Last updated on August 12th, 2023
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What is that one thing that keeps a traveler upbeat and not getting bored during a long and exhausting journey? Any guesses? Of course! Books. The Books read during the journey can be of different subjects according to the interest of a traveler. I’m also a bookworm. I love reading books during my travels because they make me feel focused, happy, and energized. I think many travelers including me prefer to read books during long journeys as they provide a lot of information and keep them up-to-date, especially those related to travel. Books inspire you to explore new places as they expand your horizons, just like me. And when I read these books, I felt as if I myself traveling to that place, Amazing, isn’t it? So I thought why not share some of my favorite books on travel with you? That’s why I am bringing some 15 best travel books that will give you a kickass wanderlust, some I read and some read by my friends. So here are some of the best travel-related books that I’ve collected and shared in this article. So let’s dive into it!
The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho
We have all dreamed since our childhood, but how many of us actually chase our dreams? I think, a few people. This book is about living those dreams every day and turning them into reality. It’s a journey about a boy named Santiago, who since childhood has dreamed that he wants to travel the entire world. And then he shares his dream with his father, at first he refuses because he wants his son to become a priest. But Santiago only listens to his heart and at his urging, his father gives him permission to follow his dreams. To live his dream, Santiago becomes Shepherd, because a Shepherd can go anywhere and make money. He meets different people during his journey who encourages him to follow his dreams. Then how this young shepherd boy follows his heart, goes with the flow, and learns the meaning of love and life is all depicted in this book. This book has many inspirational quotes which when you read you will feel immense pleasure within you. This one, “There is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it’s because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It’s your mission on earth.” “The Soul of the World is nourished by People’s happiness”. I read this amazing book at the beginning of this year, and that’s why it’s at the top of my list.
The Shooting Star: A Girl, Her Backpack and The World – Shivya Nath
The Shooting Star is a travelogue of Shivya Nath, who has also written this wonderful book. One of my friends suggested me to read this book. At the age of 23, she left her corporate job and listened to her heart. To become a nomad, she gave up her home and sold most of her belongings. In this book, she recounts how travel has changed his perspective on living a sustainable life with minimal objects and tight budgets. She turned out into a vegan during her journey. She explores mostly off-beat destinations and local experiences. She also talks about climate change and emphasizes that it is our responsibility to save the Environment and the Earth.
How to Travel The World on $50 a Day: Travel Cheaper, Longer, Smarter – Matt Kepnes
If you are one of those who constantly think, I wish I could travel but have money what to do, then you’re thinking wrong because this book as the name suggests that if you have a passion for traveling then you can travel on a limited budget. This book is written by Matt Kepens, who is also a Travel blogger and traveling the world for 15 years. He claims in his book that it is possible to travel with less money. In this book, he told everything about saving money to eat cheaply and get free tickets to free accommodation and also how to use travel credit cards to gain amazing deals on hotels and flights. Give it a try, I’m sure this book has the answers to all of your questions.
Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything – Elizabeth Gilbert
What happens when you combat serious issues in your life? You feel dumb, void, and stressed! Isn’t it? The author feels the same. As suggested by one of my friends, I decided to bring this book to my list. When combating harsh situations in her life, she decides to step out of her world in the quest for mental and spiritual healing. She spent her whole year in three countries: Rome, India, and Bali. While in Italy she learns a new language – Italian and gains weight, on the other hand in India, she takes a step towards spirituality, and in Bali, she becomes a pupil of Medicine Man and finds her true love at last. This book depicts that if you’re combating stress in your life then only you can become a healer of yourself, so it depends on you how can you find happiness in your life.
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari – Robin Sharma
While traveling on a train then I read this amazing book. This book is about Julian, a lawyer who has all the luxuries in his life but is still, unhappy with his life. Once at court, he suffers a heart attack, and while in the hospital he wonders why he’s not feeling happy despite earning so well. He then sold his belongings and left for India. This book depicts that being successful is not defined by how much money is in your bank account, or how luxurious your life is, rather it is also much more important to have a balance of mind, body, and soul. When I read this book I thought about why we always think that we have money but why we can’t think about our peace of mind, which is the most. Everything is important in our life and there should be a balance between everything.
Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure – Sarah MacDonald
A girl comes to India but gets hate the pollution, heat, and poverty so much that she never wants to come here again. But as they say, destiny plays its own game, after 11 years because of her love she has to come back to India again. But this time she loves India so much. How did things change for her? How does she fall in love with India? All this has shown in this book. It’s a spiritual journey of Sarah, who finds immense peace and obligation in this country. A girl who never ever wants to come to India but love makes her back to India. Emotions are finely threaded in this book, which sometimes makes you laugh out loud and sometimes makes you cry. A country where people of different religions live together and respect and appreciate each other’s beliefs and traditions is just like attaining the divine and Sarah found God in India.
Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India- William Dalrymple
Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India is a travelogue by British Journalist William Dalrymple which elegantly portrays India’s slowly dying traditions and beliefs. The author traveled across the country for more than two decades to profile nine Indians whose lives were significantly shaped by faith. published in 2009, this book represents India’s rich cultural heritage, deep spiritual customs, and religious diversity and reveals the wonderful colors of true India to the readers. In each chapter, you will get to see new forms of reverence. The episodes of this book are about a Jain to a Dalit dancer, Sufi Muslim Woman, and a Devdasi to folk singers, monks, idol makers, and a prison warden.
