Ushuaia is a duty free port with a reputation for its Argentine chocolates, cheap alcohol and leather goods, a great place to buy souvenirs and presents. There are a host of excellent restaurants available whether for a quick coffee, or for an excellent meal of king crab or an Argentine barbecue.

Our competent Russian crew will welcome us aboard Polar Pioneer in the afternoon. Sailing down the Beagle Channel, we will settle into shipboard life and enjoy our first meal on board, as the crew set our course for the Falkland Islands.

Our various destinations are a photographer's paradise, for the professional and amateur alike. There will be discussions about how to protect your equipment from salt water and tips for taking good pictures.

The mood on board is definitely casual. A favourite pastime is to stand at the stern deck watching the many seabirds, including majestic albatrosses and giant petrels, following in our wake, skillfully using the air currents created by the ship to gain momentum. Feeling transformed, we approach the Falklands, receptive and open.

Weather permitting, we would like to visit one of the outer Falkland islands. New Island, half of which is owned by naturalist Ian Strange who is dedicated to the study and preservation of the wildlife. To get ashore we will use Zodiacs. A short walk across the grassy slope behind Ian's farmhouse brings us to a large rock-hopper penguin colony, balanced on the edge of spectacular cliffs that drop steeply to the crashing surf.

Between the penguins' nests are gentle black-browed albatross sitting serenely upon beautifully moulded mud nests. The air is filled with soaring albatross, turkey vultures, skuas and many species of sea birds. We will also visit a small colony of Magellanic penguins whose burrows can be seen amongst the tussock grass. If we have time, we may also visit West Point Island where we will enjoy the hospitality of the family that owns and farms this island. We may walk or be ferried by jeep to another rock-hopper penguin rookery and black-browed albatross colony.

Alternatively we could set a course for Sea Lion Island, a low-lying island that appears dull and uninteresting as we approach. But don't be fooled! The mud flats, beaches and tussock grass are teeming with creatures including, of course, the sea lions that breed here. If we land on Sea Lion Island we will spend most of the day here, and take a walk to a cliff top where rock-hopper penguins nest beside blue-eyed shags. Sea Lion Island is one of nature's gems.

Though geographically speaking the island lies in the sub-Antarctic area, as do the islands of Macquarie and Heard, it has a climate more in keeping with the true Antarctic regions. This is because South Georgia lies wholly within the Antarctic Convergence.

South Georgia is a British possession, having been claimed and named for King George III on 16 January 1775 by Captain James Cook, who records in his journal:

"The wild rocks raised their lofty summits till they were lost in the clouds and the valleys lay buried in ever-lasting snow. Not a tree or a shrub was to be seen, no, not even big enough to make a toothpick. I landed in three different places, displayed our colours and took possession of the country in His Majesty's name under a discharge of small arms."
Quote from "Antarctic Housewife" by Nan Brown.

Initially we will head towards King Haakon Bay on the southern side of the island, where we plan to drop off the "crossing party".

We plan to make the crossing of South Georgia in 2 long days (1 night's camping), but will take food and fuel for two nights. Steve Bell's account of the crossing is as follows:

"After being dropped off by the Polar Pioneer at King Hakkon Bay, we spent the first night on the glaciated Shackleton Gap, where we got rather wet due to the very "Scottish" conditions. However, it was surprisingly warm and temperatures for the whole journey were above freezing. White-out conditions improved in the morning and we headed due east, across the long Murray Snowfield, to reach the foot of the steep Trident mountains. A steady climb (no more than 15 degrees) led to the top of a pass to the north of the Trident, where the wind hit us like an express train. Struggling with heavy loads, we made a steepish (30 degrees) descent for about 200m on to the Crean Glacier. A few crevasses added to the interest.

"The Crean Glacier is massive, and we trudged along its constant flatness for hours, camping where it started to rise toward some rocky nunataks. Throughout the day we had been battered and knocked by the wind, which was mercifully coming from behind us. But during the early morning of the next day, the wind increased further, flattening our tents and knocking over anyone who ventured from them. We braced ourselves against the tent poles to add a little support, but 3 of the 6 tents had poles broken. By 11.00 the wind had subsided enough to go outside and strike camp, and once again with the wind pushing us along, we set off in clearing weather.

"At last we reached the top of the Crean Glacier, at a broad, indefinite col beside a striking nunatak. Ahead was the Fortuna Glacier, which we crossed quickly to a gap in the mountains, through which we went for a fantastic view of Fortuna Bay far below. A descent on scree, snow and, later, heather and tussock grass, led to the stony beach, which we reached at about 18.00. Here we were back in the land of the living, with elephant and fur seals, penguins and a plethora of birds. From here it is a simple walk to Stromness, but there was not enough time to complete it due to our late start. So we embarked on the Polar Pioneer and returned 2 days later to complete the walk, in perfect weather, over the ridge to Stromness."

