Some catch a random photo on Instagram, and others have dreamt of far-off locations since childhood, but these travel writers were inspired to plan trips based on books they read. Some books are meant to inspire travel while others are spinning a great yarn in incredible locations. Discover the locations and literature below!
Eat Pray Love ✈ Bali
Contributed by Kelly of Girl with the Passport
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One of the books that inspired me to travel was Eat Pary Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. See, I had been an avid solo traveler after college and then, somehow, life got complicated. I got stuck in a rut and just couldn’t seem to escape my mundane everyday routine.
I blinked and five years had passed without me having taken a single trip outside the United States. Saddened by my dull existence, II picked up Eat Pray Love for a bit of excitement.
Once I opened the book, I became fascinated by Elizabeth’s incredible journey of self-discovery as she ate her way through Italy, prayed in an ashram in India, and found love on the beautiful island of Bali, Indonesia.
It was because of Elizabeth’s courage to conquer heartbreak and travel alone that I too found the strength to abandon a life I hated. So, I started a new career and embraced a less ordinary life that I love – a journey that culminated in a Bali solo travel experience that left me breathless as I snorkeled above coral reefs, meandered through rice fields, and received beautiful spiritual blessings from local healers.
Walking Home from Mongolia ✈ Mongolia
Contributed by Sinead of Map Made Memories
Walking Home From Mongolia is a detailed account of the author’s epic fundraising walk from Mongolia to Hong Kong. Starting in the Gobi desert, Rob Lilwall, accompanied by Leon McCarron, walked unsupported for 3,000 miles across Mongolia and China to his home in Hong Kong. Their six-month walk encountered many challenges including harsh winter weather, language, and bureaucratic difficulties, and personal injuries.
The book is written in exquisite detail so it is easy to conjure up pictures of the barren, wild landscapes of Mongolia, the contrasts of China, and the interesting characters Lilwall meets along the way. The intrepid pair also describes the kindness and hospitality they experienced from strangers. ‘Walking Home From Mongolia’ portrayed a different picture of China and Mongolia to one that is often conveyed and convinced me to travel there with my three children. Shortly after reading the book, our family of five traversed China and Mongolia using a more comfortable – but no less scenic – method, the Trans Siberian Railway.
Maya’s Notebook ✈ Island of Chiloe
Contributed by Joanna of The World in My Pocket
I received “Maya’s Notebook” as a birthday gift, from my mother. I remember it stood on a shelf for quite some time before one day, I picked it up and put it in my beach bag. I started reading it on the beach, and immediately the story captured me. Maya’s Notebook is about a troubled teen who is sent by her grandmother to live with some relatives she never met, on the remote island of Chiloe, in Chile. The book fascinated me – whilst it is written on two different narratives, one fast paces, explaining the troubled life of Maya, and another one slow, after she arrives in Chiloe. The island is full of mysteries, or legends and of folklore.
I had already booked a trip to Chile, but this book made me add Chiloe Island to my itinerary, even if that added a few thousand kilometers to my trip. Once there, I had the incredible opportunity to be invited to a traditional curanto, made by no other than the woman who hosted Isabel Allende, the author of the book, whilst she was researching the local folklore. One of the main characters in the book is actually based on her.
I highly recommend reading this book before you book a trip to Chile. You will end up doing what I did, going searching for mysteries on Chiloe Island.
Paris: The Novel ✈ Paris, France
Contributed by Lisa Garrett of Waves and Cobblestones
I’ve always loved how historical fiction can transport you to another place and time, and I’ve always been a sucker for books set in France. So, the novel ‘Paris’, by Edward Rutherfurd, ticked all the checkboxes. ‘Paris’ succeeds on all counts. This epic novel follows the stories of six families across eight centuries. It brings the City of Light to life as it intertwines the stories of fictional characters with true historical events and figures.
Paris and its famed monuments, such as Notre Dame and the Palace of Versailles, make up the gorgeous landscape against which these stories unfold. More than just a background, the iconic Paris attractions are practically another character in the novel. One storyline focuses on the construction of the Eiffel Tower for the 1889 Universal Exposition. A key moment occurs as the Nazis are occupying Paris. In order to prevent Hitler from ascending to the top of the Eiffel Tower to look over the city he has overtaken, the workers damage their own work by cutting the cables to the elevator.
