Antarctica

There is travel, and then there is Antarctica. Nothing prepares you for the scale: icebergs the size of cathedrals drifting past your ship, penguin colonies a hundred thousand strong, silence so complete you can hear snow land. Crossing the Drake Passage earns you the continent, though you can also fly it and board your expedition ship in calm water. Days are zodiac cruises among whales and seals, landings on beaches crowded with gentoos, kayaking between ice sculptures that turn impossible shades of blue. Ships now range from rugged expedition vessels to genuinely luxurious small ships with suites, spas and polar guides who are half scientist, half storyteller. It is the most expensive journey we plan and the one nobody has ever regretted. Some places change your year. This one recalibrates your sense of the planet.