Adventures Online: Go Beyond the Ice in Antarctica

I'll never make this trip in person so this was a great way to explore the area and learn a lot at a price I could afford from my home. The group leader and the instructor were excellent and much if the success was due to them.

A wonderful experience if actual travel is not an option.

The Antartica program is in a word, EXTRAORDINARY. This was my first virtual learning/travel program with Road Scholar and I couldn't have been more pleased. I appreciated all the materials sent to me before hand that I could peruse at my leisure and deepen my experience. Group leader Nicole kept us organized and on time. She was not only knowledgeable but also so positive and enthusiastic. Expert Miko, is fascinating with his breadth of experience and knowledge. His lectures are well prepared and extremely informative. And he has a wonderful sense of humor. I learned so much from this experience and feel as though I actually participated in a wonderful, magical tour of Antartica without getting seasick, feeling extreme cold, or experiencing any jet lag. I plan to take many more adventures with Road Scholar. The experience is top notch all the way!

I just attended the online program to Antarctic. 3 hours a day for 5 days. I could have done this for many more days. The hours are chock full of field trips and lectures and videos. You really feel like you are on the zodiac heading to each of the sites!

Road Scholar Online is an excellent way to have enjoyable Learning and Discovery experiences!!

I have been to Antarctica once but I have taken Nicole and Mico's online Road Scholar course on Antarctica twice! The content is changed and improved each time. Both are delightful professionals who love Antarctica and that love and respect for their subject shines through the entire course. It is a sad day when the course ends.

Not able to take major trips now; have always wanted to go to Antarctica and this online journey kept me smiling from beginning to end!

This was a fantastic trip. We traveled to a place of extreme beauty and wonder. Severe motion sickness keeps me from going to Antarctica in person but the landing experiences made me feel like I was there. No wind, no cold, picture perfect days, and no smell of penguin poo. What's not to like.

This was my 1st experience with Adventures Online, and I didn't know what to expect. It turned out to be very enjoyable, absorbing, informative and entertaining at the same time. The 5 afternoons flew by. Miko is a terrific instructor/guide, so knowledgeable and always with a sense of humor. Nicole is an excellent group leader.

A great virtual trip! Hope someday to actually get there. Both speakers were excellent and added many facts and antidotes to make it feel as though you were actually there.

“Go Beyond the Ice in Antartica” was an immersive, 5-day program that included a number of aspects about the country, including geography, history, ecology, and extensive coverage of the animals that are found there as well as a spectacular tour of the terrain and icebergs. I highly recommend this program to the armchair traveler as well as a preparation for anyone considering a trip there. Of the many Road Scholar online programs I have participated in to date, this is by far the best.

It was a great trip So well prepared. Now I want to go to Antarctica and really experience in scale the beauty

The Antarctica program was fabulous. Never wanted to deal with Drakes Passage, so this was the perfect solution.

The Antarctica program was wonderful! Superbly planned, organized, and carried out. Nicole was an excellent emcee and presenter. She kept the group focused and on time. She is an enthusiastic and dynamic leader. She also did one presentation herself on Antarctic exploration which was fascinatingly well done. Her use of audio visuals for her presentation was superlative and greatly enhanced my understanding of Antarctic exploration. Miko ( Dr. Golachowski )took us for a remarkable tour of the Antarctic, guiding us in words, pictures and videos. Throughout the course he showed why he should be considered an outstanding scientist. His key virtues as a scientist are immense curiosity and enthusiastic fascination with his subject matter. He is delightfully witty, while showing great respect for our planet and all its inhabitants. If you want a splendid, wonderfully well organized learning experience, don’t miss this one!

My wife and I attended this online class in partial preparation for our upcoming trip to the Antarctic. While the series included areas (Falklands, S. Georgia) that we are not visiting, the series was well worth the time and cost. The presenters were extremely knowledgeable and presented the materials in a manner which was both understandable to the lay person and was done with an obvious passion for the Antarctic region and the environment/wildlife in general.

