the Antarctic luxury travel company, is set to launch its first non-polar journeys under 'The Dr. Jones Collection' in September 2025. The new Peru-to-Patagonia itinerary blends remote landscapes, cultural heritage, and cinematic travel experiences across South America, with stops ranging from Amazonian sarcophagi hikes to Chilean stargazing and Patagonian horseback expeditions.
Irish Examiner
03-05-2025
- Irish Examiner
Departure Lounge: Five travel offers, including a €63K Antarctic adventure
Once-in-a-lifetime For many, an Antarctic adventure is top of their bucket list. If money is no object, then White Desert will help you make the trip in style. The luxury tour operator has been named Best Antarctic Adventure Outfitter in Modern Luxury's 2025 Best of Luxury Travel Awards and its otherworldly Echo Camp, has been recognised in Elite Traveler's Top 100 Suites for 2025. Pushing the boundaries of high-end experiential travel in the region, White Desert delivers once-in-a-lifetime experiences, with private jet access, expert-led adventures, fine dining, and immersive itineraries. Day trips from €14,000. Six-day tour including return flights and transfers from Cape Town to Antarctica, all accommodation, food, beverages, and activities around camp from €63,000pp. Roman tour Marvel at the artwork inside the Sistine Chapel ahead of the daytime crowds The eyes of the world are on Rome this year, with the Pope's death but also to celebrate the city's 2025 Jubilee Year, a religious event that takes place just once every 25 years. With millions of pilgrims and tourists expected, it makes sense to book ahead, especially for any of the key attractions. Walk's Pristine Sistine Early Entrance Tour offers a guided tour of the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel with a maximum of 15 people. Over four hours, you'll have time to marvel at the artwork inside the Sistine Chapel ahead of the daytime crowds before exploring the Vatican museums at their quietest. Walks of Italy also offers food, culture and architectural tours. From €109. Ancestral luxury Guests can spend time with a resident genealogist to uncover stories of their ancestors. Hastings Hotels' Culloden Estate & Spa has a new package designed to help guests research their Northern Irish heritage and trace their family history. Guests of the elegant five-star's Ancestral Luxury Escape Package will spend time with resident genealogist Brian Watson, to uncover stories of their ancestors. Set on the outskirts of Belfast, with views over Belfast Lough, the palatial building was once home to the Bishops of Down, and features 12 acres of gardens, a spa, and three restaurants. Breakfasts and afternoon tea in the hotel's fine dining restaurant, Vespers is included with this two-night stay in the hotel's Luxury Estate Suite or the Bishops Palace Tower Suite, from €2,157. Portugal with purpose Latitude is more than a tourist guide A new kind of hotel group, Octant Hotels has just launched Latitude, a carefully researched platform that invites guests to discover local traditions, cultures, nature and cuisine at the heart of every location surrounding its hotels. Latitude brings together over 200 careful recommendations of things to experience at the hotels and their surrounding areas. More than a tourist guide, it's like a little black book for travelling with purpose. Between October 24–26, Latitude will go even further, with an exclusive weekend at Octant Douro celebrating the area and its community through local chefs, artists, and producers over two days of informal luxury. The diverse programme including tasting dinners, live music, intimate talks with philosophers and thought leaders, riverside yoga, and countryside walks. Check out the considered programme at Deal of the Week Fancy a sunshine-boost in North Africa Line up a late summer break with a sunshine-boost in North Africa. Fly direct to Tunisia from Dublin and stay all-inclusive for less than €100pp* per day. TUI Suneo Palm Beach Skanes is in Skanes, Tunisia with a choice of five bars and two restaurants. There's a pool, gym and mini golf course and you're just 350m away from a private beach with free sunbeds and parasols. The port town of Sousse is a 20-minute drive away, for shopping and sight-seeing adventures. August 25 all-inclusive from €699.
