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020 8914 8966
Benedict Allen is an explorer who has become one of today’s best known, inspirational speakers. He is the author of a number of books detailing his travels and of course his unique BBC Television programmes. Benedict lives the boys’ own annual dreams of challenge and achievement. He differs from most conventional explorers in that he learns about survival and the places he visits from remote tribes, not from scientific equipment. Truly eco-friendly, he generally takes nothing with him to these communities, no equipment, maps, compasses, simply throwing himself on the mercy of local populations, adapting to and learning from their true environment.
BBC:
One of Benedict’s expeditions was broadcast as a six-part BBC2 documentary, called Edge of Blue Heaven. This was an intimate account of his breath taking 3,000 mile trek around the land of Genghis Khan. It also included a six week lone crossing of the Gobi Desert. It was a story that captured the imagination and also the hearts of many, with his passionate presentation of the expedition.
The Explorer:
Benedict Allen explorer became the first person to be allowed to walk the full length of the ‘Skeleton Coast’ of Namibia in South Africa, which is littered with diamonds! Benedict walked the gruelling 2,000 kilometres over three and a half months with three reluctant camels. Captivating the public as he shared the experience on screen. During the journey he had to survive extreme temperatures whilst negotiating some of the world’s highest sand dunes. He also had to cope with numerous dangers. These included training his camels, to keeping lions at bay at night with fire. Unfortunately that acts as a beacon to charging rhino!
Benedict’s most dramatic experiences are referred to in his book Into the Crocodile Nest which documents how he became the only non-tribe member to have undertaken the Niowra initiation ceremony. This punishing ritual was to make him a man as strong as a crocodile. The results of this can be dramatically witnessed. Benedict bears the tribal markings that resulted from having his skin whipped with branches and gouged with bamboo. It left a pattern on his skin resembling crocodile scales!
The Amazon:
Benedict Allen’s other explorations include crossing North East Amazonia on foot and also by dug out canoe, covering more than 600 miles, a journey described in his first book ‘Mad White Giant‘ and hunting for the elusive ape man of Sumatra.
He presented an episode of ‘The Great Railway Journeys‘ series for BBC TV. It was called, ‘Mombasa to the Mountains of the Moon’. Another expedition was, Searching for the Wild Lake of the Amazon. It was filmed as a Video Diary for the BBC and gained the highest rating ever made. He then was commissioned by BBC Television to make two new series. The first was screened in 1999 and featured the Matto Grosso region of Brazil. Benedict retraced the steps of the 1920’s explorer Colonel Fawcett. The second looked at ‘shaman’ and medicine men around the world.
Benedict Allen explorer is unique. He uses his experiences to inspire the ‘explorer’ in us all. His fascinating stories of human endeavour put across messages of personal development. Also, achievement and of coping with challenging and changing circumstances. His charming personality belies the grim determination he draws on to complete his thrilling expeditions. It is this charisma that has endeared him to a vast public audience. He has motivated thousands with his passion for creating awareness of other incredible cultures. He does this whilst developing self awareness and also the skills, even the humour, to deal with everything from life threatening situations, to loneliness.
New Book:
2022 saw Benedict Allen explorer publish his latest book, Explorer: The Quest for Adventure and the Great Unknown. This is the story of what made Benedict decide to explore the far reaches of our world and also why thirty years later, he continues to explore to this day.
Benedict regularly addresses conferences in the UK and around the world. He is an inspiring conference speaker and also a refreshing after dinner speaker. He is a true personality.
