Antarctica For First-Timers & Captivating County Cork

Hey there, Travellers,

First of all, I'd like to wish a hearty Jack's Flight Club Eid Mubarak to everyone celebrating today! Amid especially hard times with the war in the Gulf, we're sending good vibes for warm hearts and full bellies to all.

Jack's Navigator Akasha recently visited Oman and left the team envious with tales of the "best chicken of [her] life" and amazing hospitality she was given during an iftar meal. After getting a flat tyre while out on the road, locals in the small town she'd unexpectedly landed in rallied around to make sure she and her guide were taken care of.

While her trip was sadly cut short, the kindness and culture she felt in Oman has left her (and the rest of us) longing to return for more.

And for bonus festivity points this weekend, to anyone celebrating Nowruz, may your Haft Sin tables be bright and bountiful and the pastries sickly sweet! Save an apple baklava for me?

Happy travels and safe landings,

As more and more travelers seek out untouched, uncrowded places, the “beaten track” just gets harder and harder to escape. Even the tallest mountain in the world has a line to the top these days!

Maybe that’s why people are increasingly eager to travel alllllll the way to the very bottom of the Earth — to Antarctica, one of the most pristine, ethereally beautiful places on the planet.

It was nigh-impossible for tourists to set foot on its unforgiving, icy shores until the first passenger cruises started visiting in the late 60s. Back then, only a few thousand people made the journey per year. In the 2023–2024 season, that number was 122,072. 

Despite the increase in visitors, strict environmental regulations and logistical nightmares have kept Antarctica exclusive, limited only to visitors traveling with an organized tour. So unfortunately, you can’t exactly book a flight to McMurdo Station with British Airways. If you want to witness this raw, otherworldly landscape for yourself, you’re going to need months of planning, tens of thousands in spare cash, and an unshakeable “go with the flow” attitude.

Fortunately, I’ve scoured the internet, read account after account, watched video after video, and interrogated as many experienced visitors as I can find, and now I’ve distilled all that information into one handy-dandy beginner’s guide. 

So if you’ve just begun thinking about a trip to Antarctica and you need to learn the basics to decide whether it’s the right adventure for you, then you’ve come to the right place! 

What is there to do in Antarctica?

So… why do people want to go to Antarctica, anyway? What is there to actually do in this snow-covered desert?

For starters, I wasn’t kidding about that otherworldly landscape:

You’ll be surrounded by crackling glaciers, icy blue waters, and snowy hilltops rising up out of the sea. It’s harsh and beautiful and utterly unique. There’s a reason why one of the most popular Antarctic pastimes is photography!

Due to the environmental regulations and lack of human influence (no resorts down here!), it’s also an incredible place to see wildlife. Antarctic animals are abundant and generally don’t fear people. The big stars are the penguins (mostly gentoos and chinstraps), plus whales (humpbacks, minkes, orcas) and seals (Weddells and leopards). And if you’re a birdwatching enthusiast with an affinity for seabirds, Antarctica is practically heaven.

What you see and do from day to day will heavily depend on which tour you choose — but don’t worry, I’ll dissect all that for you in the sections below. Generally speaking, your trip will begin in Argentina or Chile with visits to a few nearby islands, and then cross the Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula. 

You won’t be allowed to explore on your own due to the regulations, but there are still plenty of ways to interact with the landscape. Lots of expeditions will include guided hikes, kayaking, and swimming stops along the way to let you get up close.

How do you get to Antarctica?

Unless you’ve managed to hitch a ride with the researchers, there’s really only one way to reach Antarctica, and that’s by cruise ship. 

You have two options when it comes to cruises:

Option #1: Book an Antarctic holiday with a global company like Princess or Viking. These trips are very similar to non-polar cruises, and you’ll be aboard a large ship with tons of amenities and an emphasis on passenger comfort.

Pro: If you’re older, lack mobility, are traveling with small children, or just want to make your trip as comfortable as possible, this might be the best option for you. You’ll be sheltered from the elements as you watch icebergs roll past your window.

Con: These ships don’t make landings, so while you’ll get to admire glimmering Antarctic views, you won’t get to set foot on the actual continent or interact with the land at all.

Option #2: Book an expedition cruise with a smaller company, aboard a smaller vessel, with a smaller group of travelers (usually around 100-200).

Pro: Weather permitting, you’ll get to experience the polar desert up close, mingling with penguins and hiking over snowy drifts. 

Con: These trips involve more planning, cost more money, and can also get tarnished very easily by the weather (more about that later).

Taking a larger ship is fairly straightforward (you can book them like any other cruise), and they don’t have quite the same “high risk vs. high reward” nature as the expedition cruises, so I’ll be focusing primarily on the latter for this guide.

How to choose an expedition cruise to Antarctica

If you’ve chosen to go with the more adventurous option and book an expedition cruise, the decision-making gauntlet has only just begun!

