This entry first appeared in a Dispatch, the updates sent to all Society members. You can join for free here.
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Who doesn’t love a cold drink at the end of the day? It might be a gin and tonic after a long day on safari through East Africa. Perhaps it’s a wine with dinner in the Argentinean highlands or a beer after a hike through the Egyptian desert. It might even be just a simple can of Coca-Cola on a great Antarctic adventure. But how much is that drink worth? And, more importantly, would you pay USD$35 for a single can of Coke?
Probably not. But, in some parts of the world, we think $35 is a bargain. Especially if the can in question is given to you at the South Pole.
We should probably give you some context.
At The Explorer Society, we are always looking for unique destinations and discovering unique ways of experiencing more familiar destinations. We then run that through our quality control to ensure that the experience reaches the high standards we expect, including value for money, reliability, sustainability and our beliefs. So, when the possibility to stay on the Antarctic mainland in specially designed pods came across our desk a few years back, it caught our interest.
We do have a range of great Antarctic experiences that we can organise. They range from a simple photographic cruise around the Peninsula to a three-day hike retracing the steps Shackleton took on South Georgia during his ill-fated Antarctic adventure. You can even sleep out overnight on the snow or kayak between icebergs as part of a great Antarctic experience. But, to visit the opposite side of Antarctica, far from any other visitors or expedition ships, and to stay there for days at a time, is something else entirely. Historically an almost impossible task, today it’s entirely possible. Specially constructed camps, polar toughened machinery and eco-fuelled private jets all combine to offer one of the most exclusive experiences in the world.
Just imagine the packing list.
If you thought planning your last trip was complex, imagine the logistics involved in getting travellers to remote Antarctica via Cape Town. This includes bringing in everything they could possibly need during their stay and taking it all out again when used to keep the environment pristine. Zero-waste, zero emissions and zero permanent impact left on the continent. For the time you are there, whether it be a week or one incredible day, this world is yours to explore. You might climb unclimbed mountains, ride fat-tyre bicycles or ride zip lines. You can choose to visit remote emperor penguin colonies and isolated polar stations. Perhaps you’d want to journey to the South Pole itself or simply sit and soak it all in. The choice is yours when you book your departure. It’s a fully immersive, fully inclusive experience that is simply unforgettable.
And, long story short, that’s where the $35 can of Coke comes in. Whilst you aren’t paying for this can (it’s included), everything still has a price. That can of Coke is no exception. It has gone through a journey of its own to meet you. That can has been transported from that factory to the cargo ship. That ship has travelled over rocky waters to the edge of the continent. It has then been unloaded onto the ice and transported to your accommodation. And yes, whilst you could keep it cold by simply sticking it in the snow, we all know what happens to a soft drink can that freezes. So, you can add in the cost of the solar array required to keep the refrigerator at the appropriate temperature.
Add on the spirits you might have it with, and the food that you dine on, and the cost of the chef to cook it for you, and you can see why the cost of 5 days starts from USD$52,000 per person. At that price, it’s not for everyone, but of course it isn’t. It can, however, be ‘not for everyone’ and still be incredible value for money. It can be the price of a large house deposit and yet still worth every cent you pay. That is ultimately the difference between the price of something and the value of something.
So, as you sit at the South Pole, enjoying that $35 Coke (although the great Antarctic champagne might be more tempting), you might not feel as though the can is overpriced. You might instead feel as though you got a bargain, and that a drink at that location is priceless.
