16 Best Travel Books: A Guide for Travelers
What’s better than reading good books? A good book can sometimes be our best friend, especially while we travel. Sometimes, it accompanies us on long train journeys. Sometimes, after a tiring day of travel, it takes us to a different world before we go to sleep at night. Sometimes, the books we read give us information about the places we visit.
We, too, know how important good books about travel are. We’ve compiled the best travel reads to accompany you. Let’s have a look at the best travel reads.
1. ‘’The Alchemist’’ by Paulo Coelho
Here’s a book that’ll encourage you to follow your dreams. When you read “The Alchemist”, you’ll be filled with the desire to discover new places. The book is one of the most read books in recent history. It tells the story of a young man who wants to explore the world, from Spain to Egypt. The book proves that a journey has the ability to transform us. We’re sure that it’ll inspire you a lot, too. Listen to your heart.
2. ‘’On the Road’’ by Jack Kerouac
A groundbreaking novel by Jack Kerouac. Through this book, you’ll discover the underground America of the 1950s. A lot of adventures, jazz, hitchhiking… A book that should be in your backpack when you travel. We’re sure that you’ll enjoy it very much. The highlight of the book is that many parts of it come from real life. Who knows, maybe it’ll inspire you too because Kerouac wrote this book by collecting notes from his travels.
3. ‘’A Moveable Feast (Life-Changing Food Adventures Around The World)’’ edited by Don George
Are you one of those who travel for food? Then, here is a book recommendation for you! 38 food stories from around the world have been compiled in this book. In the book, you’ll find famous chefs from around the world. You’ll be hungry a lot on your trip! This book will drive you to eat! So, if you are keen on food and want to learn different flavors from world cuisine, get this book.
4. ‘’Love With a Chance of Drowning’’ by Torre DeRoche
You’ll love this book because its author is relatable. Torre DeRoche is a travel blogger. If you want to read a romantic story while traveling, take this book with you. The book is about characters who love each other while sailing the Pacific. The highlighting part is that one of the characters has a fear of the ocean. This book will give you the courage to overcome your fears. A complete travel book!
5. ‘’The Cloud Garden’’ by Tom Hard Dyke and Paul Winder
Are you ready to go from Alaska to South America with a single stopover? We’re going to Darien Gap. This legendary book chronicles the journey of two travelers from Panama to Colombia on foot. After a tiring journey, they’re caught. The captivity in the forest lasts for nine months. Swamps and forests… If you want to experience some adventure, take this book and have an adventure!
6. ‘’The Art of Travel’’ by Alain de Botton
Travel isn’t just about thinking about where to go. Sometimes it’s the path we take. So, is it art? Read this book and remind yourself why you’ve started to travel. See the philosophical side of traveling. You’ll find yourself encountering things you don’t want to see. A very open book. If you want to think a little more and fill your head a little more about your trip, take this book with you.
7. ‘’The Caliph’s House: A Year in Casablanca’’ by Tahir Shah
Shah went on holiday in Morocco as a child. Afterward, he decides to buy a house in Casablanca. Behind this decision is to escape the monotony of life in London and to raise his children more comfortably. In this way, he leaves his life in England. So, what awaits him? Corruption, thieves, demons, and more… A great storyline. You’ll not understand how the pages flow.
8. ‘’Shantaram’’ by Gregory David Roberts
If you want to read about India, get this book. Or stop! Shantaram will already take you to India. In an instant, you’ll find yourself buying a ticket to India. The subject of the book is a character who goes to India out of love. This character works for gangsters, fights the Russians in Afghanistan, and is then imprisoned. You’ll read about the experiences of living in the slums. Well, no more spoilers, you better read it!
9. ‘’Unlikely Destinations: The Lonely Planet Story’’ by Tony&Maureen Wheeler
You’ve probably heard of Lonely Planet. This book explains the starting point of that company and how it evolved. Get this book if you want to know how Tony and Maureen Wheeler started this venture. You’ll start from England in the 1970s and embark on a journey up to the present. You’ll be accompanied by many amazing travel stories. Besides being a great read about the company, some sections will drag you down so much that you won’t want to put it down.
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10. ‘’Last Man in Tower’’, by A.N. Wilson
Beware, it’s dangerous to reject Shah! You’ll read the story of an interesting man. Friends who have become enemies and more… These men will do anything to secure their money. Only one man will be able to stand in front of Shah. Welcome to 21st century Mumbai. A book for you to travel to India. If you’re looking for a book full of adventure, you should get it.
11. ‘’Lands of Lost Borders: A Journey on the Silk Road’’ by Kate Harris
Have you ever thought about what lies behind your travel request? Answer: The urge to seek the unknown. However, many people have visited the places you’ve been before you. Is there any unknown place left in the world? Kate Harris will force you to think about the answers to these questions. One of the most unusual books you’ll ever read about travel. Pretty much a brainstorm. Can travel mean getting out of our comfort zone?
12. ‘’The Lost City of Z’’ by David Grann
A journey to search for the legendary lost city of Z. In this book, you’ll read about the adventurer wandering in the Amazon jungle. What happened to Percy Fawcett? Could there be advanced civilizations in the Amazon that we haven’t discovered yet? There are many such questions in the book. Through this book, you’ll learn a lot about the communities and cultures that lived in the land before the Westerners arrived.
13. ‘’Mumbai to Vientiane’’ by Leon G. Hewis
We couldn’t get enough of India on this list! Leon G. Hewis also takes us back to India. This is the author’s travel diary. It’s also a thought diary. Thanks to Hewis, you’ll begin to look at South and Southeast Asia from a completely different perspective. You’ll realize again how good it’s to be on the road. There are things you’ll never encounter at home which will inspire you to hit the road.
14. ‘’A Women Alone: Travel Tales From Around the Globe’’ edited by Faith Conlon, Ingrid Emerick, and Christina Henry de Tessan
Do you want to travel on your own, but you have too much anxiety on your mind? Go and get this book! This book offers an opportunity, especially for women, to overcome the fear of being alone. It’ll encourage you to set out on your own. Don’t fear and go on a trip. You’re enough for yourself! Once you pick up this book, you won’t understand how it ends.
15. ‘’The Beach’’ by Alex Garland
A book that’ll become your favorite. The book focuses on a group of backpackers. You’ll love the story of Garland. There is nothing better than searching for heaven together! The characters in the book are depicted so well that you’ll feel like you belong while reading it. You’ll realize that you feel the same things as the characters in the book. A great book especially for backpackers!
16. ‘’On a Shoestring to Coorg’’ by Dervla Murphy
Coming to the end of the travel reads list, another India read. You may change your mind about children after reading this book. Because you’ll see that a five-year-old girl can be a very good companion on the road. This book offers a very interesting read about the now disorganized state of Coorg in India. Moreover, you’ll learn a lot of new things about being a backpacker in India.
There you have it. The list of travel reads…They’ve inspired many people until now and we hope they inspire you to travel too! Enjoy!