Unusual travels around the world. Our programs Unusual travels in the 20th century

On January 7, 1887, Thomas Stevens of San Francisco completed the first trip around the world on a bicycle. In three years, the traveler managed to cover 13,500 miles and open a new page in the history of travel around the world. Today we are talking about the most unusual trips around the world.

Thomas Stevens's trip around the world by bicycle

Thomas Stevens's circumnavigation route.

In 1884, “a man of average height, dressed in a worn blue flannel shirt and blue overalls... tanned like a nut... with a prominent mustache,” this is how journalists of the time described Thomas Stevens, bought a penny-farthing bicycle, grabbed a minimum supply of things and Smith & Wesson 38 caliber and hit the road. Stevens crossed the entire North American continent, covering 3,700 miles, and ended up in Boston. There the idea of ​​traveling around the world came to his mind.

He sailed to Liverpool by boat, traveled through England, took a ferry to Dieppe in France, and crossed Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. Further, his path ran through Armenia, Iraq and Iran, where he spent the winter as a guest of the Shah.

He was denied passage through Siberia. The traveler crossed the Caspian Sea to Baku, reached Batumi by railway, and then sailed by ship to Constantinople and India. Then Hong Kong and China. And the final point of the route was Japan, where Stevens, by his own admission, was finally able to relax.

Around the world trip in an amphibious jeep

Ben Carlin and his wife are going around the world.

In 1950, Australian Ben Carlin decided to travel around the world in his modernized amphibious jeep. His wife walked three quarters of the route with him. In India, she came ashore, and Ben Carlin himself completed his journey in 1958, having covered 17 thousand km by water and 62 thousand km by land.

Around the world trip hot air balloon

Steve Fossett.

In 2002, American Steve Fossett, co-owner of the company Scaled Composites, who by that time had already earned fame as an adventure pilot, flew around the Earth in a hot air balloon. He had been striving to do this for many years and achieved his goal on the sixth attempt. Fossett's flight became the first solo flight around the world in history without refueling or stopping.

Traveling around the world by taxi

John Ellison, Paul Archer and Lee Purnell.

Once, the British John Ellison, Paul Archer and Lee Purnell, the morning after drinking, calculated the costs associated with it and found out that a taxi home would cost them much more than the drinking itself. Probably, someone would have decided to drink at home, but the British did something radical - they pooled together a 1992 London cab and set off on a trip around the world.

As a result, in 15 months they covered 70 thousand km and went down in history as participants in the longest taxi ride. History is silent, however, about their activity in pubs along the road.

Traveling around the world on an ancient Egyptian reed boat

Around the world on a reed boat.

Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl made the transatlantic crossing on a light reed boat built on the model of the ancient Egyptians. On his boat "Ra" he managed to reach the coast of Barbados, proving that ancient sailors could make transatlantic crossings. It is worth noting that this was Heyerdahl's second attempt.

The year before, he and his crew had nearly drowned when the ship, due to design flaws, began to bend and break into pieces a few days after launch. The Norwegian team included the famous Soviet television journalist and traveler Yuri Senkevich.

Around the world trip on a pink yacht

Jessica Watson is the youngest sailor to circumnavigate the world.

Today the title of the youngest sailor who managed to complete a solo circumnavigation, owned by Australian Jessica Watson. She was only 16 years old when she completed her 7-month circumnavigation of the world on May 15, 2010. The girl's pink yacht crossed the Southern Ocean, crossed the equator, rounded Cape Horn, Atlantic Ocean, approached the shores of South America, and then through Indian Ocean returned to Australia.

A millionaire's trip around the world by bike

Traveler Janusz River in Vladivostok.

The 75-year-old millionaire, former producer of pop stars and football teams Janusz River repeated the experience of Thomas Stevens. He changed his life dramatically when in 2000 he bought a mountain bike for $50 and hit the road. Since that time, River, who, by the way, is Russian on his mother’s side, speaks excellent Russian, has visited 135 countries and traveled more than 145 thousand km.

