Many of us began our global exploration with literature. When we were younger, we visited imaginary places like Narnia and the land of the wild things; when we were older, we visited actual places like East Egg and the Salinas Valley. Each of us owes a little portion of the seasoned adult travelers we are now to the travel we saw ourselves doing years ago.
Many of us are excited to start traveling again—the genuine kind, that is—now that shots are being fired. You could even make it your New Year’s resolution to travel more. We can assist you if you haven’t yet selected which uncharted territories to visit or are still saving money for the vacation of a lifetime. We’re urging you to go back to the fundamentals and pick up those tried and true books once more. We’re here to offer a bare-bones reading list for anybody wishing to travel sensibly, creatively, and exuberantly.
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
The first hippie, Jack Kerouac, authored On the Road, his most well-known work while traveling across America in 1951. This book offers readers a glimpse inside the beat generation’s environment, which is sometimes overlooked in history books.
The 1950s saw the rise of the beat generation, a group of young people who valued poetry, jazz, travel, and Buddhism. They pictured a society free from restrictions where individuals might go about as they pleased. You will learn more about the beat generation after reading On the Road, which will also make you yearn for a society where unrestricted travel is the norm.
- Summary
After World War II, Jack Kerouac recounts many of his blunders and experiences around the country in this famous American book. His troublesome buddies, who are broke and want to live life to the utmost, frequently accompany him.
Who has time for clocks, mortgages, or maps when the world is waiting to be explored? Kerouac, his buddies Ginsberg, and Burroughs reject the “American dream” in favor of their own by embracing the beat movement.
Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer
Into The Wild focuses on the Alaskan wilderness and takes you along on one man’s frantic quest to get away from civilization. Chris McCandless decided to renounce his comfortable lifestyle and material possessions, give up his identity, and travel throughout America while engaging in exciting activities.
- Summary
Chris McCandless, the main character in this book, becomes sick of living a life of luxury and decides to journey throughout America without any material things. He worked in Arizona while traveling and canoeing down the Colorado River into Mexico before renouncing civilization and settling in the Alaskan wilderness.
He connects his childhood to all his life issues, explaining why freedom and travel are the solutions. Chris settles on an abandoned bus and adopts the alias Alexander Supertramp. Before he meets an untimely end, he spends the day hiking, fishing, resting, and searching for the bus.
While the Gods Were Sleeping by Elizabeth Enslin
Follow Elizabeth, a young archaeologist, as she navigates life in her husband’s little Nepali hamlet as you go around Nepal. Elizabeth faces numerous hardships in life—from marriage to the birth of her child—while adjusting to a new country and peculiar traditions without the comforts of home.
- Summary
An American anthropologist from a wealthy family in a rural Nepalese hamlet falls hopelessly in love with a student from her institution. Elizabeth, who lives in this isolated community, encounters her partner’s family while navigating the challenges of an interracial relationship. She also marries and has a son during this time.
Hippie by Paulo Coelho
Paulo Coehlo, a well-known novelist, chronicles his life and travels in the 1960s in a compelling account. In typical hippy style, Coelho takes a Magic Bus from Amsterdam to Kathmandu that transports passengers across Central Asia and Europe.
- Summary
A young, free-spirited woman named Karla is the subject of Paul Coelho’s real story of his once-in-a-lifetime journey from Amsterdam to Nepal on the Magic Bus. Both Paul and Karla seek a higher purpose and significance in life. They discover more about one another and themselves as they explore Central Asia. Many other travelers who are also on the road they meet along the way help them develop personally.
Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle by Dervla Murphy
Another excellent travel book, Full Tilt, describes a gritty Irish woman’s 1960s cycling trip from Ireland to India. Readers are likely to enjoy this lively travel book!
- Summary
Derby Murphy describes her cycling journeys across Central Asia and Europe. Her journey to New Delhi began in Dunkirk and was completed on a bicycle. Along the trip, she runs into many issues, including stomach illness, sunstroke, and poor lodgings, but she also has a lot of unique experiences while maintaining her positive outlook. One of the greatest travel novels ever written is unquestionably Full Tilt.
Do you feel inspired?
Once you’ve read up on some motivational travelers and finished all the travel guides, pack your bags and begin planning your next epic journey! Lastly, read more about travel around the world here.
