Wildlife: Many of us have been on safari. Even more have been to the zoo. How many can say they’ve strolled through a colony of chattering penguins on the Antarctic tundra? These eccentric birds characterize our impression of the white continent. Species to be encountered include mini Rockhoppers with dainty fronds of feathers surrounding their eyes, Macaroni penguins, named for their straggly yellow heads and majestic Emperor penguins. There are also killer whales, a once in a lifetime sight on any whale-spotting expedition, as well as Southern Ocean whales, orcas, dolphins, dense colonies of fur seals and elephant seals, and the odd giant squid.

Sunsets: In many regions of the Antarctic, the sun doesn’t set for months on end. Generally speaking, the sky is as much a part of this unique panorama, and sunsets reflected off the mirror-like surface of the ice and glassy seas are like watching the splitting of a dimension. Then, as the horizon burns pink, and stars gradually pierce the firmament, revel in the purest gaze at the heavens you’ll ever be fortunate enough to see.

Activities: There are some amazing experiences to be taken from the Antarctic, and no guided journey need be passive. Any visit should include a hike up Observation Hill, which looks out to Mount Erebus. A million year old volcano, it forms a tower containing bubbling, smoking lava deep below the earth’s crust. Recover your circulation with a sea kayak through the ice to feel a shared exhilaration with early pioneers to the frozen shores, or immerse your body in the warmth of a volcanic bath on Deception Island. There are also a host of other things to do, unique to each tour company, and often subject to individual specification, which can include cross country skiing, glacier walks, camping and rock climbing.

History – yes, history. Gladly, whaling is a thing of times long past, but for a small slice of bygone days in Antarctica, you can spot the remnants of equipment which was used in the process. It’s also possible to visit a museum! The post office at Port Lockroy is the only one in the Antarctic, and is dedicated to early exploration of the continent. You can even send a postcard from here, although presumably takings at the gift shop are low…

Photo credit: 23em.com via flickr, and flickr user bazzat2003.

Thanks to Iain for today’s post.  If you’re an adventurous traveler interested in writing for IShouldLogOff, contact us at info [at] ishouldlogoff.com or check our submission guidelines.

If you’re a connoisseur, your first stop on a tour of Scotland’s whisky distilleries should be Speyside. Speyside is Scotland’s Whisky Country in the north-eastern highlands. More than half of Scotland’s distilleries make their home in the region, including some of the major Scot whisky distilleries such as Glenfiddich and Balvenie. It’s a gorgeous area with dolphin watching and golf for those that have had too much scotch. A popular and well-trod route, the region’s Malt Whisky trail will take you through the legendary Scotch distilleries, many of whom sit along the River Spey. You’ll find a significant number of the more sophisticated single malt scotch whiskies in this area. Increasingly these companies are opening up to tours of their facilities, if no individual tour is available, check to see whether group tours are allowed.

Besides Speyside, Scotland has other famous Scotch whisky producing regions: the Lowlands, the Highlands, Islay and Campbeltown. Islay, an island just off the western coast of Scotland, has eight Scotch distilleries and is home to an annual cultural festival which takes place in May. Scotch whisky from the lowlands is generally deemed simpler and better for beginners, something to keep in mind if you’re traveling with a bigger crowd.

There are over 125 distilleries in Scotland spread out across the country. If you’re serious about your scotch whisky, check out this detailed Scotch Distillery Map, which gives information on each and every distillery. Most organized Scotch tours will start in the lowlands, conveniently where both Glasgow and Edinburgh are located, so truly you don’t have to go too far to visit distilleries. Several of the multi-day organized tours from Glasgow stay at atmospheric bed and breakfasts along the way, a nice touch to the whole experience. If you stay at a bed and breakfast in Glasgow you might even have the opportunity to share a Scotch whisky or two, or three with your host!

IF YOU GO: Organized Scotch whisky tours generally run out of Glasgow, but you’ll find many of the distilleries offer tours themselves. Visit Scotland has a great set of itineraries and activities along the Scotch whisky route that’s worth a peak before you visit.

Author: Adam G. is a graphic designer traveling around the world. He enjoys doing things and seeing places all over the world.

But not in Thailand, oh no. Thailand is something special.

This is a place where you can climb onto the back of your elephant from a platform, and start an elephant jungle trek that will last all day. The elephant will lumber down the river valley, wading through the water, and sometimes down steep slopes and from your elevated view, you can gaze out over the lush jungle.

And this is just one day of many. In much the same way that Australia has become synonymous with bushtucker trails and walkabouts, Thailand is carving out a significant chunk of the tourist market with its tailored jungle trekking.

It has done so by cashing in on the budget traveler market. Places like Australia attract people from all over the world specifically for that one thing, and people pay thousands of pounds for it. Thailand has approached the matter from a different angle, trying to use the vast number of young – yet cash-strapped – backpackers already within its borders.

It is no secret that Thailand is huge with 18-25 scene. You only need to check a multi-airline website like DialAFlight to see that cheap flights to Thailand are now comparable in price to short hops to Europe. The Thai Tourist board has decided that cheap and cheerful is the way to go, and tries to entice the backpackers away from the touristy areas of Bangkok and into the jungles.

Treks can vary from a single day trip to ones that last weeks, but the common denominator for all of them is that they are cheap. Much cheaper in fact than other places in the world that offer jungle treks – the Amazon rainforest for example – and in doing so, they have all but ensured its success.

Ironically enough, by trying to attract overseas tourists specifically for jungle treks and focusing instead on those who happen to be there anyway, Thailand now has exactly that reputation. In a country that can be overly touristy or tacky, upon returning home the one thing all backpackers are going to rave about is the jungle treks. Especially if there are elephants involved.