White Desert (company)

Last updated

White Desert Ltd.
Company type Private
Industry
Founded15 December 2005;19 years ago (2005-12-15)
Founder
  • Robyn Woodhead
  • Patrick Woodhead
Headquarters London, England, United Kingdom [1]
Number of employees
80 (2021) [2]
Website www.white-desert.com

White Desert Ltd. is a British tour operator conducting expeditions to Antarctica. As of 2021, it is the only company to offer a commercial private jet service to the continent. [2] [3] Its Whichaway Camp is described by multiple publications as Antarctica's first and only hotel. [4] [5] [6]

Contents

History

British couple and polar explorers Robyn and Patrick Woodhead founded White Desert in London, England, in December 2005, [7] setting out to "make [Antarctica] accessible to everyone, not just explorers." [8] Built in 2012 on the Schirmacher Oasis, [7] [9] Whichaway Camp consists of several guest "pods" that respectively contain bedrooms, bathrooms, dining rooms, and a library, heated by solar power. [10] [11] [12] The camp underwent extensive renovations in 2016. [8] [13] [5] It is intended to be removed entirely from the site at the end of its natural lifespan. [10]

A maximum of 12 guests per group are flown from Cape Town, South Africa, to Whichaway Camp, the primary base camp located in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica, [14] via various private aircraft. [15] [4] [16] Flights operate into and out of Wolf's Fang Runway, Queen Maud Land. [6] In 2017, British explorer Hamish Harding worked with White Desert to introduce the first regular business jet service to the Antarctic. [17] On 2 November 2021, a HiFly Airbus A340-300 (9H-SOL) landed on Wolf's Fang Runway on a flight from Cape Town, becoming the largest aircraft to ever land there and the first Airbus A340 to land in Antarctica. [18] [19]

Apart from amenities, the company offers trips to nearby structures, a guided wildlife tour, and a trip to the Geographic South Pole. [20] [21] The company operates only from November to January due to Antarctica's harsh climate during the rest of the year. [7] Several publications have noted the company's luxury status and exclusivity; as of 2017, prices ranged from roughly US$30,000 to almost US$200,000 per customer. [4] [12] [22] Writing for Vogue , Nick Remsen called the service "wildly expensive". [23] The founders have justified the high prices, citing extraordinarily high logistical expenses associated with transportation and accommodation of guests on Antarctica. [13] [21]

White Desert is a member of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators. [2]

Awards and recognition

White Desert has received the World Travel Award for Leading Polar Expedition Operator five times, first in 2012 and consecutively from 2014 to 2017. [24] [25] Elite Traveler included the company in its list of the top 50 adventures of 2017. [7] In 2023, White Desert were nominated for the Conde Nast 2023 Hot List. [26]

References

  1. ↑ "White Desert Ltd". Companies House . 15 December 2005. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Coles, Samantha (4 May 2021). "Exploring Antarctica With White Desert's Robyn Woodhead". Elite Traveler. Archived from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  3. ↑ Hickman, Arvind (13 January 2021). "Antarctica eco-tourism operator appoints UK PR agency". PRWeek . Archived from the original on 19 January 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 Cam, Lisa (22 March 2021). "Would you pay US$100,000 for a taste of true Antarctic wilderness?". South China Morning Post . Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  5. 1 2 Stone, Madeline (23 August 2016). "Go inside Antarctica's only luxury camp, where tours to the South Pole will set you back $72,000". Business Insider . Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  6. 1 2 Neuman, Phoebe (5 August 2017). "Exploring Antarctica Is About to Get Much More Luxurious". Robb Report . Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Begley Bloom, Laura (18 October 2017). "For $80,000 a week, you can stay at the most exclusive hotel on Earth — in Antarctica". CNBC . Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  8. 1 2 Avakian, Talia (24 August 2016). "The World's Most Remote Hotel Gets a Luxury Makeover". Travel + Leisure . Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  9. ↑ "How you can book a luxury trip to Antarctica". Esquire Middle East . 16 March 2021. Archived from the original on 25 March 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  10. 1 2 Stewart, Stanley (25 March 2021). "Why you must add this place to your bucket list". The Australian . Archived from the original on 24 April 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  11. ↑ Miner Murray, Meghan (10 December 2018). "9 cozy ice hotels and igloos around the globe". National Geographic . Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  12. 1 2 Romano, Andrea (12 July 2017). "This Luxury, One-day Trip to Antarctica Will Cost You a Mere $195,000". Travel + Leisure. Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  13. 1 2 Ekstein, Nikki (17 August 2016). "Antarctica Now Has a Jaw-Dropping Luxury Hotel". Bloomberg News . Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  14. ↑ Stewart, Stanley; Parker, Tom (12 October 2020). "On a Trip to Antarctica, Leaving as Light a Footprint as Possible". Condé Nast Traveler . Archived from the original on 14 February 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  15. ↑ Shaw-Smith, Peter (8 August 2018). "Bestfly Antarctica Excursions To Continue This Season". Aviation International News . Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  16. ↑ Magyarics, Kelly (22 December 2019). "Here's how to experience Antarctica in a single day". Lonely Planet . Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  17. ↑ Ambrose, Tom (19 June 2023). "Hamish Harding: the British explorer missing at sea near the Titanic". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  18. ↑ Lim, Jean (25 November 2021). "Airbus A340 lands in Antarctica for the first time". AeroTime Hub. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  19. ↑ Villamizar, Helwing (22 November 2021). "Hi Fly Lands First Ever A340 in Antarctica (+Video)". Airways Magazine. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  20. ↑ Shurvell, Joanne (18 May 2020). "Antarctica, The Safest Place To Visit In 2020 And Beyond". Forbes . Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  21. 1 2 Usborne, Simon (3 April 2019). "Luxury travel: Wealth of experiences". National Geographic Traveler . Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  22. ↑ Olmsted, Larry (11 September 2017). "If Antarctica Is On Your Bucket List, Here's How You Can Visit In Luxury Style". Forbes . Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  23. ↑ Remsen, Nick (21 December 2022). "From Ice Climbing to Emperor Penguins, a More Mindful Way to Visit Antarctica". Vogue . Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  24. ↑ Baird, Katee (23 April 2021). "Glamping with Penguins at White Desert in Antarctica!". TravelPirates. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  25. ↑ "White Desert nominee profile". World Travel Awards. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  26. ↑ "The 2023 Hot List: The Best New Hotels in Central America, South America, and Antarctica". Condé Nast Traveler. 27 April 2023.
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