I need more evidence than this although there were parts of the account that always struck me as too imaginative: "Most notable are however the striking resemblances to various writings
of his era, primarily to a pilgrimage account written by a certain Ahmad
Ibn Jubayr. Pages of this work were either slightly reworked or copied
word for word: "Many of Ibn Battuta's accounts do not provide us with
his immediate travel impressions at all, but rather confront us with his
skill as a plagiariser," says Elger. In this context, Elger also
has a plausible explanation for why Ibn Battuta repeatedly mentions the
generosity he was shown by all the rulers he encountered."