- Georgina D'Angelo
10 of The Best Travel Books to Add to Your Reading List
Read incredible travel adventures and more in these must-read books about travel!
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Grab a cup of tea and find the comfiest chair near you, we’re about to dive into the best travel books you need to add to your reading list right now. Sure to spark your wanderlust or excite your passion for worldly knowledge, these books about travel will leave you wanting to explore this wild world for yourself.
If you love traveling, you can’t go without reading these any longer. And if you’re only somewhat into traveling, I guarantee you will have the travel bug after reading some of the best travel books. Learn about different cultures through the eyes of these authors.
See how traveling can teach you so much about other people, as well as about yourself. Learning about the world and its many different cultures can help you run a more successful business, teach you how everyone’s lives differ and yet are so similar, and convince you to step out of your comfort zone of “home.”
While the world is out there waiting for you to explore, my favorite books about travel will help curb your urge to book a plane ticket. Or maybe you can enjoy these stories while you’re traveling in the particular country itself or while up in the air on your way to another destination.
Wherever you may find yourself right now, it’s time to find a comfy chair, settle in, and read the best travel books. Let’s dive in.
The Best Travel Books
1. Lands of Lost Borders | Kate Harris
Follow along Kate’s journey as she and her friend, Mel, bike along the Silk Road in Asia. This moving story brings the reader in as if you are on this adventure yourself.
Through struggles and triumphs, Kate and Mel go on an epic journey through multiple countries, experiencing breathtaking views, strenuous climbs, political turbulence, and cultural differences. If you've never thought of biking across entire countries, see how you feel after reading this book!
2. The Alchemist | Paulo Coelho
Learning to love the journey is a huge part of traveling. The Alchemist takes you on the journey of Santiago, a shepherd boy, as he travels from his home in Spain to the Egyptian desert. In hopes of finding a great treasure hidden in the desert, Santiago meets several people along the way. He starts to learn about himself and the treasure that lies within him, realizing there’s more to a journey than just the destination.
3. A Pig in Provence | Georgeanne Brennan
After uprooting their professorial lives in California, Georgeanne and her family learn so much more than they expected in the quiet countryside of France. From starting their own goat cheese business to meeting lifelong friends who become family to mastering French cooking, “A Pig in Provence” will leave you wanting to spend a summer in the quaint countryside of Provence, France.
There's so much to be cherished in the small towns of this European country, and Brennan teaches exactly that.
4. How to Quit Your Job and Travel | Lia Garcia
Maybe you’ve already been bit by the travel bug and no longer feel fulfilled by your corporate job. Maybe you’re yearning to travel and see more of the world than you ever thought was possible. But where do you start?
Lia teaches you exactly how to live your dream of quitting your job and traveling the world. From her desk in the corporate fashion industry to the cobblestone streets of Europe, Lia offers the best advice on how to live your life to its fullest through travel.
5. The Culture Map | Erin Meyer
While this book is focused on business, it still offers so much insight into how cultures play a part in how we communicate, form relationships, and schedule our lives. If you run or work in a multicultural business, you will find this book especially helpful in guiding you to success. But even if you don’t, there are so many pieces of information that will help you become a better world traveler.
Learning about different cultures when you visit another country, will help you make the most of your time there, no matter how long that period may be. Being accepting and ready to insert yourself into a new culture is a huge part of international travel, and Erin does a great job of laying out the details in a clear and concise manner.
If you love books about travel…
There’s a good chance you’ll also love these books. While not meant to spark your wanderlust, the following books will help you understand various cultures a little more. They might open your eyes to a political problem you didn’t know existed. And most important of all, I hope they help you become a more empathetic, caring, and responsible traveler as you make your way through different countries around the world.
6. We Are Displaced | Malala Yousafzai
Refugees fighting to find a better home for themselves and their families openly share some of their most personal stories. Learn about 11 different women as they face unimaginable life experiences. Fleeing their homes, watching loved ones fade away forever, and facing the challenges of being dropped into a completely new culture is just scratching the surface. These women tell their stories in eye-opening chapters; “We Are Displaced” is a must-read for every traveler.
7. I Am Malala | Malala Yousafzai
The author of “We Are Displaced,” Malala Yousafzai caught the attention of many people when she released her biography "I Am Malala" with Christina Lamb in 2013. Her story takes you through the stages of her life growing up in the beautiful hillside of the Swat Valley, Pakistan.
When the Taliban takes over control of her home, she stands up to fight for girls’ right to an education, risking her life when she’s shot in the head on her way home from school. Her heroic recovery took on a life-altering journey; she’s now a Nobel Peace Prize winner, global activist, and proud defender of women around the world.
8. Americanah | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Grappling with race, love, and identity challenges, Americanah is the story of two Nigerians leaving their home country. When they get separated and are forced to live their own lives in two countries across the world from each, both face crises they never dreamed of. This book opens your eyes to the cultural challenges faced by many each day. Adichie is a writing master who brings her readers into the stories like they’re the main character so you can better understand the emotions.
9. Purple Hibiscus | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Another must-read by Adichie is “Purple Hibiscus” which takes place in Enugu, Nigeria. Living a life of privilege, Kambili and her older brother attend an elite missionary school. But once in the confines of their home, everything is far from congenial. A respected businessman and religious leader father, he sets unreachable standards for his children and wife. But once Kambili and her brother take a trip away from home to their aunt’s house, they’re filled with a sense of freedom. But will it be enough to help them survive the tension that awaits them back home?
10. The Book of Joy | Douglas Abrams
Religion is a personal and cultural journey, often shaping the life paths of many people. Douglas Abrams sits down with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama to discuss how their own religious upbringings and practices continue to mold their views on life, education, family, eating, and more. Learn how two religious leaders remain close friends, find similarities between two very different religions, and what they offer as advice to help you navigate through this world and unpredictable life. Can you truly find joy in everything?
Books for Travel Lovers
Whether you want to go on a journey through the pages of a new book and experience an adventure you’ve never dreamed of, learn more about cultural differences and the challenges faced by those outside of your country, or learn how to save money and travel the world, these books about travel are bound to make your reading list.
While hopping on the plane is the best way to curb your wanderlust and first-hand experience is the best teacher when it comes to cultural learning, a good book will go a long way. Or take you on an incredible adventure. The best travel books are waiting to be added to your shelf or your Kindle.
So find a comfy chair and grab a cup of tea, or settle down in your airplane seat. The best travel books are here to inform you, excite you, and help you understand the world a little bit more. Which will you be reading first? Be sure to leave your recommendations below too, so we can all enjoy more books about travel!
Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!
-Georgina
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