Chills and thrills at the end of the earth

A glimpse of Antarctica’s cold, remote blue beauty is no longer the preserve of frostbitten explorers – there are plenty of cruise ships to cater for the growing stream of tourists. But some journeys are more thrilling than others.

The Kapitan Khlebnikov is a polar-class icebreaker, originally designed for northern Siberia. With 70 crew and 112 guests, it is the only boat to take in the 8,000-strong emperor penguin colony on Snow Hill Island (discovered four years ago). The trip lasts from 11 to 14 days (with three at the penguin rookery, and ship-to-island heli-transfers).

Several specialist companies offer the cruise, but expect to pay a once-in-a-lifetime price…

The lowdown: Quark Expeditions (00 1 203 852 5580, www.quark expeditions.com) or Peregrine Adventures (0844 736 0170, www.peregrineadventures.com) charge from around £9,000. BA (0844 493 0787, www.ba.com) flies from Heathrow to Buenos Aires from £861 return. Tour operators can arrange onward flights to Ushuaia from £200. November-March is the period to visit.

Alternatives:

* More affordable is a no-frills 11-day ‘Exploration’ with Kumuka (0800 068 8855, www.kumuka.com), from £3,080pp, with cabin and food; flights extra.

* Abercrombie & Kent (0845 070 0614, www.abercrombiekent.co.uk) has a luxurious 15-day tour on the Minerva from £3,605pp, all-inclusive, with flights.

* Discover the World (01737 218800, www.discover-the-world.co.uk) offers various Antarctic trips from £2,716pp, including meals but not flights.

The pull of the arctic: huskies

Tick off two unique experiences on one journey: the Arctic and husky-sledding. Spitsbergen, an island in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, is the world’s most northerly settlement; here, polar bears outnumber people, and it is unwise to leave the confines of Longyearbyen town without a rifle.

November to February are dark months, so this winter adventure is only available between February and May. The trip includes three days’ mushing through the snow, with two nights in hotels, and two more in the ‘Ship Frozen In Ice’ – a vessel imprisoned in ice, as the name suggests, but now reworked into a lodge.