Antarctica Hotels

• Veghel
• Reviews: 280

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• Veghel
• Reviews: 280

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Onboard Grigoriy Mikheev

The Grigoriy Mikheev, a Russian expedition vessel built in Finland in 1990, was our base for 11 days at Christmas 2005. It brought us from Ushuaia (southern Argentina) to Antarctica vice versa.

Grigoriy Mikheev is not a very luxurious ship, though definitely comfortable and very suitable for its purpose. Because of the small size, the atmosphere is great and you know all fellow passengers within one or two days. With 46 passengers, 6 staff and 20 crew, Grigoriy Mikheev is actually the smallest commercial ship travelling to Antarctica.

• Opinion of Price: less expensive than average
• Related to: Cruise, Luxury Travel, National/State Park
• Written September 23, 2006

Bar onboard Grigoriy Mikheev

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• tiabunna
• Reviews: 785

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Balleny: Living Hut at Mawson Station

The small hut in the photo, with an aurora hovering overhead, was the Mawson living hut named "Balleny". All the living huts were named after Antarctic explorers, this was named after John Balleny, the first person to land south of the Antarctic Circle (on the islands now named after him) in 1839. Balleny happened to be the hut in which I lived at Mawson: it provided accommodation for six of us.

As you entered the door (think of a freezer door) you entered a 'cold porch' which was where jackets were hung, then a second freezer door led you into the central corridor. The personal bedroom cubicles (known in ANARE language as 'dongas') were off to either side and were about seven feet square. On the outer wall of each donga there were two small windows, one above the other, with the bed raised and near the top window. It was reached by a ladder. Below was a set of shelving for clothing and a desk near the lower window, with a small hanging closet alongside the bed at the end of the donga.

Balleny was different from the other living huts in two ways. It had the only bathtub on the station - never used, thankfully, it was there to enable the total immersion in hot water of anyone who was significantly affected by cold (either hypothermia or frostbite). Every living hut did however have a shower, working from a bucket which was filled with hot water from the tank above the heater, the water in turn being dug from snowdrifts by hand. The heater was the other way 'Balleny' differed: we still had a coal briquette burning pot-bellied heater - and were much warmer and more comfortable than any other hut, even if it was more labour intensive.

You may be able to see the star-trails in the photo. This was taken on old Kodachrome 25 ASA film, so the photo required about a 1 minute exposure!

• Opinion of Price: N/A
• Related to: Architecture
• Written July 5, 2006

'Balleny' living hut, Mawson 1966

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• tiabunna
• Reviews: 785

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More ancient history: Mawson ANARE Station

Mawson, operated by the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE), is the oldest continuously operating station south of the Antarctic Circle. It was established on Horseshoe Harbour, in the Australian Antarctic Territory, during February 1954. The 1966 expedition, in which I was a member, arrived on 3 February 1966 and watched the "Nella Dan" sail off on 14 February. She came back to retrieve us on 13 February 1967.

Mawson had four main accommodation huts, specific purpose working huts, a kitchen and mess which were linked to a recreation room, and a photographic darkroom. Most buildings were heated with oil heaters, but several still retained solid fuel briquette heaters. When moving between buildings it was a matter of rugging up and braving the elements! Mawson is one of the windiest places on earth, with an average windspeed of about 25 knots - we had winds over 120 knots at times.

The main photo is looking to the southwest through the station. My living hut was to the right of the camera, the foreground building slightly right of centre was the darkroom (where this photo was in fact developed). In the distance to the right is the radio hut, with the kitchen/mess the darkish building to the left. Most of the other huts, apart from the one with the pitched roof to the right (a builder's hut) were for accommodation. Notice the snowdrifts in the lee of most buildings.

The second and third photos are aerial shots from a helicopter, taken during station changeover, just before we left in February 1967. Both show the "Nella Dan". In the third photo, the dotted lines across the foreground snowdrifts are the doglines - the dogs were chained in the open there and "marked their spot". As you can see in the aerial photos, by late summer most snowdrifts around the station had cleared - they would be back only a few weeks later.

• Opinion of Price: N/A
• Related to: Historical Travel, Eco-Tourism
• Written July 5, 2006

Mawson Station looking to SW

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• Ekahau
• Reviews: 731

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Hostería “Polestar” King George III Island: A place for the head on King George III Island

Hostería "Estrella Polar" hotel Polestar. - It is located near the Airport and sleeps about 85 to 90 people very basic but clean and warm dormitory style rooms. It is used by personnel of the Chilean Air Force who run the place, but can be used by national or foreign visits and scientists an a VTer like me.