The online travel to Antarctica was like I was there, but it saved me a lot of money, I didn't have to climb into a Zodiac and was never COLD.

I strongly recommend the virtual learning programs of RS and especially recommend the Antarctica one. everything about the Antarctica RS 5 day adventure was excellent, the photos and videos were perfect and the information provided was exceptional.

After completing this program, I feel like I have actually been to the Antarctic.

This online adventure was excellent. Miko the expedition leader is wonderful. I had been to Antarctica in 2010 when I could still travel, but I learned so much more about it thanks to this adventure.

This 5-star Antarctica program is ideal for the curious and for those who will never actually go to the Antarctic continent. Nicole as group leader and Miko as our subject matter expert were amazing individually and worked together very well. It was a great way to spend five afternoons. You’ll learn about birds, seals, penguins, whales, explorers, geography, geology, biology and evolution, as well as how to safely get in and out of a zodiac. It’s a fun way to learn!

The best of many previous trips, so participants enjoyed sights and sounds no one actual trip could have included. Mizo's breadth of knowledge and experiences, his ability to explain the science, and his sense of wry humor, made him the perfect Antarctic expert.

This is a fantastic program - both for those who would like to visit Antarctica someday, and for those who think they'll never get there. It's such a fantastic place, and this course is taught by such a fantastic tour export, it's got to be the next best thing to being there. Loeved every minute.

Take this program. You'll love it!

I took the online trip to Antartica, and it was fantastic! The leader and instructor were very knowledgeable. We had lectures and at the end of each day we took a virtual tour of the location. I saw penguins, birds, seals, whales, dolphins, and more. The landscape was amazing with volcanic rock and icebergs. The best part is that I enjoyed all this AND the comfort of my own home!

The online Antarctic program is wonderful, and I didn't get cold or seasick!

Very knowledgeable and inspirational guides. The visual presentation was exemplary and I learned so much about the wildlife, geography and history. I would love to go work there! Thanks for a wonderful experience.

This was an extraordinary adventure that far exceeded my expectations. I would highly recommend this.

The virtual trip to Antartica is outstanding and top-notch in every way - from the friendliness, humor and expertise of Nicole and Miko (our trip leader and instructor) to the videos with audio of nearly a million penguins waddling across beautiful terrain. I learned about the exploration of Antartica, the physiology and life histories of penguins, seals, birds, and whales as well as what life is like in the winter living on a research station. The lectures cover many topics with videos and photos of gorgeous scenery and fascinating animals. I can think of no way this trip could have been better!

Wonderful program. The staff were very knowledgeable on the subject. They presented the material in a very interesting way and kept you focused throughout each daily excursion. Both worked very well together. Each of them clearly communicated their enthusiasm with the material, which I found contagious in the best sense of the word.

I highly recommend this program. It was both informative and lots of fun because of the enthusiasm and expertise of the group leader and main presenter. The supporting materials were relevant but not overwhelming, and many references for additional reading were supplied. Great program!

This program had everything but the smells, the icy water and the motion sickness. In all other respects it delivered an outstanding learning adventure about the icy continent. Miko, the instructor, is a fantastic instructor.

Virtual Antarctica expedition was phenomenal!Leaders Miko and Nicole made this cold desolate place come alive!

Very enjoyable and informative virtual trip/experience! Learned a lot about the wildlife and their habitats,exploration of Anartica and the continent itself. Makes me want to actually go there! Instructors were great!

This is the next best thing to actually visiting Antarctica. It is also a great way to get familiar with what that beautiful continent has to offer before going on an in-person tour. The 5 days flew by as did each day of lecturing. Totally enjoyed it.

A great virtual tour, although a little heavy on lectures (including history lessons). Loved the landings and wished there were more.

Hoping to actually GO to Antarctica soon I took this trip as 'insurance' in case the actual trip was canceled. This was a fabulous experience, especially parts that won't be included on the 'real' trip (research station, Falkland Islands, for instance).

Great way to visit Antarctica and learn so much about it. Very knowledgeable and enthusiastic group leaders/instructors. Highly recommend

Virtual Program on Antarctica will peak your desire to go to Antarctica. The Group leader and Expert did a marvelous job of presenting the history and wild life of the region.