This is just one example of a true moment in history that Rutherfurd skillfully weaves into ‘Paris’, and this one has stuck with me over the many years since I read the novel. You can’t help but want to visit Paris to look at it through this new perspective!
The Lost Symbol ✈ Washington D.C.
Contributed by Vicki of Vicki Viaja
Having already devoured the first two novels in Dan Brown’s Langdon series, The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, I naturally had to read the third novel in the series, The Lost Symbol. Similar to the first books in the series, this is a thriller that follows symbologist Robert Langdon. Unlike the first two novels, this book is not set in Europe but the United States. To be precise, in the capital of the United States, Washington D.C. The unique feature of the series of books is that they consist of actual facts mixed with a fictional plot. With the action taking place in one of the most historic cities in the USA, there is naturally a lot of interesting information about the city’s history and the country as a whole.
Many of the book’s scenes are set in historic, now touristy locations in the city, such as the Capitol, the Smithsonian museums, and other unique sites on the National Mall. With the great mix of historical facts about each showplace, info on symbols, art, how the United States came to be, and interesting facts about freemasonry that play a crucial role in the plot, it all adds up to a picture of the city that will make you want to hop on the next plane right away. When finally visiting the city, make sure to add all the places mentioned in the book to your Washington D.C. itinerary. This way, you can fully appreciate the well-researched plot of the book with all its details.
Tales of a Female Nomad ✈ Oaxaca, Mexico
Contributed by Julien Casanova of Oaxaca Travel Tips
Tales of a Female Nomad tells the inspiring story of a woman on a quest to truly connect with others around the world. On the verge of divorce, author Rita Golden Gelman’s cushy existence in Los Angeles suddenly feels uninspired. She decides to sell most of her belongings and set off on a solo adventure.
Her first experience of living in a Zapotec village is one that inspired me to slow down and focus on Oaxaca travel. Rather than jumping from one destination to another, I discovered I’m able to create deeper connections and develop a better understanding of the rich culture of Oaxaca, Mexico when I live it every day.
The Spice Necklace ✈ Caribbean
Contributed by: Michele Peterson of A Taste For Travel
When it comes to books that inspire culinary travel, it doesn’t get any more persuasive than “The Spice Necklace” by Ann Vanderhoof. This delicious merger of memoir and cookbook takes the reader on a tantalizing journey through the very best flavors the Caribbean has to offer. It’s told through the eyes (and palate) of a couple who escaped the corporate rat race to sail through the Caribbean on a sailboat, shopping at open-air markets, meeting home cooks, and exploring local cuisine, traditions, cooking techniques, and culture at each port. From callaloo, a spinach-like leaf that’s the key to authentic Grenadian oil down (a hearty one-pot meal) to mashed plantain that forms an important part of traditional Dominican food, their culinary adventures (and descriptions of swaying palm trees and powder-soft beaches) will inspire you to sail away to the Caribbean or at least travel vicariously by mastering the 71 recipes in the book.
To Shake the Sleeping Self ✈ Oregon Coast to the tip of Patagonia
Contributed by Jess of Uprooted Traveler
To Shake the Sleeping Self: A Journey from Oregon to Patagonia, and a Quest for a Life with No Regret by Jedidiah Jenkins is a memoir, written by a successful lawyer, who decides to quit his job and bicycle, with no previous experience, all the way from the Oregon Coast to the tip of Patagonia. Along the way, he wild camps on the mountain slopes of Peru, explores the streets of Mexico City, and hikes to the “End of the World” in Ushuaia, Argentina. He, of course, also goes on a journey of self-discovery, evaluating everything from what he wants to do with his life to reconcile his sexuality with his religious upbringing.
As an attorney by day and wanderlusty travel blogger by night, I very much identify with Jedidiah. Sometimes, it takes a radical change- like quitting your job and bicycling the length of two continents- to figure out what will truly make you happy in life. I’m not sure I’m looking for quite as drastic of a change as his, but the book inspires me to integrate more adventure, travel, and wonder into my 9-5 life.
A Walk in the Woods ✈ Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia & North Carolina
Contributed by Bret Love & Mary Gabbett of Blue Ridge Mountains Travel Guide
Growing up in Atlanta, I was backpacking 14+ miles on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia with my parents by the time I was 7 years old. We may have only spent a few days hiking trails to waterfalls and breathtaking summits, crossing rushing rivers, and camping along the way. But that trip left an indelible impression on me and inspired a lifetime love of nature, travel, and outdoor adventure. Those formative memories came flooding back as I read Bill Bryson’s 1998 bestseller, A Walk in The Woods, which details his hilarious misadventures trying to hike the entire 2,190-mile trail.
