A popular subset of the travel writing genre, travelogues can be the best way to experience the oddities and curiosities of the world without necessarily being there in person.
Luckily, there are plenty of books on the subject. Whether you’re in need of new ideas for your next adventure or simply a prospective traveler curious about life on the road, there is sure to be a book that will speak to the “traveler” in you. Here are just a few travelogues that you may find interesting.
1. The Innocents Abroad or The New Pilgrims’ Progress, 1869. Mark Twain
A written record of his 1867 tour of Europe and the Holy Land, Mark Twain delivers an unforgettably witty and hilarious account of his time abroad as he, and a group of fellow Americans, travel about in their retired Civil War ship known as “Quaker City”. As perhaps America’s best known wit and satirist, The Innocents Abroad is part memoir, part travelogue and, above all, an incredibly entertaining and satisfying read.
2. The Great Railway Bazaar, 1975. Paul Theroux
An epic account of one man’s four month train odyssey across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia, before returning home on the infamous Trans-Siberian Railway. Long considered a staple of travel writing, Theroux’s entertaining tale of visiting odd and unique locales along with his humorous writing style, makes The Great Railway Bazaar essential reading for both the seasoned adventurer and the first-time traveler.
Bonus: In 2008, at age 66, Theroux retraced his original journey in Ghost Train to the Eastern Star. The author recounts how the many places he visited 33 years ago has changed since the time of his initial grand tour.
3. Tracks: A Woman’s Solo Trek Across 1,700 Miles of Australian Outback, 1980. Robyn Davidson
With a dog, four camels and an unfailing enthusiasm for the Australian outdoors, Robyn Davidson recounts her 1977 trek across the arid deserts and rural landscapes of the “land down under”. A quintessential read for any traveler, Tracks is a courageous and candid account of one woman’s journey as she overcomes obstacles both physical and emotional, confronting her own internal doubts and desperations, all the while navigating across a continent one step at a time.
4. The Motorcycle Diaries, 2003. Ernesto “Che” Guevara
The Motorcycle Diaries (Diarios de motocicleta) is the remarkable account of the Marxist revolutionary as a 23 year-old medical student where he, and fellow biochemist and friend Alberto Granado, traverse 2,800 miles of South American terrain on their trusty 1939 Norton 500cc, better known as La Poderosa (“The Mighty One”). Experiencing first-hand the abject poverty and desolation many people endured on his own home continent, Diaries offers a revealing and personal account of Che’s formative journey and a unique insight into one of the 20th century’s most iconic figures.
Bonus: Like Che, Alberto Granado also kept a travelogue of their journeys together in Traveling with Che Guevara (Con El Che). Their written travels was also the basis for the 2004 highly acclaimed movie The Motorcycle Diaries.
5. The Lost Girls: Three Friends. Four Continents. One Unconventional Detour Around the World, 2010. Jennifer Baggett, Holly C Corbett, Amanda Pressner
In the midst of a quarter-life crisis, three friends decide to quit their successful New York City media jobs and leave behind their boyfriends and mortgages, to embark on an around the world trip in search of meaningful perspective and enlightenment. Traveling across the mountains and jungles of South America, the beaches of Australia and New Zealand, as well as Kenya, India, and Southeast Asia, The Lost Girls recounts their 60,000 mile journey of self-discovery.
