13 Travel Books That Will Give You Serious Wanderlust

The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho

Love With a Chance of Drowning, by Torre DeRoche

This book is written by travel blogger Torre DeRoche, and, while I normally don’t like “chick travel love stories”, I couldn’t put this one down. It’s a beautifully written book about overcoming her fear of the ocean to sail across the Pacific with her boyfriend. The way she describes the scenery, the people, and her experience makes me want to follow in her footsteps. It’s powerful, vivid, and moving. It’s the best travel book I’ve read all year. 

The Caliph’s House: A Year in Casablanca, by Tahir Shah

Inspired by the Moroccan vacations of his childhood, Shah decides to buy a house in Casablanca. He moves his family from England in hopes of breaking out from the monotony of life in London as well as exposing his children to a more carefree childhood. I randomly picked this up in a bookstore and couldn’t put it down. Shah is an engrossing writer and I was glued to every word. While dealing with corruption, the local bureaucracy, thieves, gangsters, jinns causing havoc, and the hassle that seems to come with even the most simple interactions, Shah weaves a story that is simply one of the best I’ve read all year. It’s beautifully written and endlessly enthralling. You must go buy this book! 

On the Road, by Jack Kerouac

Written in 1957, Jack Kerouac’s Beat Generation classic is a timeless travel novel. The story follows his character, Sal, as he leaves New York City and heads west, riding the rails, making friends, and partying the night away. The main character’s frustration and desire to see the world are themes that can resonate with many of us. What I especially love about this story is that through all his travel adventures, he becomes a better, stronger, and more confident person. I can personally relate to that.

Unlikely Destinations: The LP Story, by Tony & Maureen Wheeler

Written by the founders of Lonely Planet, this tome chronicles the start and rise of the company whose guidebook is probably in your backpack or on your bookshelf right now. The story follows them from England in the 1970s to the beginning of the 21st century. In between, you hear all their travel tales and learn about their early business struggles. While the book drags in some parts, it is ultimately a fascinating read about the company that helped start the travel guidebook industry and forever changed how we travel.

The Lost City of Z, by David Grann

This book seeks to find out what happened to another South America explorer: Percy Fawcett, who trekked through the Amazon jungle in search of the fabled lost city of Z. Blending history, biography, and travelogue, Grann intermingles information about Percy’s life and expeditions with the science behind the myth of Z and the possibility that there could have been vast advanced civilizations in the Amazon. The book reminded me of Turn Right at Machu Picchu: modern writer follows fabled explorer through the jungle. I learned a lot about the region and history of the cultures that inhabited the land long before Westerners came stomping about killing people.

The Beach, by Alex Garland

Besides The Alchemist, this is probably my favorite travel book. (I like the movie too, but the book is way better.) What I love about Alex Garland’s tale about backpackers and their search for paradise is that you can identify with Richard and his quest to “do something different and get off the beaten path,” but in the end see that as an illusion. It’s also a good tale about how backpackers’ search for the ideal can end up ruining that ideal. I love this book a lot — I’ve read it twice. Now that I am writing about it again, I think I might re-read it soon.

Vagabonding, by Rolf Potts

Written by the godfather of vagabonding, Rolf Potts, this book is a must-read for those new to long-term travel. Rolf spent 10 years on the road (he even walked across Israel), and his book contains valuable insights, interesting quotes, and a lot of practical information. From saving to planning to life on the road, this is a must for newbies. It’s an inspirational book and one that really affected me when I was planning my trip. It delves deeply into the why and philosophy of long-term travel that no other book has come close to doing.

In A Sunburned Country, by Bill Bryson

It’s hard to pick just one book by Bill Bryson that’s good, because they all are. He’s one of the most prolific and recognized names in travel writing. This book chronicles a journey through Australia and takes you from east to west, through tiny little mining towns, forgotten coastal cities, and off-the-beaten-path forests. Bryson includes lots of trivia in his tale as he travels around in awe — and sometimes in fear (thanks to box jellyfish, riptides, crocs, spiders, and snakes) — of this enormous country. This is the book that inspired me to go to Australia.

The Geography of Bliss, by Eric Weiner

Writer and NPR correspondent Eric Weiner set out on a yearlong journey to find the world’s happiest places. He heads to places like Iceland, Qatar, Denmark, India, and Moldova (the world’s most unhappy place) on his quest, and while he never finds the secret to happiness, his journey makes for an amazing and lighthearted read. In trying to answer the question “what makes a society happy?,” Weiner has some interesting interactions with locals and the cultural experiences.

Turn Right at Machu Picchu, by Mark Adams

This book recounts Adams’s tale of roughing it through Peru in search of Inca ruins and ancient cities while following archaeologist Hiram Bingham’s original route. The book taught me a lot about Peru, and I am inspired to visit a lot of the sites Adams explored on my trip there next year. Like him, I fully plan to turn right. It was the best travelogue I’ve read in the past year and has inspired me to visit a lot of the places he did in the book.

Cruising Altitude, by Heather Poole

This book by Heather Poole is about life as a flight attendant. I, ironically, picked it up at an airport and read it on a plane. It’s a quick, light read about what it’s like to work at 35,000 feet. You learn crew terms, about training, dealing with pilots, and the day to day life that takes place up in the air. It had some funny stories and gave me a new appreciation for just how hard those flight attendants work and how much crap they have to put up with!

A Year of Living Danishly, by Helen Russell

This was probably my favorite book of the year. When her husband gets a job at the Lego offices in Jutland, Helen Russell decides to head to Denmark with him, freelance write, and try to figure out why the Danes are so happy. From childcare, education, food, and interior design to taxes, sexism, and everything in between (turns out the Danes love to burn witches), Helen’s funny, poignant story kept me enthralled from start to finish. It’s informative, hilarious, self-deprecating, and tells a great story of someone trying to fit in. As someone who loves Denmark, has lots of Danish friends, and thinks Copenhagen is one of the best cities in the world, I couldn’t put this down. If you read just one book from this list, make it this one!

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By Nomadic Matt

This content was found at https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/thirteen-travel-books/