Starting at Springer Mountain in North Georgia (the same place my family had started back in the ’70s), Bryson and his friend Stephen Katz prove woefully underprepared for the rigors of the mountain wilderness, struggling with challenges ranging from interpersonal squabbles and inclement weather to hunger and Katz’s poor health. In the end, the book is not just an entertaining cautionary tale about how unforgiving Mother Nature can be, but a loving ode to the natural beauty of America. And though Bryson never makes it to the end of the trail at Maine’s Mount Katahdin, he (and the reader) come away with greater respect for those who do, and for the immense value of the nation’s protected wilderness areas.
Beyond Possible: One Man, Fourteen Peaks, and the Mountaineering Achievement of a Lifetime ✈ Nepal
Contributed by Joydeep Phukan of The Gypsy Chiring
Beyond Possible: One Man, Fourteen Peaks, and the Mountaineering Achievement of a Lifetime is an autobiographical book by Nirmal Purja. Also known as Nimsdai, Nirmal Purja is a Nepalese mountaineer who had previously served in the Gurkha Forces and the Special Forces of the UK. He eventually left the job and pursued his dream “Project Possible” of climbing all the 14 Peaks in the death zone above 8000 meters. He achieved the feat in just 6 months and 6 days, thus beating the previous record of 7 months.
Throughout the book, Nimsdai has shared about his struggle, dreams, and early life till the completion of “Project Possible.” The book has taught me how determination, training, self-belief, and constant effort can achieve the impossible. His story motivated me to pursue my dream in the field of mountaineering. With this inspiration, I completed my mountaineering course recently from the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS) of Arunachal Pradesh in India. We traveled to the lesser-known Eastern Himalayas during our course. I wish to visit Nepal very soon. Presently, I go on more treks in India in preparation for mountain expeditions.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame ✈ Paris
Contributed by Christine Rogador of Journey To France
The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo creates such a vivid setting that readers would feel compelled to see where the story took place. There are years between my reading of the book and my trip to Paris, but the impressions it left on me remain strong. The Notre Dame de Paris. The squares. The parade. Quasimodo La Esmeralda. Frollo.
Even though I know it’s a work of fiction, when I visited the real Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, it felt like I was reliving the story. The story of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” was not a very happy one. There is prejudice, tension, and some misogyny, but in the end, there were lessons and a valuable message.
Victor Hugo’s motivation for penning the novel is just as intriguing as the story itself. He wrote it to preserve the stunning Gothic structure. Paris was on the cusp of massive changes at the time the novel was written, with threats to the city’s cultural legacy.
When Hugo wrote “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” he wanted to remind his readers of the importance and glory of Paris’ Gothic history, so he set the story in the 15th century and gave it a lively, dramatic atmosphere.
The book is also a call to action to protect Paris’ iconic Gothic buildings (and thus its heritage). The lengthy (two chapters’ worth) description of the Notre Dame de Paris may have contained his persuasive argument, which was well received. Even centuries after Victor Hugo wrote the book, tourists and possibly readers still go to Paris to see Notre Dame de Paris, as well as other historic structures in different countries that are living witnesses to their storied past.
Born Free ✈ Kenya
Contributed by Amy Tull of Traveling Tulls
I was about 7 years old when I first read Born Free by Joy Adamson. I remember my mother discouraging me from trying to read a ‘grownup’ book, but I was hooked by the second page.
“There were three lion cubs, tiny balls of spotted fur, each trying to hide its face from everything that went on.”
Joy Adamson was the wife of a Kenyan wildlife warden who unexpectedly adopted three lion cubs. Two would eventually be sent to a zoo in the Netherlands, but the smallest, Elsa, stayed with Adamson until she was successfully reintroduced to the wild. The story of Adamson’s life in Africa living with Elsa, and a pet rock hyrax, made me long to see Kenya one day. Of course, a safari in Africa was far out of reach for a young girl in 1961. But that didn’t stop me from dreaming…
Fifty-eight years passed before I would finally see my first lion cubs and yes, it was in Kenya. I traveled to the Maasai Mara as part of a three-week safari in East Africa. On our very first game drive, we came upon a large pride of lions, including two cubs just “tiny balls of spotted fur” as Adamson had described. It was getting dark, but I asked for a few minutes to sit and watch the lioness and her cubs, in acknowledgment of little Amy sounding out word by word the first edition of Born Free.
