Lonely Planet Antarctica (Lonely Planet Antarctica) - Softcover

Jeff Rubin; Lonely Planet

4.06

79 ratings by Goodreads

9780864427724: Lonely Planet Antarctica (Lonely Planet Antarctica)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0864427727 ISBN 13: 9780864427724

Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications, 2000

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Ready for the ultimate cool adventure? Whether you want to trek in the footsteps of Shackleton and Scott or cruise among the icebergs, this is the definitive guide to carry with you to the loneliest of lands.

Inside you'll find:

special chapters written by experts on science, history and ecology
travel options, from tours to flyovers to private yacht expeditions
detailed coverage of islands, science bases and historic Hut Point
in-depth descriptions of the gateway cities - Cape Town, Christchurch, Hobart, Punta Arenas, Stanley and Ushuaia
35 detailed maps

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:

Just looking at the hauntingly sculpted blues, vast horizon-touching Shelves, and towering behemoths of Antarctica's ice formations makes the traveler know why she wants to go there and why she needs a good guidebook. Lonely Planet has once again done its homework. In addition to a thorough and succinct history section, useful overviews of Antarctic tour companies, information about how to plan your trip, detailed maps, and interesting facts about the places you'll visit, this book includes a 32-page color wildlife guide that introduces you to Chinstrap penguins, elephant seals, and eight types of whales.

LP has sought out the experts on Antarctic issues to write about science, environmental, and exploration issues. Shaded boxes offer in-depth highlights about topics such as traveling by zodiac (the small inflatable boats used by tour companies--ideal for cruising among "bergy bits"), Antarctic fiction, glaciology, and icebergs: "The Antarctic ice sheet is the iceberg 'factory' of the Southern Ocean. The total volume of ice calved from the ice sheet each year is about 2300 cubic km, and it has been estimated that there are about 300,000 icebergs in the Southern Ocean at any one time."

This book offers sage advice and is not afraid of the stark and sometimes dangerous realities of traveling to such a harsh and foreboding land: "If you fall overboard, you will die. Although this may not be true in every single case, it is almost certain, for human survival in the -1.8�C water of the Southern Ocean is calculated in minutes. Since drowning is thought by some to be preferable to freezing to death, one bit of only half-cynical advice for those who fall overboard is to swim as hard as you can for the bottom."

From the Publisher:

A large portion of the usual information found in Lonely Planet guidebooks, such as hotel and restaurant recommendations, doesn't apply for "Antarctica", as there are none. Instead, this unique guide provides updated coverage for the gateway cities, a full-color wildlife guide, expert commentary on environmental issues, new maps highlighting the most visited sites in Antarctica, an in-depth section on the Antarctic Peninsula (doubled in size from the first edition), and improved insights into the continent's natural and human history. The definitive guidebook available for the region, Lonely Planets updated "Antarctica" is not only a travel guide, but is an invaluable reference tool for adventurous visitors to the Seventh Continent and armchair travelers alike!

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