Michael Palin Goes the Dzong in Bhutan

“If the fabled Shangri-La exists beyond the legend, this is it.” – Michael Palin

English comic and now celebrated travel documentary maker, Michael Palin, is currently enthralling television audiences with his enriching odyssey, Himalaya.

Lone Father Starves For Months in Freezing Conditions While Raising Young

As politicians and union officials debate the many facets of parental leave, Australia’s longest-established tour operator to Antarctica, Expedition Cruise Specialists, reminds us of some exemplary behaviour already existing in the natural kingdom.

Bhutan: A Place for Travellers and Magicians

Few people could answer even the most basic trivia questions on the isolated mountain kingdom of Bhutan. And for centuries, that’s exactly the way the deeply religious Bhutanese have liked it.

Kamchatka: Where Giant Gomuls Roast Whole Whales Over the Fires of Volcanoes

Long hidden behind the impenetrable veil of Soviet secrecy, the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russian Far East is now becoming an irresistible wilderness location for expeditioners in search of unexplored locations.

Miss Universe Compere Declares Galapagos “The Wildlife Adventure of a Lifetime”

The recent Miss Universe competition has the put the spotlight on the tiny South American nation of Ecuador, and with our own Jennifer Hawkins triumphing in the coveted title, Australians are now in no doubt about the little nation’s cultural and natural allure.

Sydney’s Adventure Associates, coincidently located in the same part of Sydney as our new Miss Universe (Bondi Junction), has offered travel packages to Ecuador and the Galapagos for over thirty years.

Over 600 million television viewers witnessed the event that included a comprehensive coverage of Ecuador’s many tourism, cultural and natural attractions and included a declaration by the event’s compere and entertainment journalist, Billy Bush, that the Galapagos Islands were “a wildlife adventure of a lifetime.”

A part of Ecuador since 1832, and world-renowned as one of our planet’s foremost natural treasures, the Galapagos Islands were declared a national park in 1959. A “mecca” for naturalists since Charles Darwin spent five weeks there in 1835, the Galapagos Islands and Quito were amongst the very first sites chosen by UNESCO for World Heritage listing in 1978.

Russell Crowe Stars in The Galapagos’ First Ever Feature Film

In the highest traditions of swashbuckling adventure, Australian Russell Crowe portrays Captain “Lucky” Jack Aubrey in the current blockbuster “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World”.

Acclaimed filmmaker and another Australian, Peter Weir, excels even himself with the authenticity and sheer high drama of this landmark period adventure.



Weir, well known for his meticulous attention to detail, created filmmaking history by being the first and only director to ever take a feature film crew to the UNESCO World Heritage listed Galapagos Islands and uses the location to full effect in capturing the wonder of exploration and discovery in the early 19th century.

“It’s the only point in the movie you actually see land,” points out Production Artist, Robert Stromberg, “making it a centerpiece of the movie. Peter wanted to make The Galapagos look almost like another planet to the men aboard the Surprise.”

Ship’s Surgeon, Dr Stephen Maturin, played by Paul Bettany, is completely engrossed by the unique biological treasures he discovers during their short stay on the Galapagos that predates Charles Darwin’s arrival by some thirty years.

Adventure Associates have been sending passengers to The Galapagos since 1973 and these remote Ecuadorian islands remain one of the most popular destinations for all travellers to South America.

For more information on Adventure Associates’ “Galapagos and Amazon Adventure” please call 02 9389 7466 or Toll Free 1800 222 141 or visit www.adventureassociates.com