The Return ✈ Granada
Contributed by Or from My Path in the World
The Return by Victoria Hislop is a perfect book for those who love romance and historical novels set in beautiful locations. Starting in the present day, we follow a young British woman named Sonia as she explores the city of Granada, Spain, on a weekend break. A random meeting with a local old man takes her back in time to the dark era of the Spanish Civil War, which took place less than 100 years ago.
The intriguing yet painful stories of the war make you want to learn more about Granada’s history. In addition, you get to immerse yourself in a historical love story that will make you cry, learn about flamenco culture, and enjoy the mouthwatering descriptions of the city, from its streets, squares, and tapas bars to the magnificent Alhambra palace, one of the most beautiful landmarks in Spain. It really is impossible not to book a flight to Granada after reading such a compelling book.
100 Years of Solitude ✈ Colombia
Contributed by Scott of Colombia and Beyond
War. Rigged elections. Banana plantation massacres. Ghostly visitors. Family curses. These are just some of the elements of García Márquez’s magnum opus of magical realism, 100 Years of Solitude. It’s the story of the founding of the fictional town of Macondo, set in the Caribbean coastal region of Colombia, and the tumultuous lives of seven generations of the Buendía family who founded it. I read this novel in 2001 as a university student, years before I would travel to Colombia. Yet my reading of it would ultimately start me on the path that would lead me there.
I knew I had to experience for myself this land that was a source of inspiration to one of the greatest and most well-known authors of Latin American literature. This passionate curiosity sparked my move to Colombia in 2010, where I lived for one year as an English teacher near the city of Cartagena, where García Márquez lived until his death. It was during that time that I fell in love with this incredible country, its mysteries, contradictions, beauty, and charms. And of course, its storytelling—not only in its award-winning novels but in its highly entertaining TV series and films as well.
Marguerite van Gendermalsen: Married to a Bedouin ✈ Jordan
Contributed by Agnes Simigh of Voice of Guides
Walking among the ruins of Petra, once a flourishing metropolis and trading center from the 4th century BC, you will come across at one point the book of Marguerite can Gendermalsen. Bedouins selling textiles and every kind of Jordan souvenirs also have copies of this book that gives a unique insight into the “pre-touristic” life of Petra 30 days ago. The nurse from New Zealand with Dutch origins travels first with her friend on holiday to the Hashemite Kingdom, where a love story begins with the Bedouin Mohammad Abdallah, who makes money from selling souvenirs. He invites her to stay in his cave, where all Bedouins lived before being relocated to proper houses in a village outside Petra, and open it for touristic developments. Some still live in caves inside Petra as they prefer their traditional lifestyle.
Mohammad invited her to a Bedouin wedding, where she gets attracted to their culture and later relocates. However, living a semi-nomadic lifestyle as a Western woman comes with surprises and inconveniences, although her husband does his best to “westernize” the surroundings to make her feel comfortable.
This should be one of the books you read before traveling to Jordan. You will not only want to see the pink-colored city carved into the rock immediately, but you will also look at it with different eyes. It is a personal account of a Western woman who chooses to give up modern conveniences, adapts to a simple lifestyle, and lets her heart lead her to Petra. Her observations of the Bedouin lifestyle are even more valuable, with the Bedouin culture fading away.
She was widowed in 2002 and shares her life between Australia and Jordan, where she is still found selling souvenirs with other Bedouins who treat her as one of them.
Take the Slow Road: England & Wales ✈ England’s Countryside
Contributed by Claire Sturzaker of Tales of a Backpacker
Pre-COVID I was an avid traveler, exploring countries all over the world. When the pandemic hit I found myself confined to my own country and was desperate to find a way to travel safely. I ended up buying a campervan and was given this book for inspiration on where to go, which was a wonderful gift for a new campervan owner like me.
Take the Slow Road by Martin Dorey is a mix of personal storytelling, informative road trip routes, and beautiful photographs of the English and Welsh countryside. His adventures driving around England in a campervan inspired many of my journeys around this incredible island.
It is a non-fiction book, but I loved the anecdotes and personal titbits that Martin includes in the book, making it far more than a standard road trip planner. It made me realize just how special my own country was and helped me to get out there and see it for myself.
