The rugged and windswept Falkland Islands make for a fascinating stop on the way to or from Antarctica. Over 80% of the population lives in the capital, Stanley, though humans are far outnumbered by other creatures, including penguins, sea lions and albatrosses.

Arriving on New Island's sandy beach, you'd be forgiven for thinking you were off the coast of Scotland. Yet a short walk over the crest of a hill reveals a colony of rockhopper penguins and black-browed albatross perched on a cliff. A small hut, originally built by stranded sailors, is now a museum dedicated to the history of the island.

West Point Island is located in the northwest of the Falklands archipelago, and is also known as Albatross Island thanks to the many black-browed albatross that nest on the spectacular cliffs. The island is also a working sheep farm, and is home to a large colony of rockhopper penguins.

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.

The Antarctic Sound is a 37-mile channel that separates the Joinville Island group from the Antarctic Peninsula. Prepare to be amazed as you sail among vast icebergs that have broken free from the Larsen Ice Shelf, and look out for wildlife including Gentoo penguins and whales.

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.