Comments on: 15 Travel Books That Will Give You Serious Wanderlust

By: Lisa G

Lisa G — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 18:47:45 +0000

I was a big fan of Eat Pray Love because I find that in my own personal experience that travel is soooo very eye-opening and important in finding my sense of self as well as appreciating and understanding other people and cultures. A book that I read recently that 100% needs to be added to this list is “Journey: A Novel” by Andrew Zimmerman (http://andrewzimmermanbooks.com/). This book had me from the very beginning because it’s about a guy, Paul, who is stuck in the routine of his life. He climbed the corporate ladder, he has a family, he is successful and yet, he’s not happy. His work has taken over and there is no more joy or wonder or excitement UNTIL he goes to a small village in Glastonbury England to visit friends. It is a place for spiritual seekers of all kinds! He finds a whole other side of himself he didn’t even know was there. I really related to the main character and once he started to dive into his spiritual side the internal struggle he faced when going back to “normal life.” I usually feel that sense of displacement and wanting “more” after coming home from traveling abroad. I highly recommend this book. Happy reading and happy traveling

By: Freddie Hoose

Freddie Hoose — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 01:59:49 +0000

I’ll list a few of my favorites. Note: Sometimes a novel can be a better adventure than an official “travel book”…

The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen (classic introspective journey in Nepal)

River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze by Peter Hessler (knowing the Yangtze is a lifelong project)

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (a novel through Vegas! NYC! Amsterdam!)

and of course…

Upstate Pizza Guy in India and Nepal: Notes from a Drifting Road by Freddie Hoose (a subcontinent-spanning loop of over 13,000 km)

Cheers!

By: Debleena Dasgupta

Debleena Dasgupta — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 14:33:52 +0000

This is a very good idea for a post Matt. I would also suggest The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh.

This book inspired me to visit the Sunderbans, a group of semi-inhabited tidal channel islands in the Gangetic delta, where regular life is at the mercy of the elements of nature, more often fearsome than kind. It is a few hours road journey from Kolkata.

For the local islanders, tourism is one of the means of livelihood and we took a daylong boat ride down the distributaries of the Ganges upto the Bay of Bengal and then back. We had lunch of freshly caught fish on the boat and spent a lazy day cruising through the waters in the cool seaside breeze. However, the calm and idyll is deceptive, as the locals are always wary of crocodiles and the Bengal tiger lurking in the muddy waters of the delta.

The delta is also home to the Gangetic dolphins but we were unfortunate and didn’t sight any. We, however, did see the forest officials take away a tranquillised Bengal tiger on a boat to probably a wildlife centre.

Staying overnight there is a thrill of sorts as one has to do without electricity and with only basic amenities at hand. That’s the plan the next time I visit there. Another plan is to try the local honey that the islanders collect from the jungles of Sundari trees, braving the threat of the tigers and cyclonic storms.

Overall, it is a place tucked away from “normal” civilisation and closer to nature in all the senses.

By: Tresca

Tresca — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 00:18:15 +0000

I like Jane Golden’s Eastern European travel mysteries. They are “laugh out loud” funny, especially her latest, Adriatic Allure.

By: Jake

Jake — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 11:23:27 +0000

Alchemist is the best!

By: Ryan Biddulph

Ryan Biddulph — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 12:28:38 +0000

The Alchemist is a time honored classic Matt.

By: Ashley

Ashley — Sat, 30 Jul 2016 00:31:11 +0000

Don’t forget Peter Matthiessen’s The Snow Leopard. Also an epic adventure read, absolutely love it. I came across, and read Vagabonding because of your blog – so Thank You!

By: Sonal

Sonal — Fri, 27 May 2016 15:25:05 +0000

I want to suggest one more – City of Djins. I have not read a better travel book. However, you will enjoy it more if you have or are planning on visiting New Delhi.. 🙂

By: Jon Mendenhall

Jon Mendenhall — Sun, 06 Sep 2015 22:29:55 +0000

Probably my favorite travel book on Asia is Lost on Planet China by J Maarten Troost. As a frequent business traveler to Asia, I can assure you it is worth a read before a trip there!

By: Clifford

Clifford — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 06:55:00 +0000

Just finished reading the Alchemist and man What a great book! I can see myself reading the alchemist more than once just because of how inspiring it is.