Since reading this book I’ve traveled the length and breadth of England and had many wonderful experiences of my own. If you’ve ever thought England wasn’t a good place to visit, this book will certainly change your mind!
The Shadow of the Wind ✈ Barcelona, Spain
Contributed by Claire of Why Visit Barcelona
The Shadow of the Wind is a beautiful book, set in Barcelona in 1945, while the city was recovering from the Civil War.
It tells the story of Daniel, a young boy, who is taken to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books by his father and is allowed to choose one book to take home. He picks out The Shadow of the Wind by Julián Carax. He adores the book, but when he tries to find other works by Carax, he is dragged into a mystery of madness, murder and doomed love.
I first visited Barcelona in my early 20s, but reading the book instantly transported me back to the city and made me want to return to those streets and search for a hidden library, seeking out a mystery of my own!
I did go back to Barcelona and I ended up living for 4 years. I still love walking around the narrow streets of the Gothic Quarter and El Raval, but I’ve never found the library – not yet at least! The Shadow of the Wind is a wonderful way to explore Barcelona as you’ve never seen it before.
Wild ✈ Cork, Ireland
Contributed by Amber of Amber Everywhere
One of my favorite books of all time is Wild by Cheryl Strayed. This memoir details the author’s experience with loss and grief following the loss of her mother, a time in her life when she felt hopelessly lost. To try to find herself, she sets off to hike the Pacific Coast Trail, a hiking path that stretches from Mexico to the Canadian border. At the start of her journey, she’s woefully underprepared, broke, and inexperienced, but she decides to venture on anyway.
I leaned on Wild when I was overworked, burnt out, and lost in my late 20s. After a long period of reflection, working with a coach, and talking with friends, I decided to leave my job at a startup in Denver to travel for a few months through Latin America. In Wild, Strayed beautifully captures one of the most essential, beautiful parts of travel: learning to rely on luck, the universe, and the kindness of strangers. I spent those months in Latin America trying to do the same; instead of fighting and clawing for others to recognize my worth, I settled into a slower, more graceful state of being. I accepted help, connection, and kindness when it came my way, and I learned to laugh when things felt tough. I’ve since moved abroad and started writing, but I still lean on Wild when I need to know that I am, in fact, enough.
The Da Vinci Code ✈ Paris, France
Contributed by Kristin Lee of Global Travel Escapades
One book that heavily influenced my decision to travel is Dan Brown’s critically acclaimed novel, The Da Vinci Code. The novel begins in Paris and follows the journey of Robert Langdon as he tries to solve a murder in Paris’ Louvre Museum. While this may sound like every other murder mystery, what makes The Da Vinci Code stand out is how masterfully and carefully Brown blurs the lines between reality and fiction. He captivates readers by delving into the hidden, darker side of religion that challenges religious norms and authority. Simultaneously, Brown immerses readers into his world through engaging riddles and by weaving all kinds of intriguing facts and historical knowledge on places like the Louvre, Church of Saint-Sulpice, and the Champs-Élysées. As a result, he made me wonder what truth lies behind some of the world’s most famous attractions. For this reason, The Da Vinci Code inspired and almost compelled me to visit Paris. I wanted to personally dig deeper into the city’s rich history and find out what makes Paris worth visiting.
Park Bagger ✈ Banff National Park, Canada
Contributed by Anu Agarwal of DestinationCheckoff.com
Park Bagger by Marlis Butcher is a beautiful and inspiring book about the author’s quest and adventures to explore all of the 48 Canadian National parks. It took the author decades to complete her mission, and it was not easy. Many remote Canadian National Parks are not easy to get to and do not have the modern means of comfort as some of the more developed National Parks. Her stories and journey are immersive for travelers and nature lovers.
Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies was the first Canadian National Park the author had visited and her writing of Banff and Jasper National Park made me want to be transported there. Like the author, I wanted to walk in the streets of Banff town, hike the Sulphur mountain, soak in the mineral waters of Banff’s upper hot springs, walk on a real glacier and see the breathtaking Lake Louise.
Soon after reading the book, I planned a trip to the Canadian Rockies to explore the natural Canadian wilderness. My 7-day Banff Jasper Itinerary includes all the incredible places mentioned by the author in Banff, Lake Louise, Icefields parkway, and Jasper. It was the most scenic and picturesque vacation ever with so many amazing experiences.
