Travelling to the ends of the earth aged eight

An eight-year-old boy who has visited the ends of the earth with his parents has described his experiences as "unforgettable".

Yuam, from Hedge End in Hampshire, has travelled to the world's polar regions, first crossing the Arctic Circle aged five.

He is also believed to be one of the youngest British people to have visited Antarctica, where he completed a brief polar plunge in sub-zero water, which he said was his "biggest highlight and proudest achievement so far".

He started travelling with his parents at eight-months-old, and so far has visited 26 countries and always travels in the school holidays.

Yuam said: "Antarctica was my favourite place because I was able to see wildlife up close in its natural environment and there was a UK post office too which was exciting.

"Taking part in the polar plunge was unforgettable, completing it felt like a real achievement and made me feel incredibly proud."

Yuam said during their recent trip to Greenland and Svalbard he saw how people lived alongside rapidly changing landscapes, and it was "surreal to see glaciers retreating".

"I learnt that Antarctica experiences the midnight sun, just like Greenland, and that seeing whales in the wild, which is awesome, is surprisingly common there," he said.

He said he would love to visit Egypt as he wanted to learn "more about mummies and the history of desert civilisations" because that was what they were studying in class.

"I would also love to go back to Antarctica again as it is the best place in the world," he added.

His mum Keeyu, 40, who works for a technology company, said she and her husband were keen travellers and did not want to stop once they started a family.

She said: "We are very lucky that Yuam enjoys travelling as much as we do and is a great travel companion.

"As parents we wanted to give him perspective and understanding of how vast the planet is and how fragile some places have become.

"We were surprised by how he listened closely to guides, noticed the movement of ice and began to ask thoughtful questions."

She said when Yuam completed the sub-zero water plunge, she expected him to come out "cold and crying" but he had the "biggest smile".

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