Silversea’s Conrad Combrink has visited Antarctica 91 times. Here’s why it’s Australia’s favourite adventure destination

• More Australian and Asian travellers are choosing the fly-cruise option with direct flights to the Antarctica.
• This means they will miss out on the unpredictable Drake Passage crossing.
• After Antarctica, Aussies want to experience the Arctic, Galapagos and The Kimberley.

Australians’ favourite expedition destination is Antarctica says Conrad Combrink, Senior Vice President, Expeditions of the luxury line, Silversea.

Once they have experienced the wonders of exploring Antarctica, they will choose to expand their luxury adventure travel to the Arctic, followed by the Galapagos and The Kimberley.

Combrink said the growing trend among Australian and Asian travellers is to choose the Fly-cruise option when they go on an Antarctica expedition. Instead of spending four nights crossing the choppy and unpredictable waters of the Drake Passage, they will spend time discovering Easter Island and the surrounding attractions before cruising to Antarctica.

Silversea now operates direct flights to Antarctica from Santiago to Puerto Williams and then to King George Island where they will board the ship.

The line is opening a luxury hotel, billed as the Southernmost Hotel on earth for Antarctica travellers in Puerto Williams in October this year.

The Cormorant at 55 South is a 150-room luxury hotel in Puerto Williams on Chile’s Navarino Island where guests are able to stay in five-star luxury, savour regional cuisine and experience guided tours to the wilderness with nature hikes designed to build up excitement for Antarctica.

Silversea offers fly-cruise itineraries of six to nine days to longer options of up to 18 days. The luxury line will introduce new itineraries to Svalbard, Greenland and Japan in 2027.

From Iceland to Greenland and Svalbard to Canada, the Arctic offers a window into cultures that have been enveloped in ice and isolation for years. Guests will be able to spot polar bears, Arctic fox and Svalbard reindeer in the rolling tundra of Alkhornet. They can bask in the Midnight Sun and connect with remote communities in Disko Bay and Ilulissat.

“Australians are great expedition travellers as they are often more active and more conscious of the environment. Australians are our second largest expedition market for Silversea.

“No matter how much you prepare for your first visit to Antarctica, the first time is always so personal and different,” he said.

Despite visiting Antarctica 91 times, Combrink’s favourite expedition destinations are Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Micronesia and Papua New Guinea

“There is so much to learn from the history of these places and how important religion has influenced these societies,” he said.

Silversea has built one of the industry’s most qualified expedition staff with a dedicated shore team who know exactly how to deliver the best possible and safe expedition experience.

“When we take guests to an expeditiion destination, we know exactly what we want to show them. Every landing on a shore excursion is a sensory-driven experience,” he added.

Philippa Walker, Director of Marketing APAC for Silversea added that Australians’ thirst for luxury adventure travel remains strong and unabated despite the Middle East war.

For more information click here.