Around The World In 80 Days (1989)

For many people, ‘Around The World In 80 Days with Michael Palin’ is the travel documentary. First broadcast in 1989, the seven episode BBC series sees actor and writer Palin take up the challenge of emulating the adventures of fictional character Phileas Fogg; the protagonist in Jules Verne’s classic 1872 novel ‘Around The World In Eighty Days’.

Travelling the world without modern aircraft, because planes make travelling the world in 80 days far too easy, Palin faces a race against the clock as he attempts to circumnavigate the globe on foot, train, ship, balloon and husky dog sled.  Starting in London, he follows Fogg’s route as closely as possible.

As he makes his way, Palin overcomes various obstacles and comments on the various sights and cultures he encounters along the way. As proof of his journey, he collects souvenirs that have been requested by his ‘referees’ back in the UK.

“Make no mistake, it’s a bona fide classic”

Deemed a critical and commercial success upon release, ‘Around The World in 80 Days’ sparked sequels of sorts in the shape of ‘Pole To Pole with Michael Palin’ (first broadcast in 1992) and ‘Full Circle with Michael Palin’ (first broadcast in 1997). Following his 80 days trip, Palin also went on to write a book about the experience.

Palin has since presented a number of other popular travel documentaries including ‘Hemingway Adventure’, where he follows in the footsteps of Ernest Hemingway, ‘Sahara’, where he travels through the Sahara Desert, and ‘Himalaya’, where he – you guessed it – travels around the Himalayas. He’s also presented travel documentaries about Eastern Europe, Brazil, and North Korea.

Before you get stuck into all those though, start with ‘Around The World In 80 Days’ – it’s truly iconic stuff, and the foundation upon which numerous shows since have been built. Make no mistake, it’s a bona fide classic.

You can watch Around The World In 80 Days on BBC iPlayer. 

The Vice Guide To Travel

The Vice Guide To Travel is what would happen if Nathan Barley and the Sugar Ape gang took the reigns on the no-longer-with-us holiday guide programme ‘Wish You Were Here’. Think gun markets in Pakistan, fist fighting in the Andes, cannibal warlords in Liberia and camel beauty contests in the desert.

“Think gun markets in Pakistan, fist fighting in the Andes, cannibal warlords in Liberia”

The standout episode in my opinion, and the one worth seeking out before all others, is an hour long look behind the DMZ called ‘Inside North Korea’. It’s presented by Shane Smith, the co-founder of Vice Media, and is a fascinating look at the culture, ideology, and general layout of a country that, even to this day, we still know very little about. Go check it out (you can watch part one of three above).

You can watch Inside North Korea on Vice Video.

You can watch The Vice Guide To Travel on Vice Video and YouTube. 

Long Way Round

‘Long Way Round’, first broadcast in 2004, is the kind of travel documentary that fires up imaginations and, like the best of its genre, makes people want to go out there and do something similar themselves.

Featuring Ewan McGregor, he of ‘Trainspotting’, ‘Moulin Rouge’, and ‘Salmon Fishing In The Yemen’ fame, and his actor mate Charley Boorman – the series sees the pair travel 19,000 miles (31,000km) on their motorbikes from London to New York City via Europe and Asia.

“The Scotsman also suffered mosquito bites on his arse, and penis”

Passing through the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Canada and the US en-route, McGregor and Boorman’s journey was a hit with viewers and was also used to promote the humanitarian efforts of UNICEF.

Over the course of the series, the boys visit an orphanage in Ukraine for those affected by the Chernobyl disaster of 1986, a climbing wall at a youth centre in Kazakhstan, and an outreach project working with street children in the capital city of Mongolia (Ulaanbaatar).

From a health point of view, the ‘Long Way Round’ journey was anything but plain sailing. McGregor got petrol accidentally sprayed in his eyes twice during the adventure. On one occasion, this resulted in McGregor having to visit an optometrist in Ukraine. McGregor’s forehead also required treatment after becoming badly swollen after a mosquito bite on the Kazakhstan leg. The Scotsman also suffered mosquito bites on his arse, and penis. Boorman, on the other hand, badly strained his left shoulder during the Siberian leg of the journey and was unable to ride for several days.

If you’re all about big road trips, or have ever thought about doing a massive driving challenge like The Mongol Rally, you’ll relish immersing yourself in ‘Long Way Rond’. Once you’re done with it, you might want to search out the follow up series ‘Long Way Down’ which follows McGregor and Boorman as they ride from the UK’s northernmost point John o’ Groats to Cape Agulhas (Africa’s southernmost point).

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