He learned a dozen foreign languages ​​and managed to be captured by militants 20 times. Not life, but a complete adventure.

Jogging around the world

Running Man Robert Garside.

Briton Robert Garside bears the title "Running Man". He is the first person to run around the world. His record was included in the Guinness Book of Records. Robert had several unsuccessful attempts to complete the round-the-world race. And on October 20, 1997, he successfully started from New Delhi (India) and finished his race, the length of which was 56 thousand km, at the same place on June 13, 2003, almost 5 years later.

Representatives of the Book of Records scrupulously and for a long time checked his record, and Robert was able to receive a certificate only a few years later. On the way, he described everything that happened to him using his pocket computer, and everyone who was interested could get acquainted with the information on his personal website.

Traveling around the world by motorcycle

Jeff Hill and Gary Walker.

In March 2013, two Britons - Belfast Telegraph travel expert Geoff Hill and former racing driver Gary Walker - set out from London to recreate the round-the-world trip that American Carl Clancy made on a Henderson motorcycle 100 years ago. In October 1912, Clancy left Dublin with a travel companion, whom he left in Paris, and he continued his journey to the south of Spain, through North Africa, Asia, and at the end of the tour, he traveled across America. Carl Clancy's journey lasted 10 months and contemporaries called this trip around the world "the longest, most difficult and most dangerous journey on a motorcycle."

Solo non-stop circumnavigation

Fedor Konyukhov on a solo trip around the world.

Fedor Konyukhov is the man who completed the first solo non-stop circumnavigation in Russian history. On the yacht "Karaana" 36 pounds long, he traveled the route Sydney - Cape Horn - Equator - Sydney. It took him 224 days to do this. Konyukhov's round-the-world trip began in the fall of 1990 and ended in the spring of 1991.

Fyodor Konyukhov at Cape Horn.

Fedor Filippovich Konyukhov is a Russian traveler, artist, writer, priest of the Russian Orthodox Church, Honored Master of Sports of the USSR in sports tourism. He became the first person in the world to visit the five poles of our planet: the Northern Geographical (three times), the Southern Geographical, the Pole of Relative Inaccessibility in the Arctic Ocean, Everest (the Pole of Heights) and Cape Horn (the Pole of Yachtsmen).

Many of us, before even going to our own dacha, carefully plan the list of groceries, travel, calculate the time and expected activities. If we talk about planning a vacation, then everything is even more complicated: flights, hotels, visas, transport, budget, attractions, beaches and much more.

And if we are talking about a trip around the world, then planning it will take more time than the duration of the entire route.

There are few who get by with a sleeping bag, a tent and a can of canned food. There are even fewer who travel completely penniless. Having learned about these travelers and their records, it is very difficult not to become infected by their enthusiasm and desire to understand the world.

1. Jean Beliveau - traveling around the world on foot

I'll start with a man whose story is simply amazing. The record of this traveler serves as an example to follow and many simply cannot wrap their head around it. Jean Beliveau is an ordinary Canadian who, like everyone else, had a family, earned money, met friends and raised children.

But, on the eve of his 45th birthday, something happened that often unsettles people and “throws them ashore.” He went bankrupt. What to do next? How to live, after all many years of work ended in an instant?

A non-standard thought occurred to this man; he decided to go to hike, no money. He took with him only a sleeping bag, a tent and a first aid kit. On his 45th birthday, he set off on a journey, leaving his entire past life as it was.

Despite the prejudiced attitude of many, Jean Beliveau circumnavigated the entire globe. It took him 11 years, during which time he spent about $50,000, which his wife collected, in donations. He walked all the time.

What is surprising is that this was the first voyage of a Canadian. In total, he covered 76,000 kilometers and crossed 64 countries. This traveler's record is not one of speed or skill. This is a record of self-discovery that everyone encounters on their life path.

