Going Green on the White Desert, Antarctica

Travel should always have as little impact on a destination as possible, but that's especially important in fragile places like Antarctica. Thankfully, tours with White Desert deliver some of the greenest ways to head south.

Instead of squeezing in line with the rest of the cruise liners in Ushuaia, Argentina, you can head over to sunny Cape Town, South Africa. From here, you can board a private jet for 12 people and fly five hours to an exclusive camp in Antarctica. Sit back, relax, and enjoy your flight, because all emissions on this trip are mitigated through fully accredited carbon offset schemes, achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

What's more, White Desert is delivering the first test quantity of 40,000 liters of Sustainable Aviation Fuel to Antarctica itself as part of its mission to replace all Jet A-1 fuel over the next three to five years.

After landing on the ancient blue ice of Wolf’s Fang Runway, guests are then whisked away to Whichaway, the flagship luxury retreat with breathtaking views across the freshwater lakes of the Schirmacher Oasis.

Each pod is fitted with all the luxury amenities you'd expect for a five-star property, with the main difference that it's all green—and we're not talking about the color.

The camp is working to eliminate single-use plastics, and all other waste is shipped back to South Africa for recycling or responsible disposal. In your private bathroom, the soaps, detergents, and cleaning agents are biodegradable, and all elements of the camp can be disassembled and shipped out of Antarctica when required, leaving no trace behind.

Keeping guests warm and comfortable is also part of the green agenda. White Desert is working closely with California-based Arctica Solar to harness solar power from solar air heaters that work directly to produce heat rather than electricity. Ambient air from the inside of the pod is routed into the heater, where the temperature is increased by up to 100 degrees F and then returned back to the pod in a continuous, sustainable cycle.

You can enjoy the immensity of Antarctica with the wild selection of activities the camp has to offer. Go ice climbing, explore the ice tunnels, or head out on a Skidoo tour to explore Wolf's Fang in style. You can also camp out and see the emperor penguins via a flight to the southernmost point on Earth, the geographic South Pole.

Get in touch and we'll start planning the perfect Antarctic escape.