A host of choices is now open to us and, depending on the ice and weather conditions, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula is ours to explore. Our experienced leaders, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use this expertise to design our voyage from day to day. This allows us to make best use of the prevailing weather and ice conditions and wildlife opportunities. As we are so far south, we will experience approximately 18-20 hours' daylight. There is plenty of time for sleep when you get home!

Elephant Island
If the weather is kind we will aim for Elephant Island, a half-submerged mountain cloaked with an ice sheet at the outer limits of the South Shetlands. After their ship the Endurance was crushed in pack ice in the Weddell Sea, Ernest Shackleton and his men climbed into three open boats and finally, on 14 April 1916, made landfall on this tiny toe of rock and ice in the vastness of the Southern Ocean.

The men had not been on land for sixteen months! We may sail past Cape Valentine to see the beach where the men first put ashore. Weather permitting, we hope to follow the coastline six miles west to Point Wild. We will attempt to make a landing where the men eventually set up camp under two of their upturned open boats and some old tents, while Sir Ernest, Worsley and four other crew members sailed to South Georgia for help. Conditions at this point are often unsuitable for landing due to the large swells surging around hidden rocks, but it is always worth a try! Just to set eyes on this hallowed site sends shivers down our spines.

There are many exciting places we can choose to visit. A sample of these follows:

Hannah Point, Livingston Island
A unique landing place on the Peninsula - a tiny toe of land that is literally alive with wildlife. Here we will find two species of penguins breeding, chinstraps and gentoos. Sometimes there are also a few vagrant macaroni penguins nesting. It is not uncommon to find wallows of elephant seals that are 60 beasts strong. Giant petrels nest on the ridgeline. The vegetation consists of mosses, lichens and the only grass species that grows in Antarctica. All this is set against a stunning backdrop, underneath long black scree slopes at the foot of the mountains and glaciers of Livingston Island.

Half Moon Island
A wildlife rich island tucked into a neat bay at the eastern end of Livingston Island. On a clear day the glaciers and mountains of Livingston Island dominate the scene. There is a large chinstrap penguin rookery tucked in between basaltic turrets coloured by yellow and orange lichens. Gulls nest on these turrets and there are often fur seals and elephant seals hauled out on the pebble beaches. At one extremity of the island there is a large colony of nesting blue-eyed shags. At the other end lies a small Argentine station that is sometimes occupied by scientists conducting research on the penguin colony and surrounding waterways.

Deception Island
Visiting Deception Island is like making a journey to the moon. We sail through the narrow opening of Neptune's Bellows to enter the flooded volcanic crater. Inside is an unworldly scene, virtually devoid of life. Glaciers flow down from the edge of the crater, littered by black volcanic ash.

We can explore the lifeless remains of a derelict whaling station and a vacant British base, or climb to the rim of the crater. Steam rises from the shore indicating that the water is actually warm enough for a swim, for those who dare. Outside the crater, if conditions allow, we might land at Bailey Head to explore the enormous chinstrap penguin rookery that featured in David Attenborough's Life in the Freezer series.

Paradise Harbour
A protected bay surrounded by magnificent peaks and spectacular glaciers. Rocky cliffs provide perfect nesting sites for blue-eyed shags, terns and gulls. The serenity of Paradise Harbour envelops us once the sound of the dropping anchor fades from our ears. This is a haven for whales and sometimes we meet humpbacks, orcas and minkes, as well as crabeater seals, as we explore the bay in Zodiacs. Imagine being so close to a whale that when he surfaces to blow, the fishy spray of his exhalation momentarily blurs your vision. I cannot find words to describe this experience; I just feel uplifted and full of joy.

Lemaire Channel
If the ice conditions allow, standing on the bow of Polar Pioneer and quietly moving through the narrow Lemaire Channel will be one of the highlights of our voyage. Cliffs tower 700 metres directly above the ship. The water can be so still that perfect reflections are mirrored on the surface. Often gigantic icebergs clog the channel, creating navigational challenges for our captain and crew, and they may even obstruct our passage.

Other places we may visit around the Antarctic Peninsula are:

• Pleneau Island
• Neko Harbour, Andvoord Bay
• Vernadsky, a Ukrainian scientific base
• Port Lockroy, an historic British base that is now a museum and post office