Spending 3.5 million yuan in 35 days: First Chengdu resident takes an icebreaker to Antarctica

Helicopter aerial photography of the icebreaker

 

       Over 350,000 yuan and 35 days to explore the perennially ice-covered southeastern region of Antarctica. The journey was undertaken aboard the KK, a Russian-built icebreaker and the only commercial expedition vessel in the Antarctic region equipped with a helicopter...

       Since last year, private high-end customized travel services have quietly emerged in Chengdu, and on December 14 of last year, the city welcomed its first visitor to embark on a high-priced trip to Antarctica. A reporter interviewed Zheng Duozhong (pseudonym used at the person’s request), a Chengdu resident who had just returned from Antarctica. An avid photographer, he shared his “great value” 35-day experience in Antarctica.

       Itinerary

       Over 35 days, visit Antarctic research stations, Russia’s Mirny Station, tour numerous famous ice shelves and glaciers, and even swim beneath the ice.

      Cost

       Over 350,000 yuan. On the most recent Antarctic trip, there were more than 20 Chinese participants, including one from Chengdu.

       Market

       Last year, Chengdu travel agencies tasted success for the first time. Though outbound group tours accounted for only 0.5% of their business, they generated over 20% of their revenue.

       Travel Story

       “I boarded the Russian KK icebreaker in Perth, Australia, and began my sea voyage,” said Mr. Zheng. He believes that the KK is currently the only icebreaker in Antarctica used for commercial travel services, allowing passengers to venture deep into the icy seas rather than just crossing areas of pack ice. “Being on this ship lets you witness the spectacular sight of breaking through endless ice and reach the southeastern part of Antarctica that most tour groups can’t access. Moreover, we were there to welcome the first sunlight of the new year 2012.” He also mentioned that due to an environmental protection agreement, the KK will retire from Antarctic voyages this year. “After taking us, the KK will be ‘retired’ directly and return to Vladivostok (formerly known as Haishenwai) in Russia. This was the legendary icebreaker’s farewell voyage, making it all the more precious.”

       The most thrilling: Aerial photography in Antarctica

       “Possibly affected by the economic downturn in Europe and America, the number of Western visitors has been decreasing over the past two years. The icebreaker, which could originally accommodate 118 passengers, ultimately carried only 91 travelers, though there were more than 20 Chinese on this trip,” Zheng Duozhong explained. “The ship offered us a rich variety of lectures, all delivered by the expedition crew. Each speaker shared expertise in their respective fields—covering topics such as wildlife, oceans, and glaciers.”

       “Since the icebreaker had two helicopters, under good weather conditions, they would take turns transporting passengers for aerial photography and ice shelf landings. Each flight carried about five tourists, and I took the helicopter five times in total.” According to him, flying in a helicopter to land on islands and admire rare ice shelves and icefalls, as well as capturing aerial views of Antarctica, was incredibly exciting. “Regular tour groups simply wouldn’t be able to access these areas or capture such magnificent ice formations.”

       Mr. Zheng recalled that visiting research stations during the trip was a particularly interesting experience, offering insight into the daily lives of the researchers. Of course, the two volcano visits were also highly memorable, including one active volcano on a glacier-covered island that has seen fewer than 200 recorded landings to date.

       But what excited Zheng Duozhong the most was spending several days interacting with Antarctic animals. “After landing on the islands, you can see groups of penguins surrounding you—the closest ones were just two or three meters away. The largest species in the penguin family, the emperor penguins, are not very numerous, but we were lucky enough to see large groups of them ‘playing’ on the ice. It was really amusing and made me feel so close to nature.” As an avid photographer, he captured hundreds of gigabytes of photos stored on his external hard drive. “I just got back, and haven’t even had time to transfer them to my computer yet.”

       The most thrilling: Swimming beneath the ice

       When discussing this expensive trip, Mr. Zheng still described it as “great value.” “The crew was extremely warm and friendly. Most importantly, many of us were photography enthusiasts, so we had lots in common to talk about. Since meals were mostly Western-style and the trip was especially long, the chef even made dumplings for us Chinese passengers twice. We also had Chinese fried rice and noodles every day.” Mr. Zheng stayed in a double room with complete facilities and 24-hour heating. The ship also had entertainment options like a bar and cinema, so he never felt bored. “The most thrilling experience was swimming beneath the ice, with a private instructor using a rope to keep us safe. Swimming in Antarctic seawater is freezing, but it’s incredibly exhilarating.”

       Although it wasn’t Mr. Zheng’s first time in Antarctica, this rare trip to the southeastern part of the continent still filled him with pride. He admitted he simply loves this kind of privately customized travel. “Most of my social circle travels this way too.”

       In-depth report

       It’s not uncommon for travelers from Chengdu to visit the western coast of the Antarctic Peninsula by boarding ships from Argentina, South Africa, or Australia. However, such trips use vessels that can only navigate shallow ice zones, with journeys lasting around eight days and prices ranging from 50,000 to 120,000 yuan—but they do not reach the perennially ice-covered southeastern region of Antarctica.

“Mr. Zheng’s type of travel product falls under private high-end customized tourism services, which originated abroad,” said Lu Yang, Marketing Communications Manager at Ctrip Chengdu.

       However, the reporter learned that high-end customized tourism services in Chengdu began to emerge around 2009. “Almost no one signed up all year, not even anyone asking about it.”

       “It’s only in the past two years that business has slowly picked up. Especially last year, around 40 or so Chengdu tourists participated in high-end customized trips. The tourists were mainly middle-aged photography enthusiasts.” It is understood that the private high-end customized travel services launched in the Chengdu market mainly focus on adventure, sports, and photography tours, with niche routes. For example, there’s an African hunting tour priced at around 500,000 yuan that goes on sale in summer; European castle tours and wine estate trips to France and Italy costing about 100,000 yuan per group; as well as an Antarctic “Embrace Tour” from Chile for over 300,000 yuan over 8 days, and a 35-day ultra-luxury Antarctic trip priced at over 350,000 yuan.
       It is reported that this business accounts for only 0.5% of the total number of tours organized by the travel agency, but due to the pricing often exceeding 100,000 yuan per trip, this business made up more than 20% of the agency’s total operating revenue last year. “Last year was the first time we really tasted success in Chengdu. Previously, our customers mostly came from Beijing and Shanghai.”