Women Travelling: 5 Famous Female Explorers
These women are brave, curious and talented! They have often even made history with their travels... We introduce you to five inspiring women on their travels.
- Travel pioneer: Nellie Bly (1864-1922)
- Travel writer: Isabella Bird (1831-1904)
- Record holder: Bessie Coleman (1892-1926)
- World traveller: Sarah Marquis (1972-)
- Summiteer: Gertrude Kaltenbrunner (1970-)
1. Travel pioneer: Nellie Bly (1864-1922)
Nellie Bly was a daring journalist who boldly defied the so-called 'Boys Club' in New York City. In 1889 she decided to imitate Jules Verne's trip around the world and report on it. She traveled to England, via France and Italy to Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, China, Japan and back to San Francisco. She completed the trip around the world after 72 days, a record time at the time, and was considered one of the first women in the world to undertake such a trip without a male companion!
In 1890 she published her book Around the World in 72 Days.
2. Travel writer: Isabella Bird (1831-1904)
Isabella Bird, who was born in England, struggled with illnesses from childhood - but this never stopped her from travelling! She started her first adventure in 1854; by ship to America, where she wrote travel reports (The Englishwoman in America). She continued to explore Canada and later Scotland. In 1872 she set off for Australia, from there she traveled to Hawaii and on to Colorado. She couldn't stay anywhere for long and so she later traveled to Asia and discovered the countries of Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and China. At the age of almost 60, she crossed Tibet and traveled to Persia, Kurdistan and Turkey!
She published the reports of all her legendary travels in numerous books, which made her the first woman to be admitted to the Royal Geographical Society.
3. Record holder: Bessie Coleman (1892-1926)
Bessie Coleman, also known as "Brave Bessie" or "Queen Bess", made history in two ways: she was the first African-American female pilot and the first woman in the world to hold an international pilot's license.
These two records were related: Due to the discriminatory system of a segregated America, Bessie was not accepted into any flight school. But she held on to her dream of becoming a pilot, began taking French courses and finally traveled to France in 1920 to complete pilot training there. As the only non-white participant in the course, she learned to fly within a year and returned to the USA, where she had now become a celebrity. In 1922 she became the first woman in the world to receive an international pilot's license.
4. World traveller: Sarah Marquis (1972-)
This Swiss adventurer has become known for her travels around the world on foot. Between 2010 and 2013 she migrated alone from Russia to Australia! She crossed Siberia and Asia until she finally arrived in Australia, at the Nullabor Plain. During her 16,000 km hiking adventure she encountered several dangers, including wild animals and drug smugglers.
National Geographic named her one of the Adventurers of the Year in 2014 and that same year she wrote her fourth book, Wild by Nature. In 2015 she was invited to Geneva to give a TED talk and in total she has given over 300 inspirational talks around the world.
5. Summiteer: Gertrude Kaltenbrunner (1970-)
Austrian-born Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner has been climbing mountains since she was thirteen. As an adult, she became a nurse, but continued to climb as often as possible: she was always saving up for her next tour.
She became the first woman to climb all 8,000-meter peaks in the world without oxygen and is still considered one of the most successful high-altitude mountaineers in the world! At the age of 23, she climbed her first +8000m peak in the Himalayas and gradually conquered the highest mountains in the Himalayas, including Mount Everest!
If you're seeking further inspiration or looking to embark on your own journey, why not delve into the thousands of travel destination options by comparing flight deals on BudgetAir Canada?
Need further travel inspiration?
- Adventure travel
- Beach holidays
- Last minute trips
- Food and wine vacations
- International Women's Day: 8th of March (Annual)
As you embark on your own adventures, whether it be traversing distant lands or exploring the depths of your own soul, may their courage and resilience ignite a fire within you to chase your dreams fearlessly, but also towards your next great adventure. Happy travels!