You must take this trip! Fascinating subject, excellent photography and instruction. If I didn't hate the cold, I'd go in person now.

I have taken over 15 virtual adventures which have all been great, but I think this virtual adventure raised the bar. I have also been to Antarctica and I wish this program would have been available before I went. It was absolutely outstanding. Even if you think you may be not be interested in the 7th continent, I think you will change your mind once you have taken this virtual adventure. I can't say enough good things about this program.

This was a fascinating program about an amazing part of the world. I learned so much about Antarctica and about the wildlife in the region.

This virtual trip was wonderful! Information about explorers, the Antarctic stations, nearby islands, wildlife and climate change's effects kept me interested every minute. The leaders were excellent, making the schedule clear and sticking to the times promised. I may never go to Antarctica in person, so I feel that this virtual trip was perfect for me!

A wonderful virtual trip, in which you have the feeling of actually having gone to Antarctica. The leaders, Nicole and Miko, are enthusiastic and tell you all about the penguins, seals, whales, and other birds as well as how it is to live there. There are history lessons and photos of creatures and landscapes, and videos of Zodiacs and birds and icebergs... I was eager each day to learn more from this team. Highly recommended!

If you haven't traveled to the Antarctic or are unable to take a trip there, this program, Go Beyond the Ice in Antarctica, will wet your appetite and satisfy your desire to learn more. I have been there three times and still learned so much. It was like going a fourth time.

Absolutely Fabulous Adventure! Out tour leaders were interesting and informed, providing an excellent mix of videos, lecture and discussion that was totally captivating. I just signed up for a trip to a place as remote as possible and was totally wowed by everything I learned. Wonderful week!

This program is the best! If you have ever wanted to visit or learn more about Antarctica, this is the program for you. You will learn about penguins and other marine life, the explorers, and doing research there as well as seeing so much of the scenery. The instructors and group leaders are extremely knowledgeable and very entertaining.

Wish I could rate this even higher - it was amazing! Format and content nicely balanced, but it was Nicole, Miko, and Jamie who did such a wonderful job of making this an engaging, interesting, and informative program. The pictures and videos were great, and you could feel like you were actively participating in life in Antarctica. A must-take online adventure!

An excellent overview of Antarctica that covered all the key points. Each lecture was informative and sufficiently interactive even though it was virtual. Plenty of time was allowed for Q&A. Nicole, Miko and Jamie all did outstanding jobs. The sections on wildlife were the most interesting to me. There was a lot I didn't know about seals and penguins. The choice of photos was also outstanding, each one providing a glimpse into the beauty of Antarctica. I enjoyed the maps and had fun with the trivia questions. I had computer issues one morning, but that was a problem with my network, not Road Scholar. Technical assistance at Road Scholar was responsive even though the problem was on my end. I appreciate the recommended reading list and video. Great job, Road Scholar. As aging baby boomers become less able to actually travel, these on-line courses are a great way to satisfy the travel bug. Keep it up. Janice Jacobs

Knowledge expansion par excellence...without getting cold or wet. What is Antarctica? This program covers it all.

Superb program with marvelous presenters. I would give it more than 5 stars. Beautifully prepared lectures which were well organized and filled with amazing personal experiences by the very enjoyable team. You could feel their love of the wildlife and environment. Landing videos were wonderful. At the end you really wanted to leave immediately to see the region.

This was a marvelous arm chair adventure! Other than missing out on the cold and smelling the elephant seal flatulence I feel as though I’ve actually been to Antarctica. A most enriching educational experience!

If you are thinking you might want to go to Antarctica one day, take this program....it will convince you to go! Simply amazing.

The virtual trip to Antarctica was so well done with excellent photos and videos that I actually felt as thought I were experiencing the land in person. The instructors made the information come alive and were so receptive to answering questions that I learned more than I ever could have imagined! I was able to correctly answer a Jeopardy question regarding Antarctica that none of the three contestants answered! That alone made the trip worthwhile! I also enjoyed receiving the suggested reading list and chose two books: one a murder mystery and the other an incredible account of a cross continent solo trip.

