00:00He made headlines last year as he geared up for a mission to become the youngest pilot to fly solo to all seven continents, all to raise money for childhood cancer research.
00:11The teen, Ethan Guo, racked up more than a million Instagram followers as fans followed his journey.
00:17But in June, he found himself stranded in Antarctica after illegally landing his plane there and giving authorities false flight plan information.
00:26He was charged at the end of June, but Monday, a judge dropped the charges.
00:34Instead, Guo has 30 days to donate $30,000 to a children's cancer foundation to avoid trial.
00:41Once he leaves the country, he'll be banned from reentering Chile's Antarctic territory for three years.
00:47But can you even travel there?
00:49Yes, but it's not as simple as hopping on American Airlines' website and booking a ticket.
00:54There are no commercial flights to Antarctica.
00:58The Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959, set the continent aside as a scientific preserve.
01:04With the coldest, windiest weather on Earth, there are no traditional airports, only a handful of ice or snow airstrips.
01:12That, plus strict environmental rules under the treaty, means tourism is heavily regulated.
01:17And most visitors arrive by cruise ship, usually from Argentina, crossing the notorious Drake Passage, where waves can reach up to 26 feet.
01:28The safest bet is to book with a cruise line that's a member of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, which lists approved companies on its website.
01:38Interest in the continent is certainly rising.
01:40Between 2015 and 2023, the number of visitors to the Antarctic Peninsula skyrocketed from 36,000 to 104,000, according to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition.
01:54No visa is required, but you do need a passport, and you must travel with a permitted tour operator.
02:00You should be good if you follow the Antarctic Treaty rules, don't touch the wildlife, and definitely don't damage plants.
02:08And bring a jacket.
02:09Or three.
02:12Yeah, it's currently negative 58 degrees at one Antarctic station and negative 48 at the South Pole station.
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