2. Steve Fossett - circumnavigation of the world in a hot air balloon

Another person who simply infects and inspires with wanderlust is Steve Fossett . He holds 116 travel records. The most famous of them is a trip around the world in a hot air balloon. At the age of 58, in 2002, he circumnavigated the earth alone in a hot air balloon.

In addition, he climbed the most high points world, swam the English Channel on the 4th attempt, also crossed the Atlantic and the entire globe on a sailing ship.

3. The oldest traveler

There is no age limit for setting travel records. Japanese professor Saburo Shochi at the age of 106, visited 6 countries, covered 60,000 kilometers public transport and at the same time never felt tired.

15 year old Laura Dekker committed circumnavigation of the world on a yacht alone in 7 months. This is the power of dreams combined with healthy youthful maximalism.

5. Walking around Europe

There are, of course, travelers whose records make you smile, but inspire no less. For example, in 1900 an Austrian Johann Gurlinger covered the distance from Vienna to Paris in 55 days, while he walked 10 hours a day.

Say for a long time, perhaps. The traveler covered the entire distance walking on his hands.

6. The laziest traveler

There are also lazy travelers; in 1994, Jeremy Levine made the longest one.

He was on his way from London to Cape Town and back. The cost of the trip was $62,908.

Often, travel records are set in order to draw attention to the problems of humanity.

7. Traveling by bicycles

Three extreme sports enthusiasts made the highest mountain cycling trip. They climbed to a height of 7,000 meters above sea level, while carrying bicycles with them. This happened in 2000 on Mount Muztagh, in China.

Also, the fastest circumnavigation of the world by bike. James Bothorp visited 20 countries in 174 days. To do this, he pedaled his bicycle at least 14 hours a day.

The first bicycle journey through Antarctica was also made. Erik Larson's goal was to conquer South Pole on a bicycle. Unfortunately, the plan failed due to bad weather. But at the same time, Erik Larson set a record for the most long journey through Antarctica on a bicycle, in both directions he covered 340 kilometers.

8. Solo trip to Antarctica

In 1998, a Japanese man set the record for the longest solo trip to Antarctica. He spent 99 days on the continent.

9. Visit every country in the world without a single flight

A traveler like Graham Hughes also commands respect. He visited all the countries of the world, namely 201. At the same time, he moved only on land or water, without using aircraft. It took him 4 years to complete this journey. Thus, he set a record, becoming the world's first traveler to visit all countries of the world without a single flight.

10. Traveling on a boat made of plastic bottles

It couldn't have been more successful. This was done by the crew of the ship “The Plastiki”. It is made from 12,500 plastic bottles.

The record was that the ship successfully traveled through the waters of the Pacific Ocean for 4 months and covered 15 thousand kilometers.

This is just a small list of achievements and records of travel and travelers. Just imagine how much there is still unknown and untried in our world.

Every day someone sets, albeit not a world, but a personal travel record.

Or maybe you will become the next record holder?!

