Welcome to the Zegrahm Expeditions resources page! Here you will find inspiration for your next adventure and information from your last adventure, produced by our field leaders, Seattle office staff, and contributing writers. From blog posts and field reports (daily recaps of a past expeditions with images) to photo galleries and videos, explore your world from our perspective.
Dear Traveler,
When you think of the Philippines, what usually comes to mind are tropical beaches and offshore reefs, dense jungle, clear blue seas, and an abundance of unique fauna. If you’re historically minded, you may also think of the recent history of the Philippines, which until the middle of the 20th century, was a territory of the United States. Many aspects of the islands’ story in World War II are well known—the evacuation of General Douglas MacArthur by...
Arriving into Manila, we gathered from a diverse array of states and nations to celebrate the beginning of our exciting subtropical adventure with welcome drinks and dinner at the Marriott Airport Hotel. With a day to explore the capital city of the Philippines, we opted to go beyond the destination and learn about some of the...
In 2017, Zegrahm will be visiting 90 amazing UNESCO World Heritage Sites in over 30 countries! The United Nations Educational Scientific & Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the UN that maintains a list of important natural or histroical sites, whose preservation and safe-keeping are deemed important for the world community. Below, just a few of the Sites we'll be visiting in 2017. Be sure to...
At this time of year, as we join our family and friends and reflect on what we're thankful for, a common thread that unites the staff here at Zegrahm is, of course, travel. Here are just a few of the moments—across all seven continents—we're most grateful for experiencing over the past year:
...
Zegrahm Cofounder and Expedition Leader, Mike Messick, is thrilled to be joining our upcoming Asia's Subtropical Isles: Philippines, Taiwan & Japan expedition. Along with him for the ride are, marine biologist Brad Climpson, ornithologist Brent Stephenson, naturalist...
A teacher and writer, Kim Jane Saunders is a graduate of international politics and history, and holds a master's degree in education. She has lived in Hong Kong and Indonesia, and has traveled extensively throughout East and Southeast Asia. Currently living in Singapore, Kim acts as lecturer and consultant on issues relating to contemporary Asian culture.
The Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan can seem as though they’re worlds apart from each other. Filipinos are...
Our morning in Sandakan began at the Sun Bear Sanctuary at Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center, built in 2014. The bears were active and we observed them playing with one another and climbing the trees around the viewing platform. A short walk led us to the orangutan sanctuary and we made it in time...
Our expert field staff is getting psyched to set sail on our much-anticipated—and brand-new!—expedition to the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan. Here are a few reasons why they're so excited about visiting these isolated islands.
Given that Zegrahm guests tend to be some of the most curious and adventurous travelers on the planet, we are constantly challenged with creating ever unique, off-the-beaten path expeditions. Of course, that's a challenge we relish wholeheartedly, as evidenced by the ultra-remote islands we’re exploring across the South Pacific and Southeast Asia in 2017. Here are just a few of the far-flung gems you've probably never heard of—but are sure to tell stories about.
...
We expected the snorkeling and diving in the Philippines to be good. We knew the birding would be quality but extremely specialized, so we brought in a local ornithologist, Rommel Cruz, to make it work. We knew the logistics would be challenging, so in the year prior to our arrival, expedition leader Mike Moore made numerous visits to each town and island, in some cases literally counting seats on local transportation to tie up loose ends. We tried to be as prepared as possible to launch a...
