Britain's greatest explorers - Telegraph As Sir Ranulph Fiennes attempts one of the last polar challenges, we offer slightly softer alternatives to follow in the footsteps of Britain's great explorers. Sir Richard Burton This 19th-century British geographer and explorer was best known for his travels throughout Asia, as well as an extraordinary gift for absorbing languages and culture. Perhaps his most famous journey involved travelling to Mecca in disguise. He was also responsible for the Kama Sutra's publication into English, and was one of the first Europeans to visit the Great Lakes of Africa in search of the source of the Nile. He was the first European to see Lake Tanganyika. Follow in his footsteps Travel to East Africa and see another great journey: The Serengeti's great migration