Benedict Allen
Encyclopedia
Travel
Travel is the movement of people or objects between relatively distant geographical locations. 'Travel' can also include relatively short stays between successive movements.-Etymology:...
ler. He is best known for his survival
Survival skills
Survival skills are techniques a person may use in a dangerous situation to save themselves or others...
modus operandi
Modus operandi
Modus operandi is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "mode of operation". The term is used to describe someone's habits or manner of working, their method of operating or functioning...
: tapping into local, indigenous
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
knowledge above reliance on modern inventions. His approach is to present himself as ready to learn, like an infant; the communities that he visits take him under their wing, equipping him with the necessary skills. It is not always the adults but sometimes the children that "adopt" and teach him. Allen prefers to travel alone and, within exploration, spearheaded the video diary documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
format for filming his solo journeys.
In 2009, Allen was one of four stars of the reality epic Expedition Africa
Expedition Africa
Expedition Africa is an eight-part reality television miniseries that originally aired form to on History. Produced by Mark Burnett, the program follows four modern day explorers—a navigator, a wildlife expert, a survivalist, and a journalist—as they substantially retrace H.M. Stanley's famed...
, airing on History. The eight-part series followed Allen and three others as they retraced the journey of Henry Morton Stanley
Henry Morton Stanley
Sir Henry Morton Stanley, GCB, born John Rowlands , was a Welsh journalist and explorer famous for his exploration of Africa and his search for David Livingstone. Upon finding Livingstone, Stanley allegedly uttered the now-famous greeting, "Dr...
in his quest to find David Livingstone
David Livingstone
David Livingstone was a Scottish Congregationalist pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and an explorer in Africa. His meeting with H. M. Stanley gave rise to the popular quotation, "Dr...
. It was this journey that allegedly ended with the famous phrase, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"
Background
Allen’s first forays were during his childhood, when he would embark on fossil-hunting expeditions in Lyme RegisLyme Regis
Lyme Regis is a coastal town in West Dorset, England, situated 25 miles west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. The town lies in Lyme Bay, on the English Channel coast at the Dorset-Devon border...
. His main inspiration has been his father, a test pilot
Test pilot
A test pilot is an aviator who flies new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques or FTTs, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated....
who brought back exotic presents and so passing onto his son the sense that there was still an exciting world out there waiting to be explored. Amongst explorers, his heroes are Laurens van der Post
Laurens van der Post
Sir Laurens Jan van der Post, CBE was a 20th century Afrikaner author of many books, farmer, war hero, political adviser to British heads of government, close friend of Prince Charles, godfather of Prince William, educator, journalist, humanitarian, philosopher, explorer, and...
and naturalist Peter Matthiessen
Peter Matthiessen
Peter Matthiessen is a two-time National Book Award-winning American novelist and non-fiction writer, as well as an environmental activist...
. To him, "the greatest explorers are people like this who just listen and learn, and don't impose."
Allen was educated at Bradfield College
Bradfield College
Bradfield College is a coeducational independent school located in the small village of Bradfield in the English county of Berkshire.The college was founded in 1850 by Thomas Stevens, Rector and Lord of the Manor of Bradfield...
, and read Environmental Science at the University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
. He joined three scientific expeditions during his last year and gained full marks for his thesis. The first of these expeditions (to a volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
) was to be the catalyst for his wanderlust; by the end of the third, he recognised the local people to be "the real experts". It was at this point that he decided not to participate in any further scientific expeditions and to travel alone, learning from the locals. He went onto the University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
to read Ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
, but was distracted and flunked the final exam, instead concentrating his efforts on planning his first independent expedition. To realise these plans, he worked in a book warehouse to fund his journey from the mouth of the Orinoco
Orinoco
The Orinoco is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes called the Orinoquia, covers , with 76.3% of it in Venezuela and the remainder in Colombia...
to the mouth of the Amazon
Amazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
. He exploited his perceived harmlessness, immersing himself amongst the local "tribal" people, to whom these so-called hostile environs provided both a home and food source. They lived with, not pitted against, their jungle
Jungle
A Jungle is an area of land in the tropics overgrown with dense vegetation.The word jungle originates from the Sanskrit word jangala which referred to uncultivated land. Although the Sanskrit word refers to "dry land", it has been suggested that an Anglo-Indian interpretation led to its...
habitat.
