Icy adventure trips with a side of wellness put whole new meaning into the phrase ‘chilling out’, says Clare Vooght
“What would Shackleton think?” says my travel companion as we soak in a bubbling hot tub, dwarfed by the black, rugged peaks splitting through the thick white snow and the ice of Antarctica’s Cuverville Island.
Our Antarctic trip with Silversea may be a little different to the death-defying stories of exploration we’ve been hearing in the ship’s lecture theatre, but it’s still an adventure – with days spent zipping by icebergs on Zodiacs, paddling past penguins on kayaks and hiking up peaks, before ending the day in the hot tub, or the warm, enveloping spa.
After a freezing march with the penguins at Neko Harbour I thaw nicely on a lounger in the spa’s relaxation room (here, guests can take it easy with a cocktail after a massage or facial); following an iceberg-dodging Zodiac trip around the Lemaire Channel in spectacular sun, I head for the sauna (with its windows offering a blissed-out view of any passing wildlife, from whales to seals to porpoising penguins); but the aforementioned hot tub, at the bow of the ship, might just be the best way to unwind in this icy landscape.
Antarctica escapes
Clients at Whichaway – White Desert’s luxury expedition camp in Antarctica – can expect a similar mix of polar exploration and wellness, too. Inside the camp’s space-like pods, guests can take part in a yoga session or unwind in the sauna after a day’s trekking or skiing, with windows looking out to millennia-old glacial ice.
“Our guests are not only seeking a luxurious adventure, but a complete disconnect from the relentless ‘noise’ and demands of their daily lives,” says Mindy Roberts, CMO at White Desert. “Antarctica lends itself to solitude and self-reflection.
Antarctica lends itself to solitude and self-reflection
Whether hiking up a nunatak mountain or wandering through a frozen sea of ice waves, this wilderness naturally transforms both body and mind.” For something closer to home but equally icy, Responsible Travel’s Snowshoeing Holiday In Finland offers guided snowshoeing, with a base in Hossa National Park and the Kainuu region.
There are daily sauna opportunities (one is by the lakeside, with the option of an ice-swim too). Where The Wild Is Travel offers a three-night Winter Weekend Wellness Break based in Sweden’s floating Arctic Bath spa hotel, with snowmobiling and snowshoe hiking excursions.
Expedition cruising
Expedition cruise ships, of course, make it easier to bring spas to remote locations, and present a way to reach clients looking to book a wintry adventure with world-class creature comforts. On Oceania cruise ship Marina, guests can follow a whale-spotting stop at Paradise Bay in Antarctica with a raw juice and a medi-spa treatment, such as a Caviar Firm and Lift Facial.
Aurora Expeditions’ 14-day East Greenland Explorer offers rock climbing, as well as an ocean-view spa, sauna and on-deck yoga sessions. Andrea Stafford, director of trade sales at Scenic & Emerald Cruises, says: “I would describe a ‘typical day’ on board Scenic Eclipse in the Arctic or Antarctic as follows: enjoying a morning on a Zodiac or paddleboard, before whale spotting or watching Emperor penguins from the shore.
Guests can follow a whale-spotting stop at Paradise Bay in Antarctica with a raw juice and a medi-spa treatment
Then, go to the Senses Spa for aerial yoga, a Nordic bathing experience, an indulgent facial or simply to relax in the infrared sauna.” On Hurtigruten’s MS Fridtjof Nansen, guests can unwind with a spa treatment or a dip in the infinity pool after a puffin-spotting hike through northern Iceland’s Grímsey.
And in Norway, Havila Voyages offers an excursion in the world’s northernmost fishing village – Skarsvaag – where clients can mix a Lapland-inspired sauna with a plunge into the Arctic Barents Sea.
Remote locations
“We’ve seen higher demand from guests seeking wellness in remote locations, as this can offer an escape within nature and lets them recharge in ways they wouldn’t be able to achieve at home,” says Peter Shanks, Silversea’s managing director for the UK, Ireland, Middle East and Africa.
“As new members of Atas [Association of Touring & Adventure Suppliers], we are committed to supporting agents specialising in adventure tourism and are keen to hear from any new agents who are yet to sell our expedition offering and want to hear more.”
At the end of a bracing afternoon’s adventuring on Petermann Island with Silversea, I hop back onto the Zodiac to return to the ship as the wind begins to pick up for another storm. The idea of warming up in the sauna while watching for the flick of a passing whale’s tail, with the ice and the weather outside, feels like the ultimate treat on a journey that’s outside of my comfort zone. Adventure and wellness mix very well indeed.
PICTURES: White Desert Antarctica
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