View of a penguin This is the guest House you stay at if you fly down with DAP airlines and over night -- cost $2,700 for the package (room only not sold separately) see transportation this section for more details on how to get here. In addition to the Hostería "Estrella Polar" you the VTer get to have in the Small Chilean town of Las Estrellas Villa (Village the Stars) schools, banks, post office, runway, gift shop, telephones, Radio 90.5 on the FN dial, television, telephone and even an Internet to VT on. In fact it has 147 people in summer, 83 in winter .

The Town has 35 bdgs in all 14 houses for school, hospital, pharmacy, dental, post office, bank, church, gym, market, library, hotel "estrella polar" (where you the VT stay with researchers).

It also has 1 doctor, 2 paramedics, 2 beds, X-ray facilities, anesthetist equipment, lab. Ya I focused on the Hospital but than that was my job.

• Opinion of Price: N/A
• Related to: Adventure Travel
• Written June 4, 2006

King George III Island

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• Veghel
• Reviews: 280

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Life boats of Grigoriy Mikheev

An expedition to the Antarctic starts with a meeting about evacuation procedures. About 15 minutes after the meeting, a test is carried out in which all passengers participate. Fully dressed up for the rescue, everybody goes to the life boats. Grigoriy Mikheev has two fully equipped life boats with 26 places each: sufficient for all passengers and a few crew members, but the majority of the crew needs to use very basic life boats. The no. 1 rule is: women, children and the elderly first! The no. 2 rule is: passengers first.
Most passengers had a look inside the life boats. It was difficult to imagine sitting in the life boat for three days in rough weather conditions without toilet facilities! The good thing however is that the Antarctic seas are so busy nowadays that there is always a ship within a few hours sailing.

• Opinion of Price: less expensive than average
• Related to: Cruise
• Written January 13, 2006

Life boat of Grigoriy Mikheev

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• tiabunna
• Reviews: 785

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Marina Svetaeva: Your ship is your hotel!

It's hardly going to be news to you, but if you are down in Antarctica as a tourist, there is one option only by way of accommodation - the ship you travelled on! So, if luxury cruising is your preference, an "expedition style" ship is less likely to meet your needs!

We found the "Marina Svetaeva" met the brochure description of "homely and comfortable". We'd rank the cabins about the equivalent of a good class two star hotel. They were quite spacious (our cabin on deck 4 was set up for four bunks, but was sold as a two person cabin) and about 4M by 3M, with two portholes.

The cabin was serviced daily, the beds were comfortable.

Great ocean views. :)

• Opinion of Price: about average
• Related to: Eco-Tourism, National/State Park, Cruise
• Written January 12, 2006

Our comfortable cabin.

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• Veghel
• Reviews: 280

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Grigoriy Mikheev: Expedition ship Grigoriy Mikheev

The cruise that Ashra and I made was with the Grigoriy Mikheev, which is a Russian expedition vessel built in Finland in 1990. The ship is leased by the Russian government to a Dutch company named Oceanwide Expeditions, who use it for the Arctic and Antarctic expedition cruises.

Although the Grigoriy Mikheev is probably not what you expect when booking a cruise, the ship is perfect for the job. Normal cruise ships are not ice-strengthened. They may offer more luxus, but they can't come anywhere near Antarctica because of the icebergs.

• Opinion of Price: less expensive than average
• Related to: Cruise
• Written January 11, 2006

The rear of the ship.

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• Veghel
• Reviews: 280

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Grigoriy Mikheev: Cabins on Grigoriy Mikheev

The cruise that Ashra and I made was with the Grigoriy Mikheev, which is a Russian expedition vessel built in Finland in 1990. The ship is leased by the Russian government to a Dutch company named Oceanwide Expeditions, who use it for the Arctic and Antarctic expedition cruises.

The cabins are more spacious than I though they would be. The bathrooms, though small, are clean and there is pleny of hot water. The simple shower curtain functions well and keeps the toilet and basin dry. The shower is equipped with an "extendable" seat, so you can sit while taking a shower. This is absolutely necessary when crossing the Drake Passage. The Drake Passage is the sea between South-America and Antarctica. It is known for its huge swell and strong winds.

• Opinion of Price: less expensive than average
• Related to: Cruise
• Written January 11, 2006

Twin cabin with private facilities

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