This paved the way for further "immersion" into remote communities and natural environments for prolonged periods, forging and consolidating his career as a traveller in mostly the known world. He got a degree in science but doesn't call himself a scientist as where he calls himself more of an explorer.
Allen is a Patron of the Environmental Justice Foundation
Environmental Justice Foundation
The Environmental Justice Foundation is a [non-governmental organisation]] founded in 2001 by Steve Trent and Juliette Williams that promotes the non-violent resolution of human rights abuses and related environmental issues in the Global South...
.
Expeditions
- Scientific expedition to a volcano in Costa RicaCosta RicaCosta Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
- Scientific expedition to a remote forest in BruneiBruneiBrunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
- Scientific expedition to a glacier in IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
(leader) - Crossing North East Amazonia (1985)
- 600 miles on foot and by dug out canoe (Mad White GiantMad White GiantMad White Giant is a 1985 semi-autobiographical adventure novel by British explorer and author Benedict Allen. It details Allen's eventful journey between the mouths of the Orinoco and the Amazon rivers, a trip of over 1500 miles "as the vulture flies." In America, the novel was published under the...
)- West Papua and Papua New GuineaPapua New GuineaPapua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
- West Papua and Papua New Guinea
- Flight from the Obini community in Irian JayaWestern New GuineaWest Papua informally refers to the Indonesian western half of the island of New Guinea and other smaller islands to its west. The region is officially administered as two provinces: Papua and West Papua. The eastern half of New Guinea is Papua New Guinea.The population of approximately 3 million...
. Participation in the "Niowra", a male initiation ceremony (Into the Crocodile’s Nest)- SiberutSiberutSiberut is the largest and northernmost of the Mentawai Islands, lying 150 kilometres west of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. A part of Indonesia, the island is the most important home for the Mentawai people. The western half of the island was set aside as the Siberut National Park in 1993...
and SumatraSumatraSumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
- Siberut
- An investigation into the "Orang pendek" ape man, via the Mentawai of SiberutSiberutSiberut is the largest and northernmost of the Mentawai Islands, lying 150 kilometres west of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. A part of Indonesia, the island is the most important home for the Mentawai people. The western half of the island was set aside as the Siberut National Park in 1993...
and the Kubu of SumatraSumatraSumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
(Hunting the Gugu)- Crossing the Central Mountain Range of New GuineaNew GuineaNew Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
and the Torres StraitTorres StraitThe Torres Strait is a body of water which lies between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. It is approximately wide at its narrowest extent. To the south is Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost continental extremity of the Australian state of Queensland...
to AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
- Crossing the Central Mountain Range of New Guinea
- ‘First contact’ with the uncontactedUncontacted peoplesUncontacted people, also referred to as isolated people or lost tribes, are communities who live, or have lived, either by choice or by circumstance, without significant contact with globalized civilisation....
Yaifo community in New Guinea. (The Proving Grounds)- Crossing the Amazon basinAmazon BasinThe Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
at its widest point
- Crossing the Amazon basin
- 1,200 miles from the AndesAndesThe Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
of EcuadorEcuadorEcuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, through the lowland jungle to Mato GrossoMato GrossoMato Grosso is one of the states of Brazil, the third largest in area, located in the western part of the country.Neighboring states are Rondônia, Amazonas, Pará, Tocantins, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul. It also borders Bolivia to the southwest...
in BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, helped by the skills of the Matses Indians (Through Jaguar Eyes)- Cocha Brava
- In search of the Wild tigers (ducks of the Lost Lake)
- Walking the Namib DesertNamib DesertThe Namib Desert is a desert in Namibia and southwest Angola that forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park, the largest game reserve in Africa. The name "Namib" is of Nama origin and means "vast place"...