Wow - what a trip! Even though it was online, the majesty of the Antarctic came through loud and clear. If you can't go there in person, this is definitely the next best thing!

This was an excellent program. I initially signed up because I thought I would never travel to Antartica. But after this program I'm seriously thinking about a trip there.

We've always wanted to visit Antarctica. Given Covid travel restrictions, traveling virtually was the next best thing. The immersion was amazing - fascinating, breathtakingly beautiful, and full of wildlife. The videos and photography were so spectacular that it was easy to feel like we were there. You'd think 15 hours in front of your screen over a week would be mind-numbing, but instead it was profoundly enlivening. As usual, Road Scholar does a superb job presenting a wide range of interesting, accessible material. Each lecture - from historical exploration, penguin life, the whale and seal industries, glaciers and geology, to conservation and climate - was fascinating, and the team of presenters was outstanding. We look forward to our next adventure with Road Scholar and hope you'll retain some virtual options once we can travel again, so we can explore the world even more widely. Thank you!

Your website program is a great addition to your programs. Many of us cannot travel to places around the world To have the opertunity to visit these places is very rewarding. thank You

The virtual trip to Antarctica was outstanding. The group leader was wonderful in facilitating the program and her lecture was great. The subject experts, Miko and Jamie were fabulous. They presented excellent material, had good visuals, and were very well organized. The whole team was so passionate about Antarctica. Their passion was infectious. I can't wait to go in person. Whether you plan to go in person or think you will never get there, take this program. it is terrific...

If you want to experience Antarctica in a way that you almost feel you are "there", this program is for you! Plus you get to skip the frigid temps and the long, long flights!

This was one of the best weeks I have had since the lockdown began. Every morning I looked forward to getting up to spend time with Nicole, Jamie, and Miko and all the spectacular wildlife we saw. Nicole was always enthusiastic and kept the sessions on time. I enjoyed every minute of my time in Antarctica and will never look at penguins and seals the same again. I have enjoyed all of my online adventures with Road Scholar but the Antarctic trip really changed the way I think about our planet and the non-human creatures inhabiting it, in the way that "real" travel usually does. this was the closest to being there. I also appreciated the video and references Nicole sent to us after our adventure ended. Miko has more experience in Antarctica than most people will ever have and he brought his experiences alive for us. I especially appreciated the reverence he has for the wildlife and how he helped us relate to them as fellow earth dwellers. I may never be able to visit a zoo again to see these amazing creatures out of their natural habitat. Not all research scientists can make their work meaningful to non-experts but Miko did. He was the best. I look forward to reading some of his papers.

Road Scholar's virtual tour of Antarctica is beautiful and excellent. The lectures, photos, and videos are presented in such a way that you feel like you are actually on the trip. The leaders Nicole, Miko, and Jamie are very passionate about Antarctica and they made a great team. Well worth the price and your time.

This was an outstanding program for those who are interested in the ice continent and want to perhaps take a in-person tour, and for those interested in the various types of wildlife that inhabit the continent and surrounding islands.

Penguins, seals, whales, seabirds, research stations and amazing glaciers - this trip was fantastic and we all felt like we were sitting on a boat or Zodiac in the middle of the Antarctic waters enjoying the wonderful wildlife. Miko, Jamie and Nicole made a wonderfully immersive class, full of videos, photos and personal experiences. I really appreciated their passion for this truly spectacular region.

This was a terrific armchair experience. All of the instructors shared a great love for the Antarctic and its occupants. The materials and the lectures were interlaced with fun facts and anecdotes. The instructors all gave us a feeling that we were actually on the voyage instead of "just" being in an online class.

Nicole, Miko and Jamie brought their enthusiasm about the Antarctic region to life sharing their experiences, knowledge and love for Antarctica with us. Amazing class led and taught by amazing people. Thank you!!!!

Extraordinarily informative, entertaining, and inspiring.

