White Desert

Antarctica - Queen Maud Land

Antarctica is a mythical and awe-inspiring destination. The coldest, driest, windiest, most remote place on Earth – it’s the closest you’ll feel to being on another planet.

The area White Desert operates within was discovered by a Norwegian expedition in 1930, claimed by Norway in 1939, and declared a dependency of that nation in 1949. Named in honour of the then Norwegian queen, the region is perfectly situated for exploring the interior of the continent.

It takes us 5-hours by private charter flying from Cape Town and landing on the private blue ice runway, Wolf’s Fang.

Whichaway, the flagship camp is located 170 kilometres (105 mi) from the coast and sits at 100 meters (330 ft) above sea level. Echo Base is situated further inland around 100 kilometres (62 mi) from the coast and at 1130 meters (3700 ft) above sea level.

Several countries operate science research bases in the territory, such as Neumayer-Station III (Germany), Novolazarevskaya Station (Russia), SANAE IV (South Africa) and Maitri (India). White Desert use our operations infrastructure to support many of these teams, transporting around 150 scientists each year.

The ECHO Camp

Inspired by the seminal age of Space exploration, Echo sits in quiet solitude encircled by pitted rock formations. Echo is as close as you can get to feeling like you’re off the planet without leaving Earth.

The space-age design of the ‘Sky Pods’ makes them look like they’ve been beamed down from Mars. Futuristic and luxurious, the six bedrooms are created from composite material with floor to ceiling windows allowing guests to soak in the moon-like landscape beyond.

Original photos taken from the International Space Station (ISS) by former Commander, White Desert guest and retired astronaut, colonel Terry Virts will be featured in each pod.

“The mountains are the most beautiful I have seen across Earth, Venus and Mars.”

says Virts

Perfect for exclusive use groups and catering for up to 12 people, Echo allows guests to combine an ultra-luxury experience with a once in lifetime adventure on the 7th Continent. As with all White Desert’s camps, Echo is designed to be dismantled, leaving no trace on the Antarctic landscape.

The WHICHAWAY Camp

Whichaway is the flagship camp and sits on the shores of one of the freshwater lakes of the ice-free Schirmacher Oasis.

6 heated ‘polar pods’ are designed with cutting-edge exteriors and old-world interiors that conjure up images of Antarctica’s rich heritage of exploration. Our guests really love to sit back and chat in the communal lounge, library and dining area which is a wonderful space to relax with amazing views.

Savour gourmet meals prepared by your private chef, enjoy a sauna with view of the glacier, sip cocktails by the fire, and cross off bucket list adventures like visiting the South Pole, ice climbing, hiking over ice waves, and coming face-to-face with 28,000 emperor penguins.

Environment & Sustainability

White Desert is founded by record-breaking polar explorers and our goal has always been to create a positive impact on Antarctica’s future. We do this through a number of endeavours including setting science-based targets in line with the Paris Agreement and the UK goal “Net Zero by 2050”.

Carbon Neutral since 2007, White Desert is the first Antarctic operator to trial Sustainable Aviation Fuel on the 7th Continent, with the aim of reducing the overall volume of carbon produced from our operations.

Over the last 5 years, White Desert also diversified and, rather than just taking tourists into Antarctica, they now deliver over 150 scientists to their research bases each season. This allows scientific research to continue using shared and efficient logistics.