Humsafar Everest: Neeraj Musafir
Travel is the one thing that connects man to man and introduces him to human and worldly diversity. This Book I read on Kindle has an amazing travelogue of Neeraj and his wife. He and his wife started their journey from Delhi to Nepal by road on a motorbike. The presentation of this book is so simple because when you read this book you also start to travel with it. This book is about a journey to Everest base camp. How Neeraj and his wife reach their destination is depicted in this book with a marvelous description that binds you to the last. The small glimpses of halts, the people there, and the life on the way provoke the minds of readers for a journey. Usually, travelers travel from Kathmandu to Lukla by air, but the author chose the road trip which most trekkers are unaware of it. A must-read book about Mount Everest Base Camp.
Around The World in 80 Trains – Monisha Rajesh
If you are a Rail Journey lover like the author and me then this book is for you. I fell in love with this book as she describes in this book the thrilling experience of her amazing Rail journey from Europe to Moscow in 80 trains. In her words, “Trains are rolling information if you’re willing to leave the comforts of home and be ready for the unexpected.” Her seven-month journey starts from London’s St Pancras station to Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, Tibet, Vietnam, North Korea, Canada, and the US. The romance of the train truly lives on in travelers who travel by rail despite the convenience of bullet trains and air travel, as you are always ready to share your stories and food with each other.
The Traveling Cat Chronicles – Hiro Arikawa
While at the airport, my friend was feeling boredom and then she fetched this book from her bag and started reading because the flight was delayed by 5 hours. This is a story of five years of friendship between a Cat and his friend – Satoru Miyawaki. Satoru names the cat – Nana. Both of them embark on a road journey across Japan to find a new home for the cat with his childhood friends. A very simple and straightforward story with a surprising depth. The simple gist of the story is that immense pleasure is hidden in little things in life, so don’t forget to live happily in the current moment. Humanity is depicted beautifully in this story. When my friend shared this adorable story with me I was just overwhelmed and without spending minutes I ordered this book for myself.
Tales of A Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World – Rita Golden Gelman
What would you do if you are going to take divorced at the age of 48? I think most women will go into a stressful state. But Rita Golden Gelman didn’t take a toll on her after the divorce she went on traveling, which was her dream. She kept this dream of hers alive in some corner of her mind and after her kids settled down, after getting divorced, she went on a trip. She became a nomad and learned new things from languages to cooking new foods on fires. She shows interest in talking to people more than places. Rita was living a luxurious life in the beginning but she wasn’t happy because she wanted to spread her wings, she wanted to learn new things, and she wanted to do something unexpected. So how she starts her nomad life? How did she enjoy her life after the divorce? All this has been depicted in this book which you will love it. If you want to do something which you like the most then just listen to your heart and go with the flow.
Suno Ladakh – Neeraj Musafir
Author – Neeraj Musafir heads towards Ladakh in January to find out what Ladakh and its habitants’ life look like in winter. I read this book on Kindle and as I kept on going, I was feeling like I’m traveling to Ladakh. He didn’t think even in dreams that he could able to travel Ladakh by air. But in 2010 when he was coming back from Amarnath then he got his first glimpse of Ladakh in Baltal. The beauty of Ladakh attracted him, and only then he decided he would definitely visit Ladakh, and that too in January. He wanted to walk on the frozen Zanskar River. In this book, he has beautifully described his first-time flight journey to the people of Ladakh and the amazing experience of ice skating on the frozen Zanskar River.
On A Truck Alone, To McMahon – Nabaneeta Dev Sen
Have you ever heard of such a journey? If not heard, then this book is going to tell you about a journey in which Nabaneeta, who is also the author of this amazing book, starts the journey on a truck. She says neither am I exploring any new place nor do I want to make any record. I just want to find myself, want to spend some time on my own, and just go with the flow, that’s all and nothing else. The book talks about an adventurous journey in which Nabaneets takes us to the McMohan Line, the disputed border between China and India, and Tawang Gompa, a monastery in Arunachal Pradesh. She met interesting people during her journey and shares her learnings about tribes like Khampa and Mompa in her book. This book also seems to break the notion that a woman cannot travel alone and that too on a road trip. A must-read book full of humor and contemplation.
Beyond the Sky and the Earth: A Journey into Bhutan – Jamie Zeppa
It’s not just a book, it’s a memoir of the author in which she has cherished the moments spent in Bhutan. When she had to move from Canada to Bhutan a different world, she was frosted at first, but gradually she finally adapted herself to this new environment. While she was living a luxurious life in Canada, when she came to Bhutan, there were only mountains. In fact, she had to post as a volunteer English teacher in Bhutan, where she stayed for about three years. Initially, she had trouble here because wasn’t quite used to the mountain. In her words, on the first day, I was exhausted, and couldn’t be able to sleep properly, so then I woke up and looked out of the window, the mountains were looking forward to touching the moon. Because I never saw mountains in Canada, so I used to wonder what was on the other side of the mountains. Because she admires Bhutan for its simplicity, beauty, and benign behavior of people she used the title Beyond the Sky and the Earth for Bhutan.
Early Sunrise, Early Sunset: Tales of a Solo Woman Traveler Across North East and East India – Priyanka Rastogi
Recommended by my friend, in this book you will discover the eloquent of the seven sisters – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura as well as the incredible states of Chhattisgarh, Sikkim, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Odisha. The author has discovered beautifully these places as a solo traveler when you read this book, you will go with the flow and you’ll feel like you’re traveling to those places yourself. The author wants to bring hidden treasures to those states, so she not only talks about these places but also tribal and non-tribal habitats and their culture, tradition, and values. I’ve included it on my bucket list already.
So these were some amazing books which were read by me and my friends, I’ve shared them in this article to let you know about the amazing world. Books are a true friend because I say. Whenever I read any book I am just lost in the world of that book and learn a lot from it. If you haven’t read these books then you should get them and read them, and do let me know which one is your favorite.
