Passport envy

For a while there, I used to associate the Outdoor Life Network with a consistent line up of fishing shows. As someone who enjoys fishing, I have surprisingly little patience for watching other people do it on TV.

Then the OLN got a little spicier. Departures is a travel show that I’m fairly sure used to air only on Sunday nights and is now in such frequent and convenient syndication that I can catch an episode every day if I want to.

Justin Lukach and Scott Wilson are two twentysomething dudes from Brantford, Ont. who went their separate ways after high school but rekindled their friendship and became a tripod with phenomenal cameraman Andre Dupuis.

Essentially, these guys had the genius to pitch a show that sees them travel to some of the most far-out and far-reaching corners of the globe in the span of a year. The first season included stops in India, the Cook Islands and Cambodia, to name a few. They start and end the season with a tour of Canada’s vast lands. As if they couldn’t die happy after filming Season 1, their next yearlong trip took them from Libya to Mongolia to Madagascar (which is the episode I just watched today and which inspired this post.)

What makes this more than your ordinary travel show (other than the fact that they NEVER wear khaki coloured, multi-pocketed vests or anything made by Tilley) is that the guys themselves are a hoot. Scott is arguably the tamer one while Justin is a loveable goof. Their unique experiences and accompanying commentary is what makes you want to go to every single country they visit. With them.

They meet up with friends around the world who give them, and in turn give us, a view of a country one could never get by simply reading a travel book. Whether it’s a friend’s wedding in Jordan or celebrating Diwali in Delhi with another friend’s Indian family, the boys know where it’s at.

The camerawork is absolutely stunning and luckily has been recognized with a few awards over the years. Honestly, this is Planet Earth quality right here.

Their ridiculous activities range from rolling down a hill in a giant inflated ball called the Zorb to racing tuk tuks in a deserted cricket field. They play golf on volcanic rocks and swim with pink dolphins in the Amazon. And then, of course, there’s the fishing.

Departures website