On our last day, White suggested we take us to a secluded bay and do some thinking. The snow sparkled in the sunlight, icebergs swayed in the shallows, and penguins played on them. The only sounds I could hear were the cries of skuas overhead and the cries of young birds happy to be reunited with their parents, who had returned from the sea with bellies full of krill. I felt a deep connection with nature and it clicked. Why do people travel around the world and spend six-figure sums for this experience? After all, this is something money can buy and you just need a private yacht to get there.
how do you do it
The charter trip on the Hans Explorer is managed by EYOS Expeditions, who hosted Rachel Ingram. The yacht will spend the Northern Hemisphere summer in the Pacific Ocean, then head to Papua New Guinea before returning to Antarctica. For more information or to book, please contact EYOS Expeditions (eyos-expeditions.com; 001 801 390 7025) or [email protected]. Rates start from $70,000 (£56,600) per week for a per-cabin charter, and $245,000 (£197,600) plus 35% overhead for a full private charter. Air tickets are an additional charge.
Where the world’s most traveled superyachts went in 2023
Last year, BOATPro’s Global Fleet Tracker tracked the journeys of nearly 7,000 superyachts, logging a cumulative 18.7 million nautical miles between them. The following four are the most visited.
Hanse Explorer
The 48 meter superyacht started the year in Antarctica before heading to the Caribbean via the Falkland Islands. The Northern Hemisphere summer was spent exploring Scandinavia and the Arctic before the long journey back to the White Continent.