When sorting through the myriad of expedition cruise offerings, pay close attention to the itinerary. These cruises don’t just sail you on down to Antarctica; they make stops all around the area! Popular landings include South Georgia, the Falklands, and the South Shetland Islands — all penguin-covered and starkly stunning in their own right.

Once you reach the continent, you’ll be bouncing around the Antarctic Peninsula. This is the only section of mainland Antarctica onto which passengers can actually set foot. 

Keep in mind, due to that pesky weather, your itinerary is a guideline and not a guarantee. This is where that “go with the flow” mindset becomes key — the itinerary you carefully selected could be thrown out the second you leave port if the captain hears of rough weather down south. So choose wisely, but don’t marry yourself to anything too specific. 

Pro-Tip: One experienced expeditioner suggested that the most reputable cruises are actually more vague about their itinerary, rather than offering exact promises that can’t always be delivered.

Also look closely at the activities offered on each trip. During landings, different cruises will provide different ways to soak up your stunning surroundings. Common options include hiking (for getting up close), kayaking (for calm, wildlife-filled views), zodiac trips (for speeding around an entire area), and polar plunges (for freezing your toes off). 

Read on for all the gory details, like how to get there, when to visit, and how much it's going to cost...

In the spirit of Paddy-not-Patty’s Day (he was neither woman nor burger), we asked the Jack's Community for spots in Ireland that’d turn someone green with envy should they be missed. 

Naturally, the big hitters like Dingle, Dublin, and Cobh all made the list, but growing up on this whimsical, windswept little isle, I’ve learned that there’s actually a lot of ground to cover. And honestly, my biggest tip? If you’ve come to Ireland for its rolling hills, craggy castles, and Celtic traditions, you’ve got to get out of Dublin!

It’d be remiss of me to not tell you what my county of Cork (and the city of the same name) has to offer. Honestly, there's no greater backyard when the sun peeks out. Kerry's a close second, but don't utter that in a pub packed with Corkmen…

Cork City

With historic streets steeped in tales of rebellion dating all the way back to Viking settlers, there's a reason why we call Cork the "Rebel county." 

It's the birthplace of Irish revolutionary leader Michael Collins, and that spirit of defiance remains an integral part of its identity, which you’ll no doubt notice on your visit.

Perhaps it's this same rebellious spirit that explains why our town's famous landmark, the  "Four-Faced Liar" refuses to conform too—a nickname it earned because no two of its faces ever seem to show the same time. 

Today, Cork proudly aligns itself with causes supporting oppressed people, showing solidarity with Palestine by hosting powerful protests, visits, and exhibitions, even among our Paddy’s Day parades. 

Revolutionary Irish leaders, Cillian Murphy, and butter—we've given the world a lot! Yes, really; we were once the world’s largest exporter of butter (there’s even a museum; no, I’ve never been). 

From artsy markets to fine dining, we're formally known as the foodie capital of Ireland, with heaps of gourmet festivals and heritage trails throughout the year. 

The best include Cork on a Fork in August, a citywide celebration of over 100 different events, including cooking demos, food trails, brewery tours, and pop-up experiences from some of the island’s most revered chefs. 

Speaking of chefs, one place I'd highly recommend is the Japanese takeaway Miyazaki. It's run by a Michelin-star chef, Takashi Miyazaki, who uses the finest of Irish ingredients to bring you a treasure box of Japanese food. Netflixers may recognize this one from the Ireland episode of Somebody Feed Phil.

Another local favorite includes Izz Cafe, a Palestinian restaurant named one of Ireland's best restaurants, and some of the yummiest Musakhan I've ever tried.  

Sometimes, though, you just can't beat a traditional Sunday roast. We're fiercely loyal when it comes to the spud, but some notable ones worth sharing are The Elm Tree and Murphy's Rock, according to this YouTuber.

Naturally, you’ll want to bring a taste of Cork home, too; the English Market is where you’ll likely want to head. Since 1788, this indoor Victorian market has been home to family-run stalls selling the freshest food from farms across the country. Specialty mushrooms, meat, and cheeses—you can find it all. 

Read on for jazz festivals, cozy pubs & bioluminescent lakes

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across the web this week.

• Your Paddy’s Day might have been wild, but was it “wake up surrounded by Nepalese yaks” wild? Here’s a look at the highest-altitude Irish pub in the world, where the beer is always extra strong (or else it explodes).
  
  
• After years of being the “happiest country in the world,” Finland’s offering free Lakeland retreats to teach visitors their ways.
  
  
• American airports are still in chaos, plagued by shutdowns and long TSA lines. Turns out your parents’ advice about arriving “three hours before your flight” is finally correct… if you’re lucky enough not to get cancelled.
  
  
• Rent payments got you down? Need a fresh start? These eight countries will pay you to move there — and they include some pretty popular spots.
  
  
• And finally, we all know long hauls are better in business class, but here’s how much you’ll need to shell out to make it happen. We promise the prices seem lower when you’re 12 hours into a 16-hour flight.