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1. Visit all continents. Antarctica may be the most difficult destination on this list to reach, but it's worth it.
2. Cross the country by bike. Cycling tourism has its undeniable advantages, combining speed of movement and closeness to nature.
3. Ride elephants. If you have already mastered horses, donkeys, buffalos and other artiodactyls, then it’s time to go into the jungle.
4. Live next to the locals for a month. Come and try to see it not through the eyes of a tourist, but from the point of view of an ordinary person living in this area. This experience will change your attitude towards travel.
5. Take a musical pilgrimage. Visit the cradle of the blues and party with Jamaican musicians. See the Beatles' studio and party in Ibiza.
6. Learn a foreign language. No better way than to immerse yourself in the appropriate habitat.
7. Travel through India by train. They say that in terms of extremeness this event is not inferior to skydiving.
8. Climb one of the seven greatest peaks. This action may cost you significant physical and material costs, but will undoubtedly be one of those achievements that you will remember throughout your life.
9. Scuba dive on coral reefs. The underwater world of the subtropics will not leave even the most experienced travelers indifferent.
10. Visit a carnival in Brazil. You won't have one Good night in this country of the greatest carnivals and fiery rhythms.
11. Stand on the board and catch a wave. is such an exciting and contagious hobby that some people give up everything for the sake of it and move to where they live big waves. What if this is about you?
12. Publish an article about your travels. Or maybe even a whole book? In any case, the realization that you are not just hanging around the world, but collecting material for publication, can give new meaning to your wanderings.
13. Get a job as a volunteer. By joining one of the international charitable organizations, you can easily combine travel with socially useful work.
14. Repeat the route of your favorite hero. In childhood, we read the works of Jules Verne, Jack London or memoirs famous travelers? So why not see now famous places from these with your own eyes?
15. Visit the sources of great rivers. Huge rivers, such as the Nile, Amazon or Dnieper, begin with a tiny stream. This is truly impressive.
16. Explore the homeland of your favorite dish. Our menu contains many dishes that came to us from other nations. Many of them have changed significantly and barely resemble their prototype. Why don't you go in search of authentic Italian pizza, Georgian kebab or Siberian dumplings?
17. Dive into the Ganges. They say that bathing in this sacred river causes spiritual rebirth of the individual. It's time to check this out for yourself.
18. Photograph a disappearing world. Our planet is rapidly changing, and your lens is changing these changes. It is not necessary to photograph rare species of flora and fauna - you can find something completely different. Make a gallery of historical costumes of different nations, take photographs of ancient houses that are subject to demolition, or the last monument to Lenin in your country.
19. Participate in thematic competitions. Every year, dozens of international races, swims and races are held around the world, which attract enthusiasts from all over the world. Dedicate your journey to one of them.
20. Cross the country by public transport. Look at different areas of your or another country from the windows of trains, trains and buses.
21. Visit the place of glory of your idol. Every person has a hero they want to emulate. Try researching places associated with the person whose portrait hung on your wall as a child.
22. Try how many days you can survive alone in the wild. Gain experience in the impenetrable jungle, inaccessible mountains or just in the nearby forest. This will give you not only new practical skills, but also deep spiritual cleansing.
23. Visit filming locations of famous films. Each of us has a favorite movie or TV series that left a mark on our soul. Look with your own eyes at the cities where the filming took place.
24. Set a free movement record. Some people manage to move great distances. Test yourself in this competition.
25. Learn exotic skills. You can become a ninja only in Japan, the best fashion designers are in Japan, and for beginner yogis the path lies precisely in India. Learn the secret knowledge from its keepers, immerse yourself in an authentic atmosphere in order to become a master of your craft.

What are the most unusual, funny, frankly adventurous travel ideas wandering around in your head? What is your dream trip?

Man has always wanted to understand his world. Brave travelers went to the very ends of the world, not even knowing what was there. Researchers have turned the idea of ​​our planet upside down, proving that it is round.

And today, with the development of space technology, there are no blank spots left on earth. You can learn about distant lands from the Internet or on TV.

Nevertheless, people are attracted to new cities and countries. Traveling is so interesting! Many people also do this in a very unusual way. Below is a story about the strangest travels.

2600 kilometers on your knees. In 1978, the journey of 39-year-old Baptist priest Hans Mulikin finally ended. He covered this distance to the White House from his town of Marshall, in Texas. To avoid damaging his legs during such an unusual journey, he wrapped them in fur and protected them with steel strips. In his hands the priest held an axle with wheels of different diameters. This helped him compensate for the slope of the road towards the side of the road. Hans walked the entire road on all fours. The journey ended on November 22, 1978. It took the priest two and a half years to do everything. Arriving at the White House, Mulikin asked for an audience with Jimmy Carter, who was the President of the country at that time. But the guards turned him away, saying that the First Person was busy. Then Hans turned to reporters, saying that the country's government just wants the population to bow their heads and remain on their knees, awaiting mercy. This outcome was quite predictable; it is rare when presidents really think about the fate of their people.

