Ibn Battuta

Here was a near contemporary of Marco Polo who travelled more than 73,000 miles in an age of sailboats and mules, who explored most of the known Islamic world including North and West Africa, South and Eastern Europe, South, Central and Southeast Asia as well as the Middle East and China. It took him 30 years to visit today’s equivalent of 44 countries, aided by large caravans of unfortunate slaves for trading along the way. Ibn Battuta’s adventures were recounted from memory in a great book called the Rihla. The book lay in obscurity before it was rediscovered and translated in the 19th century, firmly establishing Ibn Battuta as one of history’s greatest travellers.

Aloha Wanderwell

Amazing name, amazing woman. You’ve probably never heard of a young Canadian girl named Idris Hall, aka Aloha Wanderwell. Still a teenager, she hopped into a Ford car and drove through 75 countries in the 1920’s. They called her “The World’s Most Travelled Girl.” Did she have adventures? Stranded in Brazil, she lived with and documented the Bororo people. Trying to find fuel (never mind roads) in the 1920’s, she used crushed bananas and animal fat for fuel. Her husband was mysteriously murdered. Apparently, she cut her hair and fought for the French Foreign Legion. She flew a seaplane. In Indochina, she had to shoot her way out of a herd of angry elephants. She died in obscurity, and you’ve probably never heard of her.

Jacque Cousteau

For all the great explorers who have explored our world on the ground and above the seas, one man stands out for his remarkable work underwater. 70% of the planet is covered in water, and Jacque Cousteau’s work to enable underwater exploration, conservation, and photography makes him an icon in the world of discovery. Cousteau’s efforts resulted in modern breathing apparatus like the Aqua-Lung, while he was the first man to brave the ocean, and freshwater deeps.