I saw a lot of wildlife just like the author. Imagine seeing a black bear on the side of the road! Icefields parkway scenic drive just took my breath away. The views from the top of Sulphur Mountain in Banff and Whistler mountain in Jasper make you realize how amazing and powerful nature is. Lake Louise just feels straight out of a fairy tale with the turquoise blue lake, the surrounding snow-covered mountain peaks, and the Fairmont Chateau castle-like hotel.
Banff National Park and the Canadian Rockies’ beauty is unsurpassed, and it should be on every traveler’s bucket list.
Seven Years in Tibet ✈ Nako
Contributed by Marina Helene of PaulMarina.com
Seven Years in Tibet is a real-life story by Heinrich Harrer, an Austrian mountaineer, and former SS. The story goes that he traveled to India, part of a German exploration and mountaineering team, in 1939. War broke out a month later and the British-Indian authorities imprisoned them in India. Heinrich Harrer managed to escape years later with Peter Aufschnaiter, and they made their way to the kingdom of Tibet.
At that time, Tibet was an independent Himalayan country, and foreigners were not allowed to enter. After an arduous and long trip, they got to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, and stayed there for 7 years until the Chinese annexed Tibet. They made friends with the locals and took part in the culture and Heinrich Harrer was a tutor to the young Dalai Lama.
I found this story fascinating in my younger years, and the book was a major reason why I traveled to India when I was 19 years old. Years later, I journeyed to the area with my husband Paul, where Heinrich Harrer crossed to Tibet. These are still disputed territories between India and China and therefore one can’t just cross borders. Heinrich Harrer crossed the Shipki La pass to Tibet, and we drove and stayed at the nearest point in Kinnaur, India a small village known as Nako. Many inhabitants in Nako are former refugees from Tibet, who came to India when China took over Tibet. The experience was very surreal, and it felt as if time stood still in these parts of the Himalayas, making it one of my most memorable trips so far.
Euridice Street ✈ Athens
Contributed by Monique of Trip Anthropologist
The best travel novels teach you about culture and life without you realizing it because you’re so absorbed in the plot and characters. Euridice Street: A Place in Athens by Sofka Zinovieff is a funny and well-written travel novel that traces the journey of her London family through their first year of culture shock in the Greek capital of Athens.
Obvious problems are immediately encountered such as the children starting school in a language they don’t know, as well as the unique Greek concepts of time, bureaucracy, and under-the-table payments. But the real value is in getting a sense of how Greeks think, how their ancient history is part of their present, and what’s important to them. We learn all this through the characters of Zinovieff’s Greek husband’s family members, her attempts at gaining Greek citizenship, and the cycle of major festivals that Athenians pour their hearts and souls into.
At the end of Euridice Street, you come away knowing about all the major places in Athens, and as if a visit there would give you a slightly familiar feeling. What a great novel to read for first-time visitors to Greece!
Paul Theroux on the Plane of Snakes ✈ Mexico
Contributed by Isabella from Letstraveltomexico.com
Once again Paul Theroux entertains us with his beautiful narrative style in one of his latest books about Mexico taking us on a journey through the country with all its issues, and challenges but also showing all its beauty, through its people, the food, and traditions.
The author bought an old Buick and started its road trip through Mexico from the border crossing, the most challenging and dangerous side of Mexico, which he described with very much detail including tragic stories from the people he met and local volunteers, bringing us a reality that we can’t even imagine.
Then he continues southward passing through the “expats bubble” of San Miguel de Allende going to the colors of Oaxaca and Chiapas where he even manages to attend a Zapatista party meeting, something very difficult to obtain.
In his report, you will also find some references to other authors who wrote about Mexico and he doesn’t spare his disagreement with some of them. Theroux shares a lot of insights and facts about the socio-economical situation in Mexico and its contradictions, besides his own experience and the stories of the people he met.
The result is an overall picture of the present Mexican society from the eye of an experienced traveler and attentive observer.
Being an expat in Mexico myself for the past 12 years I found it a necessary eye-opening book to remind ourselves about the many different sides of Mexico. I also love Driving in Mexico like he did, stopping by small villages off the beaten path and talking to people, which is the best way to connect and learn about the fascinating culture of this country.
