“I read, I travel, I become.”
One of the best things about travelling is that you suddenly you have all this time to read.
No matter if you are camping, sitting on an airplane for a few hours or lounging at some tropical pool, a good book may just what you need to relax and detox from social.
Especially when travelling to foreign countries I have never been before, I tend to read a lot more as I am eager to learn more about the history and culture of the country which sometimes simply cannot be picked up while walking the streets.
So here’s my list of the best books to read while travelling. Are you ready? Let’s start!
#1 The Kite Runner
With over seven million copies sold in the U.S. and translated into 42 languages, this book surely needs to be included in the top 5 best books to read while on vacation.
It follows the story of two inseparable boys, Amir and Hassan, that grow up together in Kabul, Afghanistan covering a period of change and destruction while focusing on an unlikely friendship.
#2 Into The Wild
A book about exploring the outer limits of self, withdrawing from civilization and seeking enlightenment through isolation and unity with nature.
The idea of the book started from the investigation of the true story of Chris McCandless, who went into the Alaskan wilderness and whose SOS note and skeletal corpse were found several months later. One of the best books to read while travelling solo!
#3 The Beach
This great novel’s plot is set in Thailand and it presents the story of Richard, a young backpacker, who chooses to find a hidden beach that is believed to be an exotic paradise.
One of the best books to read while backpacking, especially in Southeast Asia, as it just makes your desire of travelling to exotic destinations and escaping reality bigger and bigger.
#4 The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy
#5 Eat, Pray, Love
You must have heard of this extraordinary novel!
Dive into one of the best wanderlust books and read about Elizabeth’s choice to leave behind the American modern life and find what she truly seeks.
You will be delighted to find out details about the art of pleasure and the art of devotion, both experienced amid three different cultures: Italian, Indian and Indonesian.
#6 Ten Years A Nomad
Do you want to know how one of the most successful travel bloggers feels to walk barefoot on a beach in Thailand?
Read this book and you will come to find out what is to be a nomad along with stories from Matt Kepnes’ adventures abroad.
It’s part memoir and partly a philosophical look on the questions why we travel and in my eyes of the best books to read while travelling.
#8 Girls Who Travel
#9 Life Of Pi
This is the extraordinary journey of Pi Patel, a zookeeper’s son, who manages to coexist on a lifeboat with a huge tiger for 227 days.
However, the authorities refuse to believe the boy’s story and he has to invent a new one. Perhaps not as bizarre as the real one…
An international bestseller for a reason! Also makes for a good movie to watch on the plane as it was made into a film also.
#10 On The Road
Ever since its initial publication, more than fifty years ago, this novel has been inspirational for many generations of travellers.
You will simply love it, as it is a classic novel of longing for freedom and liberty of two friends travelling cross-country in the search of true experiences.
Yep, it’s definitely been one of the best travel books for decades!
#11 The Innocents Abroad
his humorous travel memoir was decisive for Twain’s fame for the rest of his life.
The book takes you on a journey of an American who goes abroad for the first time. He travels from Paris to Venice and finally to Bethlehem.
His humour will turn out to be tenser for the present generations than for his contemporaries.
#12 Wild
After a series of disasters in her life, the author decides to go hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail for a thousand miles all by herself.
A stylish, warm, humorous book, and one of the best books to read while backpacking. It will surprise you with the journey that ultimately heals the author and main character.
#14 A Sunburned Country
Australia, known for all the many things that can potentially kill you.
Bill Bryson takes you off the beaten tourist path and along to meet the friendliest Australians, visit beautiful clean cities and wanders under the eternal sunshine. It is one of the greatest road trip books that will make you want to come to Australia!
#15 All The Light We Cannot See
#17 Shantaram
A vivid book with parts based on the author’s known biography. It is the story of an Australian convict who escapes from high security prison and flees to India.
The book is fantastic for its great portrays of the turbulent life and rich diversity of life in Bombay as the main character searches for love and meaning.
#18 What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding
For anyone not ready to settle down but need an escape for the daily routine and job.
You will encounter Israeli bartenders, Finnish poker players, sexy Bedouins, and Argentinean priests that come to help the main character to turn into a slower and softer version of her former self. It is one of the best books to read while travelling to South America and beyond.
#22 The Happiness Project
Warning, this book might make you happy! Even the most modest changes can make the greatest differences in your life.
The Happiness Project is the attempt to discover what truly makes a person happy in a yearlong transformation that really is a lifelong approach to constantly evolve to become our best self.
#24 A Walk In The Woods
#25 A Year In Provence
The kind of book that shows you how to fulfill your greatest dreams and have the courage to leave behind the world, as you know it.
Moving into a very old stone farmhouse in southern France makes the main characters who come from the grey and cold winters of England, understand and live at a tempo perfectly governed by seasons and not by days.
#26 Unlikely Destinations
#27 I'm A Stranger Here Myself
This is the wonderful story of the author’s family return to the US after living for 20 years in the UK.
They find a totally different country that essentially values things like microwave pancakes and 24hr dental-floss hotlines.
The result is a humorous book of their attempt to readapt to their own country.
#28 Vagabonding
Consider it a life-changing book, especially if you have been thinking about that long-term trip for a while!
The author teaches you how to be brave enough to take extended time off from your normal life, decide upon a destination, how to finance your travels with work and volunteering abroad, and ultimately, how to get back to ordinary life.
#29 The Year Of Living Danishly
#30 Crazy Rich Asians
It is the story of a normal girl that accepts to spend the summer with her beloved boyfriend in Singapore, his homeland.
But the young man forgets to give her some major details, which turn her relaxed vacation into an unpleasant combination of old and new money, noisy relatives and greedy social climbers. It is one of the best books to read while travelling Asia.
Sometimes, you just need to escape from your daily routine. You feel that your work is on high-speed with hundreds of deadlines, your personal space becomes smaller by the day and the weather is just so depressing.
Travelling has this wonderful magic that it can take all these things off your mind!
Well, sounds like it’s time to book your plane ticket, free your mind in a new destination and get lost in a good book for a couple of days. I promise, it’s better than seeing a therapist!
Do you have a favourite travel book? Share it with me in the comments below.
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