Take a luxury expedition vacation to Antarctica

by Kraig Becker on

For many adventure travelers (myself included!), Antarctica is the ultimate destination. it is one of the most remote, and untouched, places on the planet, and about as far as you can get from a well trammeled tourist path. Most journeys to the frozen continent come via a cruise ship that skirts the Antarctic coastline, allowing visitors to go ashore in just a few, very select, places. But for those of us who dream of walking in the footsteps of Robert Falcon Scott or his rival Roald Amundsen, there are few opportunities available to visit the actual frozen interior of the continent. A place that is as wild, and remote, as any on Earth.

That will change later this year when Kensington Tours, one of the best adventure travel companies on the planet, launches several amazing new luxury options that will take travelers to the very heart of Antarctica. These tours are only made possible thanks to Kensington’s own private camp, which sits perched atop a 200 foot icefall. This one-of-a-kind place will allow travelers to experience the Antarctic like never before, serving as a base of operations that features six sleeping tents, as well two large dome tents that play home to the kitchen, dining facilities, a library, and more. The heated sleeping tents are shared by just two occupants, ensuring that this is an intimate and unique experience for everyone who makes the journey.

The camp, which is only accessible via a private jet from Cape Town, South Africa, offers up some amazing adventure opportunities for travelers. While staying there, visitors will have the chance to kite ski, go rock and ice climbing, as well as abseil into a crevasse. They’ll also be able to hop into a 4×4 and drive to the coastal ice barrier or visit a nearby research station. Other highlights include a flight to the South Pole and a visit to a colony of Emperor Penguins that number 12,000 strong.

Kengsington has several pre-arranged tours available ranging from a one day trip that departs on November 29, and runs $9635, to a full 11-day expedition with departures on the 19th and 29th of November, that will set you back $48,075. The expert adventure travel consultants at Kensington can also arrange custom made Antarctic itineraries for you as well, merging in the best elements of this remote frontier and giving you an unbelievable trip of a lifetime.

For more details on these itineraries, and more, click here.

[Photo credit: Kensington Tours]

Ask Gadling: How can I make camping more comfortable?

by Mike Barish on
Today, we’re tackling a question from Penelope Duncan of King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.
“My boyfriend organized a camping trip with another couple. The problem is, I have never been camping, never had a desire to go camping and dread the very idea of camping. I prefer hotels, nice dinners and bathing. I want to show my boyfriend that I am willing to enjoy his interests, but I also want to be comfortable. How can I make camping more luxurious?”
View more Ask Gadling: Travel Advice from an Expert or send your question to ask [at] gadling [dot] com.

Gadling: First of all, good for you for not declining the invitation. You’re already ahead of the game by simply opening yourself up to a new experience and not turning what should be an awesomely fantastic weekend outdoors into an irrational fight about thread counts. So, now you’re locked into this camping trip and you’re more into massages than mosquito nets. Well, it’s not as hard as you think to add comfort to a camping trip.

First and foremost, outfit yourself with the proper gear. Gadling has covered essential camping gear before. You won’t spend very much time actually inside your tent, but psychologically, it will help you get excited about the trip if you know that you’ll have a spacious place to sleep. Rather than shoehorning yourselves into a tiny tent, you and your boyfriend should share a structure made for up to six people. The added square footage and headroom will stave off any claustrophobia, allow you to stand up fully inside the tent and keep all of your gear inside and nearby. Just as if you had your luggage at the foot of your bed in a hotel!

Throw an air mattress and some camping pillows inside and you’re basically sleeping in a bed. In fact, if you put a fitted sheet on the mattress and use an unzipped two-person sleeping bag as a blanket, you’ll be able to snuggle up with your boyfriend and not have to deal with the difficulties of canoodling while rolled up like a burrito.

What you will spend much of your time doing while camping is cooking and eating. Food is not just fuel when you’re spending the weekend in nature. It is very much a social activity. You’ll spend many hours sitting around the campfire shooting the poop, laughing and just enjoying each other’s company. While hot dogs and beans may be camping traditions, they are not required. Meal time is the perfect opportunity to add luxury to your camping trip. There’s no reason why you can’t pack up your spice rack, store some gorgeous fresh fish in a cooler (perhaps you even caught them yourselves) and add a few bottles of wine in with the cases of beer.

If you happen to enjoy cooking, you could even champion that activity. Store your spices, seasonings, cooking utensils, etc. in a tackle box or toolkit and show everyone how creative and talented you are. Is your boyfriend the cook? Work with him in advance to plan a menu, help him shop for the food and be his sous chef on the campsite. It will be a fantastic shared activity and you can even buy ridiculous aprons for the event.

