The WORST episodes of Departures
Every episode of Departures ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Departures!
Aimed at the adventure seeker, Departures is an action-packed and personal journey about two travelers. Scott Wilson and Justin Lukach leave their lives behind in search of unique experiences through some of the most beautiful and remote places on earth. From epic landscapes and unforgettable culture, to the often trying times that come with international travel, the series chronicles the unforgettable friendships, personal successes and sometimes crushing disappointments that befall them on their journey. Accompanied by their friend and cameraman, Andre Dupuis, Departures showcases the revelations of two travelers who strive to find themselves and new perspectives while trekking across the globe. Departures is as much about the journey as it is the destination. No prizes, no contests, just real life and real travel.
#1 - Indonesia: A Home Away
Season 3 - Episode 15 - Aired 6/12/2010
For three years, Scott and Justin have travelled the globe, experiencing so many people’s homes, while getting further away from their own. In their friend Oka’s home island of Bali, the guys witness both spiritual and illegal aspects of Balinesian life - grand temples, noisy bird markets and betting on underground cricket fights. They then travel back in time to the island of Sumba, staying overnight with a tribe who live in close harmony with nature and their ancestors. While Justin ponders returning home, Scott realizes that after three years on the road, there are more similarities between people and cultures than differences.
#2 - Chile: Ups and Downs
Season 2 - Episode 11 - Aired 4/5/2009
Despite Justin's difficulties with altitude sickness in India, they make their way up to 15,000 feet in the Altiplano of northern Chile. Justin gets sick and requires a hospital visit and oxygen. Beat down, he tries again, this time in the adventure mecca of San Pedro by biking down a mountain. They sleep in tents amongst the beautiful landscapes of active volcanoes, salt flats and pink flamingo reserves before heading to the mystical island of Chiloe. Here they experience life as it was one hundred years ago, and meet strange and wonderful characters, including the moonshine-making Grandma Rosa and the mythological Filiberto, who gives Justin and Scott advice that may change their lives.
#3 - Chile: Ends of the Earth
Season 2 - Episode 12 - Aired 4/12/2009
History repeats itself as Scott and Justin push as far south as they can go. Adventure, fate, chance and the infestation of the travel bug all play a huge role. On one of the most remote islands on Earth, Easter Island, the guys experience the breath-taking awe of the infamous heads and try scuba diving again. They then head to Patagonia to help with Gaucho sheep-sheering and to visit a penguin island where a brave little penguin develops a crush on Scott. Their experiences in the southern-most town on Earth ultimately wins them a ticket to Antarctica, when by chance they run into a pilot friend who took them on an Arctic cargo plane one year previously.
#4 - Antarctica
Season 2 - Episode 13 - Aired 4/19/2009
The crew are headed to a place they never thought they would ever see in their lifetime - Antarctica. Claimed by some, owned by no one. A continent for peace and science, the betterment of all mankind. Scott and Justin are granted a rare opportunity to stay in the Chilean scientific base on King George Island. They spend a week learning about life on the continent, while visiting the nearby Russian and China bases, all perfect microcosms of their home countries. The three then get on a Russian expedition ship and head down the Antarctic peninsula to witness some of the world’s most breathtaking and serene atmospheres imaginable. They discover all the wonderful flora and fauna of Antarctica, and end it all by claiming a little piece of Antarctica for themselves in Paradise Bay, and building a snowman to guard their claim.
#5 - Russia: Comrades and Capitals
Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 3/6/2010
Anything is possible in Russia. Scott and Justin meet up with their friend Bogdan and visit the last man living in the radioactive zone in Chernobyl. They visit St. Petersburg for some homemade vodka and to celebrate Bogdan’s birthday, before hopping on an overnight train to Moscow. The adventures in Moscow are diverse: An awkward visit to a Russian bath, a wild night out in an exhilarating dance club and a chance to drive a cold-war military tank. Next, they fly to Siberia and meet a vodka-slamming shaman, who puts them all to shame on the dance floor.
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#6 - Russia: The Bull of Winter
Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 3/13/2010
The guys head northeast into Siberia to reach the coldest inhabited place on earth: the Pole of Cold. Along the way, the word of Scott and Justin’s journey travels and they become local news celebrities. They visit a permanent circus, take part in the Festival of Cold, answer questions at local press conferences and end up judging a quirky beauty contest in Yakutsk. Riding reindeer for the rest of the trek, they camp in the snow before hitting the Pole of Cold.
