These are some of the best travel books that have ever been written (in my opinion). You can't go wrong with this collection of travel stories and guides if you're looking for travel inspiration. Some of my preferred travel books are based on other people's travel experiences, and travel how-to manuals have taught me that foreign travel is not only for the wealthy and retired.
So, whether you're seeking inspiration from excellent travel writers or want to go on your own adventure, settle in and pick out a couple of my favorites from the list below.
They will undoubtedly arouse wanderlust in everybody who reads them.
"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page."
St. Augustine
My Favorite Travel Books Of All Time
1. All Over the Place, by Geraldine DeRuiter
Geraldine, also known as The Everywhereist, is a witty writer. Her travels, fears, and relationship with her husband Rand are chronicled in this book. It's a little bit of everything but in a good way. Although I found the book to be more about her romance than travel, it exceeded all of my expectations. Geraldine's writing, wit, snark, and humor are all my favorites, and this book didn't disappoint. Who else could make a poop story so hilarious? If you enjoy her blog, you'll enjoy her book as well. Also, if you haven't read her blog yet, you should. This book was fantastic, and I read it in two sittings.
2. Shantaram By Gregory David Robert
Shantaram is set in modern India's underbelly, where Lin, an escaped convict from Australia, is hiding. While working at a clinic in one of the city's lowest neighborhoods and working for the Bombay mafia, he looks for love.
It's one of the best-written books I've ever read, and it immediately draws you into an incredible story full of love, beauty, betrayal, cruelty, and compassion. Although the book has been critiqued for being more fantasy than fact, I still think it's a fantastic travel book. In any case, it's tremendously entertaining and thought-provoking.
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3. The Worrier's Guide to the End of the World, by Torre DeRoche
Love with a Chance of Drowning, Torre's first book on her cross-Pacific voyage with her then-boyfriend, was fantastic. This book explores the self, as opposed to the last one, an excursion into the world. Torre joins Masha in Europe after meeting her at an event in New York, and the two plan to walk the Via Francigena trail in Italy and subsequently Gandhi's walking route in India. Torre encounters snakes, shamans, nasty passengers, helpful strangers, and a world that appears to be pointing her in the correct direction along the journey. Her second novel is just as well-written and entertaining as her first. Every page made me fall more in love with it, and I can't recommend it highly enough.
4. Island of the Lost: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World, by Joan Druett
Auckland Island, 285 miles south of New Zealand, is known for its year-round freezing rain, strong winds, and food scarcity (but many seals). Simply, it's not an excellent area to get shipwrecked. Captain Thomas Musgrave and his crew achieved just that in 1864, while the Scottish ship Invercauld did the same a few months later on the opposite side of the island. This well-written tale of how the two crews survived (and didn't survive) was a fascinating contrast on leadership, friendship, and coming together in a crisis. It's a short book. It took me a few days to read, but it was riveting and captivating, and it served as a good reminder of the significance of maintaining one's cool in a crisis.
5. Dispatches from Pluto, by Richard Grant
I was thrilled to read this book because I am a big admirer of Mississippi. The state is a tourist destination with weird but charming people, magnificent parks, rivers, and marshes, stunning architecture, and a complex and deep past for history fans like myself. In this novel, English writer Richard Grant and his girlfriend go to rural Pluto, Mississippi, to live a better life, leave the big city, save money, and try something new. They learn to hunt, garden, defend themselves against wild creatures, handle snakes, and meet interesting people along the trip. Grant explores the state's contrasts, from race and class to education, food, family, and all in between. This book was fantastic.
6. The Palace of the Snow Queen: Winter Travels in Lapland, by Barbara Sjoholm
Barbara Sjoholm set out one winter to study this polar region, then returned two years later to learn more about it. She uncovers the region's rich history while also delving into the conflict between tourism, mining, and land use. Her book delves into the Samis, the indigenous people of the area, and their fight to preserve their culture in the modern period. As a lover of all things Scandinavian, it was beautiful to read about a part of the country and its people who are rarely given the respect they deserve. Even though I thought I knew a lot about this region, reading this book taught me a lot – and reminded me of how much more I needed to study. This book is well-written and exciting, and you should pick it up.
7. The Not-Quite States of America, by Doug Mack
There are more than 50 states in the United States of America. American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands are also non-state entities. Doug Mack explores these forgotten mainly by the rest of the country areas, which play a more vital role in our country than we realize, in this hilarious, informative, fact-filled book. In NYC, I had the pleasure of hearing Doug speak on his book, and he's a trove of information - just like his book! This is one of those travel books that broaden your horizons about a country you don't know much about. In many ways, the way reminded me of The Geography of Bliss.
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8. The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca, by Tahir Shah
Shah intends to buy a house in Casablanca after being inspired by his Moroccan childhood trips. He relocates his family from England in the hopes of escaping the monotony of city life and providing his children with a more carefree existence. I picked this up on the spur of the moment in a bookshop and couldn't put it down. I was hooked to every word because Shah is an enthralling writer. Shah creates a story that is simply one of the greatest I've read this year, dealing with corruption, local bureaucracy, thieves, gangsters, jinns causing chaos, and the bother that appears to come with even the most basic interactions. It's well-written and engaging from beginning to end. This is a book that you must purchase!
Well, that's it for the best travel books! If you know any other travel books that you would like to suggest, then you can write them down in the comment section below.