Around the world on an all-terrain vehicle. Traveling around the world by car can no longer surprise anyone. Australian Ben Carlin decided to go around the planet in his advanced amphibious jeep. He set off on the road with his wife in 1950, but his wife could not stand the tedious journey, leaving the race after three quarters of the way in India. Ben continued his journey alone, completing it in 1958. The journey started and ended in Montreal, Canada. And the length of the entire route was 62 thousand kilometers by land and as much as 17 thousand kilometers by water.

41115 kilometers with the car. David Baird decided to cross the entire Australian continent with a wheelbarrow. The journey across the mainland took 112 days, during which time the traveler covered 4,115 kilometers. The 65-year-old man did this marathon to raise funds for research into prostate and breast cancer. Baird himself has no such problems and looks great, even though he ran a hundred marathons with his car in 112 days. Every day the traveler moved for 10-12 hours. During his journey, he was able to visit 70 cities, whose residents donated 20 thousand dollars for a good cause. This is such an unusual charity trip.

Traveling around the world on foot. English runner Robert Garside is also known as the “running man”. The Guinness Book of Records officially issued him with a certificate that he was the first to report a trip around the world by running. Robert made several unsuccessful attempts, starting from Cape Town, South Africa, and from London. In the end, the journey that began and ended in New Delhi, India, ended with success. The start took place on October 20, 1997, and Robert spent almost 5 years on the whole journey, finishing on June 13, 2003. The fact that a man completed a round-the-world race without the use of technical means caused a lot of gossip among the press and competitors. That is why representatives of the famous Book of Records spent a long time and carefully checking the authenticity of the record, studying all the facts related to its achievement. As a result, only a few years later the honorary document was issued to the runner. Interestingly, when David completed his run, he updated his journey on runningman.org. A pocket computer helped him in this. The runner talked about everything that happened to him along the way. And this story turned out to be quite eventful. There are also attacks by hooligans, imprisonment, and difficult acclimatization. During his journey, Garside spent the night in the most different places, ranging from elite five-star hotels to police cells. The traveler collected 120 thousand pounds in voluntary donations from people he did not know. He ended up in prison because of incorrectly executed papers allowing entry into the country. During the trip, David even managed to find his love - a girl named Endrina Perez from Venezuela. The entire journey lasted a long 2062 days, during which 48 thousand kilometers were covered. Robert has visited 29 countries, visiting 6 continents. A traveler used 50 pairs of sneakers to run around the world. It still remains unclear how the Englishman crossed the oceans. He probably continued to run, staying in the passenger cabin of the liner. Perhaps this is how he compensated for the length of the obstacle in the form of the ocean.

Walking from China to Germany. When Christophe Rehage celebrated his birthday in 2007, he decided to give himself an unusual gift - walking trip. He studied in Beijing, the capital of China, and the student decided to walk to his home in German city Bad Nenndorf. The walk promised to be interesting. While making this journey, Christophe took a lot of photographs and even created a time-lapse video of his journey. As a result, the 4,000 kilometers traveled fit into a five-minute video. There you can first see a neat, shaven young man; he gradually begins to grow stubble, and the landscape around him changes. The Gobi Desert, mountains, roads flash by. And the traveler himself goes on and on. The landscapes around him changed, people came and went, and he continued on his way. It took Christophe a whole year to get through China alone. He finally realized that he was simply unable to carry out his plan. But even walking these 4,800 kilometers turned out to be a real feat, so such a journey evokes only respect.