What’s wrong with you? ✈ Off-the-Beaten Path Travels around the Globe
Contributed by Anda Bartos of Travel for a while
Ana’s story can inspire anyone to forget their fears and start traveling. She is a young woman who has the courage to follow her dream and travel without paying for transport from Europe to Bora Bora. Hitchhiking anything from cars to boats, Ana’s journey is about finding herself while traveling and discovering other cultures as well. The journey takes Ana to some off-the-beaten-path places in Albania, Turkey, Iran, China, the Philippines, and Australia. While the trip is a bit extreme, she gives good advice to anyone who wants to start traveling solo or not. She is also very open in her book about her experiences and feelings along the way. I’d recommend her book, What’s Wrong with You, to anyone who has a taste for adventure or needs a little push to follow their dreams.
Unlikely Destinations -The Lonely Planet Story ✈ Catalina Island
Contributed by Ossama Alnuwaiser At Awesome Traveler
Unlikely Destinations by The Lonely Planet Story is a travel guidebook that offers some tips and hacks for traveling. It can make your travel much easier and less troubling to your favorite destination, such as how to travel on a budget, how to find the best and cheapest accommodation, and many more.
Back in the day, I was a student in the United States. I do not have much money, and I want to travel. However, I was worried about my budget. I made some research, which lead me to this book. I learned some tips from it regarding saving money. It inspired me to travel to Catalina Island. I was able to roam around the island without worrying about my budget.
The Adventurist: My Life in Dangerous Places ✈ Colombia
Contributed by Isabella from Boundlessroads.com
Robert Young Pelton is a journalist in search of extremely challenging places to explore and write about. And he does it with details and excitement but you can’t help but wonder what moves him to put himself in such dangerous situations.
I read The Adventurist a long time ago after I randomly found an article about the author being captured by the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia while he was traveling with two young unwary tourists through the Darien Gap. If you don’t know, that is one of the most dangerous and inaccessible parks in the world, not only for the perilous wildlife but for being a notorious hiding place for drug traffickers and the Colombian FARC. The trio was in fact held in the jungle for 10 days before being released.
After reading the article, I immediately bought and devoured The Adventurist because I wanted to learn more about his life of adventures. But I also booked a trip to Colombia. However, instead of venturing to the Darien Gap, I went on a trek to the Lost City with a guide and on a safe organized tour.
The Adventurist book is one of the oddest travel books, where dangerous situations are presented to you in the most ironic way, but it became part of those events that helped me find the courage to fight my fears and set off for an adventure.
As he says in the introduction “this book is an invitation to you […] to take the first step, look forward, fight your fears, to be an adventurist.”
And I accepted the invitation, in my terms of course.
Not of those kinds of adventures that he describes in the book, god forbids, but yet, to dare to explore the unknown and “find a balance between fear and ambition”.
The book is a collection of short stories from different expeditions he experienced, from the minefields in Afghanistan to the unbearable heat in Mali, to Borneo and Sudan.
The reports of his missions and the dangers he faced read like a book of science fiction if it was not for the personal reflection on life and relationship that makes the narrative so personal and real.
You just feel like you are there with him and if while scrolling through the pages you keep wondering why he’s doing it, by the end of the book you will get to know him and his life purpose and you just want to become his friend.
Under the Volcano ✈ Mexico
Contributed by Shelley of Travel Mexico Solo
Ever wanted to attend Day of the Dead in Mexico? The classic Malcolm Lowry novel, Under the Volcano, will only enhance your wanderlust for celebrating this important Mexican holiday in the country itself.
It’s Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) in 1938, and former British Consul, Geoffrey Firmin, is making one last effort to salvage his crumbling life.
The Day of the Dead holiday is a celebration of death, and it seems it will take a metaphorical death or ego death for him to put his life back together — but he’s up for the challenge.
Geoffrey is in the city of Quauhnahuac, Morelos, just south of Mexico City, when his ex-wife, Yvonne arrives. She has shown up to Quauhnahuac, to try and revive their marriage, and is greeted by a town festively-decorated to celebrate the holiday.
In Quauhnahuac, the two are literally “under the volcano,” as the town’s located beneath two active volcanoes — Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl. Amid the chaos brewing in the volcanoes and the fires beneath the Earth, Geoffrey must confront his own internal chaos, including alcoholism, a midlife crisis, and a failing marriage.
The book is as much about Geoffrey as it is an exploration of the Day of the Dead and the famed holiday that honors the departed. While there’s a version of Day of the Dead celebrated in a few other countries, like Guatemala and Bolivia, nothing beats experiencing this holiday in Mexico.
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