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48 of 48 found the following review helpful:
 Exhilerating! Apr 27, 2005
By Cybamuse
Palin seems to have been infected by the mountain air - he absolutely bounds with giddy dleight through this series!
Recently, Palin's most recent travel documentaries have been watched and received with great anticipation, but there is an air of 'tiredness' hanging over them - emphasised more by the fact Palin's first efforts, "Around the world in 80 days" and "Pole to Pole" are being regularly shown now on cable channels, reminding us of his infectious enthusiasm, delight in mixing with the local people and response to seeing new things. By the time he completed "Full Circle," it was clear the travel was beginning to burn him out - and "Full Circle" was a monumental volume of work!
But with Himalaya, I am pleased to say he is back in fine form, he seems to absolutely delight in meeting and chatting with the people of the Himalaya's. He joins in their celebrations, their lives. The editing is superb - the majestic and breathtaking beauty of the landscape a constant reminder to pack one's bags and go! Its also great to see him and his guide hooked up with wireless microphones so now there are shots of them strolling through market places and you get to see more of the people going about their daily business around them as opposed to earlier days when shots of Palin with his guide would have had to been close ups to accomodate the (hidden) microphone overhead. It all adds up to one slick and very entertaining program!
The music is also magical - why isn't it out on CD?!
This maybe the last travel documentary by Palin, but he went out on a magnificent high point - literally I guess! This is defintely the best thing he has been in since "Around the world in 80 days" and I can't imagine anyone not wanting to pack their bags and go and see these sights for themselves after this show! I truly envy Palin and the opportunity he has been given with these shows, but he makes up for that the best travel documentaries ever made - I applaud him and everyone in the making of Himalaya - fantastic!
12 of 12 found the following review helpful:
Next best thing to going on your own. Sep 12, 2005
By Anaguma
Beginning at the Khyber Pass, and taking in the Chitra Valley of NW Pakistan, Srinagar and Amritsar, a visit with the Dali Lhama in Dharmsala, where the Dali Lhama said that he's seen Palin's previous journeys and wishes that he could join him, Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, Lugu Lake in Yunnan Province and Bangladesh, Palin puts together another geographic journey of discovering different cultures and their landscapes. It doesn't seem to be as much about the journey as say, Pole to Pole or Full Circle, as more often than not the group leaves once place and suddenly appears at the next, with only a mention of a track between. If more of the actual travel was included, there would not have been much time for the destinations. More time is given to each place but it lacks the flow of the earlier journeys with the actual travel shortened to a few highlights. What some viewers of "Full Circle" saw as a "burnt out Palin," I saw as the true rigors of the road. To me the road is as much of the journey as where you check-in for a few days and I miss the old approach, a bit.
There are 3 DVDs. The only extras are deleted or expanded scenes and a couple of short interviews, which are well worth it. You get to places like the gardens of Shalimar on the extras that are skipped in the main cut. There are no subtitles, which I would have liked as in some places the ambient noise and English with heavy foreign accents makes comprehension difficult. Even so, back up on the DVD and a volume increase make this easy to overcome.
I'm about ready to bid on the Palin Region 2 DVDs from Europe that are not getting released here. So, whoever is holding the release of previous journeys back, your time is getting short as I run out of patience. At least I have this one.
10 of 10 found the following review helpful:
Travelling with Michael Palin Apr 22, 2006
By abunaiyo
One key factor to any travel show is whether the host is likeable or not. Michael Palin is just the sort of engaging host that makes "Himalaya" such a wonderful and exhilarating program. He's affable, engaging locals in conversation despite language barriers. He's game, trekking up the Himalayas despite the thin air and a nagging cough. He's funny, making the local children laugh during an English lesson.
The scenery, of course, is breath-taking. Most of us will never see it in person. Throughout the program, Michael maintains a down-to-earth and pleasant demeanor, which is important in a travel companion. He came up with a few gems, one of which was singing the Monty Python "Lumberjack Song" to an elderly man in Bhutan. Irreverent and funny moments indeed.
For those interested in Tibet, the segment there is sadly propagandized by the Chinese, who were obviously aware of this BBC production. It seemed so odd how all the locals praised the Chinese government. The extra footage of Michael's conversation with the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India was very interesting. I highly recommend this DVD!
8 of 8 found the following review helpful:
Michael Palin: Best Travel Guide in the World! Jul 26, 2005
By R. Epstein
"asanisimasa"
Michael Palin's travel documentaries are always interesting, and this one is no exception. He vicariously takes us from Hell (the Pakistani-Afghan border where warlords rule, guns and opium are the gross national product, and women are purposefully hidden away) to... Shangri-La. The sovereign nation of Bhutan is certainly as close to Shangri-La as one can hope to find on this planet. What else can you say about a country that proudly (and honestly) claims its gross national product to be... happiness? Assam, India is a close second in that respect, but one's heart breaks when one sees how many other places, like Kashmir, hold so much promise for peace, serenity and harmony with nature, but are stricken with continuous violence. Among other things, in just eight hours Palin shows us what we could be and - if one thinks back to the voyage's beginnings - how far we have yet to go in order to ever arrive there.
In this very worthy 3-disc set (with TONS of deleted scenes!) we get to experience the incredible diversity of cultures, religions, and of course, landscapes. The scenery ranges from looking as lifeless as the face of the moon, to as lush as a storybook, to... astoundingly breathtaking! Speaking of which, most folks will feel pretty relieved that they didn't take this trek themselves when they see Palin grievously choking for breath at `only' 1,300 feet (he'll eventually have to go as high as 1,800). Palin's sweet and good-natured disposition makes the entire voyage enjoyable, and his added bits of humor are always wonderfully spontaneous. My favorite bit -- him singing Monty Python's "lumberjack" song to an aging (and somewhat baffled) Bhutanese poet in an incredibly pastoral setting. If you are a Palin fan and you love to look at this AMAZING world we live in, buy this!
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
BRAVO! Palin does it again! Jul 25, 2005
By Nona
All of his series are fantastic--and Himalaya is no exception.
It is intense, funny, uplifting, breathtaking, and awe inspiring. The mountain views are incredible.
The video production seems to have improved (it was never bad to begin with). It has more drama and vibrancy.
Watching Michael Palin is like going on a journey with an old, dear friend. You embark on a journey to discover of new cultures, customs and rituals that amaze and inspire.
Standouts: Michael's talk with the Dalai Lama, Annapurna and Everest, the world's highest polo game, the bull races, and the serenity of Bhutan.
A must see, a must own. You will want to see this over and over again.
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