Peru Seminar at Audley

Machu Picchu

I and my fellow Web Content Editors, Shaun and Katy, attended one of the Audley seminars today, ‘Peru: More than Machu Picchu’ run by some of the Peru Specialists at Audley. We are hoping to put the seminars on the Audley website in some form and went along to see what the seminars are all about. I also cover South America on the website so was very interested to learn more about one of the countries I cover!

If you haven’t attended one of our seminars they are weekly events held in our beautiful offices, a C17th converted woollen mill just outside Witney in Oxfordshire, and are themed talks covering travel to different regions and countries around the world. They are informal and informative and are the perfect opportunity to discover more about destinations you are interested in. There is also plenty of time to discuss any questions with our dedicated country specialists.

Visit our Audley Seminar Programme for more information on seminars coming up or call us on 01993 838 000 to find out more.

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Galapagos Imax 3D film

Sea lion in the Galapagos Islands

Discover the richness of underwater life in the Galapagos Islands with the new film, ‘Galapagos’ by the Smithsonian Institute and Imax Ltd., which uses Imax 3D technology to produce an amazing cinematic experience which captures Galapagos marine life in all its glory.

The film documents an eight week expedition to the islands with marine biologist Dr. Carole Baldwin, from the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of Natural History who visits the iconic islands for the first time.

Visit their website for more details on Galapagos at the Imax.

To find out more about seeing the incredible wildlife of the Galapagos for yourself please visit our dedicated Galapagos Islands cruising section on our website.

We currently have a number of excellent Special Offers on Galapagos Islands cruises.

To discuss your plans please call one of our dedicated Galapagos specialists on 01993 838 635 or contact us online.

Manaus’ Amazonian Opera Festival 2009

Manaus Opera House, Manaus

From April 23rd to May 31st, the steamy port city of Manaus will host the 13th famous ‘Festival Amazonas de Ópera’, this year paying homage to France’s contributions to the world of opera and featuring only works by French composers and artists.

The setting for the festival is unique and exciting. Manaus is a hot and bustling city in the heart of the tropical Amazon rainforest and yet the opera house itself would not be out of place in Paris or Rome. A jewel of the Amazon, it was built during the ‘Belle Époque’, in a Renaissance style and financed by the rubber boom. Its architecture is beautiful and delicate, a fine mix of marble, wood and gold ornamentation. Continue reading »

‘Explore’ on BBC2 – new four part series on Sundays at 9pm

Perito Moreno glacier, Argentina

Don’t miss the BBC’s new programme, ‘Explore’ on Sundays at 9pm. Last night was the first programme in an exciting and enlightening new four part series. It is led by Simon Reeve, author and presenter (Tropic of Capricorn and Equator) and a team of reporters, who travel on spectacular journeys of discovery to diverse parts of the world.

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Venezuela Youth Orchestras

For those of you who missed it, we highly recommend watching the following programme. Broadcast on BBC1 on Monday 17 November, it is available to watch on BBC iplayer this week or to download for future viewing.

Presented by Alan Yentob the programme, entitled “Imagine”, profiles the incredible youth orchestras of Venezuela and the way they provide hope to hundreds of thousands of children stuck in poverty with no future. Described as unashamed social engineering, the result is outstanding, with the main Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra performing worldwide to rapturous audiences.
 
They have one performance date at the South Bank in London on 18 April 2009 but this has already sold out. A DVD is available to buy entitled “Dudamel – the promise of music” (2008).
 
Please contact Rebecca Profit, Venezuela specialist, on 01993 838 614 if you wish to visit the country and arrange to hear one of the orchestras in action.

Darwin at the Natural History Museum

Pinnacle rock, Galapagos Islands

2009 marks the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin as well as the 150th anniversary of his “Origin of the Species”; his revolutionary theories that changed our understanding of the world as we see it today.

Many Galapagos boat operators are marking this special occasion with special lectures and more in depth conversation of his work in the Galapagos.

To learn more about the great man, the Natural History Museum is running a Darwin Exhibition between 14th November 2008 and 19th April 2009 displaying incredible, revealing and rare exhibits, some on display for the first time.

More information can be found at www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/darwin/index.html.