Remote and virtually uninhabited, the island of South Georgia is a beautiful and fascinating place. The landscape of jagged, snowy peaks and dramatic fjords is home to an abundance of penguins and seals, as well as ghostly abandoned whaling stations and the grave of Sir Ernest Shackleton.

Named after the elephant seals that live along the coast, Elephant Island is synonymous with the early days of Antarctic exploration. It was here that Ernest Shackleton and his men were stranded for four months, and a monument to their bravery now stands on the island, often surrounded by Gentoo penguins.

Antarctica is the world’s last great wilderness, an alien landscape of snow-covered mountains, jagged icebergs and extraordinary wildlife. January is a great time to visit, with temperatures at their warmest (by Antarctic standards), long hours of daylight (great for photographers), and the chance to see penguin chicks and seal pups. Expedition trips will spend time exploring the Antarctic Peninsula, making several landings at various sites and cruising through scenic channels.

Icy and remote, the South Shetland Islands are situated about 100 miles north of the Antarctic peninsula. The archipelago is home to a scattering of research stations, along with thousands of penguins, seals and sea lions, and you can still see the remains of Ernest Shackleton’s ship the ‘Endurance’ on the south west shore of Elephant Island.