The end of the year is the perfect time for favourites lists, and I’ve written extensively about the best travel books! I enjoy discussing travel books. Why? Because a good book is an essential part of any traveler’s toolkit. Long bus, train, or plane rides can be tedious and provide a lot of “dead” time if you haven’t mastered the 10-hour blank stare. Reading travel books also allows you to learn more about the places you visit. The more you know about a location, the better you will understand it.
I am an avid reader and have even started a book club on this website to discuss the books I have read. Today is yet another of those days when I share some of the books I’ve recently read! If you’re looking for some good reads, here’s my current list of the best travel books to inspire you to travel to exotic locations:
1. A Year of Living Danishly-(Book)
This was, without a doubt, my favourite book of the year. Helen Russell decides to accompany her husband to the Lego offices in Jutland to freelance write and try to figure out why the Danes are so happy. Helen’s funny, poignant story kept me enthralled from start to finish, covering everything from childcare, education, food, and interior design to taxes, sexism, and everything in between (turns out the Danes love to burn witches). It’s educational, funny, and self-deprecating, and it tells a great story about someone trying to fit in.
2. Cruising Altitude-(Book)
Heather Poole’s book is about her experiences as a flight attendant. Of course, I got it at the airport and read it on the plane. It’s a quick and light read about working at 35,000 feet. You will learn crew terminology, how flight attendants are trained, how they interact with pilots, and what a typical day entails. It’s a fascinating behind-the-scenes read. It had some amusing stories and made me realise how hard those flight attendants work and how much crap they have to put up with!
3. Vagabonding-(Book)
This book, written by the godfather of vagabonding, Rolf Potts, is a must-read for anyone new to long-term travel. Rolf spent ten years on the road (including a walk across Israel), and his book is full of insightful observations, amusing quotes, and useful advice. This is a must-read for new drivers, covering everything from saving to planning to life on the road. It’s an inspirational book that had a big impact on me when I was planning my trip. It delves into the why and philosophy of long-term travel in a way that no other book has.
3. The Beach Book
This is probably my favourite travel book, aside from The Alchemist. (I enjoy the film adaptation, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, but the book is far superior.) What I love about Garland’s story and their search for the ultimate backpacker paradise, centred on a group of backpackers, is that many of us can identify with Richard and his quest to “do something different and get off the beaten path.” Yet, in the end, we frequently realise that the quest itself is an illusion. It’s an entertaining, page-turning story about how backpackers’ quest for the “ideal destination” can end up destroying that ideal. This book is fantastic!!
4. The Lost City of Z-(Book)
He moves his family from England in the hopes of escaping the monotony of city life and providing his children with a more carefree childhood. I learned a lot about the area and the cultures that lived there long before Westerners arrived.
5. The Caliph’s House: A Year in Casablanca-(Book)
Shah decides to buy a house in Casablanca, inspired by his childhood vacations in Morocco. He moves his family from England in the hopes of escaping the monotony of city life and providing his children with a more carefree childhood.While dealing with corruption, local bureaucracy, thieves, gangsters, jinns wreaking havoc, and the hassle that seems to accompany even the simplest interactions, Shah weaves a story that is simply one of the best I’ve read all year. It’s endlessly fascinating.
7. Unlikely Destinations: The LP Story-(Book)
This book chronicles the birth and rise of the company whose guidebook you’re probably carrying or have on your bookshelf right now: Lonely Planet. The story follows Tony and Maureen Wheeler from England in the 1970s to the beginning of the twenty-first century. While the book does drag in places, it is an interesting read about the company that pioneered the guidebook industry.