(1995)
- Walking the Namib Desert
- Three and a half month journey in extreme conditions, with three reluctant camels. Learning from the nomadic HimbaHimbaThe Himba are an ethnic group of about 20,000 to 50,000 people living in northern Namibia, in the Kunene region . Recently they have built two villages in Kamanjab which have become tourist destinations...
tribe to survive with little nourishment or water and to work with, not against, the forces of the desert (The Skeleton Coast)- Crossing the steppeSteppeIn physical geography, steppe is an ecoregion, in the montane grasslands and shrublands and temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biomes, characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes...
and Gobi desertGobi DesertThe Gobi is a large desert region in Asia. It covers parts of northern and northwestern China, and of southern Mongolia. The desert basins of the Gobi are bounded by the Altai Mountains and the grasslands and steppes of Mongolia on the north, by the Hexi Corridor and Tibetan Plateau to the...
- Crossing the steppe
- Five and a half month 3,000 mile trek by piggyback and camel through SiberiaSiberiaSiberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
n drylands, MongoliaMongoliaMongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
n steppe and across the Gobi desertGobi DesertThe Gobi is a large desert region in Asia. It covers parts of northern and northwestern China, and of southern Mongolia. The desert basins of the Gobi are bounded by the Altai Mountains and the grasslands and steppes of Mongolia on the north, by the Hexi Corridor and Tibetan Plateau to the...
(The Edge of Blue Heaven)- In Mato GrossoMato GrossoMato Grosso is one of the states of Brazil, the third largest in area, located in the western part of the country.Neighboring states are Rondônia, Amazonas, Pará, Tocantins, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul. It also borders Bolivia to the southwest...
- In Mato Grosso
- Investigating the Kalapalo Mexicans’ story of the disappearance of Colonel Fawcett (The Bones of Colonel Fawcett)
- Attempted crossing of the Bering Straits
- Working with a wayward dog team to travel 2500 miles through ChukchiChukchi peopleThe Chukchi, or Chukchee , ) are an indigenous people inhabiting the Chukchi Peninsula and the shores of the Chukchi Sea and the Bering Sea region of the Arctic Ocean within the Russian Federation. They speak the Chukchi language...
and InuitInuitThe Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
communities and beyond (Ice Dogs)- Visiting spiritual healers of the world
- Voodoo witchdoctors in HaitiHaitiHaiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, the Mentawai in IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, the Huichol of MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and shamans in SiberiaSiberiaSiberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
(Last of the Medicine Men)
As author
- Mad White GiantMad White GiantMad White Giant is a 1985 semi-autobiographical adventure novel by British explorer and author Benedict Allen. It details Allen's eventful journey between the mouths of the Orinoco and the Amazon rivers, a trip of over 1500 miles "as the vulture flies." In America, the novel was published under the...
(1985, published in AmericaUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as Who Goes Out in the Midday Sun?) - Into the Crocodile’s Nest: Journey Inside New Guinea (1987)
- Hunting the Gugu: In Search of the Lost Ape-Men of Sumatra (1989)
- The Proving Grounds: A Journey Through the Interior of New Guinea and Australia (1991)
- Through Jaguar Eyes: Crossing the Amazon Basin (1994)
- The Skeleton Coast (1997)
- The Edge of Blue Heaven (1998)
- Last of the Medicine Men~ (2000)
- Into the Abyss (2006)
As editor
- The Faber Book of Exploration: An Anthology of Worlds Revealed by Explorers Through the Ages (2002)
TV series
- The Skeleton Coast (BBC, 1997)
- The Edge of Blue Heaven (BBC, 1998)
- The Bones of Colonel Fawcett (BBC,1999)
- Last of the Medicine Men (BBC, 1999)
- Ice Dogs (BBC, 2002)
- Travellers' CenturyTravellers' CenturyTravellers' Century is a 2008 BBC Television documentary series presented by Benedict Allen that profiles the lives of three influential 20th century British travel writers.-Production:...
(BBC, 2008) - Unbreakable (Five, 2008)Unbreakable (TV series)Unbreakables is a reality television series presented by Explorer Benedict Allen on UK's Channel 5, where eight volunteers undergo an onslaught of physical and mental pressure in a bid to be declared unbreakable....
