On April 25, 2015, Nepal was rocked by a 7.9 magnitude earthquake, flattening villages, damaging landmarks, and triggering a major avalanche on Mount Everest. Nearly a year later, even the most adventurous spirits are still leery of heading to the “Roof of the World.”

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.

On Zegrahm’s February 2013 Brunei to Bali expedition, guests had the opportunity to tour the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center in Sandakan, Malaysia. While there, they were able to learn about the organization’s mission and meet the resident orangutans, including a very special resident.

With the largest concentrations of penguins, seals, and albatross to be found anywhere on the planet, South Georgia has been dubbed, “The Serengeti of the Southern Ocean.” And, while large birdlife usually takes center stage on South Georgia, the island was once a thriving small-bird community as well, comprised of storm petrels, prions, blue petrels, and pipits.