#7 - Sri Lanka
Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 3/20/2010
Travelling to Sri Lanka at the tail end of the 25-year civil war, the guys expect to visit a war-torn country, yet discover a different land. From exploring the wonders of Sigiriya, an ancient rock fortress and palace ruin, to visiting Sri Lanka’s indigenous inhabitants, the Veddas tribe, and joining the pilgrimage up Adam’s Peak, the guys experience a beautiful and culturally rich country. They get to Sri Lanka’s capital city, Colombo, just in time to see the Navam Perahera – a spectacular parade made up of thousands of dancers and acrobats, and over a hundred decorated elephants.
#8 - Papua New Guinea: Fire and Water
Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 4/3/2010
One of the most fascinating places on earth, and one of the most dangerous, Papua New Guinea is a rough and mostly unexplored country. The guys meet up with their friend Nick on the island of East New Britain, where they visit the lava-buried city of Rabaul, and climb up, and into, an active volcano. Next they explore the island and local dive sites for abandoned World War II relics. Making their way through some thick jungle, they spend a night in a remote family village on their way to a spectacular fire-dancing tribe.
#9 - Papua New Guinea: Without a Paddle
Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 4/10/2010
Leaving the islands, the guys head into mainland PNG and drive up into the rugged Highlands with their friend Nick. They travel through Goroka, where they take part in an embarrassing Mudmen dance ritual involving bows, arrows and loincloths. They prepare for an epic journey: A private flight north to a remote grass airstrip, where they have three days to make their way down the extremely remote Sepik River and try to become true men of the Sepik.
#10 - Ecuador
Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 4/17/2010
The guys’ adventure begins by zip lining across jungle canopy, rappelling down waterfalls and bungee jumping off a city bridge. They dive with sharks off the Galapagos Islands, and realize the human impact on animals there. On the mainland, they stumble upon the Intiraymi festival, where celebrations are contrasted by near-riots between conflicting tribes. Next, they venture into the Amazon to find the Hourani tribe, and arrive the day of the Chief’s father’s funeral. Attending the ceremony, they learn how the tribes are fighting to keep their traditions alive and protect their land.
#11 - Ethiopia: Saints and Snakes
Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 4/24/2010
Scott and Justin explore the spiritual side of Ethiopia. In Lalibella, they visit ancient churches carved entirely out of stone, and Justin tries teaching a class of school children some new words. They visit the castles in Gondor and the Church of Saint Mary of Zion, which claims to house the lost Ark of the Covenant. At the Debra Damos monastery, accessible only by climbing a rope up a sheer cliff, they share some difficult but hilarious conversation with a well-spirited monk, who has some poignant things to say about brotherhood and human origins.
#12 - Ethiopia: Dances with Bulls
Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 5/1/2010
Scott and Justin meet up with Robel, who takes the guys to visit his sisters in his village of Harar. They visit the bustling chat market, and learn how to prepare the traditional stimulant. That night, Robel takes them to feed some wild hyenas by hand. Leaving Harar, they take a long drive to visit the Hammer Tribe. Here they witness a rare ceremony in which the women of the village offer themselves to be whipped, and one soon-to-be married man has to run, stark naked over a dozen bulls, to prove his worth as a husband.
#13 - Rwanda
Season 3 - Episode 10 - Aired 5/8/2010
Rwanda is a country emerging from its darkest years of poaching and the 1994 genocide. Scott and Justin travel with locals to learn more about how Rwanda is managing today. They explore the recovery of the animal population – from swimming cows on Napoleon Island to trekking into the wild to visit isolated groups of mountain gorillas. This experience is contrasted with a visit to the church of Ntarama to talk to a genocide survivor, and a court tribunal of several accused men. The guys hear stories of forgiveness from the people, and learn of their hope for their country.
#14 - Greenland
Season 3 - Episode 11 - Aired 5/15/2010
The guys arrive in the arctic destination at the beginning of winter. With only six hours of sunlight a day, they experience an entirely different type of adventure. Arriving by helicopter into the town of Ittoqqortoormiit, they take part in a seal hunt, and learn of the many ways people survive in this harsh arctic climate. With some basic training under their belt, the team heads off on a three-day trek to the abandoned ghost town of Cape Hope, where weather and extreme conditions pushes everyone’s utmost limits.