As for activities, choose a campsite with a lake or some other large body of water. This will allow you to rent a boat. Kayaking and canoeing may be more closely associated with camping, but there’s no rule that states that you can’t have a motor in your vessel. Splurge on a boat large enough for some sunbathing. You might not be on a yacht and you’ll have to cut up your own strawberries, but if you pack a bottle of champagne, you’ll feel like you’re on a cruise regardless of how much your hair smells like smoke.

It’s not that challenging to make camping comfortable. In fact, with a little forethought and some culinary upgrades, you may end up having a more luxurious weekend than you would have had you stayed home.

Whatever you do, resist the urge to rent a cabin. Cabins are for cheaters.

Munch on Mozzarella on Madison in Manhattan

by Tom Johansmeyer on

One of the frustrations of Madison Avenue in midtown is that there isn’t much to eat. You have to dash down a side street to get a quick bite, which leaves you craning your neck at every intersection to see if it’s worth taking a few steps off your path for a chance to fill your stomach with something you want. After a while, you just give up and walk into the first restaurant you see after your will has been decimated.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

The next time your trudging up Madison from one luxury retailer to the next (and there are many, so many), duck into the Atrium at the IBM building on the corner of E. 56th Street, and skip street food in favor of mozzarella. Obika, a mozzarella bar, is made for cheese fiends, with a wide range of alternatives, not to mention meat tastings and pastas that you can add to your meal if, for some strange reason, mozzarella isn’t enough.

When you order, cautions the New York Daily News, don’t let appearances deceive you:

There were three mozzes atop a bed of spinach on the tasting plate. It didn’t look like a lot, sitting there, but wound up being more than enough for the two of us. We agreed, though, that had the cheeses-and us-been joined by a little wine, we probably would have mopped up every dairy-oozing morsel.

If you are addicted to cheese, you can carry the theme straight through dessert, with a ricotta mousse, topped with pine nuts and honey. I can tell you that the taste is unbeatable – and that the dish is incredibly heavy. As small as it looks, share it.

The drawbacks are present but not sufficient to ruin the experience. Writes the Daily News of Obika‘s atrium location:

The ceilings are high and the atmosphere nil. The bathrooms are down an escalator, around the corner from some Trumpean joint or other. And, worst of all worsts-and I can only assume that this is due to its location-Obika doesn’t have a liquor license. Their location in Kuwait City does, but not Manhattan. Cheese without wine? That’s just wrong.

The location’s ideal, though, when you’re hauling full shopping bags to your next credit card-melting store and need a break for a taste of attainable luxury.

Daily Pampering: Swarovski Crystal Pocket binoculars

by Melanie Nayer on

Binoculars can be an accessory – just as Swarovski, the crystal-clad designer who adorns necks and wrists everywhere.

Swarovski Optik is part of the Swarovski company and for $2,000, you can own a pair of the elite binoculars made with the Swarovski touch. There are 22 models of binoculars available, each grouped into one of six series, including the elite Crystal Pocket series with three models of crystal covered binoculars.

The Crystal Pocket series offers fashionable travelers binoculars that fit right into your pocket, so you don’t have to worry about bulging handbags or unsightly cases at your next night at the opera or bird watching from your yacht. The Crystal Pocket series has binoculars with grips covered in crystals, of course, and certainly makes a statement.

But do they work? The magnifications available on Swarovski’s binoculars are 7X, 8X, 8.5X, 10X and 15X, so it’s likely you’ll get a good view no matter where you look. The least expensive Swarovski model costs the better part of $1,000 and the most expensive model around $2,000.

Are you worth it? We think so.

Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.

Contest offers ‘maybe the best trip ever’!

by Kraig Becker on

A new contest sponsored by Black Star Beer promises to give the winner one heck of a prize, sending them off on a jet setting vacation that will offer everything from outdoor adventure to an unforgettable taste of luxury.

The contest is dubbed “Maybe the Best Trip Ever“, and that seems a pretty apt description actually. The winner, and five of their closest friends, will get things started by heading to Whitefish, Montana, where they’ll not only tour the Great Northern Brewery, but also mix in some outdoor adventure as well. This stage of the trip will include hiking and camping in Glacier National Park, whitewater rafting on the Flathead River, and fly fishing with a master angler. And when they’re finished with their adventurous escape to the Montana backcountry, the group will board a private jet for Las Vegas, where they’ll relax and party poolside, while getting the VIP treatment at the Palms Casino and Resort.

The winner will also have the opportunity to practice with the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. (The press release promises a professional basketball team, but we’ll have to settle for the Kings) They’ll receive a sweet HD video camera to document the entire experience, along with plenty of other swag to outfit the entire group. If all of that wasn’t enough, Black Star is throwing in another six round trip tickets to destinations of your choosing, just in case you need a vacation from your vacation.

To enter the contest, simply go to the Black Star Facebook Page and click on the banner. Who knows, maybe you’ll be sent off on the best trip ever!