Other TV appearances
- The Raiders of the Lost Lake (video diary)
- A voyage through the Brazilian AmazonAmazon BasinThe Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
to reveal the secrets of the Cocha Brava (Wild Lake), home to the giant monster snake - which no white man has ever seen.- Great Railway Journeys: MombasaMombasaMombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
to the Mountains of the Moon (1996, BBC)
- Great Railway Journeys: Mombasa
- Through Kenya to Uganda. An account of contemporary life in East Africa.
- We Need AnswersWe Need AnswersWe Need Answers is a British television panel game presented by comedians Mark Watson, Tim Key and Alex Horne. The show features a pair of celebrities answering questions which have previously been texted in by the public, or the audience, to 63336, a text message service.-Format:In We Need...
, 25 February 2010, A British comedy panel show broadcast on BBC 4. - I Shouldn't Be AliveI Shouldn't Be AliveI Shouldn't Be Alive is a documentary television series that airs on multiple networks in the United States, Canada, the U.K., Australia, India and Pakistan...
: Alone in the Amazon
- We Need Answers
Highlights and mishaps
- On his adventures, Allen considers the primary threat to come from humans, usually non-native. He has never been attacked by a wild animal.
- On his first journey, he was attacked by gold miners and was left without food or possessions. Eventually, Allen chose to eat his own dog.
- Allen is the only non-tribe member to have undergone a six week Niowra initiation ceremony on the Sepik, Papua New GuineaPapua New GuineaPapua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. It was designed to make boys into men “as strong as a crocodile”. He has crocodileCrocodileA crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
markings on his back and chest from the sacred ceremony. - Allen funded his crossing of the Amazon BasinAmazon BasinThe Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
by working in a warehouse. His eight month 3,600 mile crossing was accomplished without the aid of a map or compass - In ColombiaColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, he escaped from what he believed to be armed drug barons. They tried to pursue him, using the butt of a rifleRifleA rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
to paddle. On the same trip, his guides abandoned him, taking his supplies with them. - In The Skeleton Coast, Allen had to train three camels to help him cross the desert. This was to become his favourite travel memory, “Emerging out of the Namib DesertNamib DesertThe Namib Desert is a desert in Namibia and southwest Angola that forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park, the largest game reserve in Africa. The name "Namib" is of Nama origin and means "vast place"...
with my three camels - led by the heroic old camel Nelson. I'd been alone more-or-less for six weeks. I was so proud of my camels, who had become more like professional colleagues than working animalWorking animalA working animal is an animal, usually domesticated, that is kept by humans and trained to perform tasks. They may be close members of the family, such as guide or service dogs, or they may be animals trained strictly to perform a job, such as logging elephants. They may also be used for milk, a...
s. Nelson hated sanddunes - and the sea, and elephants, and women! Gradually he overcame his fears and helped get me safely out of the desert.” - In The Edge of Blue Heaven, Allen crossed 1000 miles of the Gobi desertGobi DesertThe Gobi is a large desert region in Asia. It covers parts of northern and northwestern China, and of southern Mongolia. The desert basins of the Gobi are bounded by the Altai Mountains and the grasslands and steppes of Mongolia on the north, by the Hexi Corridor and Tibetan Plateau to the...
alone - His attempted crossing of the Bering Straits coincided with the worst winter in living memory.
- During his stay with the Mentawai of SiberutSiberutSiberut is the largest and northernmost of the Mentawai Islands, lying 150 kilometres west of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. A part of Indonesia, the island is the most important home for the Mentawai people. The western half of the island was set aside as the Siberut National Park in 1993...
, IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Allen was offered and received a tattooTattooA tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
on his right leg. A blunt safety pin is used for the decorative tattooing, which the Mentawai believe to reflect the beauty of the spirits around and within them. - In the ArcticArcticThe Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
, he lost his dog team. This would have meant certain death if he hadn’t found them after only one night, which he had spent sheltering in a snow hole.