Discover the joy of a journey across the earth on foot, by boat or through the a

Humans have always held travel close to their heart. The passion for travel has led man, and woman, to the highest mountain, the longest river and unexplored jungles. Here's a look at some passionate travellers who have embarked on and completed what could be one of the greatest journeys on earth, its circumnavigation.

Illustration/Ravi Jadhav

'A treasure trove of memories and stories for the rest of life'
Commander Dilip Donde can still recall the feeling he had while on Sagar Parikrama, his circumnavigation of the globe. "Looking back, I think what I cherish most about my voyage is the solitude and freedom of being alone with my beloved boat Mhadei, surrounded by the vast ocean in its various moods. About the project, it was the heady feeling of immersing myself completely in something I was determined to achieve at all costs and against all odds," he says. He has written a first-hand account of Sagar Parikrama called 'The First Indian'.

CDR Dilip Donde, the first Indian to circumnavigate the globe, with members of INSVâÂu00c2u0080Âu00c2u0088Tarini, Indian Navy's first women's expedition currently circumnavigating the globe

To those who want to follow in his footsteps, he says, "It is the best thing you will do in your life! It is not easy but not impossible either; and very achievable, if you are ready to put in the hard work and planning required. You will have a treasure trove of memories and stories to tell for the rest of your life. What can be more precious than that in the one life you get to live on this planet!"

'There will always be surprises'
Adityaraj Kapoor is in the US, halfway across the world on his journey on his Triumph Bonneville. The grandson of the legendary Prithviraj Kapoor began his tour in June this year. From Victorville, he writes, about his tour called 'The Quest'. "I am searching for something," he adds.

Adityaraj Kapoor at the Auschwitz holocaust museum

After being on the road for months, he says, "Continuity, perseverance, humility. I never had them. But without them, I could not attempt this trip. I guess I owe it to my Guru. He keeps me going, as I see a hundred miracles every day, all around me. Sometimes, I don't want to get out of bed, so I don't. I am easy on myself." Kapoor says fascinating encounters have made his journey very memorable. Once a café owner in Siberia came out to see if he was truly a biker. "When she saw my loaded bike, she gave me a chocolate to eat. She said that chocolates help," he says.

And words of wisdom for others? "Plan with all humility and regard for yourself and others. Plan well and extremely realistically. Keep time in your pocket. Then sit back and ride. There will always be surprises," he says.

On land

• Dave Kunst is the first person to have completed circling the earth on foot. His brother John set out with him but was killed in an attack by thieves. Their other brother Pete then joined the walk, which took four years, three months and sixteen days from June 1970. Dave took more than 20 million steps.

• On November 14, 1889, New York World reporter Elizabeth Cochrane (pen name Nellie Bly) set out from New York to beat the record of Jules Verne's imaginary hero Phileas Fogg, who travelled around the world in 80 days. Bly returned 72 days later.

• Elizabeth Bisland Wetmore, another American journalist and author, raced around the world against Bly, drawing worldwide attention. Bisland completed her trip in 76 and 1⁄2 days.

Through the sea

• The Magellan-Elcano circumnavigation is thought to be the first voyage around the world. It was a Spanish expedition that sailed from Seville in 1519 under the command of Ferdinand Magellan, and was concluded by Juan Sebastian Elcano in 1522. The circumnavigation was completed by one ship, Victoria, and a crew of 18 men

• Joshua Slocum is thought to be the first man to sail single-handedly around the world in 1895. In 1900, he wrote a book about his journey, Sailing Alone Around the World, which became an international bestseller.

• Jeanne Baret was a member of Louis Antoine de Bougainville's expedition. She is recognised as the first woman to have circumnavigated the globe.

In the air

• The first aerial circumnavigation of the world was in 1924 by aviators of the United States Army Air Service, which later became the United States Air Force.

• Friedrich Karl Richard Paul August Freiherr Koenig von und zu Warthausen, a German aviator, made the first solo flight around the world in 1928-29.
• Richard Glenn Rutan and co-pilot Jeana Yeager completed the first non-stop non-refuelled circumnavigation in an airplane.
• Richarda Morrow-Tait was the first woman pilot to fly around the world.

Numbers

14,450
The distance (in miles) that Dave Kunst walked

72
No. of days it took Elizabeth Cochrane to travel around the world

1924
Year of the first circumnavigation of the world by air