I’ve always loved to read, as a child my family nicknamed me Matilda because I would never put a book down. As an adult this still hasn’t changed. Although these days the majority of my reads are scientific journals and text books for my work, I love reading about destinations around the world. Here are a few that have inspired me on my travels (not in any particular order, click on the pictures to find out more.
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1.) The Accidental Adventurer
Ben Fogle is well know in the U.K and somewhat of a national treasure in my opinion. His television presenting and journalism has led him to complete exciting expeditions, scaling Everest, visit families in the most isolated locations on earth living off grid, sailing across the Atlantic.

2.) Dark Skies by Lonely Planet
Dark Skies, was a hidden treasure for me. I bought this for my Fiance who is a huge fan of Professor Brian Cox, space and astronomy. Really easy to read and been great to identify some of the wonders of the night skies when on camping.

3.) Where To Go When by Lonely Planet
Where to go and when is another one from Lonely Planet that I really like. I have very poor memory and although you can probably find a lot of information online by researching, I do prefer to have this book on hand.

4.) 100 Hikes Of A Lifetime by National Geographic
If you haven’t gathered from my posts I love to be outdoors and Hike. Most of my trips revolve around some kind of hiking. This one has given me some great ideas and I’ve booked a couple of trips off the back of reading this alone.

5.) Expeditions Unpacked by Ed Stafford
Ed Stafford is another great adventurist. He is also the author of Walking the Amazon and a few other books, along with presenting documentaries such as Man Vs and Naked and Marooned. After watching or read anything from him, I tend to become inspired to book another adventure.

6.) The Alchemist by Pailo Coelho
The Alchemist is a classic. I don’t think this book is exclusive to inspiring travel as such, but it seems to inspire so many readers to realise their passion, to do more, see more and be more.
His other books are also brilliant I was bought the collection of his books as a gift a few years ago from a family member. I procrastinated reading as I had a few others of my own I wanted to read. I wished I had picked them up sooner, I could not put them down.

7.) Heros by Stephen Fry
I love this book from Stephen Fry and his book Mythos. Stephen Fry is a brilliant author who is incredibly Intelligent. I also have a real soft spot for Greek mythology and Greece as a country. Having lived there for a few summer seasons it is also my favourite place in Europe.

8.) Don’t Go There by Adam Fletcher
Don’t go there is a really fun read, whilst it does not inspire me to travel to those particular places within the book, it does inspire an innate curiosity surrounding different cultures. Adam Fletcher also has a couple of other books including Tuk Tuk for Two, but Don’t Go There was my favourite.
There are some other book’s that have also inspired me, some cheesy like Eat, Prey, Love and the Bronte sisters (inadvertently inspiring travel within my home country). But I felt like these stood out to me and made a bigger impression than some others. There are also so much Lonely Planet, National Geographic and individual destination guides that have proved useful when planning my trips. If you have some favourites, comment below or subscribe to get more.
#Book #recommendations #travel #inspiration #destinations #readmore #books #lonelyplanet
4 Responses
Indrani
Thanks for the recommendations, I usually go by them.
I am done with The Alchemist , will check out others.
Melanie
Like you, I love being outside and hiking, so I should probably take a look at 100 Hikes Of A Lifetime 🙂
Jenn
Where to go and when has been a bit of a lifesaver for me. It saved me a lot of time from scrolling through loads of blog articles when planning my trips. Could have ended up with some less enjoyable trips.
Ben
Greate and inspirational article after reading many of these, I completely agree. These inspire me to travel a lot and give me itchy feet when I’ve not been away for a while.