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A British traveller who has visited almost every country on the planet says one remote location left him more stunned than anywhere else. Simon Hartley, 49, has spent years exploring the globe, from crossing the Sahara Desert to sleeping under the stars in Mongolia. He has trekked through the Amazon rainforest, sailed along distant coastlines, and witnessed cultures and landscapes in more than 200 countries.

But he says nothing in his decades of travel prepared him for one extraordinary journey he took earlier this year. Starting in London, Simon flew to Buenos Aires before continuing to Ushuaia in Argentina, known as the world's southernmost city. From there, he boarded a small expedition ship for a two-day voyage across the notoriously rough Drake Passage.

"Waves taller than a double-decker bus hit the boat," Simon said. "But that's all part of it. You feel like you've earned your way there."

As the ship neared its destination of Antarctica, enormous bright-blue icebergs began drifting past, standing silently in the dark water.

It was the first glimpse of the frozen continent that Simon says changed how he thinks about the world.

Travel company Wildfoot Travel says it has seen a growing number of Britons making the same trip.

A spokesperson said: "It's often the final continent for well-travelled Brits, and it never disappoints."

Simon's 12-day expedition included daily landings by zodiac boat, with some locations home to huge penguin colonies and others to towering ice cliffs.

"They're curious and unafraid, they waddle right past your boots," he said of the gentoo, chinstrap and Adélie penguins.

He also spotted leopard and crabeater seals resting on ice and watched humpback whales breach near the ship. "You hear a massive splash, then see the tail rise, it's like being in a nature documentary."

One moment that stood out was hearing the ice crack and shift beneath his feet. "It sounds like thunder rolling under you. The whole landscape is alive and constantly changing."

Other stops included Neko Harbour, where he watched a glacier calve into the sea, and an abandoned British research station still filled with beds, tinned food and typewriters. "It felt like the team had just stepped out."

Simon even took part in the "polar plunge" - a quick swim in icy waters. "It's freezing. Your breath stops, but afterwards you feel completely alive. They give you a towel and a shot of vodka. Everyone cheers."

The trip cost him around £11,000, which covered accommodation, guided landings, kayaking and lectures from glaciologists and marine biologists.

"You don't come here for luxury," he said. "You come to feel something completely new."

For Simon, Antarctica is unlike anywhere else on Earth. "It's the last truly wild place. There are no roads, no noise, just nature.

"I've seen the Amazon, I've crossed the Sahara, and I've slept under the stars in Mongolia, but nothing prepared me for the silence and beauty of Antarctica."

Wildfoot Travel added: "Antarctica leaves a deep mark on everyone who visits. It's raw, remote, and humbling, and for many, it becomes the journey of a lifetime."