This was a fantastic experience. Our guides, Miko and Nicole, brought Antarctica and its birds and animals to life for us. We learned so much about the geology, wildlife, scientific missions and history. The virtual Zodiac rides were almost as good as being there in person--but we stayed warm and dry at home. They did a great job of interacting with our group through the Q&A sessions. Nicole is to be commended for building rapport with and among our group.

Very unique way to be a "participant" in an Antarctica adventure. Really enjoyed viewing and participating with my fellow travelers from my warm comfy couch. Great insights into what goes into living in this area as a researcher and also the interactions with the animals. I especially enjoyed the way we were divided into groups, as though we were actually there in our own zodiac. Our tour hostess was full of enthusiasm and did a great recap at the end of each day and prior to the start of the next. Many thanks for sending us the link for the video so that we can view on our own. Here is a wave back to all of my Antarctica friends. PS - I would still rather do this in person!!!

With spectacular visuals, materials, and effects; fun simulated landings; and instructors with deep technical knowledge and personal experiences going to Antarctica, facilitated by a likewise enthusiastic group leader, I highly recommend the virtual adventure Go Beyond the Ice in Antarctica with Road Scholar. So pleased I made the "trip"!

Very well done and organized trip. RS leader Nicole Flores Jara was very well organized, enthusiastic about Antarctica and kept program on track. Our principal guide Miko Golachowski who guided us from his home base in Poland was simply fantastic. Made you feel as if you were actually in the Falklands , So Georgia or the peninsula with his first-hand accounts. All lectures were superb and the tours that followed seamlessly supplemented the talks.Highly recommend this program . Would now really love to go and see the real deal...but probably not mobile enough to get in and out of zodiacs. Thank you Road Scholar team.

I was not sure how much I would get out of a virtual travel experience, so I chose Antarctica, because at least it was about a place I would be unlikely ever to visit in person. The tour guide, Miko, was SO good, however, that by the time the week was over, I found I would truly like to go to Antarctica one day--if I can find a way to manage the physical rigors and the expense. If Miko were going to be the in-person tour guide, I would try that much harder to participate.

Virtual Antarctic program was excellent. Great instructor, visuals. Totally worthwhile if you can’t get there in person.

Road Scholar has once again exceeded expectations with this program and the speakers! Creative approaches to keep us engaged, personal stories of their experiences doing research in Antarctica, and lots of laughs. So many of the spectacular photos added to the excitement of the tour. I loved the approach that puts us (virtually) on a ship, discusses what animals we might see on the way and “lands” us at the various stops, cleaning our shoes, etc. Very creative perspective - makes it more like a trip and less like a travelogue. The lovely summary video on the last day was a gorgeous remembrance of our week.

This was such a lot of fun. I can't believe how much I learned about Antarctica in the comfort of my home.

This program was amazing. I wasn't sure what to expect in a virtual trip but it was indeed the next best thing to being there. Videos and photography combined with lectures from experts put me in Antarctica without seasickness.

I’ve wanted to travel to Antarctica for a long time and I thought that maybe this virtual trip would satisfy my yearning to see the Antarctic in person. But, this extraordinary virtual experience only makes me want to visit in person more than ever. Wonderful guide - so well informed. Fascinating environment. Can’t say enough good things about this fabulous Road Scholar experience!

Not everyone can go to Antarctica but this is such a wonderful way to "see" it. The history, wildlife, explorers and scenery were all amazing and shared in a great manner. Nicole was an amazing facilitator and Miko has a great way of sharing information, ideas, opinions and experiences. I highly recommend this program!

This program is outstanding. The presenter and group leader are exceptionally knowledgeable, organized, and accommodating all of which contributed to a vastly exciting and meaningful virtual experience. The scenery, history, and wildlife of Antarctica are second to none. This virtual program is the next best thing to actually being in Antarctica as it prompts an exciting sense of exploration and adventure.

Beautiful scenery, fascinating and beautiful wild life, Great historical information - al provided by a brilliant, experienced and amusing instructor and a well-organized leader.