#15 - North Korea: The Other Side
Season 3 - Episode 12 - Aired 5/22/2010
Scott and Justin are prepared for perhaps their greatest adventure to date, providing them with a rare glimpse inside the borders of this isolated country. From Beijing, they depart to Pyongyang with an Englishman named Nick – an outsider with unprecedented access to the country. Meeting up with their local guides, Chae and Kim, the team visits many historical and political sights, learning the local perspective on world events, and gaining a much greater understanding of the country. An evening cruise down the Taedong River begins to cement a solid friendship between the guys and their guides.
#16 - North Korea: The Musical
Season 3 - Episode 13 - Aired 5/29/2010
North Koreans are a fiercely proud and creative people. North Korea continues to completely defy all expectations, as Scott and Justin take part in a high school English class, are pulled into numerous musical performances, visit a water bottling factory, a farm and an old funfair. Their experiences are capped off by the largest and most impressive choreographed spectacle on earth – the Arirang Mass Games – where 100,000 people perform the ultimate homage to their country and ideologies. The guys are sad to leave their trusted guides and friends behind when they depart by train back to Beijing.
#17 - Indonesia: Ring of Fire
Season 3 - Episode 14 - Aired 6/5/2010
The trip begins on the caldera of Mount Bromo - an active, yet serene volcano in the middle of the island of Java. With their l`ocal friend Oka, they continue to the slums of Jakarta, meeting with a young boy and his family, and participating in daily activities to learn of the many hardships facing the locals. Heading to the island paradise of Bali, they take part in an explosive, traditional bull race. Scott gets “dirty” while Oka loses his chariot altogether. The trip winds down when they meet a Balinesian Prince, and join his party as guests of honour.
#18 - Iceland
Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 3/15/2009
Iceland’s raw nature, good hearted people and vast open spaces encourage Scott and Justin to brave the elements. From Reykajavik the guys rent a 4x4 truck and hit the open roads, no matter what the conditions. They encounter a family while sheep herding, and join in to help on their way to find adventure in the ice and glaciers . Active volcanoes, ice climbing and squeezing into an underground lava tube hint towards some of the personal strength needed to continue their world adventures.
#19 - Morocco
Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/25/2009
Justin has been travelling alone for the past couple of months when Scott and Andre decide to come meet him at a festival in Spain. They head to Gibraltar, where Justin is attacked by candy-stealing Apes, before hopping on a ferry and completely switching continents. Now in Morocco, they head inland towards Fès, then further into the snow-covered Atlas Mountains to stay in a traditional Moroccan kasbah. They end their trip with a long climb up Jbel Toubkal – the highest mountain in North Africa. Three strong again, they find reason to keep travelling together.
#20 - Japan: The Future
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 4/14/2008
While navigating the extensive train systems in Japan, Scott manages to get them to the South. Meanwhile, Justin struggles with language barriers and very different food. Things settle when they leave the city behind to find the more natural side.
#21 - Cook Islands
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 4/28/2008
While visiting four of the Cook Islands, Scott is challenged about his commitments to the year trip while Justin learns from the locals how to live off the land. That is until his love for animals is challenged by "the head hunters" – the local school boys, who take the guys on a traditional pig hunt.
#22 - Japan: The Past
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 4/21/2008
Continuing in Japan, Scott and Justin seek the peace of nature by taking a late-night ferry to the island of Miyajima and try to find camp amongst the hundreds of native deer and discover that they may have taken for granted their decisions and ability to travel the world.
#23 - Madagascar
Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 3/29/2009
In order to meet the King in the village of Vohipeno, Scott and Justin have to take a long train ride through the rainforest and bring gifts for the kingdom. Along with a Rooster and Rabbit aptly named “Pancakes” and “Waffles”, they make their way through Madagascar where they find lemurs, climb the jagged cliffs in Tsingy and develop friendships with a village full of chanting kids.
#24 - Mongolia: Meals and Wheels
Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 3/8/2009
The guys stay with the Tsatsaan Reindeer tribe for a couple more days before the long trek back to Ulaan Bator. Scott and Justin stop along the way at a complete strangers ger (traditional Mongolian tent) where the three are invited in for fermented yaks-milk and some mix of goat-organ soup. Craving adventure of a different variety, they rent ATV’s and drive freely into the Gobi desert. Camping at night, and driving by day, the trio discover the ultimate idea of freedom, before running into various trouble on the road.
#25 - Libya
Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 2/1/2009
After many visa difficulties, Scott and Justin are finally allowed to enter Libya. They travel from Tripoli to Jebel Nafusa, before getting lost in the abandoned city of Ghadames. They wander around the maze of empty streets and homes before finding each other again, and drive deep into the Sahara desert to climb some of the world’s largest sand dunes, and sand-board in their own private oasis.
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