Boat trip around the world at 16 years old. On October 18, 2009, 16-year-old Jessica Watson set off on a trip around the world. The highlight of it is that the entire journey will be done independently and by water. The girl became the youngest circumnavigator to complete such a difficult journey alone. The journey was non-stop and without resupply. Jessica was born and raised in Queensland, Australia. When she arrived home on May 15, 2010, she immediately became a celebrity there. Rupert Murdoch himself bought the rights to her photo and video materials, paying an impressive amount for it. Jessica decided to circumnavigate the Earth alone when she was only 12. It would be interesting to know her parents’ reaction to such a statement. However, the dream did come true! True, the first attempt, on September 9, was unsuccessful - on the very first night after going to sea, the girl’s yacht collided with a large cargo ship. She had to postpone the start by a month.

13 thousand kilometers backwards. Planny Wingo began his journey towards Istanbul on April 15, 1931. The entire journey took a year and a half and ended on October 24, 1932. At that time, the traveler was 36 years old. What was unusual about this journey was that it was done backwards! It can be assumed that even when sailing across the ocean, the men walked along the deck in this form, covering the necessary kilometers. In order not to break his head, the traveler was forced to make himself periscope glasses with mirrors. This helped him cover about 30-35 kilometers per day. Albeit a little, but every day for a year and a half, and all this - backwards.

3000 kilometers on stilts. In 1891, Sylvain Dornon, born in Landes, France, decided to overcome the whole of Europe in an unusual way. He headed to Moscow from Paris on stilts! The journey began on March 12. Dornon walked up to 60 kilometers a day; one can only guess what trials awaited him along the way. The entire journey of 2945 kilometers took about 2 months. Those who think that this is not difficult can be advised to walk at least a kilometer on stilts.

From Africa to Greenland. It would seem, why could an African be interested in a snow-covered giant island? Tete-Michel Cromassy was born in Togo in 1941. When he was still a child, he survived an attack by a huge python. The father, wanting to save his son from the consequences of a snake attack, sent him to the priests of the python cult living in the dense jungle. There the boy was actually cured and even ordained a priest. For the next 6 years he lived in the jungle right among the snakes, no longer at all afraid of them. In these places, Cromassi accidentally discovered a children's book that talked about Greenland. The boy was simply fascinated by the distant country, where there are no forests or snakes at all. Cromassi decided that he needed to get there. The journey took 12 years. All this time, the traveler did not stay in one place for more than six months, literally working only for food and a roof over his head. He crossed West Africa and came to Europe. From there Kromassie finally reached his destination - Greenland - by boat in the mid-60s. During the trip, Michel carefully studied the languages ​​of the peoples with whom he communicated. He became a good listener and turned out to be an excellent storyteller, interesting person. Cromassi outlined his story in 1977 in the book “From Africa to Greenland,” published in France.

Expedition "Kon-Tiki". Before the expedition, Heyerdahl and five other travelers - Knut Haugland, Bengt Danielsson, Erik Hesselberg, Thorstein Robue and Hermann Watzinger - arrived in Peru, where they built a pae-pae raft from balsa wood and other natural materials, which they called "Kon-Tiki". They were prompted to sail on the Kon-Tiki by ancient chronicles and drawings of Spanish conquistadors depicting Incan rafts, as well as local legends and archaeological evidence, which suggested that between South America and Polynesia there could be contacts. On August 7, 1947, after 101 days of navigation, the Kon-Tiki, having covered 4,300 nautical miles (8,000 km) in the Pacific Ocean, washed up on the reefs of the Raroia Atoll of the Tuamotu Islands. The Kon-Tiki demonstrated that a primitive raft, using the Humboldt Current and a fair wind, could indeed cross the river relatively easily and safely. Pacific Ocean in a western direction. Thanks to the keel system and sail, the raft proved its high maneuverability. In addition, between two balsa logs there is quite a large quantities fish accumulated, which suggests that ancient sailors could use it to satisfy their hunger, and the evaporation of water on the sails made it possible to overcome thirst in the absence of other sources of fresh water. Inspired by the Kon-Tiki voyage, others repeated this journey on their own rafts. Thor Heyerdahl's book "Kon-Tiki" has been translated into 66 languages. A documentary film about the expedition, filmed by Heyerdahl during the voyage, received an Oscar in 1951.